Committee approves ordinance to adjust overtime rules for Lakeland Healthcare Center third-shift staff

The Walworth County Human Resource Committee on Feb. 19 approved Ordinance 03-25 to change overtime calculation and codify holiday‑pay practices for certain employees at Lakeland Healthcare Center (LHCC).

Human Resources staff told the committee the item responds to a change in the county work‑week start time from 10:30 p.m. to midnight that split some third‑shift schedules across pay periods and created unintended overtime and leave‑usage effects for full‑time direct resident care employees. Committee members voted in favor of the ordinance; there was no recorded opposition.

Human Resources staff said the ordinance will allow full‑time third‑shift direct resident care employees to be paid under an 8/80 method (overtime after 8 hours in a day or 80 hours in a pay period), a method the presenter said is permissible under federal rules (citing 29 CFR 778.601 and Department of Labor Fact Sheet 54). The staff presentation said the change intends to preserve employees’ current every‑other‑weekend schedule rather than require every‑weekend coverage or force employees to use benefit time to “make themselves whole” in a split pay period.

The draft ordinance also explicitly codifies differing holiday start times used by two county departments: the sheriff’s office treats a holiday as beginning when its third shift begins (11 p.m. the night before the observed holiday), while LHCC considers a holiday to begin with the first regular shift that starts on the observed holiday (6:30 a.m.). The ordinance clarifies that any excess hours worked before the first shift or after the third shift are not treated as holiday hours, consistent with current practice, the presenter said.

Staff further recommended removing a 12‑hour day/36‑hour week provision from the LHCC section of the code because it is not in practice and staff did not want it. Human Resources told the committee there would be no direct budget impact from the change as written; however, if the ordinance were not passed, the county could incur additional overtime costs (estimated about $21,700 annually for the affected third‑shift staff) until a schedule meeting the 40‑hour work‑week overtime requirement was implemented.

Paula (staff member) told the committee that employees “won't feel anything” if the ordinance is adopted, saying the change would not alter scheduling or take‑home pay for affected staff. The Human Resources presenter described the change as the least disruptive option for staff schedules.

The committee approved the ordinance by voice vote. The record shows no opposition; five committee members were present at roll call.

The ordinance and supporting memorandum from Finance Director Jessica Conley are in the meeting packet (pages 3–11). The county will implement the code amendments if the full board and subsequent required committees approve the ordinance as scheduled.