Board discusses employee-handbook changes: biweekly pay, evaluations and background checks; benefits vendor to distribute info

County staff and board members discussed proposed updates to the employee handbook, including changing the county pay period to biweekly, instituting annual employee evaluations (with a possibility of tying evaluations to step increases), and establishing a countywide criminal background check process.

Courtney said the new pay period would use a Sunday–Saturday workweek and run one week behind (timecards submitted Tuesday for Friday pay), and the county hopes to implement the change by July or August pending vendor setup. Several board members supported a standard evaluation form with departments allowed to customize; examples from other counties showed evaluations were commonly used to document performance and link pay progression. Jason (staff reference) said employers can request Iowa conviction checks from the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DCI) for $15, which would not return federal or out-of-state convictions.

During the meeting a Global Life representative presented voluntary supplemental insurance options (two free starter benefits, cancer and critical-illness plans, accident and hospital daily benefits) and offered to distribute materials and give departmental presentations. The board agreed to circulate the vendor information and let employees contact payroll (Courtney) if interested, rather than open a county account.

What happens next: Staff will draft handbook language, obtain sample forms and vendor/pricing information, route the draft to the county attorney for review, and provide updates to the board every two weeks.