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Knox County HR outlines supplemental benefits plan, recruitment needs and continuity planning
Summary
County HR reported plans to offer voluntary supplemental benefits through CCAO's Benefits Plus (portable, employee‑paid), described recruitment openings across county departments, and urged offices to complete continuity‑of‑operations plans by September.
Courtney, representing Knox County Human Resources, briefed commissioners on July 29 about recent outreach, benefit options and recruitment.
Courtney said HR is considering supplemental benefit plans offered through Benefits Plus, a County Commissioners Association of Ohio (CCAO) program, that would allow employees to purchase portable supplemental life, short‑term disability and similar coverages via payroll deduction. "Switching to that would save us, about a 9% savings to the county," Courtney said, describing expected administrative simplification through a single vendor invoice and the ability to meet prior participation thresholds by aggregating enrollments.
HR plans a targeted open enrollment for supplementals near the county's medical open enrollment and will provide on‑site assistance. Courtney emphasized the change would not shift county health coverage to employees but would add voluntary, employee‑paid options.
Courtney also reviewed staffing and outreach: summer youth and leadership visits to county offices, upcoming wellness events (a lunch‑and‑learn Aug. 27 and a health fair Oct. 2 at the Memorial Building), and active recruitments for 9‑1‑1 dispatchers, JFS eligibility/referral specialists, child protective services workers, transit drivers, highway workers and deputies. She reported HR monitored roughly 21 active FMLA cases and provided recent onboarding/offboarding counts for June and July.
On continuity planning, HR described COOP (continuity of operations) walkthroughs with emergency management staff and encouraged each office to complete a COOP by September in advance of Ohio Preparedness Month.
Next steps: HR will follow up with CCAO/Benefits Plus, prepare supplemental open‑enrollment materials, continue recruitment postings on the county website and work with department heads to complete COOP templates.
