Appendix B. PERSONNEL REGULATIONS

Latest version.

INTRODUCTION

Policies are defined as the basic rules which guide administrative action to accomplish the organization's objective. Well-conceived policies, consistently and fairly administered, have contributed greatly to the success of many organizations.

This manual contains specific personnel policies prepared for Berrien County, Georgia. It is intended to inform all covered employees of their rights, responsibilities, and benefits and to assist the county's administrative staff, including all constitutional officers, in seeing that the goals and objectives of the county are properly met. All county personnel must be thoroughly knowledgeable of the contents of this manual. It is important that all employees be aware of the conduct that is expected of them and that these personnel policies are administered in a systematic, fair, and an impartial manner. Some situations will require administrative decisions. Every effort must be made to insure that such decisions are made with nondiscriminatory practices in nature and with the intent of the personnel policies in mind.

As changes occur in this manual (i.e., additions, deletions, and amendments), all individual manuals must be properly maintained. All changes must be dated, issued to all constitutional officers and department supervisors, in addition to being reported to all affected employees.

This personnel policies and procedures manual is not a contract and therefore cannot be construed to guarantee continued employment with Berrien County. All employees of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners are "at-will" employees as provided by law.

SEVERABILITY

The following personnel policies are subject to all applicable federal and state laws and shall be interpreted whenever possible so as to comply fully with all such applicable laws, provisions, or any judicial decision interpreting them. In the event any provision of any policy is found, by a court of competent jurisdiction, to be contrary to the above, that provision shall not be further enforce or in effect but the remainder of the policy shall remain in full force and effect.

Berrien County reserves the right to delete, modify, or amend the policies contained herein or allocate new policies as needed with a required formal notice to all constitutional officers and department supervisors directly affected. If there is any inconsistency between a statement in the manual and actual practices, the manual shall govern.

ABSENTEEISM AND TARDINESS

"Absenteeism and tardiness" are defined as lost time from work without permission.

All employees are expected to be at their assigned reporting location and ready to go to work at their designated starting time.

Each department supervisor/constitutional officer shall be responsible for informing the employees in his/her department of the designated starting and quitting time.

All employees are expected to remain on duty until the designated quitting time unless an unforeseen emergency occurs.

Employees failing to report to work to their assigned locations by the designated starting time or who leave work early without permission of their immediate supervisor shall be subject to disciplinary action as appropriate.

When an employee is unable to work, he/she shall notify his/her immediate supervisor no later than one hour before the time he/she is scheduled to report to work on each day of absence unless an emergency condition makes it impossible to report or other specific arrangements have been made in advance (i.e., personal leave) with the appropriate supervisor/constitutional officer.

Any unexcused absence of three continuous scheduled working days shall be considered a resignation by the county.

ADMINISTRATION

As set forth in Berrien County's affirmative action policy, the chairman is the designated Equal Opportunity Officer (EEO) for the county and is ultimately responsible for the administration of the county's personnel policies.

The EEO officer may at his/her discretion delegate the responsibility of implementing the county's affirmative action program and the administration of this manual.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

It is the policy of Berrien County to apply affirmative action to insure equal opportunity to all county employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, creed, disability, age, sex, or national origin with positive action being taken by the county to insure the fulfillment of this policy. This obligation includes but is not limited to:

(1)

Hiring, promotion, transfer, or demotion;

(2)

Recruitment, advertising, or solicitation for employment purposes;

(3)

Managing during employment;

(4)

Rates of pay and other forms of compensation;

(5)

Selection for training; and,

(6)

Layoffs and termination.

This policy shall be consistent with all federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment including but not limited to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, as amended; the Age Discrimination Act of 1972, as amended; Executive Order 11246 as amended by Executive Order 11375; the Rehabilitation Act of 1972, as amended; the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1985, as amended; the American With Disabilities Act of 1990 and all other appropriate federal and state laws.

The county's goal is to employ individuals who are best qualified for each position in the county organization consistent with job-related standards of education, training, experience, and individual qualifications. It is the county's policy to publicly advertise all job openings for full-time positions at least 14 days in advance of the position being filled, whenever possible.

All reference to employees in this policy designates both sexes, and whenever the male gender is used, it shall also be construed to include both male and female employees.

AGE AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EMS PERSONNEL

No person shall be eligible to receive a full-time appointment to the EMS department until he/she has reached the age of 18. After the job offer has been made, a physical examination will be given by a licensed physician and paid for by the county; thus, certifying that the applicant is free of any cardiovascular or pulmonary disease and able to perform the physical requirements for the position in the EMS department.

AMENDMENTS

This manual may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the board of county commissioners by an adoption of an appropriate amendment.

Proposed amendments will be submitted to all department supervisors and constitutional officers of Berrien County for their information and the amendments shall be posted in a prominent place in the county's administrative offices and courthouse at least one week prior to the board of commissioner's meeting.

APPEARANCE/COURTESY

An important aspect of the county's public image is by an employee's personal appearance as a citizen's inclination is to judge employees and the organization they represent by their appearance. Employees should try to dress and maintain their appearance in a manner that creates a good impression for the citizens of Berrien County. The following standards will be adhered to by all county employees:

(1)

Sweatshirts, T-shirts, tank-tops, "ragged"/droopy typed shorts, or trousers are not considered appropriate in any county business office.

(2)

Employees who work the majority of their time in outside areas will wear full length shirts or T-shirts as climatic conditions permit, gloves and other safety equipment as required, and work boots and trousers are to be worn at all times.

