Board hears first readings of employee wellness and community volunteer leave policies
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Summary
On first reading the board reviewed two new personnel-support policies: a one-day-per-year paid wellness/dental leave for full-time employees and a one-day-per-year paid community volunteer leave for eligible staff; both items were presented by the policy committee and will return for final action after the second reading.
The Florence School District 1 Board of Trustees reviewed on first reading two new personnel-oriented policies intended to support employee health and community engagement.
Policy committee members introduced GCCAC (employee wellness and dental exam leave), which would allow eligible full-time employees to take up to one paid day per school year (in half-day increments) for personal wellness or dental appointments. The proposed policy requires five days’ advance notice where feasible, documentation signed by a health-care provider within three work days of the appointment, and prohibits using the leave to extend holidays or scheduled breaks. Supervisors would approve and track the use of the leave.
The committee also introduced GCCAA (community volunteer leave), which would allow eligible full-time employees with at least two years of district service to take up to one paid day per school year to perform approved volunteer service for nonprofit or community initiatives aligned with district values. Requests would require documentation from the organization and a 10-business-day approval window, and volunteers could not use the leave for partisan political or conflicting-interest activities.
“Out of our staff that have health insurance, last year only 10.4 percent of our staff had a wellness checkup or a biometric,” a committee speaker said while describing metrics the policies seek to improve. The committee framed the policies as parts of a broader employee health strategy tied to local wellness initiatives.
Board members asked clarifying questions, including whether volunteer time at nonprofit events held in houses of worship would qualify (committee members said service to a nonprofit hosted at a religious location can qualify as long as the activity is not promoting religion). The policies were presented as first readings and will return for final action after required notice and committee follow-up.
Ending: Both policies were presented and discussed in committee; no final vote was taken at the meeting.