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HomeMy WebLinkAbout123 97 CQ: ~ ~lÆ- f¡-;lS-17 "~~~~o!' ('0(/. _nn ___~(h~¡~\__---------- rn'~", &."". ...,,/~':~ PI(_PENINS[)[~,-I '-:'¡ '" " ";Y:' J'Ir]ÑÜ"i ,- STATE OF WASHINGTON County of Jefferson In the Matter of Adopting } Amendments to the Personnel} Policy Manual for all } Jefferson County Employees} RESOLUTION NO. 123-97 WHEREAS, Jefferson County adopted a Personnel Manual for all employees in 1992 to provide a personnel management system within the County that deals with all employees of the various departments in an equitable and uniform manner; and WHEREAs, during the time since adoption of this manual changes have by made to personnel laws and regulations by the federal, and State government which need to be incorporated into this manual; and, WHEREAS, since the original adoption of this the manual new technology and procedures have been implemented by the County and the manual needs to be updated to address these matters, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOL VED, by the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners, that the following Sections and pages of the Jefferson County Personnel Manual have been re-written to reflect the necessary changes and that the pages currently in the manual be replaced with these new pages according to the following chart. Article Pages to Replace New Pages (All dated October 2, 1997) Article IV 13, 14, 15, and 16 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 dated March 12, 1993 Article V 19 and 20, 19 and 20 dated September 10, 1993 Article VI 22, and 23, dated March 12, 1993 22 and 23 Article VII 27,28,29, and 30, dated March 27,28,29,30 and 31 12, 1993 Article IX 36 36 and 37 New Section - FORMS BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that for purposes of this Personnel Manual, the Human Resource Manager (HRM) is the Deputy, Dir", e, ctor a,'f ~~~~ service~ APPROVED AND ADOPTED thi~ttKYof~, 1997, ~». JEFFERSON COUNTY SEAL: ---I-:::,-:-t, ,';',:.. .".,'."".-.~.,'", . J 0,'\ ," B O~~ 0, F,rC .,~MI ",'Ii(, .,,-~ ..,¡ . . \ , ;. ""', . . / lit. .. ','" ~.J- ' . ~ ',' .... -- ' " :..j '.ft ~' .--;7- :1" ~...i.,.': ;,~! - lchard WOlt Ii!' ,~, -- ',. J' "...' .' p t ATTEST- '. " . -.~ 4 I. > ,/ , - I' . 'to....--- .-::......J.... ,. .. . . <, " ',.' . ../ cY-~aM .~- ' _.~<' LomaDelaney, CMC ~ Clerk of the Board G Daniel Harpole, Cf)( (I LI,S T D l4-ð5?Nf L) Glen Huntingford, Member VOL 23 ..~;890 ARTICLE IV EMPLOYEE STATUS Section 1 -- Appointment All appointments are made by the Department Heads or Elected Officials with the concurrence of the Board of County Commissioners. Types of Appointment 1. Full-Time Emvlovee. An employee who regularly works a minimum of thirty-five (35) hours per week. Employees working a thirty-five (35) hour work week are eligible for one hundred percent (100%) of the benefits as provided by the County. 2. Part-Time Emvlovee. An employee working in a position that is authorized and scheduled to be filled at a rate ofless than 35 hours per week. Employees filling these positions shall receive no benefits other than those conferred by state or federal statute or a contract of employment or as provided in a labor agreement; EXCEPT and unless in conflict as conferred above, part time employees shall receive a pro-rate share of holiday, vacation, and sick leave benefits (see Article VII Fringe Benefits) after completing two (2) consecutive years of regular part time employment. Time spent as a Clerk Hire, Casual or Temporary employees shall not be contributing to the calculation of consecutive years of employment. 3. Casual Emplovee. An employee who is hired to work on an intermittent or as-needed basis and mayor may not be on a predetermined schedule. This position may also be known as "Clerk Hire". 4. Temvorary Emvlovee. An employee who works for a fixed period generally not to exceed four (4) months as set by the Department Head and approved by the Board of Commissioners. Such employee shall receive no benefits other than those conferred by state or federal statute. 5. Exemvt Emvlovee. An employee who holds an administrative, professional or executive position which is defined as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. 6. Non-Exemvt Emplovee. An employee who is not employed in an exempt administrative, professional or executive position as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act. 7. Regular Emvlovee. An employee who has successfully completed the initial trial employment period. Regular employees are credited with continuous service retroactive to the date of hire. Regular employees may be full-time or part-time. 8. Non-Regular Emvlovee. An employee who is not designated as a regular employee. Section 2 -- Orientation Upon appointment, the HRM shall be responsible to ensure a general orientation of each employee to overall County issues such as health care plans, etc., is performed. The orientation materials may be distributed by the County Auditors Office. The Department Head or Elected Official should be responsible for orientation of employees to his/her department. Orientation shall include, but is not limited to, organization and services of the Article IV - Employee Status Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Page 13 - Revised October 2, 1997 VOL 23 '.~r,~891 County, work rules, personnel manual and procedures, departmental rules and procedures, completion of payroll forms, and introduction to other County personnel. Section 3 -- Classes of Appointment Trial Avvointment. All appointments, including original appointments and appointments made by transfers or promotions, shall be trial appointments, and employees shall remain in that status until certified to regular employment as specified in ARTICLE IV, Section 5 of this manual, or discharged. Ref!ular Avvointment. Employees shall receive a regular appointment after 1) successful completion oftheir trial period, 2) appointment by the Department Head or an Elected Official, and 3) concurrence of the Board of Commissioners. Temvorary Appointment. Positions which have a duration of four (4) months or less may be filled by temporary appointment. Provisional Appointment. Employees may be appointed temporarily to another position in the County service pending the selection process to fill such a position. Such appointments shall not exceed four (4) months unless approved by the Board of