(3)

Sheriff and EMS department personnel shall wear standard uniforms and other appropriate clothing as directed by the sheriff or EMS director.

Many citizens will evaluate the various county operations based upon their observations of how county employees treat the public. Polite and courteous service shall always be rendered by all county employees whether answering questions for information or receiving any criticism.

APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

All applicants for a position with Berrien County shall complete the required "application for employment" form found in the appendix section of this manual.

The chairman/constitutional officer or his/her designee shall review all applications/resumes, conduct the standard background checks, interview the most qualified candidates, and make the appropriate appointments.

All temporary and/or emergency appointments shall be for a period not to exceed 12 months and must be approved by the chairman and the board of commissioners. Said compensation for the temporary and/or emergency appointments shall be in accordance with the county's compensation program and within the current approved budgeted amount for salaries.

APPLICATION FOR LEAVE

All county employees are required to utilize the county's "application for leave" form, included in the appendix section of this manual, for any appropriate circumstance which warrants the employee being absent from his/her job assignment.

Any employee who fails to prepare and submit the required leave request form shall not be paid for any time off the job.

The chairman/constitutional officer shall review, approve, and sign the form prior to submission to the administrative staff for payroll purposes.

The county clerk or his/her designee will [be] responsible for keeping the appropriate records of all time off for payroll and auditing purposes.

BEHAVIOR OF EMPLOYEES

It is the policy of Berrien County that certain rules and regulations regarding employee behavior are necessary for the efficient operation of the county and for the benefit and safety of all employees. Conduct that interferes with operations, that discredits the county, or that is offensive to citizens or co-workers will not be tolerated.

Employees are expected at all times to conduct themselves in a positive manner so as to promote the best interests of the county. Such conduct includes:

(1)

Reporting to work punctually as scheduled and being at the proper work station, ready for work, at the assigned starting time;

(2)

Giving proper advance notice whenever unable to work or report on time;

(3)

Complying with all county safety and security regulations;

(4)

Smoking only in designated smoking areas;

(5)

Wearing clothing appropriate for the work being performed;

(6)

Maintaining work place and work area cleanliness and orderliness;

(7)

Treating all citizens, co-workers, supervisors, chairman, commission members, and constitutional officers in a courteous manner;

(8)

Refraining from behavior or conduct deemed offensive or undesirable, or which is contrary to the county's best interests;

(9)

Performing assigned tasks efficiently and in accordance with established quality standards;

(10)

Reporting to the chairman/constitutional officer or an appropriate supervisor suspicious, unethical, or illegal conduct by co-workers or suppliers; and cooperating with county investigations.

The following conduct is prohibited and will subject the individual involved to disciplinary action, up to and including termination:

(1)

The reporting to work under the influence of alcoholic beverages and/or illegal drugs and narcotics or the use, sale, dispensing, or possession of alcoholic beverages and/or illegal drugs and narcotics on county premises;

(2)

The use of profanity or abusive language while conducting county business;

(3)

The possession of firearms or other weapons on county property;

(4)

Insubordination or the refusal by an employee to follow supervisor's instructions concerning a job-related matter;

(5)

Fighting or assault on a co-worker or citizen;

(6)

Theft, destruction, defacement, or misuse of county property or of another co-worker's or citizen's property;

(7)

Gambling on county property;

(8)

Falsifying or altering any county record or report, such as an application for employment, a medical report, a time record, an expense account, an absentee report, or a purchasing record;

(9)

Threatening or intimidating co-workers, supervisors, citizens, chairman, commissioners, or constitutional officer;

(10)

Smoking where prohibited by local ordinance or county rules;

(11)

Horseplay, pranks, or practical jokes;

(12)

Unauthorized sleeping on the job;

(13)

Failure to wear assigned safety equipment or failure to abide by safety rules and policies;

(14)

Improper attire or inappropriate personal appearance;

(15)

Engaging in any form of sexual or other harassment;

(16)

Violation of county policies on solicitation or distribution; and

(17)

Improper disclosure of confidential information.

The examples above, are illustrative of the type of behavior that will not be permitted, but are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Any violation of the county's policies or any conduct considered inappropriate or unsatisfactory may, subject the employee to disciplinary action including dismissal.

BLOOD DONATION

Subject to manpower requirements, employees who wish to voluntarily donate blood will be paid their regular basic rate of pay for any time lost from work as a result of donating blood.

In order to qualify for such time off, the employee shall receive advanced approval by the chairman, constitutional officer, or department supervisor. The employee must schedule said donation during the last hour of his/her normal work day or at a time mutually agreed upon by the employee and the chairman/constitutional officer or department supervisor.

BREAKS

It is the policy of the county to provide rest breaks during the course of each workday.

(1)

Whenever practical, employees are to receive a rest break of 15 minutes at approximately the middle of every four hours of work not broken by a meal period.

(2)

The time for employee rest breaks will be scheduled by each supervisor with appropriate regard for the work load. Time spent on rest breaks will be compensated as working time, and employees are not required to sign out and in on their time cards/sheets. However, employees are expected to be punctual in starting and ending their break.

BULLETIN BOARDS

Bulletin boards are important means of communication with all employees and the public. Proper maintenance of said boards is essential.

The county clerk, constitutional officers, and department supervisors will be responsible for assuring that new and updated information is properly posted and outdated materials are promptly removed from their respective department's bulletin boards.

All employees must secure the county clerk's, constitutional officer's, or department supervisor's approval prior to posting any material on a department's bulletin board.

CHAIN OF COMMAND

It is the policy of the Berrien County to resolve employee's questions or problems using the following procedures:

(1)

All initial problems or questions shall be directed to the appropriate constitutional officer/department supervisor.

