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HR: Marathon County sees rising short-tenure turnover, surge in FMLA claims and Workday work ahead
Summary
Human Resources reported increased FMLA activity, elevated turnover among employees with fewer than five years' service, and ongoing Workday configuration and a classification-and-compensation study; supervisors asked administration to explore benefit and schedule changes to improve retention.
Marathon County’s Human Resources office presented a quarterly update on June 11 highlighting a rise in family- and medical-leave activity, continuing turnover concentrated among employees with short tenure, and ongoing Workday and classification-and-compensation work.
Molly (Human Resources) said the county has more than doubled FMLA-related claims compared with 2024 and nearly tripled the number from 2023, driving an operational need to outsource leave-management services. "We are seeing a significant increase in the amount of FMLA leaves of our employees," Molly said, and noted an earlier vendor relationship for leave management did not work out; the county has temporarily insourced leave management while seeking a new vendor.
The HR presentation showed that 54% of separations over the last three years were employees with less than five years of service and 45% with less than three years. Nearly one-quarter of separations were employees with under one year of service. Molly said turnover is concentrated in corrections and administrative support roles; the sheriff’s office accounted for 24% of separations by headcount while, proportionally, the highest turnover by headcount appeared in the district attorney’s office, health department, library, CPZ and highway.
Molly identified top reasons reported in exit information: dissatisfaction with pay, workload or work–life-balance concerns, and limited promotional opportunities. She said the HR office is prioritizing a classification-and-compensation study, Workday configuration and an expanded learning-management offering.
Administrator Leonard and other committee members suggested examining benefit design and workplace schedules as retention tools. Leonard said some neighboring jurisdictions offer half-day Fridays or other schedule adjustments and that Marathon County’s holiday package is one day smaller than the average reported by peer entities in a rapid survey. "We need to take that step back and reflect: are we creating a workplace that will attract and retain talent?" Leonard said.
HR will continue the classification-and-compensation study and provide data on hires, separations and full-time-equivalent staffing levels on request. The committee asked staff to return with comparative data and any feasible options to address retention and recruitment pressure.
