Commission adopts long-term supplement to county workers' compensation policy to maintain employee pay

County staff presented a revised workers' compensation policy to the Berkeley County Commission that is intended to maintain employees' income when they are off work for compensable workers' compensation claims. Chad, a county staff member who drafted the policy, told the commission the new approach replaces a manual "buyback" system and instead applies a 34% long-term supplement to standard full-time weekly rotations (32, 36, 40 and 48 hours) so employees receive pay closer to their regular income when workers' compensation pays based on prior quarters' earnings. Chad said the policy uses a simple chart to match employees' regular schedules with the supplemental pay and that administrative staff will notify finance to handle payroll adjustments. Chad said the policy is designed so any calculation errors will err in favor of the employee and that the county is also offering short-term disability insurance options employees may opt into. "This will return an employee to a 100% of their pay in the event that they're out of order compensation," Chad said when commissioners asked about the policy's effect. The commission moved and approved the policy as proposed. Commissioners praised the change as important for public-safety employees and others with job-related injury risk. Why this matters: the policy affects payroll administration, employee benefits and the county's handling of workplace injuries. Commissioners said the change helps firefighters and law-enforcement personnel who are at higher risk of on-the-job injury and may lack accrued leave when injured. Details and next steps: county administrative staff will implement the policy with payroll and notify employees of insurance options; the commission approved the motion during the meeting and the policy will be administered by county offices according to the described charting process.