(2)

Any unresolved problems or questions shall be directed to the chairman.

(3)

Any problem or question still not resolved will be directed to the Berrien County commissioners.

No county employee shall be disciplined or discriminated against for using the above outlined procedure.

CHANGE OF STATUS

Each employee shall inform his/her immediate supervisor of any of the following changes as soon as possible:

(1)

Name

(2)

Address

(3)

Phone number

(4)

Marital status

(5)

Number of dependents

(6)

Citizenship

(7)

Status with regard to the U.S. Armed Forces

All constitutional officers/department supervisors are required to report any of the above information changes to the commissioner's office as soon as possible. These information changes are vitally needed to update and maintain the employee's personnel file.

COMPENSATORY TIME

All county employees may participate in the use of compensatory time in lieu of being paid overtime.

Where overtime is unavoidable, compensatory time shall be calculated as follows:

Compensatory time shall be provided at a premium rate equal to at least one and one-half hours for each hour of overtime compensation earned.

Compensatory time shall not exceed the following maximum hours that may be accumulated in an employee's comp-time bank:

1.	Public Safety .....	480 hours
2.	All other hourly employees .....	240 hours

Any existing accumulated comp-time hours in any employee's comp-time bank which exceeds the maximum accumulation shall be forfeited.

The county shall allow the use of the comp-time following the employee's request to take the time-off with the approval of the appropriate constitutional officer or department head unless the department operation will be unduly disrupted by the employee's absence from work.

The employee shall be entitled to receive cash compensation for all unused comp-time in their bank when their employment has been terminated for any reason.

All accumulation of compensatory time shall be forwarded to the county clerk's office for computation, record keeping and use purposes.

(Res. of 1-10-2000)

CONFIDENTIAL NATURE OF COUNTY AFFAIRS

It is the policy of Berrien County that the internal affairs of the county, particularly confidential information, represent a public trust that each employee has a continuing obligation to protect.

(1)

Information designated as confidential is to be discussed with no one outside the organization and only discussed within the organization on a "need to know" basis. In addition, employees have a responsibility to avoid unnecessary disclosure of nonconfidential information about the county, its employees, its citizens, and its suppliers. This responsibility is not intended to impede normal business communications and relationships, but is intended to alert employees to their obligation to use discretion to safeguard internal county affairs. Employees violating this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

COUNTY VEHICLE USE

It is the policy of the Berrien County board of commissioners to provide vehicles for business use, to allow employees to drive on county business, and to reimburse employees for the business use of personal vehicles according to the following guidelines:

Employees may not drive vehicles for county business without the prior approval of their supervisor. Before approving a driver, the supervisor must check the employee's driving record to verify the existence of a valid driver's license and to insure the employee is eligible for coverage under all applicable county insurance.

Employees holding positions designated as requiring regular driving for the county as a condition of employment must be able to meet the approved driver standards of this policy at all times. In addition, such employees must inform their supervisors of any changes that may affect their ability to meet the standards of this policy. For all other positions, driving is considered only a minor function of the position.

County vehicles will be assigned to those departments which have demonstrated a continuing need for them. Additional vehicles are maintained in a motor pool for use as needed.

Employees who need transportation in the course of their normal work may be assigned a county vehicle. All other employees requiring transportation for county business may use vehicles assigned to their department or those maintained in the county motor pool. As a last alternative, when no county vehicles are available, employees may use their own vehicles for county business purposes, but only with the prior approval of their supervisor/chairman/constitutional officer.

Employees who drive a vehicle on county business must, in addition to meeting the approval requirements above, must exercise due diligence to drive safely and to maintain the security of the vehicle and its contents. Drivers also must make sure that the vehicle meets any county or legal standards for insurance, maintenance, and drive ability. Employees are also responsible for any driving violations or fines as a result of their driving.

Employees are not permitted under any circumstance to operate a county vehicle or a personal vehicle for county business when any physical or mental impairment causes the employee to be unable to drive safely. This prohibition includes, but is no limited to, circumstances in which the employee is temporarily unable to operate a vehicle safely or legally due to illness, medication, or intoxication.

Employees may use county vehicles for non-county business purposes only with the prior approval of their supervisor or the chairman/constitutional officer.

Employees driving on county business may claim reimbursement for parking fees and tolls actually incurred. In addition, employees driving county vehicles may claim reimbursement for gasoline and other expenses directly related to county business. Employees using a county-supplied car phone must keep a log to substantiate its county business usage. All requests for reimbursement must be approved by the employees supervisor and the chairman/constitutional officer.

Employees who use their personal vehicle for approved county business will receive $.28 per mile reimbursement. This reimbursement is to compensate for the cost of gasoline, oil, maintenance, and insurance.

10.

Employees must report any accident, theft, or damage involving a county vehicle or a personal vehicle used on county business to their supervisor and the chairman regardless of the extent of damage or lack of injuries. This report must be made as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours after the incident. Employees are expected to cooperate fully with authorities in the event of an accident. However, they should not make any statements other than in reply to questions of investigating officers.

COVERAGE

This manual shall apply to all persons employed by the Berrien County commission.

DISABILITY LEAVE

This policy outlines the conditions under which disability leave may be granted and the procedures for administering its use.

Voluntary reduction.

When an employee becomes physically or mentally unable to perform the duties of his/her position, but is still able to perform the duties of a vacant, lower level position, he/she may voluntarily request a reduction to the lower level position.

Such requests shall be in writing, stating the reason for the request and if approved by the chairman and the board of commissioners, attached to the appropriate personal leave form (see appendix).

