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Commissioners revive employee referral bonus to help nursing home staffing
Summary
Commissioners approved reinstating an employee referral program that offers $500 to referring employees (and $500 to referred hires) if both stay six months; the program originally ran in 2021 and commissioners discussed a sunset date of Dec. 31, 2026.
Commissioners voted to revive the county employee referral program aimed at recruiting staff for county operations, including the county nursing home. Under the program as described by staff, a referring employee and a referred hire each receive $500 if both remain employed for six months.
Staff said the referral program was enacted in July 2021 and automatically ended Dec. 31, 2021, and that it produced no participants during that period. Officials said the program is being reintroduced in part because the nursing home is experiencing staff losses and low application numbers, and because hiring agency staff has become costly. "We've had nobody take advantage of it," the staff presenter said of the 2021 run. Commissioners discussed whether to set a future expiration date and suggested Dec. 31, 2026 as a reasonable sunset if they wished to limit the program's duration.
A commissioner noted that referral programs can be widely known at the start and then fade, and recommended regular reminders by department heads as part of ongoing recruitment efforts. Another commissioner moved to reinstate the employee referral program; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The motion carries as a policy decision to reopen the referral bonus; commissioners directed department heads to periodically remind staff about the program. The transcript records discussion of targeting LNA (licensed nursing assistant) hires as a lower-cost alternative to higher-licensed staff, and that some LNAs are currently enrolled in training programs to become LPNs or RNs, which will create future vacancies that may need to be filled.
The vote was approved by voice; the transcript includes "Aye" responses and the chair saying the motion carries but does not show a roll-call or individual vote counts.
