BOC may alter sick leave policy

The group took no action on the matter Monday, but agreed to have county personnel coordinator Donna Sisk inform department heads of the proposal.

The change would allow employees to donate their unused sick leave days to a leave day bank. Employees who wanted to take advantage of those days would have to meet standards set by the Family Medical Leave Act.

Currently, employees can directly donate unused leave days to their co-workers.

“At a time when we’re looking to save money, this makes sense,” said Sisk, who estimated the cost of donated leave time this year at $12,000.

Sisk said some employees feel pressured to donate days to co-workers. She said the change would cut down on casual absences and abuse of the current policy.

County purchasing agent Cheryl Jensrud urged the board to keep the current policy. Jensrud, who lost her mother earlier this year, and whose father suffers from Alzheimer’s, said the current policy allowed her to continue to pay her bills as she took time off to spend with her mother before her passing. The proposed policy would take that option away.

“I’ve been blessed with donated time,” said Jensrud, who fought back tears. “If there is abuse, address the abuse. Do not punish the rest of us.”

Commissioner Bruce Scogin said he would favor the change if it could be separated from FMLA guidelines. He said some people are really sick and they stay home trying to recover, but don’t go to the doctor. He said he doesn’t want to change the policy to require sick employees to incur the expense of a doctor’s visit.

Commissioner Stanley Thomas said he wants to address employee abuse of leave time, noting that some people call in sick around the holidays when they’re really not. But he said he has no problem with the county providing leave time for a family situation like Jensrud’s.

Commissioner Mike Youngblood said he is in favor of the proposed policy change, but he wants all department heads to be informed of the change and have the opportunity to offer input.

In a separate matter Monday, Commissioner John Pethel discussed the planned paving of Cherokee Road. He said the road has been grubbed and graded and that the county is now waiting for the Department of Transportation to give the go ahead on paving the road. Pethel said the road will deteriorate if it is not paved over the winter and he suggested that the county use sales tax money to go ahead and pave the road, then seek reimbursement from the DOT, which has approved funding for the project. Chairman Wesley Nash said that the county has encountered this situation on a number of occasions. He said the county could go ahead and pave the road, but the DOT will not reimburse Madison County for the estimated $350,000 to $400,000 expense unless it first gives the go ahead.

“If you do it, you will not get the money back,” said Nash.

Pethel said he will speak with the DOT about the matter.