Commissioners review major employee handbook revisions; ask HR for clarifications

County attorneys, HR and commissioners spent substantial time reviewing a revised employee handbook draft submitted for adoption. Key points reviewed included language on supervisory relationships and family/intimate relationships at work, discretionary termination language, pay‑step limits and exceptions for promotions or additional training, and multiple leave provisions (holidays, paid parental leave, sick leave accrual and donation rules).

The county attorney expressed concern about overly discretionary termination language and recommended clarifying the policy so it cannot be construed as arbitrary; commissioners asked that supervisory‑subordinate relationship rules be written to prohibit supervisory control (performance reviews or salary decisions) rather than broadly excluding relatives from county employment. On parental leave, commissioners asked HR to reconcile draft language with state changes referenced in Senate Bill 153 (paid prenatal leave provisions effective 01/01/2026) and with federal FMLA job protection, and asked for clearer definitions of "primary" and "secondary" caregiver and whether sick leave donation is permitted.

Other items: the draft’s jury duty and court appearance language was discussed (whether employee jury duty pay and small juror checks are offset), the grievance procedure language was adjusted to ensure employees can report harassment or other serious complaints even where the respondent is an elected official, and the drug/alcohol testing policy was reviewed to confirm DOT compliance requirements and the county’s use of a contracted testing provider (Compliance1) for commercial drivers and breathalyzer testing.

Action items: staff will consult with HR consultant Rose and the county attorney, clarify the parental/sick‑leave and grievance language, check statutory references (including KSA and the new prenatal leave law), and circulate a revised draft for commissioner review before final approval scheduled for Feb. 2.