Human resources flags rising PFML/FMLA use and upcoming union negotiations
June 30, 2026 | Cowlitz County, Washington
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Jessica Warren of Human Resources said her department supports roughly 550 full-time employees and handles recruiting, benefits administration, labor relations, investigations and collective bargaining for multiple represented groups.
Warren said HR manages eight collective bargaining agreements covering about 300 employees and is negotiating with several groups, including sheriff deputies and sergeants and multiple corrections bargaining units. She described the county’s staggered contract cycles and noted plans to begin negotiations later this year with two of the largest employee groups.
On benefits, Warren described a recent transition from the prior vendor to "Regent" medical and dental plans that staff say generated savings for the county and positive feedback for some employees; she said claims data from the new carrier will be available after a full year on the plan.
Warren warned of a sharp rise in PFML and FMLA claims in 2026. "We've seen a significant increase in the amount of PFML and FMLA claims," she said, noting intermittent leave has nearly reached the 2025 total and that the increase forces departments that must maintain staffing levels to rely on overtime. She added that administrative limits prevent employers from seeing the granular use of leave, which complicates planning. "We don't even have access to how the employees leaving is using the leave. We just get notified that they're using the leave," Warren said.
Commissioners asked whether HR conducts exit interviews to track reasons for leaving; Warren said departments perform exit interviews but elected-official offices may use their own processes and are not included in the county-administered exit interview workflow.
Warren also reviewed recruitment trends showing declines in postings, hires and terminations in 2026 versus 2025 and 2024, which she attributed in part to budget constraints and broader labor-market competition.
She closed by thanking staff who helped prepare the review and by noting priorities for negotiations and workforce planning in the months ahead.
Warren said HR manages eight collective bargaining agreements covering about 300 employees and is negotiating with several groups, including sheriff deputies and sergeants and multiple corrections bargaining units. She described the county’s staggered contract cycles and noted plans to begin negotiations later this year with two of the largest employee groups.
On benefits, Warren described a recent transition from the prior vendor to "Regent" medical and dental plans that staff say generated savings for the county and positive feedback for some employees; she said claims data from the new carrier will be available after a full year on the plan.
Warren warned of a sharp rise in PFML and FMLA claims in 2026. "We've seen a significant increase in the amount of PFML and FMLA claims," she said, noting intermittent leave has nearly reached the 2025 total and that the increase forces departments that must maintain staffing levels to rely on overtime. She added that administrative limits prevent employers from seeing the granular use of leave, which complicates planning. "We don't even have access to how the employees leaving is using the leave. We just get notified that they're using the leave," Warren said.
Commissioners asked whether HR conducts exit interviews to track reasons for leaving; Warren said departments perform exit interviews but elected-official offices may use their own processes and are not included in the county-administered exit interview workflow.
Warren also reviewed recruitment trends showing declines in postings, hires and terminations in 2026 versus 2025 and 2024, which she attributed in part to budget constraints and broader labor-market competition.
She closed by thanking staff who helped prepare the review and by noting priorities for negotiations and workforce planning in the months ahead.
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