If approved, the affected employee shall be compensated at the lower rate of pay.

Personal leave.

A physically disabled employee may, in accordance with the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, request up to 12 weeks of personal leave without pay or benefits except medical insurance if he/she will be able to return to work in the same or a similar position.

Such requests shall be in writing with supporting evidence attached to the required personal leave form (see appendix) and approved by the chairman.

Disability leave may be granted when an employee is:

Hospitalized or institutionalized, or in a period of convalescence following hospitalization or institutionalization as authorized by a licensed physician at a hospital or institution, or;

Is declared disabled or incapable of performing the standard duties of his/her position by a licensed physician. The chairman may request [that] an independent physician examine an employee who is unable or unwilling to certify his/her incapacity. The cost of this examination shall be paid by the county.

Disability leave may be granted for a period not to exceed 60 days and shall be renewable for one additional 60-day period upon the approval of the chairman accompanied by written supporting evidence of the employee's continued disability. All appointments made to a position vacated by disability leave will be on a temporary basis and such employee will be made fully aware in writing of the temporary nature of the position.

Reinstatement procedures. An employee who has not concluded the approved disability leave may, if a position is still available, be reinstated to his/her position within ten working days after making a written request for reinstatement to the chairman and successfully passing a medical examination certifying he/she is able to perform his/her normal duties for the position. Such examination shall be conducted by a licensed physician and paid for by the employee.

The county clerk shall send a written notice to the employee two weeks prior to the expiration date of his/her disability leave. Any employee who does not return from disability leave or formally resigns shall be separated by means of implementing the required personnel action form found in the appendix section of this manual. Said form shall be signed by the chairman/constitutional officer or department supervisor and forwarded to the county clerk's office for disposition.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

The county believes in a fair, positive, and a firm approach to issues of discipline. Disciplinary action shall be applied promptly on the base of facts without favoritism or discrimination.

Disciplinary action will be viewed as an attempt to change unacceptable work and/or personal behavior and to serve, motivate, and encourage the affected employee to become a more productive person.

Disciplinary action should include the following progressive steps depending upon the seriousness of the offenses:

Verbal warning. In the event of unsatisfactory employee conduct of a minor nature, the county administrator/constitutional officer or department supervisor shall inform the employee promptly and specifically of the undesirable conduct and shall give counsel and assistance in correcting that behavior. A written record showing the date, time, and reason for the verbal warning shall be completed by the person issuing the warning following the discussion with the employee. This shall be accomplished using the verbal warning form found in the appendix section of this manual. The employee shall be provided a copy and requested to sign the form as acknowledgment that he/she did receive a copy. If the employee refuses to sign the form, the issuing person shall note in writing on the bottom of the form the employee's refusal to sign the form. The original completed form shall be sent to the commissioner's office for placement in the employee's personnel file.

Written reprimand. In situations where a verbal warning has not resulted in the expected improvement or where more severe action is warranted, a written reprimand may be issued to the employee by the county administrator/constitutional officer or department supervisor. This shall be accomplished by using the written reprimand form found also in the appendix section of the manual. After discussing with the employee his or her unacceptable behavior or action, a copy of the written reprimand shall be provided to the employee and he/she shall be asked to sign the form acknowledging that he/she has received a copy of the form. If the employee refuses to sign said form, the issuing person shall note in writing at the bottom of the form the employee's refusal to sign the form. The original completed form shall be forwarded to the commissioner's office for placement in the employee's personnel file.

Suspension. In situations where verbal warnings and the required written reprimands have not resulted in improvement or where more severe action is warranted, a suspension without pay may be issued. The county administrator/constitutional officer or department supervisor who discovers a violation warranting a suspension, demotion, or dismissal shall immediately stop the infraction and submit a completed recommendation for disciplinary form found in the appendix section of this manual. The county administrator/constitutional officer or department supervisor shall take the appropriate disciplinary action and forward said original form to the commissioner's office to be placed in the employee's personnel file.

Demotion. In situations where verbal and written reprimands or suspensions have not resulted in the expected improvements or where more severe action is warranted, the employee may be demoted if a vacant position is available. A demotion is an involuntary reduction in the classification and job duties of the employee for just cause. A demotion may result in a reduction of pay. The county administrator/constitutional officer or department supervisor shall initiate the demotion in the same manner as provided for as a suspension.

Dismissal. In situations where verbal and written reprimands, suspensions and/or demotions have not resulted in the expected improvement or where more severe action is warranted because of the offense, the employee may be discharged. The county administrator/constitutional officer or department supervisor shall handle the dismissal process in the same manner as a suspension.

Notice and appeals:

The employee shall be provided a written disciplinary meeting notice (see appendix) anytime a disciplinary hearing is held which may result in a suspension, demotion or dismissal. This notice delineates the charges against the employee and informs the employee at least 72 hours in advance of the scheduled closed meeting with the county administrator/constitutional officer and/or appropriate department supervisor.

The employee shall be asked to sign the original notice as acknowledgment of having received a copy. The original shall be placed in the employee's personnel file in the commissioner's office.

Following the closed hearing, if disciplinary action is determined warranted, the employee shall be furnished written notice by the county administrator/constitutional officer outlining the reason(s) for the action and the effective date of suspension, demotion, or dismissal. A copy of said notice shall be placed in the employee's personnel file.

Suspensions of more than three days, an involuntary demotion, or dismissal may be appealed to the board of county commissioners who may uphold, reverse or modify the decision of the county administrator/constitutional officer or department supervisor. The board of county commissioners may, but shall not be required to, hold another hearing and receive additional evidence.