Commissioners. Emergencv Avvointment. Appointments may be made for a limited duration to meet an extraordinary need or to prevent public injury, as defined by the Board of Commissioners, not to exceed three (3) months. Section 4 -- Seniority Except as may be provided in employment agreements seniority shall be based on this section. Seniority will be on the basis of continuous employment with the County. Seniority in the County shall be accumulated beginning with the last date of hire by the County. During their initial trial period, employees have no seniority status. At the end of the trial period, seniority will be credited from the date of most recent appointment. Seniority is not accrued by casual, temporary, non reglar, or emergency employees. Regular part-time employees shall accrue seniority after two (2) years of consecutive regular part-time employ- ment on the basis of full-time equivalency. One (1) year of seniority shall be accrued for every one thousand eight hundred twenty (1,820) part-time hours worked. For task and other assignments, selection shall be based on employee's performance and ability in that classifica- tion. Where employees exhibit substantially equal performance and ability, seniority will generally govern the assignment. Section 5 -- Trial Period The trial period is a time during which the County can judge the performance and potential of new employees, and the new employees may evaluate the County as an employer. This period is applicable to every employee, Article IV - Employee Status Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Page 14 - Revised October 2, 1997 ~ VOL 23 .~~r 892 including current employees who are promoted or transferred. It also applies to former County employees who return after a break in service. The trial period will be for six continuous calendar months except for Civil Service positions which have a twelve- month period. In the event extenuating circumstances interrupt the trial period or result in unsatisfactory completion, the Department Head or Elected Official may extend the trial period for up to six months with concurrence of the Board of Commissioners. Employees may be terminated without notice and without cause during the trial period or at its completion. Employees may also leave their position during this period without prior notice to the County. The Department Head or Elected Official shall review the performance of all employees at the end of their trial period and shall recommend certification of employees for regular appointment to the Board of Commissioners. The Board of Commissioners shall certify employees by placing a written personnel status change form in the employee's employment files. Until such certification has occurred, all employees shall be deemed to be trial employee, even though the normal trial period may have expired. Section 6 -- Performance Evaluation Trial service employees' performance will be evaluated in writing by their supervisor at least once every three (3) months during the six (6) month trial period. Regular employees' performance will be evaluated in writing by their supervisor once every twelve (12) months. Performance evaluations will become a part of the employee's personnel record and will be considered in any future personnel actions. Only current evaluations will be retained (ie: prior three years). Outdated evaluations will be discarded. Supervisors will use the performance evaluation process to identify training needs and potential for advancement. If an employee's performance is substandard, the supervisor will inform the employee of the necessary improvement expected. Employees who fail to meet the required performance level will be terminated from County service. Section 7 -- Promotion A promotion is an appointment within a department of an employee to a higher classification with a higher salary range that is not part of a career ladder. Promotion appointments to vacant positions within a Department shall be made after an evaluation of all Department employees meeting the minimum qualifications for the position. Upon promotion, an employee will be placed in the new wage grade at a step nearest to their current wage rate which results in at least a 1% increase to their base wage rate. A promoted employee will serve a six (6) month trial period within the higher classification, during which time they may be demoted without appeal if determined not qualified for the new position. For step increase purposes only, when an employee receives a promotion, their position anniversary date changes to the effective date of the promotion. Section 8 -- Transfer For purposes of this policy a transfer is when an employee in one County Department makes application to be considered for hire to a vacant position in another County Department during the "in house" posting period for the vacant position (See Article III.) Article IV - Employee Status Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Page 15 - Revised October 2, 1997 ~ VOL 23 .r~ 893 Employees transferring from one department to another which results in a change in the bargaining unit they are represented by and/or a change in their classification within the same bargaining unit shall be compensated as if they are a new hire. While the employee retains seniority/longevity with the employer, the employee will forfeit position seniority for the purpose of collective bargaining agreements and wage classifications. The following apply when such a transfer is approved - Transfer between Departments in DIFFERENT By Application during "In House" posting period. Bargaining Unit and/or Classification Anniversary Date Date began employment with County Trial Period Same asa new hire in the Department. Wages Same asa new hire in the Department. longevity In accordance with Bargaining Agreement (if applicable.) Accrued Sick leave Accruals transfers to new Department Accrued Vacation Accruals transfer to new Department. Accrued Compensatory time in Lieu of Overtime Does not transfer. Must be used or cashed out before leaving (Comp Time) department the employee is transferring from. Union Dues Employee responsibility (if applicable.) Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurances Employee responsibility. If change in provider, COBRA may apply for some portion of waiting time. Section 9 -- Layoff Department Heads or Elected Officials may layoff employees due to changes in the duties of the organization, lack of work, lack of funds, or for other reasons. Prior to such action, reasonable efforts will be made to place an employee in another available position within the department or in another department by transfer. When layoffs are required, a Department Head or Elected Official will base the decision first on the needs of the department; secondly, on employee performance; and lastly, on seniority. Employees covered by collective bargaining agreements shall utilize the layoff procedures outlined in the current agreement. Affected employees will be given two (2) weeks' notice of layoff, during which time the employee shall be allowed reasonable time off with pay to pursue other employment. During a six (6) month period following the layoff, the County shall consider for rehire those persons laid off if a suitable position becomes available and the former employee has filed a written request for reconsideration. Qualifications and abilities being equal in the judgment of the recall supervisor, senior persons will be given preference for recall to available work. Article IV - Employee Status Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Page 16 - Revised October 2, 1997 [VOL 23 .~r:"8g4 Section 10 -- Reclassification If, based on performance of duties, an employee's position is changed in accordance with ARTICLE II, Section 3 of this manual, the employee shall be considered to be reclassified. The employee's classification and salary shall be adjusted on the employee's anniversary date. . If the reclassification places the position in a higher salary range, the employee's rate will be adjusted to the step which provides an increase of no less than Yz of I % in wage rate for the employee. If the reclassification places the position in a lower salary range, the employee's rate of pay will be adjusted to the pay in the new range that is nearest to the employee's former pay. Section 11 -- Resienation/Retirement/Exit Interview Employees should submit written notice of resignation to their Department Head or Elected Official at least ten (10) working days prior to the effective date. Employees eligible for retirement should submit notice of retirement to their Department Head or Elected Official at least thirty (30) days in advance of their retirement date. In order for an employee to retire from County employment they must meet all of the eligibility requirements of one of the following plans: Washington State Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Retirement System (LEOFF); or Social Security. The sick leave cash out provisions of Article VII, Section 3 for unrepresented employees, or the labor agreement for represented employees, do not apply if the employee resigns or leaves employment with the County and does not retire. The Department Head or Elected Official will notify the Clerk of the Board of any resignation and the HRM shall insure that the employee has an opportunity for an exit interview. All County property, including but not limited to uniforms, equipment, and keys must be returned to the County upon termination or retirement. Article IV - Employee Status Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Page 17 - Revised October 2, 1997 VOL 2:3 If,; 895 Section 6 -- Political Activities Employees shall comply with the provisions ofRCW 41.06.250 as the same exists or is hereafter amended, which generally prohibits compulsory assessments or involuntary contributions and solicitation on public property for any partisan political purposes. If an employee, an employee's spouse, or the parent or guardian of an unemancipated minor employee is elected to the Board of Commissioners, the employee shall be deemed to have resigned from County employment upon the date of certification of the results of the election, if required by State law. This provision shall not apply to persons employed as unskilled day laborers earning less than $100.00 per month or to public officers exempt from prohibitions ofRCW Chapter 42.23. Section 7 -- Gifts and Gratuities Employees will not use their official position or accept gifts and gratuities for personal gain. This section does not apply to bonafide political campaign contributions for a candidate for County office. Section 8 -- Administrative Directives The HRM shall be responsible for the issuance of personnel-related administrative directives, procedures and interpretations to supplement this Personnel Manual. Such directives, procedures, and interpretations must be approved by the Board of Commissioners with concurrence of the Elected Officials and Department Heads, after which they will be distributed, followed and enforced in the same manner as the Personnel Manual. Administrative directives and procedures will not conflict with the policies contained in this manual. Section 9 -- Department Rules Department Heads or Elected Officials may establish rules and procedures which regulate the work activities and the conduct of employees within that department. Departmental rules and procedures will not conflict with the policies contained in this manual and will be binding only upon the employees of that department. Section 10 -- Su~~estions All employees are encouraged to make suggestions which will improve the efficiency of County operations or employee job satisfaction. Even ideas for other departments of the County are helpful. Suggestions may be written or verbally given to the employee's supervisor at any time. The supervisor will then discuss the idea with the appropriate person or group. Section 11 -- Smokin~ Non-smoking employees of the County shall have the right of County employees to work in a smoke-free environment. Chapter 248-152 WAC and RCW 70.160 provide for non-smoking in open public offices and other public areas. Private offices, lunchrooms or environmentally separate work areas may be designated smoking areas according to the rules of the individual department. If a conflict arises in the nonnal work environment of both smokers and non-smokers, the rights of the non-smokers shall prevail. In order to ensure that non-smoking employees of the County have the right to work in a smoke-free environment, smoking is NOT allowed in County owned vehicles. Article V - General Rules Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Page 19 Revised: October 2, 1997 l VOL 23 '~G~89ß Section 12 -- Emer!!ency Closures It is the policy of the County that all County offices