Some changes could be in store for Mississippi County employee policy, if the full Quorum Court approves a measure recommended Wednesday by the court's personnel committee.
County financial manager Brenda Burke told the committee that questions had recently been raised concerning the county's policies surrounding the re-hire of employees who were formerly laid off or had quit their jobs. Currently, policy states that the employee's most recent hire date is the only one that counts when it comes to accumulating benefits and vacation/sick time, which means that an employee who worked multiple years and was laid off would have to start over when re-hired.
The question was raised because the county recently re-hired several employees who were laid off during the previous years' budget cuts.
Burke said that she was not proposing any retroactive action, but the committee agreed that changes should be made going forward, with the time limit of one year for returning to work and retaining time already put in; this would apply only to employees who quit/resigned or were laid off. A measure will be prepared for the full court to consider next week during their regular meeting in Osceola.
sspears@blythevillecourier.com