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Lee County commissioners press for consistent limits on salaried employees' flex time
Summary
Commissioners at a Lee County work session questioned the county's flexible work-week practice for exempt (salaried) employees and discussed limiting carryover or extended days off, with HR saying policy leaves discretion to appointing authorities.
LEE COUNTY ' Commissioners discussed county policy on flex time for exempt (salaried) employees at a work session, with several saying the current practice appears inconsistent across departments and urging clearer enforcement by appointing authorities.
The issue surfaced after Commissioner LeGrand said, "I don't understand flex time for salaried employees" and repeated concerns that some salaried workers appear to take Fridays off after working 40 hours by Thursday. "I don't understand them being off on Friday and then at the end of the year having time left over, vacation time, and us paying them for it," LeGrand said.
Human Resources Director Lisa told the commission the county policy allows flexible work schedules "at the discretion of the appointing authority" and emphasized that the policy does not permit building up flex time for later use. "Our policies are clearly stated regarding flex time and salaried employees," she said, adding appointing authorities are responsible for managing exceptions. LeGrand and several commissioners said if employees regularly take extended time off after compacted workweeks, department heads should address it.
Commissioners debated where to set a practical limit on short absences. LeGrand and others said 2 to 3 hours for appointments was reasonable and should be handled informally; several commissioners and staff suggested up to 4 hours might be permissible but anything beyond that should be charged to vacation or PTO. "If it's more than 4, you need to take vacation time," one commissioner said during the discussion.
Several speakers framed the issue as an enforcement problem rather than a policy gap. Lisa said appointing authorities have the responsibility to manage flex schedules and to address individual abuses. Commissioners asked HR to confirm whether changes to the county policy were needed or whether better enforcement at the department level would suffice.
The discussion did not produce a formal vote or an immediate policy change. Commissioners expressed consensus that department heads should apply the existing rule consistently and that HR should advise appointing authorities when irregularities occur.
