Parmer County approves uniform timesheet and revises FLSA handbook language; leave changes tabled

Parmer County Commissioners Court approved a countywide standard timesheet and a revision to handbook wording about FLSA 207(k) recordkeeping during its Dec. 9 regular session.

Judge Isabel "Izzy" Carrasco and the four county commissioners voted to require all Parmer County employees to use the sheriff's office timesheet format beginning Dec. 30, 2024. Commissioner Kirk Frye said the change follows a recommendation from a TAC human-resources consultant; the new form will use a four-week reporting period to be submitted at the close of each period.

The court also approved a motion to amend handbook language addressing overtime recordkeeping for employees covered under the Fair Labor Standards Act 207(k) provision. Commissioners accepted Commissioner Frye's suggested insertion specifying that "the work week shall begin at 12:01 a.m. on each Monday" and that the work week end be expressed as "ending on Sunday at 11:59 PM." The revision was approved after a motion by Commissioner Casey Russell.

Several proposed payroll and leave-policy changes received no final action. Judge Carrasco proposed changing sick- and vacation-time calculations from "days" to "hours" and discussed measuring sick-time use in two-hour increments; members raised concerns about practical implementation and the item was tabled until clearer language can be drafted. Similarly, a recommended clarification that a holiday equals eight hours (half day = four hours) and that worked holidays would pay time-and-a-half in addition to holiday pay for some 207(k) employees produced further questions; that proposal also was tabled.

The court's actions standardize payroll reporting and clarify how the county will interpret the FLSA 207(k) work‑week boundary, while leaving several operational leave-policy changes for later review.