Polk County commissioners review personnel-rule updates tied to Oregon leave laws; bereavement leave expanded

Polk County staff on Tuesday told the Board of Commissioners that personnel rules must be updated to reflect recent changes in Oregon’s paid-leave and family-leave statutes, including a broader definition of “family member” and an allowance for longer bereavement leave.

“Today is a time set for a meeting that we need to hold before adopting the new personnel rules,” said Mr. Hawkins, addressing the commissioners. Hawkins said most changes relate to protected leave required by law after recent changes to Paid Leave Oregon and the Oregon Family Leave Act. “The majority of the changes that you'll see in the personnel rules are around protected leave, that's required under the law,” he said.

The board was told the county circulated draft rule changes to department heads, unions and supervisors and received little feedback. Hawkins said the changes are being brought to a public meeting because the county must hold such a meeting before ratifying the updated rules; he told the board the ratification is scheduled to appear on the consent calendar at…