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(A) Employees are expected to exercise care in his/her use of County property and to use such property only for authorized purposes. Negligence or carelessness in the use of County property may result in appropriate disciplinary action.
(B) County equipment, including telephones, copying machines, the mail system, facsimile machines, and computers should never be used for political purposes. Employees who use County property for such purposes may be subject to immediate termination.
(A) It is the general practice of the County to use County-owned vehicles for business use. When an employee uses his/her personal vehicle in conducting County business, that employee is eligible for reimbursement at the County's approved rate for mileage reimbursement as set by the County Council.
(B) Prior to using personal vehicles for county business, all county employees must provide their elected official or department head, and the County Board of Commissioners, with copies of their personal automobile liability insurance policy, and their valid operator's license.
(C) A county employee shall not use a county owned vehicle, or their own vehicle for county business within the scope of their employment unless they are covered by an automobile liability policy, and have a valid operator's license.
(D) In the event a property damage claim is paid by an employee's personal insurance company for a claim arising out of the use of a private vehicle under this section, the county will pay the deductible not covered by the employee's private insurance
(E) In certain instances an employee or office holder may be assigned a county-owned vehicle and allowed to take that vehicle home and to use it for personal use. This practice is known as “permissive use.” The personal use of a county vehicle must be authorized in advance and the user is subject to any applicable federal or state tax regulations governing such use.
(F) Any individual driving a vehicle owned by the County which is involved in an accident/incident shall follow the following:
(1) All County-owned vehicles except Highway Department.
(a) Immediately call 9-1-1 and make a report;
(b) Call your supervisor;
(c) Call Karas Insurance at 219-779-9204, leaving message if no answer;
(d) It is the driver’s responsibility to report the accident to Karas Insurance on date of accident. Leave a call back number on Karas’ voicemail, if necessary;
(e) Complete incident report and follow instructions on form (Exhibit A attached to Ord. 1356C-4, passed 8-8-2017, a copy of which is available in the County Clerk’s office);
(2) Highway Department use only.
(a) Immediately contact Highway Department dispatch and report accident/incident;
(b) Dispatch will immediately call local police department and supervisor;
(c) Dispatch will call Karas Insurance at 219-779-9204. Driver must confirm Karas called;
(d) It is driver’s responsibility to verify Karas Insurance was notified on date of accident. Driver can also call Karas. Leave call back number on voicemail, if necessary;
(e) Complete incident report and follow instructions on form (Exhibit A attached to Ord. 1356C-4, passed 8-8-2017, a copy of which is available in the County Clerk’s office).
(G) In addition, the County’s liability is significantly limited should the vehicle be used for personal use. Specifically, the County’s liability is limited to:
(1) Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for bodily injury to, or in the death of one (1) individual;
(2) Fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for bodily injury to, in the death of two (2) or more individuals in any one (1) accident;
(3) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for damage to or in the destruction of property in one (1) accident.
(H) For further clarification regarding this policy, an employee should contact the Lake County Board of Commissioners’ Attorney.
(A) The County's computer system provides a vital role in the efficient, day-to-day operations of County government. The system includes computer hardware, software and an electronic mail messaging (e-mail) system. In light of the critical role that the computer system plays, a number of important points regarding the use of the system are outlined below:
(1) The County's computer system and Internet access is designed to improve efficiency in the workplace. The system should be used for official purposes that assist in the conduct of business within the County. Use of the Internet for personal use should be kept to a minimum.
(2) Computer documents composed, sent, or received on the County's computer system are the property of the County and are not the private property of any employee.
(3) As is the case with any other system or property belonging to the County, the computer system and the Internet shall not be used to create, send (transmit) or receive (download) any offensive or disruptive messages, including those which are considered offensive or which contain sexual implications, racial slurs, gender-specific comments, or any other comment that offensively addresses someone's age, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or disability.
(4) Copyrighted materials, trade secrets, proprietary financial information, or other protected or confidential materials should be safeguarded and not reproduced without prior authorization.
(5) Given the uncertain nature, accidental access to obscene or inappropriate websites may occur. In those circumstances, the employee should immediately report the accidental access to his/her department head. Failure to report accidental access may result in disciplinary action.
(6) Since the County is a public entity that conducts business for the public good, it reserves the right to review, audit, intercept, access and disclose all messages or materials created, received or sent over the County's computer system or the Internet for any purpose. Any files, including e-mail may be reviewed/disclosed by the County without the permission of the employee.
(7) The confidentiality of any computer document should not be assumed. Even when a computer document is erased, it is still possible to retrieve and read that computer document.
