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Court adopts employee handbook change frontloading some law-enforcement holidays; auditor warns of payroll risk
Summary
Commissioners approved revisions to the employee handbook to frontload law-enforcement holidays (allowing half of holidays in first half of year), while maintaining 8-hour holidays for other employees; county auditor warned the policy could result in paying holidays that have not yet occurred with no recoupment provision if an employee leaves.
Callahan County commissioners approved targeted changes to the employee handbook that generally set an eight-hour holiday for most employees but frontload law-enforcement holiday time with a restriction on using only half of those holidays in the first half of the year.
County staff explained the change was designed to address law-enforcement scheduling challenges. Rita from the county association HR group outlined common approaches counties use for law-enforcement holiday pay and noted multiple acceptable models, including banking holidays or paying time worked.
Sandra cautioned the court that frontloading holidays means the county could effectively pay for a holiday that has not yet occurred, and that the handbook as written did not contain a recoupment mechanism if an employee used preloaded holidays and later terminated. "You potentially could have someone who uses a holiday that has not yet occurred... there is no provision in here to recoup that pay from them," she said.
Commissioner Windham moved to adopt the changes as presented; Commissioner Farmer seconded. The court voted to adopt the handbook changes on a voice vote, with one member recorded as opposed during the motion vote.