All county employees are responsible for knowing and understanding the rules and penalties to be applied for violations of any of these rules.

Rules of conduct. The following guidelines have been established to assist in the consistent administering of discipline and shall serve as examples and are not an inclusive list of the various types of violations and/or the discipline that will be applied for noncompliance to the personnel policies. These guidelines shall, not be deemed to preclude the right to discipline employees for other just cause. Using these examples only as guidelines, the county retains the right to address each offense upon its own merit, without creating any precedent for the treatment of any other offense which may arise in the future, and also retains the right to determine the degree of seriousness and the level of discipline to be issued.

GROUP I:

Penalties:

1.	First offense group I violation .....	Corrective counseling (verbal warning);
2.	Second offense group I violation .....	Written Reprimand
3.	Third offense group I violation .....	Suspension with or without pay; and,
4.	Fourth offense group I violation .....	Long-term suspension without pay or dismissal.

Violations:

Neglect of duty (i.e, carelessness, failure to follow operational work rules, failure to commence duties at the beginning of the work period and/or leaving work prior to the end of the work period, leaving work area during normal working hours without the permission of the appropriate supervisor, stopping work or making preparations to leave work without prior permission before lunch or specified quitting time. Carelessness with tools, keys, equipment or failure to keep equipment and assigned work area clean.

Sexual, ethnic, racial, national origin, religious or disability harassment.

Loitering or loafing while on duty.

Unauthorized use or misuse of county equipment and/or vehicles.

Improper or misuse of county radio system or other communication device.

Violation of safety rules or disregard of common safety practices.

Failure of a supervisor to discipline employee(s) as required.

Failure of a supervisor to insure that policies, procedures, rules and/or regulations of the county are followed.

Failure to notify immediate supervisor or designated person of any absence.

10.

Two or more tardiness violations within any 60 day or less period:

Failure to complete time sheet/card;

Arrival for work late; and,

Leave work early.

11.

Failure to fill out the appropriate forms following any absence from work.

12.

Failure to fill out or turn in required reports to the county.

13.

Creating or contributing to unsanitary or unsafe working conditions or poor housekeeping.

14.

Failure to perform any required daily or weekly maintenance check on any piece of equipment or vehicle assigned for employee's use.

15.

Discourteous treatment of the public.

GROUP II:

Penalties:

1.	First offense group II violation .....	Suspension without pay or termination;
2.	Second offense group II violation .....	Long-term suspension without pay or termination;

Violations:

Intentional acts of discrimination or insult on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, national origin or disability.

Using obscene, threatening or insulting language towards a citizen, supervisor, or elected official.

Insubordination (i.e., willful disobedience of any direct order by the county administrator/constitutional officer or an immediate supervisor, refusal to carry-out a work assignments, including verbal and written instructions or policies).

Willful or intentional neglect of duty.

Failure to report for assigned overtime work without an excused absence from the an immediate supervisor.

Gambling of any type on county property.

Unauthorized use of county equipment for private work or performing private work on county time.

Refusal to work without a legitimate excuse during an emergency situation (i.e., tornado, etc.).

Traffic violation while driving a county vehicle or equipment.

10.

Failure to report to the county administrator/constitutional officer or appropriate supervisor any accident while on duty.

11.

Horseplay or throwing things.

12.

Being absent without notification or unexcused absence.

GROUP III:

Penalties:

Any group III violation

Termination

Violations:

Gross neglect of duty (i.e., endangering life, property or public safety).

Accepting bribes in the course of carrying out assigned duties.

Intentional misuse of federal, state or county funds.

Dishonesty (i.e., knowingly falsifying any official document).

Deliberate destruction, damage and/or theft of property of the county or a private citizen or another employee.

Consumption, possession, or being under the influence of alcoholic beverages or drugs while on duty. Employees who are not at work and are called back to work have an obligation to inform the supervisor that he/she has consumed alcoholic beverages or used drugs in the past 24 hours and therefore unfit for duty.

Gaining access to county property by any unauthorized means.

The unauthorized use or possession of a firearm, weapon, or explosives while on county property.

Signing another employee's time sheet/card or unauthorized altering of a time sheet/card.

10.

Any combination of three or more group I or group II violations occurring in one standard work day.

11.

Striking or attempting to injure another person or fighting at work on county property.

12.

Inefficiency (i.e., lack of application of any effort on the job, etc.).

13.

Absent from work habitually or for three or more continuous days without any notification or approval of the county administrator/constitutional officer or the appropriate supervisor.

14.

Utilization of disability leave with the intent to defraud the county.

15.

Making or publishing false, vicious, or malicious statements concerning any employee, elected official, or department supervisor.

16.

Gross insubordination (i.e., willful disobedience of any direct order by the county administrator/constitutional officer or an immediate supervisor including arguing, shouting, or using obscene, threatening or insulting language to a county commissioner, county administrator, constitutional officer and/or department supervisor.

17.

Immoral conduct.

18.

Incompetence.

DISEASES (SERIOUS)

It is the policy of the county that employees with infectious, long-term, life-threatening, or other serious diseases may work as long as they are physically and mentally able to perform the duties of their job without undue risk to their own health or that of other employees or customers.

(1)

Serious diseases for the purposes of this policy include, but are not limited to, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, hepatitis, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus ("HIV"), and acquired immune deficiency syndrome ("AIDS").

(2)

The county will support, where feasible and practical, educational programs to enhance employee awareness and understanding of serious diseases.

