Goodhue County retention committee urges earlier service awards, added anniversary day and leadership training

Goodhue County staff and employee representatives presented a package of retention recommendations to the county board, urging earlier recognition of service, modest paid-time benefits and manager training as low‑cost ways to reduce turnover.

The retention committee, formed after a November employee experience survey and a 2023 pay study, recommended four consensus items: revise service awards to recognize employees as early as five years, grant an 8‑hour anniversary “use it or lose it” vacation day, create a permanent county funding stream for the employee committee that runs staff events and retiree gestures, and provide countywide leadership training for supervisors. Committee members said those steps would address common survey requests for improved recognition, flexibility and growth opportunities.

"We wanted to recognize earlier—start at the five‑year mark—because 71 percent of our workforce has under 10 years of service," said Erin Kuester, assistant county attorney and committee member. Kuester said the committee also recommended converting restricted gift options into a cash award or allowing employees to defer that cash into their deferred compensation accounts.

Committee members presented unit‑level data intended to show potential savings from reducing turnover. "We found the cost to replace positions in two heavily affected units was roughly $41,000 to just over $82,000," said Kayla Matter, accounting supervisor in Health and Human Services, who also cited broader research estimating replacement costs at about 50–75 percent of an employee's salary. Matter said Goodhue County recorded 27 separations in 2023 and 20 as of July 2024 (staff noted 2024 data were incomplete).

Alex Dickey, a county employee who served on the committee, said some proposals—such as lifestyle spending accounts and employer health‑contribution increases—were tabled because of administrative complexity and likely interdependencies with the county's insurance committee and union contracts. He advocated for low‑ or no‑cost options such as modified schedules and front‑loaded vacation for new hires as practical near‑term steps.

The committee provided estimated costs for its favored package: $6,435 to update service award payouts, a reported value cost tied to the 8‑hour anniversary day (presented as $15,533.28), and a request for $10,000 in permanent funding for the employee committee. Leadership training was budgeted at $5,000 by the committee, though several board members suggested $15,000 may be more realistic for broader supervisor training. The committee said the total annual cost of the recommended items was approximately $31,968.28 against a retention budget of $428,500 already set aside by the board.

Board members thanked the committee for the work and asked staff for additional detail. Several expressed broad support for revising service awards and providing early vacation accruals but asked for clearer explanations of some line items—particularly the larger value figures linked to changing accrual tiers and how overtime or backfill would be handled in operational units such as the sheriff's office or Health and Human Services.

"I think we should fund something, but I want to understand where those dollars are paid and to whom," a board member said during the discussion, asking staff to clarify whether the estimated costs represent new payroll, overtime or redeployment of existing funds.

The committee asked the board to review the materials and return direction after staff reconciles the cost figures. The presentation concluded with committee members offering to continue meeting with board leadership if requested.

The board did not take formal action on the recommendations during the session; members asked for time to review the committee's calculations and to discuss next steps in a future meeting.