A large contingent of department heads participated in a lengthy discussion at yesterday’s Johnson County Commission meeting.
The topic was on possibly setting leave guidelines for county offices during the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic and the approaching cold/flu season.
Paige Rhoads, the Clerk of the District Court, opened the discussion with these remarks…
County Attorney Tucker Ruby stated that each department head should have increased latitude for handling COVID-related illness or symptoms…
The county has established policies on sick leave but several department heads expressed concern over two issues… handling extended absences taken as a precaution against the spread of the virus and how to document absences for potential reimbursement from federal FEMA pandemic funds.
Following the more than an hour long discussion, the Commission asked Public Health Manager Trisha Thompson to work with the County Attorney’s office to draft an addendum to the leave policies that would provide departments with a directive on how to handle employee absences related to COVID-19.