(3)

Employees afflicted with a serious disease are to be treated no differently than any other employee. However, if the serious disease affects their ability to perform assigned duties, such employees are to be treated like other employees who have disabilities that limit their job performance.

(4)

Employees who are diagnosed as having a serious disease and who want an accommodation should inform their supervisor or the county administrator of their condition and furnish any pertinent medical information as soon as possible. The county administrator or supervisor should respond with compassion and understanding. In addition, they should review with the employee county policy on such issues as employee assistance, leaves and disability, universal precautions regarding infection control, requesting and granting accommodations, the county's continuing expectation involving the employee's performance and attendance, and available benefits.

(5)

Employees who have a serious disease and who want an accommodation should provide the county administrator with any pertinent medical records required to make informed decisions regarding job assignments, ability to continue working, or ability to return to work. The county may also require a doctor's certification of an employee's ability to perform job duties safely. Additionally, the county may request that an employee submit to a medical examination if it believes the employee is a health or safety threat to himself or others.

(6)

The county will attempt to maintain the confidentiality of the diagnosis and medical records of employees with serious diseases, unless otherwise required by law. Information relating to an employee's serious disease will not be disclosed to other employees unless the information is, in the opinion of the county, necessary to protect the health or safety of the employee, co-workers, or others.

(7)

The county will comply with applicable occupational safety regulations concerning employees exposed to blood or other potentially infectious materials. Universal precautions, engineering and work practice controls, and personal protective equipment will be utilized to limit the spread of diseases in the work place.

(8)

Employees concerned about being infected with a serious disease by a co-worker, citizen, or other person should convey this concern to their supervisor or the county administrator. Employees who refuse to work with or perform services for a person known or suspected to have a serious disease, without first discussing their concern with their supervisor, will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination. In addition, where there is little or no evidence of risk of infection to the concerned employee, that employee may be assigned to work with or perform services for any employee or citizen as required by the county.

DRUG-FREE WORK PLACE

The county strictly prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of any controlled substance (unless specifically prescribed by a licensed physician) while on county property or while on duty with the county. Any employee found in violation of this policy shall have their employment with the county terminated pursuant to section C, group III of the disciplinary policy in this manual.

The insurance policy provided by the county has provisions for assisting in the cost of substance abuse rehabilitation. Employees are encouraged to contact the county clerk for additional insurance information.

Item A, indicated above, does not apply to any action performed in the course of any drug-related criminal investigation procedure. Such activity shall only be performed under the direction of the Berrien County Sheriff or other appropriate law enforcement agency and never in uniform.

"For-cause" drug testing program:

In accordance with all federal and state laws, the county shall implement random and/or routine testing of all county public safety personnel and employees who possess a class 5 commercial vehicle driver's license.

For the purpose of this program, all controlled substances as defined by the federal listing of controlled substances regulations shall be delineated as illegal drugs.

If the county's special interest in implementing drug testing is sufficiently warranted to further guarantee the health, safety and welfare of the local citizens, the county will conduct random and/or universal drug testing without individual suspension. In these instances, all employees to be tested shall be provided a written notice of why the test is being administered, where the test will be conducted and when the test will be issued. The costs of said testing shall be paid for by the county.

If any tests indicates a positive result, the affected employee shall be issued immediate disciplinary action in accordance with article A of this policy.

All procedural safeguards, such as confirmatory retests, preservation of specimens, chain of custody techniques, confidentially of test results, and use of qualified labs shall be under the jurisdiction of the county sheriff.

All applicants for employment and existing employees shall be provided the required consent forms, general release forms and condition of employment forms as the opportunity dictates. Said forms shall be provided by the county clerk.

ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Berrien County's electronic and information systems shall be used solely for Berrien County work-related purposes. Electronic and information systems include all communication transmitted by, received from, or stored in any Berrien County owned equipment.

The use of all county owned computers, telecommunication equipment; including fax machines, copiers, and computer hardware and software shall be limited to Berrien County work purposes only. Private uses of said equipment shall be strictly prohibited.

Employees shall not use county or department access codes, duplicate or retrieve any stored communication associated with or part of the Berrien County electronic and information system unless authorized by the appropriate constitutional officer/department supervisor. Said information shall be used to perform job-related functions.

Passwords and access codes are the sole properly of Berrien County, any improper use of equipment or software to duplicate articles such as cartoons, photos, programs, etc. shall not be tolerated.

Violation of any portion of this policy shall result in immediate disciplinary action up to and including termination.

All Berrien County employees and prospective employees are required to the sign the e-mail, Internet, and voice mail acknowledgment form (see appendix) affirming they have reviewed and understand the personnel policy for electronic and information systems.

EMPLOYEE ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

Under Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324 A, any person hired after November 6, 1986 is required to complete an "Employee Eligibility Verification Form copy in appendix), as approved by the U.S. Attorney General, to verify employment eligibility.

This form will be used to verify the individual's eligibility for employment in the United States. Failure to present this form for inspection to officers of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service or the U.S. Department of Labor with the time period specified in the statute, or improper completion or retention of this form, shall be a violation of the above law and will result in a civil penalty be enacted.

The chairman/constitutional officers are required to utilize said I-9 form (in appendix section) for all new hires and attach said form to the required personnel status form when submitting it to the clerk's office for payroll purposes.

The county clerk or his/her designee is responsible for the placement of the I-9 form in a file separate from the employee's personnel file.

