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From time to time, an employee may leave the County's employment only to return at a later date. Employees who return to work for the County and subsequently complete twelve (12) months of consecutive employment will then be credited for any previous full time employment service. Credited time will be applied towards vacation and other benefits. This policy does not apply to employment situations that pre-date the issuance of this handbook.
(A) When employees are hired, they provide information needed for payroll, insurance, and pension purposes, to name a few. However, some of this information periodically changes, and to make sure that the County's records are up-to-date, all employees are required to report changes in personal information including:
(1) Emergency Contact Information
(2) Home Address or Telephone Number
(3) Marital Status (marriage, divorce, legal separation)
(4) Beneficiary (for group term life insurance and/or pension plan (PERF)
(5) Changes in Education
(6) Birth or Adoption of Child or Placement in Home of Foster Child
(7) A child's nineteenth birthday (for employees with dependent children on the County's health and dental insurance plan). If the child is enrolled in college, he/she may continue coverage (see the Insurance Department for details).
(B) Although not required, employees are encouraged to provide their supervisor with their e-mail address.
(C) An employee who is in a position that requires an on-call status may be required to provide his/her supervisor with a current cellular telephone number.
(A) The County uses a variety of classifications to describe the status of its employees to define the terms and conditions of employment. These terms can be used by themselves, in conjunction with each other, or even interchangeably. The terms clarify as to whether an employee is entitled to overtime or benefits.
(B) Full- Time: An employee who has completed his/her orientation period and who works on average at least thirty (30) hours or more per week.
(C) Full-Time Probationary: A newly hired employee or an employee assigned (either through promotion or demotion) to a new job classification who has worked at the same position for more than ninety (90) calendar days, then becomes a full time employee. During the 90 day probationary period, a newly hired employee is not eligible for health insurance benefits.
(D) During this period, the newly hired employee will have the opportunity to get to know the County and the County will have the opportunity to get to know the employee. The period allows an employee to become familiar with the opportunities and responsibilities of being an employee of Lake County. This period also allows both the employee and the County to determine whether continued employment will be to the advantage of both parties. At the end of this orientation period, the employee will become eligible for regular employee status. The employee's department head will meet with the employee to discuss his/her evaluation and status for permanent employment.
(E) In certain circumstances, it may be in the employee and County's best interest to extend the orientation period for an additional thirty days. However, regardless of an extension (of probation), the employee will be eligible for health insurance benefits after he/she completes 90 calendar days of employment.
(F) A full-time employee may be exempt or non-exempt:
(1) Exempt
(a) A full-time “exempt” employee is a salaried employee who is exempt from the overtime and/or compensatory time requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An exempt employee has certain decision-making responsibilities and meets other criteria of the federal act. Job titles alone do not determine the exempt or non- exempt status of any employee.
(b) Since duties and responsibilities vary, it is best to verify through the Humane Resources Department that a position meets the requirements of being exempt under the FLSA. For example, an exempt employee must be paid on a salary basis of no less than $455 per week and perform certain types of work that is directly related to the overall management of a business or operation. The person must be authorized to directly or indirectly hire, fire and direct at least two other employees. The employee's primary duty must include the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance within the operation. Additional exemptions may be granted if the position:
1. requires specialized academic training for entry into a professional field, or
2. is in the computer field (employees who work in the computer field may be exempt if they are paid no less than $27.63 per hour), or
3. is in a recognized field of artistic or creative endeavor.
(2) Non Exempt - A full-time employee who is “non-exempt” is entitled to overtime and/or compensatory time under the Fair Labor Standards Act for all hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in a workweek, at a rate of 1.5 times the hours worked either in pay or compensatory time. (See Flexible Schedule Section for additional details.)
(G) Part-Time
(1) An employee who has completed his/her orientation period and who works on average less than twenty-nine (29) hours per week. Part- time employees, although valuable members of the County’s workforce, are not eligible for all of the benefits (such as health insurance or pension benefits) afforded to full time employees.
(2) A part-time employee is prohibited from working for more than one County officeholder or department during a single pay period and shall not work more than twenty-nine (29) hours per week in a single pay period.
(3) Since part-time employees are limited to 29 hours per week, they should not work more than forty (40) hours in a week. However, in the event that a part-time employee does work more than forty hours in a week, the employee will be paid at a rate of l .5 times the number of hours worked (over and above forty hours) either in pay or compensatory time in accordance with federal law.
(H) Temporary or Seasonal: An employee who is hired for a specific period of time, with a known duration of no more than four (4) months or an employee who is assigned to a part-time job with a known limited duration of less than ten (10) full months is not eligible for benefits. Often these employees are also referred to as seasonal or temporary employees. A temporary employee may work either a full or part-time schedule depending upon the assignment. If the employee works more than forty hours in a week, the employee will be paid at a rate of 1.5 times the number of hours worked (over and above forty hours) either in pay or compensatory time.