and activities shall be open and in operation during established working hours. Because many County services are of primary importance during emergency conditions, all employees should make every effort to report for work on a timely basis. Should emergency conditions prevail which would prevent County employees from reporting to work, it will be the responsibility of the employee to contact his/her supervisor or Department Head by telephone to indicate anticipated absence from work or late arrival to work and the reason for such absence or tardiness. Any employee unable to report to work will be given the option of having pay deducted for the time lost or for applying vacation credits or compensatory time, if such has been accrued, to offset any loss of pay, subject to the approval of the employee's Department Head. Should conditions prevail that require the Board of Commissioners to announce curtailment of County operations for the safety and welfare of County employees, no pay shall be deducted for time lost during the first two (2) days of lost time during such curtailment of operations, nor shall employees be required to use vacation or compensatory time for such two (2) day period unless the employee had already scheduled the time as vacation or compensatory time off. This provision does not apply to essential service personnel. In announcing the curtailment of County operations, the Board of Commissioners shall, by resolution, prescribe specifically which County operations and/or facilities are affected. Unless specified, all unidentified operations shall be presumed to be unaffected by the closure. Section 13 -- Health Fitness Employees are expected to maintain the physical and mental health necessary to effectively perform the essential duties of their position. If an employee's health status appears to affect the performance of their job duties, the Department Head or Elected Official may require the employee to undergo a physical examination. The examination will be confined and directly related to the employee's ability to perform the duties of the job ade- quately and safely. The County will pay the costs of such examination which exceed any payment made by the employee's health insurance, and will pay the employee's regular salary during the time necessary to complete the examination. If the examination results indicate that the employee is not capable of continuing to perform the job duties, the County will attempt to restructure the job to accommodate the employee's condition in accordance with the re- quirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If restructuring proves unreasonable, the County will attempt to place the employee in another position which they are capable of performing and for which they are qualified by education and/or experience. Failing a reasonable effort to accommodate the employee, such employee will be placed in layoff status due to lack of work suited to the employee pursuant to Article IV Section 9 ofthis manual. Section 14 -- Personal Appearance and Dress Employees shall wear appropriate attire for their position and department. Elected Officials and Department Heads may issue rules regarding appropriate attire. Appropriate attire shall mean clothing which is suitable for the requirements of the job being performed, presents a clean and neat appearance, and would not be considered offensive or provocative to disinterested members of the public. Should uniforms be required for a particular position, they will normally be provided at County expense to be laundered by employees except when other laundry arrangements are made by the County. Article V - General Rules Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Page 20 Revised: October 2, 1997 VOL 23 '.~r,.8g7 ARTICLE VI COMPENSATION PLAN Section 1 -- Salary Administration The County's compensation plan shall, provided, prudent financial considerations permit, be competitive with other comparable employers in similar job markets. Salary ranges of each classification shall be representative of the skills and the responsibilities required and shall be reflective of levels of authority and responsibility in the organization. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for the development, maintenance, and revision of an equitable compensation plan which provides minimum and maximum rates of pay for each classification not covered by a labor agreement, with intermediate steps as deemed appropriate. All salaries established in accordance with the provisions of this manual are subject to the Board of Commissioners's final approval of the County's annual budget. The Board of Commissioners, shall have the responsibility for the development, administration, and amendments, as required of a uniform and equitable plan which will generally provide equal pay for equal work. Section 2 -- Pay Administration Salary Adiustments. Employee salary adjustments shall be pursuant to the County Salary Administration Policy, Labor Agreement, or County Resolution. Once determined the appropriate personnel change form shall be completed by the Department Head and appropriately routed. Compensation for an Appointee. Upon initial appointment to full-time, regular part-time, or temporary positions, the Department Head or Elected Official will recommend the employee's salary at the minimum rate of the range provided for that classification. A Department Head may recommend an initial rate of pay beyond the minimum of a salary range if an appointee is exceptionally well qualified for or experienced in the position. All trial period employees, new to County employment will receive 97% of the recommended rate of pay for the duration of the Trial Period. Upon completion of the Trial Period the employee will receive 100% of the authorized rate of pay. All pay actions shall be approved by the Board of Commissioners. Employees shall be paid monthly no later than the fifth (5th) working day ofthe following month, and shall receive an accounting of that month's earnings. Employees may receive an advance (a draw) upon their monthly wages once each month. Advances shall be paid on the twentieth (20th) day of the month following the request. Employees shall receive their final paycheck on the regular payday following the last day of employment. Final paychecks shall not be provided until all County property in the employee's possession is returned to the Depart- ment Head. Final