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Home My WebLink AboutDISCUSSION re Personnel Manual Regular Agenda JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA REQUEST TO: Board of County Commissioners FROM: Mark McCauley,County Administrator Sarah Melancon,HR Director DATE: AQVI ( ?f 202-5- SUBJECT: Discussion & Adoption re: Jefferson County Personnel Administration Manual STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Jefferson County's Personnel Administration Manual is being updated to reflect changes in the law, amendments to County policies, clarify language and correct typographical and grammatical errors. ANALYSIS: On January 21, 2025, the Board was briefed on the proposed updates to the Jefferson County Personnel Administration Manual.On February 3,2025,a workshop was held with the Board to discuss proposed updates and feedback from the Commissioners. A draft including those comments was then sent to Unions and all Jefferson County employees for feedback. Seven employees out of approximately 370 employees provided feedback that included: ensuring gender neutral terminology, two typographical errors in Appendix D Travel Policy, disagreement with clarifying that leave must be accrued in order to be taken, and appreciation for transparency of the update and approval process. The purpose of this discussion is to hear if the Board has questions or requests for further edits and then adopt the updated Personnel Administration Manual. FISCAL IMPACT: N/A RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the updated Jefferson County Personnel Administration Manual. REVIEWED BY: �S Mark McCauley ounty Administrator ate JEFFERSON COUNTY STATE OF WASHINGTON In the Matter of Updating ) the Jefferson County Personnel ) RESOLUTION NO.: _____________ Administration Manual ) WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners of Jefferson County believe it is in the best interest of the County to have personnel rules, regulations, and policies that facilitate efficient service to the public and provide a personnel management system within the County that establishes clear, consistent, and transparent processes for the treatment of all employees; and, WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of County employees to have written personnel policies to outline fair and consistent processes to help prevent misunderstandings and problems and to ensure that all employees know what is expected of them; and, WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of County employees to keep the personnel administration manual as up to date as possible with federal and state statues enacted since adoption of the current personnel administration manual, and to have it reflect current practices; and, WHEREAS, the attached updated Jefferson County Personnel Administration Manual is adopted for use by all Jefferson County departments and offices. WHEREAS, this Resolution repeals and replaces Resolution No. 01-21 and Resolution No. 34-21. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, STATE OF WASHINGTON: Section 1. Whereas Clauses Adopted as Findings of Fact. The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners hereby adopts the above “Whereas” clauses as Findings of Fact. Section 2. Personnel Administration Manual Approved. The attached, updated Jefferson County Personnel Administration Manual is adopted for use by all Jefferson County departments and offices. Section 3. Severability. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or section of this resolution or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this resolution or its application to other persons or circumstances shall be fully valid and shall not be affected. Section 4. Effective Date. This resolution is effective upon adoption. Section 5. SEPA Categorical Exemption. This resolution is categorically exempt from the State Environmental Policy Act under WAC 197-11-800(19). (SIGNATURES FOLLOW ON THE NEXT PAGE) APPROVED this ______day of _________________, 2025. SEAL: ATTEST: ______________________________ Carolyn Gallaway, CMC Date Clerk of the Board JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ______________________________ Heidi Eisenhour, Chair ______________________________ Greg Brotherton, Member ______________________________ Heather Dudley-Nollette, Member APPROVED AS TO FORM: ______________________________ Philip C. Hunsucker, Date Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney JEFFERSON COUNTY Personnel Administration Manual Update Summary 04/01/2025 Page 1 of 4 Where What 4/1/2025 All Sections Edits for consistency and clarity; removing slash (/); incorporating definitions; removing unnecessary words or providing word choices that are more understandable; improving organization; changing ‘can be found’ to ‘are located’ Chapter 1 Section 1.4 Organizational Chart Add to end of manual Chapter 1 Section 2.0 Terms and Definitions Jefferson County Code (JCC) Add Revised Code of Washington (RCW): Add as amended in future to account for future changes in statute. Trial Period Definition clarified WAC – Washington Administrative Code add as amended in future to account for future changes in statute Chapter 1 Section 4.4 Ordinances and Resolutions Organized in alphabetical, then numerical order Appendix C Section 6.4.2 Employee Standards of Conduct Add language, except for those acts subject to immediate dismissal. Appendix I Telecommuting Policy Clarify requirements for telecommuting 3/7/2025 EDITS Chapter 1 Section 