Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee forwards proposed changes to employee vacation and personnel policy to full court
Summary
The County Services Committee voted to send an amendment to Ordinance 2020-5-17 on employee vacation and related personnel-policy changes to the full quorum court with a "due pass" recommendation after debate over timing and employee input.
The Washington County County Services Committee voted to forward proposed changes to the county’s vacation and personnel policies, including an addition to recognize full‑time military service in accrual calculations, to the full quorum court with a due‑pass recommendation.
Committee members debated whether to postpone the measure to allow more outreach to elected officials and county employees. Justice Beth Koger moved to postpone the proposal until the July County Services meeting; the motion failed on a voice vote. A later motion to forward the amendment to the full quorum court with a due‑pass recommendation passed on a voice vote.
The ordinance under consideration amends Ordinance 2020‑5‑17 to add military service recognition to the vacation policy and clarifies payout and accrual provisions. Director Bennett, who presented the item, said the proposed changes reflect earlier successful revisions to the vacation policy and that the amendment would “honor” full‑time military service in accrual calculations. Committee members asked how policy would affect employees who are unable to work their final scheduled days because of medical or hospice circumstances; Bennett said such situations would be handled with discretion by human resources and that the policy’s general rule remains requiring employees to work their notice period to be eligible for payout.
Justice Beth Koger sought additional time to review and requested more employee and elected‑official input; she moved to postpone but later changed the motion to one to postpone to the July meeting, which failed. Justice Butch Pond then moved—seconded by Justice Dean—to forward the ordinance amendment to the full court with a due‑pass recommendation; that motion passed.
No roll‑call tallies were recorded in committee minutes for these voice votes. The committee discussion clarified that the personnel policy remains an at‑will employment policy, and Bennett said HR intends to hold office hours to explain policy changes and gather feedback from employees.
The committee’s action sends the draft amendment and related personnel policy language to the full quorum court for consideration; final adoption would occur only at a subsequent court meeting.
