Personnel committee recommends training compliance policy to commission

County staff presented a proposed training compliance policy designed to raise mandatory training completion toward 100 percent by allowing departments to take progressive disciplinary steps when employees repeatedly fail to complete assigned training.

Bob, who introduced the draft policy, said current completion rates range between about 85% and 95% each quarter and that a formal policy would give departments the ability to apply consequences for repeat noncompliance. "The policy presented effectively gives the departments the ability to have potential disciplinary actions take place if an employee refuses or continuously does not do their training," Bob said.

Committee members supported the goal but debated the draft’s phrase "up to and including termination." Some members urged caution about double-disciplining employees (for example, by a department and also at the commission level) and suggested the committee receive aggregate compliance reporting rather than individual names. Staff said progressive discipline would follow established county policies and that aggregate reports on compliance percentages could be provided to the commission.

A motion to recommend the proposed training compliance policy to the full commission was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. Staff said the policy would be added to the commission policy manual (estimated as policy 5.17) and that final approval and exact policy language would occur at the commission level.