(I) Classification Regarding Exempt Employees
(1) As noted above, certain positions such as department heads are considered exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The position must meet certain standards and conditions, and be given authority and responsibility that makes the position exempt under the FLSA.
(2) By virtue of this designation, exempt employees do not track the hours that they work. For timesheet purposes, exempt employees are instructed to note which days they worked and that they “have completed all assigned tasks and duties.”
(3) Employees who have specific questions regarding their exempt or non-exempt status should review the Fair Labor Standards Act or contact the County Council's Attorney or U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
(Ord. 1356C-3, passed 7-7-2015)
(A) A new employee needs to become familiar with his/her position, County operations, policies, rules and regulations and fringe benefits. In order to provide new employees with support, answers to questions and assistance in being successful in their daily job duties, the County conducts a two-step orientation process for its employees.
(B) The first step in the orientation process is provided by the County Human Resource Office, which will review basic employment requirements and benefits, such as:
(1) Job title and wages
(2) Fringe benefits
(3) Rules and regulations, including disciplinary procedures
(4) Requirements of the collective bargaining agreement, if such an agreement covers the new employee
(5) Review of this handbook
(C) After meeting with the Human Resources Office, the employee will complete the orientation process with his/her department head who will review specific job duties, explain the work site, job duties required, performance expectations, department rules and safety regulations. Many larger departments will assign a new employee to shadow or be mentored by a senior employee who knows the position and responsibilities.
(A) Every new employee, as well as an employee who transfers from one position to another, begins his/her employment with the County as a probationary employee (with the exception of certain executive level employees such as department heads) for the first ninety (90) calendar days of employment. Probation is an assessment period that helps determine whether the employee and County should continue the employment on a more long-term basis. A probationary employee may be dismissed or may voluntarily quit for any reason(s) and shall not have any recourse through the County's grievance procedure. An employee who is completing a probationary period may not bid or apply for another open position.
(B) A performance evaluation should conclude the probationary process and allow the department head to communicate to the employee any area(s) of satisfaction, dissatisfaction, or areas where the employee should improve his/her performance. The report is confidential and should only be discussed with the employee.
(A) This policy applies to all County employees including those covered by a collective bargaining agreement, unless the bargaining agreement or contract explicitly addresses the issue in a manner contrary to this chapter. In those instances, the terms of the bargaining agreement or contract will supersede the terms of this chapter.
(B) County offices are open to the public Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Some departments have adopted a different schedule due to the nature of the position or a flexible work schedule to better accommodate the public. An employee's supervisor will assign a specific work schedule. Please note that a work schedule is not guaranteed and is subject to change.
(C) Regular Work Time - The regular work week shall be considered Monday through Friday and the regular workday is defined as eight hours per day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (unless as noted above).
(D) Lunch Hour
(1) Salaried employees are entitled to a one-hour lunch period per workday. Employees who fail to take a lunch period will not be compensated unless authorized by the department head to work through a lunch hour in order to allow that employee to adjust his/her start or end time (come in late or leave early on the same day), or due to circumstances where the employee was required to perform his/her work duties that precluded the employee from taking a lunch.
(2) Hourly employees are entitled to lunchtime set by department policy.
(E) Breaks - The County provides breaks or rest periods to its employees. Non-exempt employees who work at least seven hours in one shift will receive a break of 15 minutes at approximately the middle of every three and one half hours of work not interrupted by a meal period. Supervisors are responsible for scheduling the time for employee breaks. All breaks should be arranged so that they do not disrupt County business or service to the public and should consider the workload and the nature of the job or jobs being performed. When necessary, the frequency and time of breaks may be changed. Time spent on breaks is compensated as working time. Employees are expected to be punctual in starting and ending their breaks and are subject to disciplinary action for extending breaks beyond the 15 minutes allowed.
(F) Overtime/Compensatory Time
(1) Eligibility for compensable overtime will be determined by the Fair Labor Standards Act. All overtime must be approved and authorized by an employee's department head or supervisor. Under no circumstances may an employee authorize his/her own overtime.
(2) All non exempt employees will be granted compensatory or overtime at the rate of one and one-half (1-1/2) hours for all hours worked over (40) hours in any given work week. (Note: Although some full-time employees work only 35 hours, federal law requires that overtime [or compensatory time] be paid at 1-1/2 times that employee's normal rate of pay only when the hours worked in a week exceeds 40 hours.)
