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Hood County reviews employee handbook; TAC recommends clearer leave rules, drug-testing updates and gender-neutral language
Summary
At a June 12 workshop, a Texas Association of Counties representative reviewed Hood County’s employee handbook and proposed about 69 edits, urging changes to administrative-leave wording, CDL drug-testing language (FMCSA clearinghouse), FMLA/FLSA references, lactation limits and pronoun consistency. The presenter will deliver redlines to county HR for the court’s later consideration.
A Texas Association of Counties representative reviewed the Hood County employee handbook at a commissioners court workshop on June 12, 2025, and recommended a suite of edits ranging from administrative-leave language to CDL drug-testing procedures and gender-neutral pronouns.
The presenter told the court she had “about 69 comments” on the manual and urged the removal of language that requires the personnel department to "approve" administrative leave, saying the autonomy of elected officials means approval is not always appropriate. She recommended changing that sentence to require notification rather than approval and adding an exception so non-elected department heads still route longer leaves through the court.
Why it matters: Several recommendations aim to reduce legal and operational risk. The presenter noted federal requirements — including FMCSA clearinghouse rules for commercial drivers, FMLA provisions for intermittent leave, and minimum-pay obligations for time worked — that the county’s draft either omits or phrases too rigidly. She also encouraged using gender-neutral…
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