paychecks shall account for any withdrawals. Final paychecks shall also account for a withholding amount equal to the amount the employee owes to the County. Section 3 -- Demotion The salary of employees who are demoted shall be established as follows: When employees are demoted to lower paying positions due to position reclassification, reduction in positions or other reasons unrelated to the employees' performance, their salary shall be set at a place in the new salary range so that no decrease in base pay results. Article VI - Compensation Plan Page: 22 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 . VOL 2:3 " r,~ 89B When employees are demoted for performance or disciplinary reasons, their salary shall be set at a place in the new salary range which results in a decrease in base salary of five percent (5%). Section 4 -- Overtime Overtime work shall be compensated and administered in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), as amended and 29 CFR 500-1899. Overtime consists of all hours worked in excess of forty (40) in a work period of seven consecutive days. Overtime must be authorized by the employee's supervisor prior to it being worked. A non-exempt employee may request Compensatory Time off in lieu of overtime. Any employee wishing to ac- cumulate paid time off in lieu of overtime (compensatory time off) must have a valid Compensatory Time Agreement on file in their personnel file. Overtime shall be compensated by time off at the rate of one and one- half hours for each hour worked unless provided otherwise by contract. An employee's request to use earned compensatory time shall be granted within a reasonable time unless to do so would be unduly disruptive to the work of the department. Compensatory time earned and not taken may be accrued to a maximum of forty (40) hours unless additional accrual is authorized by the Board of Commissioners. When the maximum is reached, any subsequent overtime hours must be paid in cash. Employees should be encouraged to request, and Supervisors to permit, the use of compensatory hours within ninety (90) days of earning it whenever possible. Each department shall maintain the following records for compensatory time for each employee: 1. The number of compensatory hours earned and used by pay period. 2. The number of compensatory hours converted to and paid in cash, the amount paid and date of the work period in which they were paid. Section 5 -- FLSA Exempt Personnel Employees of the County who are exempt from the application of the Fair Labor Standards Act shall be responsible for working the number of hours per month required to accomplish the goals of their department. The County will not record Compensatory Time (Comp Time) or any other accumulation of hours exempt personnel work beyond forty (40) hours a week. Section 6 -- Related Travel Allowance and Other Business Expense Jefferson County will pay for authorized travel and other incidental business expenses as specified in the ad- ministrative directive on "Travel and Business Expenses" found at the travel section of this manual. Page: 23 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 Article VI - Compensation Plan . VOL 23 ',A~,899 Section 4 -- Leave of Absence Employees may request a leave of absence for the purposes specified in this section. Each request must be ap- proved by the Department Head and the Board of Commissioners after an evaluation of the request on its own merits and on the basis of the guidelines of this section. Bereavement Leave. Three (3) days' paid leave is granted for the death of an employee's immediate family. "Immediate family" means spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or in-law, including those relationships arising by marriage and/or adoption or significant domestic partner. Bereavement leave may be approved beyond the allotted three (3) days, but shall not exceed a total of five (5) paid days unless approved by the Board of Commissioners. For purposes of this section a day is the normal weekly straight time hours divided by five (5) resulting in the number of compensable hours in anyone twenty-four (24) hour period. Familv and Medical Leave. Jefferson County (the Employer) complies with the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) and all applicable state laws related to family and medical leave. This means that, in cases where the law grants the employee more leave than the County's leave policies provide, the County will give the Employee the leave required by law. Leave for family and medical purposes shall be granted for up to twelve (12) weeks To be eligible the Employee must have worked for the Employer (Jefferson County) for at least one year, and for 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months. Reasons for taking leave: FMLA leave is granted for any ofthe following reasons: . To care for an Employee's child after birth or placement for adoption or foster care. . To care for an Employee's spouse, son, daughter, or parent who has a serious health condition. . For a serious health condition that makes the Employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job. Leave to care for a child after birth or placement for adoption or foster care must be concluded within 12 months of the birth or placement. Under some circumstances, FMLA leave may be taken intermittently - which means taking leave in blocks of time, or by reducing the Employee's normal weekly or daily work schedule. FMLA leave may be taken intermittently if MEDICALLY NECESSARY because of a serious health condition. If FMLA leave is for birth or placement for adoption or foster care, use of intermittent leave is subject to approval by the County Commissioners with a recommendation from the Department Head/Elected Official. An Employee requesting family or medical leave shall submit their request in writing to the Board of County Commissioners at least thirty (30) days prior to the leave, except in cases of emergency. Requests are to be submitted to the Elected Official or Department Head. Requests shall include a doctors or other health care providers documentation of the medical reason for the leave and the expected duration. The Elected Official or Department Head shall, if they approve the request, forward the leave request to the Board of Commissioners for approval. Family and medical leave shall run concurrent with all available paid time off (vacation, personal, sick, and