Sarpy County board committee recommends multiple revisions to personnel policies, adds lactation and bullying policies

The Sarpy County Board’s personnel committee on April 21 recommended approval of revisions to several county personnel policies and approved new workplace policies, including a workplace lactation support policy and a workplace bullying policy.

The committee voted to forward changes on layoffs, grievance and disciplinary procedures, secondary employment and tobacco policy, and removed two separate informal-complaint and appeal-procedure regulations to fold appeals into a consolidated discipline-and-appeal process. All motions carried 3-0 with two members absent.

The revisions formally add an HR practice already in use: written performance-improvement plans. Mary Davis, Sarpy County human resources director, said the discipline change "added the performance improvement plan to this document because we are currently doing that now," and that a PIP can lead to further discipline, "up to and including termination of employment if they're not successful with it." Davis also told the committee that employees facing financial consequences from discipline have a Loudermill hearing available, describing it as "the right to have a Loudermill hearing" prior to final action.

Why it matters: The package clarifies how the county will order layoffs, handle recall notifications and appeals, and document supervisory decisions — actions that affect day-to-day employment rights and administrative processes for county staff. Several items place formal limits on staff conduct and leave use and create a clearer path for employees to seek remedies.

Key changes and supporting details

- Layoff policy: The committee recommended approval of revisions that clarify layoff order and recall notification. Davis summarized the proposed order as "temps, provisional, and casual employees" followed by probationary and then regular part-time…