(8) All passwords, except those maintained by the County's appointed and elected officials must be disclosed to Department Heads and to the appropriate elected official.
(9) E-Mail and Internet are intended to be used for business purposes. In the event that personal use occurs, that usage must not interfere with business activities, must not involve solicitation, must not be associated with any “for personal profit” outside business activity and must not potentially embarrass the County Government, its taxpayers or its employees. Because e-mail is being generated for County business, the user should realize that their e-mail files are not private.
(10) Although the County reserves the right to retrieve and read any documents, files or directories, these documents and sites should be treated as confidential by other employees and accessed only by the intended recipient. Employees should not attempt to gain access to another employee's computer documents without the latter's permission. Employees are not authorized to retrieve or read any computer documents that are not sent to them. Any exception to this policy must receive prior approval by the appropriate elected official.
(B) Any employee who discovers a violation of this policy shall notify their department head or the appropriate elected official. Any employee, who violates this policy or uses the County's computer system for improper purposes, shall be subject to corrective action, up to and including discharge.
(A) Discussion, debate and sharing one's opinion occur in many forms and forums including online conversations. Social media is defined as media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Examples include, but are not limited to, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and MySpace.
(B) Given the growing popularity of online media, Lake County Government has developed a series of guidelines to assist its employees when engaging in such forums and discussions. The guidelines are intended to assist employees both when participating personally, as well as when acting on behalf of the County.
(1) Protect Confidential and Proprietary Information: Do not post confidential or proprietary information about the organization, clients or vendors. Never violate federal law such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Employees who share confidential information do so at the risk of disciplinary action or termination.
(2) Respect Copyright and Fair Use: When posting, be mindful of the copyright and intellectual property rights of others.
(3) Don't Use Organization Logos: Do not use Lake County logos or any other images or iconography on personal social media sites. Do not use the County's name to promote a product, cause, or political candidate.
(4) Respect Time and Property: The County's computers and time on the job are reserved for work-related business.
(5) Think Twice Before Posting: Privacy does not exist in the world of social media. Consider what could happen if a post becomes widely known. Search engines can turn up posts years after they are created, and comments can be forwarded or copied. Exercise sound judgment and common sense, and if there is any doubt, DO NOT POST IT.
(6) Strive for Accuracy: Get the facts straight before posting them on social media. Review content for grammatical and spelling errors.
(7) Be Respectful: Understand that content contributed to a social media site could encourage comments or discussion of opposing ideas. Responses should be considered carefully in light of how they would reflect on the poster and/or the organization.
(8) Personal Sites: Identify views as personal and employees should refrain from identifying themselves as an employee of Lake County.
(9) Photography: Photographs posted on social media sites easily can be appropriated by others.
(10) Know that the Internet is Permanent: Once information is published online, it is essentially part of a permanent record, even if that information is “removed/deleted” later or an attempt is made to make it anonymous. If a complete thought, along with its context, cannot be squeezed into a character restricted space (such as Twitter), provide a link to an online space where the message can be expressed completely and accurately.
(A) It is expected that personal telephone calls will be kept to a minimum. Our success is in large part dependent upon our ability to respond to the needs of our citizens promptly and efficiently. No long distance phone calls of a personal nature are to be billed to the County except those necessary due to emergency situations or to notify families of the need to work late (these calls should be kept to a minimum length).
(B) Employees who are issued County owned cellular phones may use the phones for business related use free of charge. The employee is responsible however, for reimbursing the County for any personal calls that are incurred.
(C) Under no circumstances should a telephone or other equipment owned by the County be used for political activity.
(A) County employees work in an environment where the confidentiality of information regarding residents and employees must be preserved. Medical information or any information regarding fellow employees should always be considered strictly confidential. The discussion of confidential matters with other employees or in places where unintended parties can overhear such information is forbidden. The reproduction of written materials or accessing of unauthorized computer or electronic records is also forbidden. Departments are encouraged to require employees to sign a confidentiality agreement.
(B) At the same time, state law requires the release of information, including information regarding employees, to the public under certain conditions and procedures. Only authorized individuals shall handle requests for information.
(A) The County places a high value on providing quality services. Employees are expected to demonstrate a strong customer service orientation by treating customers in a courteous and respectful manner at all times. Customers include taxpayers, fellow employees and anyone who seeks the assistance of an employee of County government. Employees are encouraged to make suggestions regarding policies, procedures, and practices that will improve service.
(B) An employee who encounters a disruptive, abusive or difficult member of the public, should contact their supervisor for further guidance, direction and assistance.
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