compensatory time, State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) Workers Compensation, or the like). Paid leave and/or compensatory time shall be used in the beginning of the twelve (12) week total (i.e. twelve [12] weeks request, employee has two [2] weeks vacation and three [3] weeks sick leave, therefore unpaid FMLA leave is authorized for seven [7] weeks). The employee shall not accrue any employee benefits (i.e. sick leave and vacation) during the portion of the FMLA leave period that is unpaid. If an employee uses paid leave for a purpose for which FMLA leave would be available, it is the County's policy to Page 27 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 Article VII - Fringe Benefits , VOL 23~G' 900 designate the employees' paid leave as counting against their FMLA leave allowance. The employee is required to notify the County ifthey use paid leave for a reason covered by the FMLA so that the County may properly account for the leave. Advance Notice and Medical Certifications: The County requires that the employee provide advance leave notice, with medical certification of the need for a leave related to a health condition, and with medical certification of the employees' fitness to return to duty after medical leave. Taking leave, or reinstatement after leave, may be denied if these requirements are not met. . The Employee must give at least 30 days' advance notice of their request for leave if the reason for the leave is foreseeable based on an expected birth, placement for adoption or foster care, or planned medical treatment. If 30 days' notice is not practicable, the Employee'must give the County notice as soon as practicable, usually within one or two business days of when the need for leave becomes known to the Employee. If the Employee does not give the County 30 days' advance notice, and if the need for the leave and the approximate date ofthe leave were clearly foreseeable by the Employee, the County may deny the employees request for leave until at least 30 days after the date the employee gives the County notice. . The County requires that the employee provide a medical certification to support a request for leave because of a serious health condition (the employees' own, or the employees child's, spouse's, or parent's) whenever the leave is expected to extend beyond five consecutive working days or will involve intermittent or part-time leave. The County may require a second or third opinion, at their option and at the County's expense. . The County requires that the employee provide a medical certification of fitness for duty to return to work after a medical leave that extends beyond 10 consecutive working days, that involves a mental disability or substance abuse, or where the medical condition and the employees job are such that the County believes the employee may present a serious risk of injury to themselves or others if they are not fit to return to work. Periodic Reporting: If the employee takes leave for more than two weeks, they are required to report to their Supervisor or Department Head at least every two weeks on their status and intent to return to work. . Health Insurance: The County shall maintain the employee's health insurance benefits during the period of leave provided the employees medical leave hours are sufficient to establish eligibility. Determining Leave Availability: FMLA leave is available for up to 12 weeks during a l2-month period. Upon completion of the family and medical leave the employee shall be reinstated to his/her previous position or one that is generally equivalent in content and compensation. Jury Dutv. If an employee is called for jury duty or is subpoenaed as a witness, the employee shall not suffer any loss of regular compensation from such absence. However, he or she shall be required to remit to the County any compensation received from such duties, excluding compensation received for transportation and meals. An employee released from jury duty for part of a day shall report to work. If less than two (2) hours remain in the work shift, the employee shall call his or her supervisor for instructions. Militarv Leave. Military leave will be granted in accordance with RCW 38.40.060. Military leave shall be granted upon written application accompanied by a copy of bona fide orders to temporary active or training duty. Military leave is unpaid time but there shall be no loss of employee benefits. Page 28 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 Article VII - Fringe Benefits VOL 2;] Ar; 901 Personal Leave. Under unusual individual circumstances an employee may apply for leave without pay. Depart- ment Heads may grant requests for unpaid personal leave not to exceed five (5) working days. The Board of Commissioners may, based on the recommendation of the Elected Official or Department Head, grant such leave that exceeds five (5) working days, not to exceed one (1) year. The employee's request must be in writing, signed by the employee, and submitted at least two (2) weeks in advance of the requested leave period with the exception of a disability which arises suddenly. The employee shall not be guaranteed reinstatement to their previous position or to any position unless such agreement is made in writing before a personal leave begins. Leave without pay shall be granted only after an employee has exhausted all paid leave and compensatory time. Personal leave may not be used for the purpose of outside employment. Section 5 -- Disability On-the-Job Disability Compensation. Employees who are injured on the job and file for Worker's Compensation may use accumulated sick and/or vacation time while the claim is being processed. Upon receiving payment from the Worker's Compensation carrier, the employee must sign the check over to the County, and sick or vacation leave used will be reinstated by the number of hours derived by dividing the amount of the Worker's Compensation check by the employee's regular hourly rate of pay. If the claim is for an FMLA qualified injury or condition, FMLA will run concurrently with the Workers Compensation time loss. Insurance. Employees who are absent from work on unpaid leave due to injuries or illnesses may retain their insurance coverage for six months on a self pay basis or as otherwise provided by COBRA. Any optional or employee-paid premiums will remain the responsibility of the employee. Off-the-Job Disability