EMPLOYEE REPORTING FORM

Effective July 1, 1993, employers doing business with seven or more employees in the State of Georgia are required to report the hiring of any person who resides and works in this state to whom the employer anticipates paying wages to the Child Support Enforcement Division of the Georgia Department of Child and Family Services. This includes the hiring or return to work of any employee who was laid off, furloughed, terminated, and granted a leave without pay from employment for a period of longer than 30 days.

The purpose of the law and the program is to assist the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Division in locating parent(s) who should be, but are not now paying required child support, and to enforce compliance with existing income deduction orders.

The county must report to the state, utilizing said form in the appendix section of this manual, any new hire or re-hire employees within ten working days of the hire and/or re-hire date. An employee's return-to-work status from a nonpay status is considered a re-hire under this program.

EMPLOYMENT-AT-WILL

It is the policy of the Berrien County board of commissioners that all employees do not have a written employment contract with the county for a specific, fixed term of employment and are employed at the will of the county for an indefinite period.

No constitutional officer or department supervisor is authorized to modify this policy for any employee or to enter into any agreement, oral or written, that changes the at-will relationship. The chairman/constitutional officer, or department supervisor may not make any representations to employees or applicants concerning the terms or conditions of employment with the county which are not consistent with the adopted policies of the county. No statements made in prehire interviews, discussions, or in recruiting materials of any kind, shall alter the at-will nature of employment.

ETHICS

All county employees are expected to maintain the highest ethical and moral standards and to perform in compliance with all county ordinances, resolutions, policies and all applicable federal and state laws as may be set forth.

It is vital to remember that all county employee's salaries are paid through taxes and that each employee is hired to serve the public.

EXIT INTERVIEW

Upon voluntary termination of employment, an employee will be scheduled for an interview with the county clerk. Such interviews will be conducted prior to the employee's last day of employment and in the course of the work day.

The comments made by the employee will be discussed with the chairman/constitutional officer or department supervisor to help them evaluate their effectiveness as supervisors and the effectiveness of the county as an employer.

At the conclusion of the interview the county clerk will document the employee's comments for inclusion in the employee's personnel file.

EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENTS

Expenses incurred by county employees while performing authorized official county business or for attending a conference or training related to county affairs, are reimbursable if authorized by the chairman/constitutional officer or the appropriate department supervisor.

All reimbursements are contingent upon said funds being appropriated and available for such purposes.

All requests for expense reimbursement shall be submitted, on the "business-related" form found in the appendix of the manual, to the county clerk accompanied by the appropriate copies of bills, receipts, etc.

FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (IF APPLICABLE AT ANY RELEVANT TIME)

Under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, an employee who has worked for at least 12 months or worked at least 1,250 hours is eligible for an unpaid family/medical leave. All leaves under section shall only be taken under the following circumstances:

The birth of an employee's child;

The placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care;

To care for an employee's spouse, child, parent, in-law who has a medical certified health condition; and,

A serious health condition rendering the employee unable to perform his/her job duties.

All employees shall provide at least a seven-day written notice to the county of their intention to take leave under the provisions of the family/medical leave act. Any deviation of this required time period shall be approved by the chairman/constitutional officer.

If a leave is granted and is found not to be used for the designated purpose, the chairman/constitutional officer may immediately cancel the leave and direct the employee, in writing, to immediately report back for work.

Any leave obtained through false representation, deceit or fraud shall be just cause for immediate disciplinary action including termination.

The county shall require a medical certification from a licensed physician in the State of Georgia that the leave is vital due to the employee's serious health condition or that of an immediate family member. The county, may at its own expense, require a second medical opinion.

The county may grant up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year to any employee who needs to care for their immediate family members.

FUNERAL LEAVE

All employees of the county shall be granted a leave of absence, with pay, to attend the funeral of a member of the immediate family under the following conditions:

A leave of absence will be granted the day of the death until and including the day of the funeral, not to exceed three working days.

The chairman/constitutional officer may grant additional leave to the employee with extenuating circumstances.

The employee will be required to prepare and submit the appropriate "application for leave" form included in the appendix of this manual. Said request shall be charged to available leave.

For the purpose of this section, "immediate" family shall be defined as the employee's mother, father, sister, brother, grandparents, spouse, daughter, step-daughter, son, step-son in-laws or legal guardian of the employee.

GARNISHMENTS OR LIENS

Garnishments are usually an indication of financial difficulty and processing them through the county's payroll system is an unwarranted expense to the county.

For the above reason, employees receiving garnishments or liens will be disciplined in the following manner:

1.	First garnishment .....	Verbal warning
2.	Second garnishment .....	Written warning
3.	Third garnishment .....	Three-day suspension without pay.

In addition, the county will take such action as governed under the state statute.

GIFTS AND GRATUITIES

No county employee shall accept gifts, kick-backs, tips, gratuities, money or loans from organizations, business affiliations, or persons with whom he/she has an official relationship with the conducting of business for the Berrien County.

With regard to the awarding of contract and procurement of goods and services, all county employees shall avoid any activities which shall be construed as showing any favoritism, coercion, collusion or unfair advantage.

GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

The grievance procedure is intended to insure that county employees' questions, problems and complaints arising from those misunderstandings that will inevitably develop in the day-to-day activities of public service are promptly heard, answered, and the appropriate action taken to correct a particular situation.

A grievance shall be defined as a disagreement between management and the employee as to the interpretation or application of county policies, applicable state or federal laws, county resolutions or ordinances, or those policies and procedures as established herein or as amended in the future. It is not intended that the grievance procedure be used to affect changes in these written policies nor to challenge management's right to adopt such policies. The grievance procedure is established to insure that these personnel policies and laws are administered in a uniform, fair, and an equitable manner.

Procedures.

