Swain County tables emergency-closing personnel policy after debate over pay, abuse and implementation

Swain County commissioners on Feb. 17 discussed a consolidated emergency-closing policy that would replace prior separate inclement-weather and emergency-closing policies. County staff described the draft policy as defining emergency situations (natural disasters, facility hazards, prolonged power or water outages, hazardous material incidents) and authorizing the emergency management director in consultation with the county manager and board chair or vice chair to declare closures or delayed openings.

Under the draft, employees assigned to closed facilities would not be charged leave for time missed during an official countywide emergency and would be paid for up to eight hours per day; first responders would receive equivalent leave consistent with the policy. Staff said the draft does not give automatic leave for individual employees who cannot travel when there is not a county-declared emergency.

Several commissioners warned the county cannot afford to pay employees when work is not performed and expressed concern about potential abuse if employees claim they cannot travel. Others called for clarity on who has authority to declare an emergency and suggested donor leave pools to help new employees who lack accrued leave.

‘‘If an employee is saying I can’t make it to work, but we haven’t declared a countywide emergency, that person will have to use their leave,’’ Lottie said in explaining the policy’s intent. Officials highlighted administrative safeguards in the draft that would limit pay only to officially declared emergencies and recommended further review of implementation details.

After extended debate on fiscal impact and operational detail, commissioners voted unanimously to table the policy for further review and to return with clarifications on authority, leave accounting and possible donor-leave mechanisms.

Why it matters: The policy would affect county payroll accounting and employee leave use during weather- or hazard-related closures. Commissioners said they want clearer definitions and controls before adopting the change.

Next steps: Staff will refine the draft to specify who declares emergencies, how leave will be tracked and whether a donor-leave option can be added, and return to the board for further consideration.