Compensation. Employees who are absent from work due to off-the-job illnesses or injuries may use accumulated sick and/or vacation leave. Sick Leave Without Pay. An employee may request sick leave without pay only after exhausting all accumulated paid leave and compensation time. Such leave shall be granted for up to six (6) months. In case of special cir- cumstances, the Department Head or Elected Official with the concurrence of the Board of Commissioners may grant additional sick leave not to exceed six (6) months. Section 6 -- Insurance Eligible employees may participate in the insurance plan in accordance with the provisions of the plan as published from time to time in the plan book. The programs and criteria for eligibility will be explained at the time the employee becomes eligible to join. The County reserves the right to make changes in the carriers and provisions of these programs when deemed necessary or advisable. Employees have no vested right to any welfare insurance or other welfare benefit provided by the County. Extended Health Benefits. In compliance with COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act), the County will offer continuing health care coverage on a self-pay basis to employees and their dependents fol- lowing the employees tennination or reduction in hours, and to dependents upon the employee's death. These Article VII - Fringe Benefits Page 29 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 , VOL 23 .M,~902 health benefits will be identical to the coverages offered to full-time employees. For terminated or reduced-hour employees, the coverage may last up to eighteen (18) months or until they become eligible for other health insurance coverage, whichever is earlier. In the event of the employee's retirement, divorce, spousal separation or death, the coverage may last up to thirty-six (36) months for the employee's qualified beneficiary. The full policy monthly premium plus applicable service fee will be paid by the employee or the beneficiary to the County. The employee or beneficiary may waive all rights to continuation coverage. Notification procedures and time limits are outlined in the continuation coverage "Notification of Rights" letter which may be obtained in the Auditors Office. Section 7 -- Retirement All regular employees who meet the criteria established by state law are contributing members to one or more of the following plans: 1. Washington State Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); 2. Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters Retirement System (LEOFF); 3. Social Security. Section 8 -- Job Related Trainine The County may agree to payor reimburse employees for all pre authorized job related training. To be eligible, the employee must demonstrate that: 1. The training is necessary for improving skills in the current position or to qualify for promotion; 2. The money is budgeted in the operating budget; 3. It is in the County's best interest to pay for this training; and 4. County services will be substantially improved by authorization of this training. The employee shall make their request in writing to the Department Head or Elected Official who shall forward it with comments to the Clerk of the Board for submission to the Board of Commissioners for approval of the expenditure of funds. Section 9 -- Membership in Professional and Technical Societies County employees are encouraged to participate in the technical and professional societies of benefit to the County. These activities are considered a benefit to the County and to the employee as a result of additional knowledge or personal associations gained through the membership. The Elected Officials and Department Heads, through the budgeting process, will select what fees and dues it will pay for employees' membership in technical and professional societies. For any organization for which the County pays the dues, the County address shall be used on all mail. The County will pay only basic national and local dues. The County will not pay voluntary program contributions for these professional and technical societies. Article VII - Fringe Benefits Page 30 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 .YDL 23 .,~~,,903 Section 10 -- Professional and Technical Reeistration The County encourages professional and technical registration by providing the necessary experience under the direction of registered professionals, and assumes that each qualified individual will want to achieve professional status at the earliest opportunity. The County will pay fees for professional and technical certificates and licenses for its employees if determined by the Department Head, with concurrence of the Board of Commissioners to be of benefit to the County. Such fees are to be included in and approved with the Department's annual budget request. Section 11 -- Community Service Oreanizations While the County encourages employees to be involved in the community through community service organizations (i.e. Kiwanis, Rotary, Soroptomists), membership fees in such organizations are the sole responsibility of the employee and are not reimbursable by the County. Page 31 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 VOL 23 ,~~,904 Article VII - Fringe Benefits ARTICLE IX MISCELLANEOUS Section 1 -- Bulletin Boards Each County facility shall have an employee bulletin board to keep employees informed of various items of in- terest such as job openings and other information pertaining to personnel policies and procedures, department work rules, announcements required by law, and official postings such as safety information and other notices. All items to be posted on the official bulletin board must first be approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Official postings shall be on the Official Bulletin Board in the basement of the Court House. Each County Department shall notify their employees ofthe location of the facility bulletin board. Section 2 Employee Parkin~ Except for reserved spaces, parking is on a first come, first served basis around County buildings. When parking, employees should take care not to occupy more than one parking space per vehicle. Employees are requested to be courteous, watch vehicle doors, and drive safely in County parking lots. The County assumes no responsibility for vehicles or their contents in these parking areas. Employees are requested not to park along the street that runs