Elkhart County updates personnel policy manual, raises lodging cap and adds anti-bullying policy

Elkhart County Commissioners on June 9 approved a batch of revisions to the county personnel policy manual that the county attorney described as routine, twice-yearly updates to clarify procedures and reflect current practice.

County Attorney Steve Olson walked commissioners through a list of modified policies, saying the reviews are a standard process. "Twice a year, we look at the policy manual and we identify appropriate modifications," Olson said. He presented updates to a range of policies and explained several substantive changes.

Key changes included a lodging rate maximum increase from $200 to $250 under the business expense policy (Policy 3.18b); a new anti-bullying policy that defines prohibited behavior and reporting and anti-retaliation protections (Policy 3.25); an updated bereavement policy providing up to five days of leave for certain immediate family members with supervisor approval (Policy 4.05); and clarifications to pre-employment criminal history checks allowing for department-specific checks (Policy 3.21). Olson also listed updates or clarifications to policies on at-will employment, workplace violence and weapons in the workplace, wage and salary guidelines, substance abuse testing, exposure control, employee grievances, termination and rehire, employee assistance program (EAP) references, retirement benefit language relating to PERF and INPRS, and department-level policies that must not conflict with the county manual.

Olson said the language changes will be entered into the Elkhart County code following approval. Commissioners approved the policy updates; the motion carried unanimously.

The changes affect county-wide human resources practices and departmental procedures; Olson characterized most edits as clarifications or procedural updates but highlighted the lodging cap change and the creation of an anti-bullying policy as substantive items for staff and supervisors to note.