1.    GENERAL

1.1    INTRODUCTION

1.1.1    Mission Statement    

Okanogan County shall provide basic public services, information and technology resources to support an efficient government in a cost-effective manner.

1.1.2     Employee Policies Manual

The Okanogan County Personnel Policies Manual sets forth the policies that are to be followed by Okanogan County in the administration of its personnel program in support of the County’s mission statement. These policies are used as guidelines and do not represent an employment contract or any aspect of an employment contract and should not be construed as such. These policies are not intended to make any commitment to any employee concerning how individual employment action can, should, or will be handled. Okanogan County remains free, in its sole discretion to change or amend these policies at any time, with or without notice. Changes made to these policies shall be communicated through standard communication channels and/or through revisions to this manual. Advance notice may not always be possible

1.1.3    Okanogan County Organization

Okanogan County has three elected Commissioners who serve as the governing body for the County and carry out local legislative and administrative duties. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for setting general policy for the County, and, as such, has primary authority to establish terms and conditions of employment of Okanogan County.

Other Okanogan County officials are elected by the County’s voters to carry out specific public functions. These include the Sheriff, Prosecutor/Coroner, Assessor, Treasurer, Clerk, Auditor, Superior Court Judges and District Court Judges. These Elected Officials have full authority, by law, to carry out the duties established for their offices. They can hire employees to assist them in carrying out their responsibilities, and they establish office policies, which govern the conduct of workers in their respective departments.

Elected Officials other than the County Commissioners may have departmental personnel handbooks and manuals, which guide the management of their departments on a day-to-day basis. These departmental handbooks are recognized as useful management tools; however, they are a supplement to the Okanogan County Personnel Policies Manual. Any inconsistencies between department manuals and the Okanogan County Personnel Policies Manual should be resolved with the Board of County Commissioners.

1.2    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The purpose of these policies is to implement a county system of uniform, equitable and consistent personnel administration. Okanogan County:

1.3    AMENDMENTS AND ADDITIONS

The County shall have the exclusive right to exercise the customary function of management including the right to change, alter, delete, add or modify any provision of these personnel policies and to provide a notice of such changes to all employees. Final approval of all changes to the personnel policies shall be approved by resolution of the Board of Okanogan County Commissioners.

This policy manual supersedes all previous manuals, letters, memoranda, resolutions, and understandings unless otherwise noted.

1.4    APPLICATION OF POLICIES

The Okanogan County Personnel Policies Manual and revisions hereto shall apply to all Okanogan County employees on the basis of the status of the position held by the employee as follows:

The Okanogan County Personnel Policies do not apply to Elected Officials and their direct appointees.

To the extent, if any, that any of these policies are inconsistent with a specific provision of any Okanogan County collective bargaining agreement or Civil Services Rules, the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement or Civil Services Rules shall control.

Non-signature by Elected Official:
Where the elected official of a county department has not signed this personnel manual, employees employed by such elected official are employed at the will of the elected official or under terms and conditions of employment established by the elected official, subject to wages and benefits established by the Board of County Commissioners as set forth in this manual.

1.5    DEFINITIONS

Adjusted Date of Hire – the actual hire date with an adjustment made for any leave without pay or suspension without pay.

Allocation – assignment of an individual position to an appropriate job title on the basis of the kind, difficulty and responsibility of the work actually performed in the position.

Anniversary Date – date within a job classification (based upon promotion, demotion, or other change in job classification) adjusted by leaves without pay and suspension without pay listed below under Continuous Service.

Appeal – complaint filed by an employee or group of employees pertaining to employment conditions or personnel practices based on specific provisions of these rules.

Appointing Authority – any Elected Official/Department Head or other person vested with authority to appoint to any County position.

Appointment– all methods of selection of a candidate for a position.

Board – Board of Okanogan County Commissioners.

Call-In Employee – an employee who has agreed to be available on a work-as-needed basis and is paid on an hourly rate with no regular schedule.

Continuous Service – services from the date of employment, unbroken by leave without pay or separation, except that time spent on military leave, Peace Corp duty, leave resulting from a job incurred injury, maternity leave, or authorized Family Medical Leave, all of which shall include continuous service. Time spent on all other types of authorized unpaid leave shall not count as part of continuous service; however, employees returning from such leave, or employees who are laid off, shall be entitled to credit for service prior to such leave.

Date of Hire – actual date employee first renders paid service in a regular position.

Days – calendar days unless specifically noted otherwise.