1.1 Name of first County Commissioner Correction from “Lucius” to “Loren” Hastings Clarification of when WA territory became State Clarification of establishment of Olympic National Park Chapter 6 Section 6.9 Donating Accrued Leave Other than Sick Leave Correction- donating employee must have at least 80 hours of accrued vacation or 160 hours of accrued PTO Chapter 10 Section 12.2 Termination from County Employment - Final Pay Check Remove with-holding check until county property returned as this is prohibited by L&I Wage & Hour www.lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages Chapter 11 Section 23.1 Breastfeeding Update language Appendix A Section 5.1 Equal Opportunity Language Update Appendix D Section 2.0 Definitions Three Hour Rule - Correction to reference from 7.3.2.1 to 7.3.1.2 1/17/2025 EDITS All Sections Language Updates Will to Shall RCW updates Change “discipline” to “corrective action”. JEFFERSON COUNTY Personnel Administration Manual Update Summary 04/01/2025 Page 2 of 4 Change “discharge” to “termination” Update definition of “Employee Assistance Program (EAP)” to indicate for “full-time and part-time employees” Change Payroll Department to Auditor’s Office/Payroll for consistency Added comp time to list of paid leave options Change “citizen” to “resident” Add “age” to prohibited discrimination Chapter 1 Section 2.0 Terms and Definitions Update definitions Update to qualifying reasons for PFML Chapter 1 Section 3.0 Legal References Updated Federal, State, Local Chapter 6 Section 2.1 Vacation Update Vacation Accrual Chart Chapter 6 Section 2.1 Vacation Employees must have accrued vacation to take vacation leave Chapter 6 Section 3.0 PTO For Union employees also refer to CBAs Employees must have accrued PTO to take PTO leave Chapter 6 Section 3.4.2 Up to forty hours of PTO may be used during an employee’s trial period. Chapter 6 Section 3.4.5 Accrued PTO shall be credited to the employee’s PTO bank. The employee may carry forward to the next year any accrued PTO up to the Maximum PTO Bank. Chapter 6 Section 3.6.2 Timesheets Remove section 3.6.2 on GEMS pay codes Chapter 6 Section 4.0 Up to 40 hours of accrued paid vacation/PTO may be used during a trial period upon approval of departmental director Chapter 6. Section 5.0 Holidays Add Juneteenth Chapter 6. Section 6.5 Payments from Worker’s Compensation Update to match language in Chapter 6 Section 8.1.1.1 on Worker’s Compensation. Chapter 6.0 Section 6.9 Donating accrued leave Employees  may donate up to a total of 24 vacation or PTO hours of accrued leave to another employee for reasons of illness  must have at least 240 hours of accrued leave in order to be able to donate to another  Total maximum donation an employee recipient may receive is a total of 80 hours Vacation/PTO/comp time for duration of employment. JEFFERSON COUNTY Personnel Administration Manual Update Summary 04/01/2025 Page 3 of 4  First donations received first used; total removed from employee accrual and placed in recipient donation bucket.  Total eighty hours placed in usage bucket for employee.  Donations in excess of 80 hours- donation forms returned to employee.  Chapter 6 Section 7.7 Family and Medical Leave Update to qualifying reasons for FMLA, add duration for service member caregiver leave and delete 7.7.5 Requests that exceed 12 weeks Chapter 6 Section 7.8 WA Paid Family and Medical Leave Employees may be eligible for PFML, apply with State ESD Chapter 6 Section 8.1.1.1 Worker’s Compensation Explain employee cannot receive both time loss from Workers Compensation and wage coverage Explanation of buy back that already is in place Chapter 9 Section 4.5 Promotion/Reclass/Transfer Matrix Increase minimum percentage on promotion from 1% to 3%. Chapter 10 Section 2.0 Orientation Update to include Human Resources Department orientation for new employees Chapter 10 Section 6.2 Use of Vacation/PTO During Trial Period, current employee promotion May use up to 40 (forty) hours with Departmental Director approval. See above Chapter 10 Section 12 Retirement Update to add PSER Retirement Chapter 10 Section 13.0 Inquiries Regarding Current or Prior Employees Refer verification of employment from prospective employers to HR. Refer verification of employment for financial purposes to Auditor’s Office/Payroll Chapter 11 Section 5.0 Health and Safety Workplace Requirements New - response to emergency Chapter 11 Section 10.0 New 10.1 New Firearms and Other Weapons Weapons in the Courthouse – Prohibitions and Exceptions Chapter 11 Section 12 Personal Data Changes Updated language to explain that employee data changes should be reported to Department Director and Human Resources Department. Chapter 11 Section 17.0 Use of County Equipment and Vehicles Language Update Appendix A EEO Policy Update to Definitions Appendix A Employment Process Update that vacancies are posted on Jefferson County website. Appendix B Code of Ethics Policy Update to Definitions JEFFERSON COUNTY Personnel Administration Manual Update Summary 04/01/2025 Page 4 of 4 Update to other language Appendix C Standards of Conduct Policy Update to Definitions Section 3.0 Update to Acts subject to Immediate Discharge Definition of Conflict of Interest Moved to Section 4.0 Section 5.2 Added language employees are required to cooperate with investigation Appendix D Travel Policy Updates Resolution 68-23 Appendix F Section 3.2 Anti-Harassment Update to Definitions Update Use of Words – Unlawful Comments Appendix I Telecommuting Policy Added to PAM