WALLACE – Shoshone County adopted an amended personnel policy last week following a meeting between county commissioners, members of the county's personnel policy committee and Deputy Prosecutor Luke Zasadny.

The 29-page document governs employment practices for approximately 120 county employees, including staff who work in the courthouse, sheriff's office, transfer station and public works shops throughout the county. Because it establishes rules regarding pay, benefits, leave and workplace expectations, the policy affects nearly every county employee and serves as a guide for how personnel matters are handled across county government.

At the outset of the meeting, Zasadny said many of the revisions involved grammatical cleanup and clarification. However, several changes prompted discussion among commissioners and members of the policy committee, which included Zasadny, Commissioner Melissa Cowles and Undersheriff Travis Skinner.

One of the most significant changes involved holiday compensation.

Shoshone County currently recognizes 11 paid holidays. While many county employees receive those days off, some departments, including the sheriff's office and public works, require employees to work during holidays.

Under the previous policy, employees scheduled to work on a holiday could be compensated in one of two ways. They could either work the shift at 1 ½ times their regular rate of pay, or work at their normal rate and schedule a substitute day off within 60 days of the holiday.

The new policy allows employees to receive both benefits. Employees who work on a holiday will receive time-and-a-half pay and an additional eight hours of compensation time.

"Yes they're getting paid time and a half for working the holiday, but every employee receives holiday pay," Skinner explained. "They missed the holiday, so they should, in turn, to make it fair, they should be given an eight-hour block to use within 60 days."

Initially, Commissioner Jeff Zimmerman expressed concerns about the change, saying it appeared employees would effectively be receiving two-and-a-half times their regular pay when both the wage increase and compensatory time were considered.

Skinner argued that was not the case because the county has already budgeted for 11 paid holidays. Employees working those days would receive the same holiday benefit other employees receive, along with the additional compensation for working the holiday.

Commissioner Dave Dose offered another explanation.

"If you work the holiday and I don't, we both end up getting one day off with pay," Dose said. "So we're even on that. You just got that extra half-time because you worked Christmas and I didn't. So we both end up with one day off."

The explanation appeared to ease Zimmerman's concerns.

"I see what you're saying," he said.

Cowles, who served as the board's representative on the policy committee, noted that the departments most affected by the policy are those that provide services outside the courthouse.

"There's really no one over here who works a holiday," she said. "It does not affect them."

Zasadny said he was willing to revisit the document and return with another draft if necessary, but was pleased when commissioners appeared to reach a consensus.

"This was really the main point, just wrestling with these questions; everything else is nominal changes or updates," he said.

Commissioners also discussed vacation time accrual.

The county's policy allows employees to accrue up to 120 hours of vacation time. Any vacation time above that amount that is not used during the year it is earned is forfeited without compensation at the end of the fiscal year.

While the accrual limit remains unchanged, the updated policy provides several exceptions that may allow employees to retain or be compensated for excess vacation time.

Under the new policy, employees may receive compensation for vacation time exceeding the maximum accrual if a department head submits a written request to the Board of County Commissioners for a reasonable extension and receives approval; if the employee attempted to use the vacation time but was denied because of staffing shortages or other extenuating circumstances; or if the BOCC grants an extension for all county employees at the end of the fiscal year.

"In an ideal world, you have department heads encouraging their employees to use it," Zasadny said. "But that's only when there's a realistic staffing structure."