Demotion – appointment of an employee from a position pay class to a position in another pay class having a lower maximum salary rate, or a reduction in salary to a lower step in the same salary range.

Department Head – elected or appointed official vested with the authority to administer the functions of a County Department.

Deputy – any person appointed to a position in the County’s service by an elected or appointed official pursuant to State law or constitution.

Disciplinary Action – action taken to correct the improper conduct or inadequate performance of an employee.

Dismissal – the Department Head or appointing authority took specific action to relieve an employee from his/her duties for failure to do satisfactory work, failure to comply with established rules or regulations or other disciplinary action taken against the employee in accordance with the provisions of the policy manual.

Elected Official – an individual placed in a position of authority by a majority popular vote and being subject to the provision of the office as set out in the Revised Code of Washington, County Charter and the Washington Constitution.

Exempt Employee – person is appointed to a position which meets the criteria defined in the Fair Labor Standards Act and not eligible for overtime compensation.

Flex Time – adjustment or varying of daily work hours within a workweek to accommodate a total workweek of forty (40) hours.

Full-time - person is appointed to a position which has daily, weekly and monthly hours as established by the Board of Commissioners for full-time work.

Hire Date – first day the employee actually started work, not the day that a position was first offered.

Immediate Family – persons related by blood or marriage or legal adoption in the degree of consanguinity of wife, husband, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, father-in-law, mother-in-law, child or grandchild but no aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, or nephew unless living in the employee’s household.

Lay-off - separation from the county service because of a shortage of funds or materials, abolishment of the position or for other reasons not reflecting discredit on an employee and for reasons outside of the employee’s conduct.

Leave With Pay – the employee is on an authorized leave in a paid status. An example of leave with pay is vacation, sick leave, jury duty, etc.

Leave Without Pay – the employee may or may not be on an authorized leave; however, the leave is in a non-paid status. Examples of leaves of absence without pay are sick leave without pay, maternity leave, educational leave, etc.

Military Leave – leave of absence granted to an employee either entering the U.S. Armed forces, or participating in the National Guard or Reserve programs.

Non-Exempt – position that is eligible for overtime compensation as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Overtime – all hours worked in excess of the number of hours in the workweek, so long as the composite of such hours exceeds 40 hours for the workweek.

Part-time – person who is appointed to a position whose daily, weekly, or monthly hours are less than the hours established for full-time employees.

Personnel Action – any action taken with reference to appointment, compensation, promotion, transfer, layoff, dismissal or any other action affecting status of employment.

Personnel Resolution – resolution plus rules and regulations adopted by the Board of Commissioners as a uniform personnel policy for County employment.

Position – group of related duties and responsibilities assigned to an appointing authority requiring the full or part-time employment of one or more persons.

Position Vacancy – position has become vacant when an employee has been promoted, demoted, separated or terminated.

Promotion – movement of an employee from a position in one class to a position in another class having a higher maximum salary rate.

Reallocations – the duties and responsibilities of an existing position have changed, or are suggested to be changed, so the position should be allocated to a new class.

Regular Appointed Employee - employees who have satisfactorily completed their trial service period and who are employed to fill regularly funded positions.

Re-employment – the employment of a former employee in County service.

Reinstatement – employee is appointed to a previous position following an approved leave of absence or when ordered by the Board of Commissioners in accordance with the Personnel Resolution, or a court of competent jurisdiction in accordance with applicable law.

Resignation – voluntary ending of employment by an employee.

Salary Demotion – reduction of the salary of an employee to one of the lower steps on the same or lower salary ranges.

Separated – voluntary or involuntary termination of employment with the County.

Suspension – temporary, involuntary separation of an employee for a period of specific time. Suspension may be with or without pay.

Supervisor – any person who has been designated by a department head to oversee other employees in a department.

Temporary Employee – an employee hired for an intermittent or specified period of time, for a season, for a job of limited duration or for a non-recurring work project.

Termination – discontinue employment.

Transfer – an employee is appointed to a position in the same or different class which has the same salary range; provided, however, that the employee is qualified to do the work.

Trial Service Period – a working six month period from date of hire, promotion, or transfer during which an employee demonstrates the ability to perform the duties required for a position.

Volunteers – individuals who have chosen to offer their services to perform any assigned or authorized duty. Volunteers are not employees of the County and as such receive no compensation, are not benefit eligible, and have no claim for continued service with the County.

Work Day – any day which an employee is employed in his/her duties as a County employee regardless of the number of hours that day.

Work Week – Five eight hour days within a seven day period Sunday through Saturday, unless otherwise approved by the department head.