(3) Should compensatory time be awarded, an employee cannot accumulate more than 480 hours of compensatory time in one year if the employee works in a public safety activity, an emergency response activity or a seasonal activity. All other employees are limited to no more than 240 hours compensatory time per year. Employees who exceed these limits must be paid overtime. An accurate record of all compensatory time earned and used shall be maintained by the department bookkeeper (See “Record Keeping” this section). An employee's request for the use of compensatory time off shall be made at least three (3) working days prior to the date(s) requested off. The request shall be honored unless the use would unduly disrupt the operations of the department by imposing an unreasonable burden on the department's ability to provide services of acceptable quality and quantity for the public during the time requested without the use of the employee's services.
(4) All compensatory time must be taken within the year it was earned unless the time is accumulated in the last quarter of the calendar year. Time earned during the last quarter only may be carried over to the first quarter of the following year. The carried-over compensatory time must be taken within that first quarter. Unused compensatory time must be paid as overtime.
(G) Record Keeping
(1) Documented overtime and compensatory time records shall be kept by each department for all employees and shall include:
(a) Date and reason for accumulation
(b) Name of person authorizing the overtime
(c) Date compensatory time taken
(d) All other records required by the FLSA or other federal or state law or regulation
(2) Time sheets shall reflect compensatory time taken and shall not be reflected as hours worked on that date.
(3) The Attorney of Record for each division of County government has the final authority interpreting this policy and is responsible for ensuring that all required records are kept and in accordance with the FLSA and will take appropriate measures to ensure compliance with state and federal regulation.
(H) Special Exceptions - Special exceptions to the regular workday and work week may exist where employees may be required to work other hours or days to meet the particular requirements of County services. In addition, regular hours are subject to change with the authorization of the employee's department head.
(I) Time Sheet Requirement - It shall be the responsibility of the department head to ensure that an accurate daily attendance record is kept on every employee in the department.
(J) Falsification of Time Records - Any individual who is involved in the falsification of time records or who knowingly causes improper reporting may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
(A) In certain situations it may be possible for an employee, with the permission of his/her department head and Elected Official, to work an adjusted or flexible work schedule. The schedule must not cause a reduction in the ability of that employee's department to properly perform its duties and responsibilities. Further, the establishment of a flexible schedule may not result in the need to hire other employees or the use of overtime to cover those “traditional” hours not worked by the employee working a flexible schedule.
(B) The employee is still eligible to overtime pay for all hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in one week. (See Vacation Section for additional details.)
(A) Under certain circumstances it may be necessary to close one or more County facilities due to natural hazards or catastrophes. If a facility is closed, employees will be notified via telephone, if possible. In the case of severe weather, employees should listen to local radio stations for information regarding closings and when the County will be open for business. Employees should also contact their Department Head to find out if their department is open.
(B) When a facility is closed, and an employee was scheduled to work that day, the employee is excused from work and will be paid their regular rate of pay for that day if he/she were scheduled to work. In the event that the employee is required to report for work during an emergency closing (such as maintenance or to secure records, etc.), the employee is not entitled to additional compensation.
(A) Pay Periods - Employees are paid every two weeks on Monday. The first day of the pay period is Monday and ends 14 days later on Sunday. Time sheets are used to determine the amount an employee is paid each pay period and serve as the official record of an employee's service to the County.
(B) Paydays - Paydays occur on Monday. No other person is allowed to “pick-up” an employee's paycheck without the employee's permission in writing.
(C) Payroll Deductions - There are two types of payroll deductions, those mandated by the government and those that employees choose to make.
(D) Mandated Payroll Deductions - Certain deductions are made from employees' paychecks as mandated by the state and/or federal government or court. These deductions include:
(1) Federal Income Taxes (as indicated by an employee on the W-4 federal income tax withholding form)
(2) State Income Taxes (as indicated by an employee on the state income tax withholding form)
(3) PERF Contributions
(4) Social Security (FICA) and Medicare (MCARE)
(5) Court ordered child support and garnishments
(E) Voluntary Payroll Deductions
(1) Employees may choose to have any or all of the following that apply to them deducted from their paychecks:
(a) Health insurance contributions
(b) 457 Supplemental retirement contributions
(c) Supplemental insurance plan contributions
(d) Credit Union
(e) U.S. Savings Bonds
(f) Political contributions
(g) Pre paid legal assistance
(h) United Way Contributions
(2) Employees may elect to have voluntary deductions taken from their pay only if they authorize deductions in writing.
(F) Direct Deposit of Paychecks - Employees may elect to have their paychecks directly deposited with most banks, credit unions and financial institutions.
(G) Paycheck Errors, Lost Paycheck, or Stolen Paychecks - Employees who discover a mistake in their paycheck, lose their paycheck, or have it stolen must notify their payroll clerk immediately. In the case of a mistake, the error will be remedied as quickly as possible. In the event of a lost or stolen paycheck, the employee may have to wait up to sixty (60) days before the check is reissued.
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