in front of the Courthouse or in the parking lot on the east side of the Courthouse, to allow ample parking for visitors. Section 3 Use of Telephones. Cellular Phones. FAX. Copy Machines. Personal Computers. Other Equipment and Telecommunications Services Use of Telephones. In order to avoid telephone congestion, employees should avoid using County telephones for personal calls. No employee will make personal long distance calls from County telephones. Emergency long distance calls, if necessary, should be charged to the employees home phone number or employee credit card. If a personal long distance call is made and billed to a County telephone, the employee will submit payment for the call when the bill is issued. The County may deduct the cost of any unpaid personal calls from an employees paycheck. Use of the FAX machine, copier, or other office equipment may be authorized by the Department Head/Elected Official provided the employee is charged the same fee rate as would be the public requesting the same service. Cellular Telephone Accounts. Jefferson County does not sponsor personal cellular telephones users to receive government rate service. Use of Cellular Telephone. Due to the higher cost of cellular phone calls from air time charges and call charges, employees should avoid making personal calls on County cellular telephones. Employees working out in the field, away from their assigned offices, should make every effort to make emergency personal calls from a regular telephone. County employees who are issued a cellular telephone because of their position and who make non-business or personal telephone calls from it, shall review the cellular telephone bill each month, identify the non- business or personal calls, and submit payment for their portion of the bill at that time. They must also sign a "Cellular Telephone Charge Reimbursement Agreement" (see Attachment) in which they agree that the County may deduct the cost of any unpaid personal calls from their paycheck. Page 36 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 Article IX - Miscellaneous ~VOL 23 :~f\çgO5 Personal Computers. No employee shall use County owned Personal Computers for anything other than official County business, unless they have prior approval from their Elected OfficiallDepartment Head; the use is small in scale; only done during the employee's break time or before or after normal business hours of the employee's Department; and the use will have no impact on another Department, employee, or the public and will not cause network congestion and/or misuse of system resources. Computer Diskettes. Files. and Software. Due to the susceptible nature of networked personal computers to virus outbreaks the following procedures shall be followed by all employees: 1) Any diskettes brought into the work place, whether from the outside or from other parties, must be scanned by Information Services or a person designated by Information Services, prior to use on any personal computer owned by the County. Any files downloaded from the Internet, a Bulletin Board Service, or any other on-line provider (i.e. Compuserv, America On-Line) should, if possible, be downloaded to a diskette and that diskette scanned for virus's before the file is accessed on a County computer. If it is not feasible to download directly to a diskette, then the hard drive on which the file was placed should be scanned immediately following the download. Any person, through the use of a modem, using the Internet, a Bulletin Board Service, or any other On-Line Provider, should, when possible, first log off the County personal computer network. 2) 3) Internet Access and Internet E-Mail. Use of the County's personal computers to access the Internet shall be limited to business related reasons during an employee's normal work schedule. Employees may, with prior Department Head's approval, use a County personal computer to access the Internet and Internet E-Mail for non-work related reasons during breaks and other off-duty times. Viewing sexually explicit materials on the Internet at any time, including non-working time, on a County owned personal computer is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. An employee who engages in such activity may be in violation of the Jefferson County Sexual or Racial Harassment Policy (Article X of this document, Page 40) and may be in violation of federal and State law. Prompt disciplinary action will be taken against an employee who is guilty of sexual or racial harassment. Access to the Internet from County owned personal computers can, and will be monitored. Personal Equipment. Certain job assignments require that employees furnish personal equipment. If an employee is required to furnish any items, their supervisor will provide a list of the necessary items. The County is not responsible for lost or stolen personal property (employees must be careful to secure such equipment) or money, or valuables employees bring to the workplace. Article IX - Miscellaneous Page 37 Personnel Policies Manual - Jefferson County Revised October 2, 1997 VOL 23 'g.906 - ---------- ---_U_"-- --------- ------------ - EMPLOYEE CELLULAR TELEPHONE REIMBURSEMENT AGREEMENT This agreement is by and between Jefferson County "Employer" and the below named employee "Employee" and is for the purpose of providing for payment, to the County, for charges incurred for personal and non-business telephone calls on a cellular telephone owned by the Employer and assigned to the Employee. The Employee agrees that he/she will reimburse the Employer for any non-business or personal telephone calls made by the Employee on the cellular telephone owned by, and assigned to, the Employee by the Employer. The Employee agrees to review the monthly cellular telephone bill statement and identify personal and non business calls made. The Employee agrees to submit payment for their portion of the bill immediately after their review is complete and a determination of the total amount owed for personal and non-business calls is made. The Employee agrees that the Employer may deduct any amount due for personal and non- business cellular telephone calls for which the Employee has not paid within two (2) months of the Cellular telephone bill statement. DEPARTMENT: CELLULAR TELEPHONE NUMBER: Agreed and Signed This Day of EMPLOYEE: VOL 23 :,~:,r907 COMPANY: Jefferson County CREATOR: Jefferson County Commissioners Office