(1)

All grievances must be processed in accordance with the designated step progression in order to be considered at the subsequent step.

(2)

Any employee may withdraw a grievance at any point by submitting a written statement to that effect, to the chairman/constitutional officer/department supervisor or by permitting the time requirements to elapse without further appeal.

(3)

Any grievance not answered within the stipulated time limits may, in steps 1, 2, or 3, be appealed by the employee directly to the next step in the grievance procedure.

(4)

The following steps shall be followed in processing of a grievance.

(a)

Step 1. The grievance must be processed through an oral discussion between the employee and the appropriate department supervisor within five working days following the date of occurrence of the situation giving rise to the grievance. Where the grievance involves an economic issue, the date of the occurrence of the situation giving rise to the alleged grievance, shall be deemed the day on which the employee receives his/her first pay check which fails to provide the economic benefit for which the grievance is filed. It shall be the responsibility of the county clerk/constitutional officer or department supervisor to investigate the grievance and provide the solution or appropriate written explanation within five working days following the day of the presentation of the grievance.

(b)

Step 2. If the grievance remains unsettled, he/she may present the grievance in writing to the county's EEO officer within five working days after the county clerk/constitutional officer/department supervisor's response. The EEO officer shall respond in writing to the employee within five working days after receiving the grievance.

(c)

Step 3. If the grievance remains unsettled the employee may present in writing the grievance to the board of county commissioners within five working days after the response from the county's EEO officer. The board shall respond in writing to the employee within 20 working days following receipt of the grievance. The decision of the board of county commissioners shall be final.

Guidance.

(1)

In the interest of prompt resolution of employee disagreements, the action taken at each step of the procedure shall be taken as rapidly as possible, but not later than the prescribed time limits. In the event of extenuating circumstances, a time limit may be extended by mutual agreement of the parties at that step.

(2)

At each step of the grievance procedure, management is responsible for the investigation of the grievance and to develop all pertinent facts and information in order to arrive at a fair and just resolution. This shall include requesting testimony from witnesses whom both management and the employee deem necessary.

(3)

A written summary of the disagreement along with facts and information accumulated during the investigation and meetings shall be forwarded by management to the next higher level in the procedure together with grievance appeals and responses.

(4)

Grievance information and/or testimony will be treated in a discreet and confidential manner by all persons involved.

(5)

The grievance form, found in the appendix of this manual, relative to this procedure may be obtained from the employee's immediate supervisor and shall contain the following information to be considered under this procedure:

(a)

Employee's name and signature;

(b)

Employee's job classification and department;

(c)

Date grievance was first discussed with immediate supervisor;

(d)

Date grievance was filed in writing;

(e)

Date and time of incident;

(f)

Location of occurrence;

(g)

Description of incident or situation giving rise to the grievance;

(h)

County ordinance or resolution, personnel policies, management procedures, and all applicable federal or state laws, or county policies violations indicated; and,

(i)

Remedy desired.

HARASSMENT

Definition.

Sexual, ethnic, racial, national origin, religious or disability based harassment is classified as an offense against the county as well as a specific county employee or group of employees. Prohibited action includes, but is not limited to, physical contact, verbal behavior that has the purpose or intention or effect of creating a hostile, offensive or intimidating working environment.

Examples would include: physical contact of a sexual nature; sexual-racial-ethnic-national origin-religious-disability related jokes, cartoons, photographs, and published materials; or innuendoes/personal conduct/mannerisms that have the reasonable probability of being construed as offensive by either the employee being harassed as well as the administrative staff of the county.

Affirmative action to prevent.

The county's position is to deal with all such reported incidents in a fair, impartial and timely manner within 30 days of the incident when reported.

All complaints or incidents may be investigated on a case-by-case basis by the chairman/constitutional officer. In those instances where a violation has been shown to have occurred, action shall be taken by the chairman/constitutional officer to remedy the situation and to prevent any further incidences.

All county employees who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action by the chairman/constitutional officer up to and including termination if the incident is so warranted.

County employee's duty.

It is each employee's responsibility to assist with the elimination of all forms of harassment and unwanted conduct. It is the chairman's, constitutional officer's and each department supervisor's responsibility to prevent such behavior from occurring within his/her department.

When any incidents of harassment occur, each employee who knows of its occurrence is required to report the circumstances immediately to the appropriate supervisor, constitutional officer or the chairman.

Special notice.

Nothing in this policy is intended to prevent a harassed employee from directly contacting the board of county commissioners and filing an official compliant in addition to or in lieu of contacting a department supervisor/constitutional officer.

It shall be the responsibility of the chairman to seek legal assistance from the county attorney in all cases of harassment filed with the county.

HOLIDAYS

Except as otherwise provided herein, all full-time county employees shall be entitled to holiday pay if the employee worked his/her last scheduled work day prior to and the next scheduled day following each of the holidays listed in the section unless the employee was on an approved paid leave.

While the employee is serving their probationary period, he/she will not be entitled to full benefits as other permanent full-time employees. If a holiday falls in the probation period of that employee, he or she will not be paid for that holiday. No personal leave can be used to fill that lost time due to the fact that personal leave will not be accrued until after the probationary period and insurance will not be an option until after the probationary period has been filled.

A full-time employee shall be entitled to his/her regular rate of pay for the following holidays as recognized by the Berrien County board of commissioners:

New Year's Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Veterans Day

Thanksgiving Day

Friday after Thanksgiving

Christmas Day

In the event the holiday falls on a Saturday, all county employees will be given the Friday off. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the employee will be given the Monday off.

Employees who are scheduled to work on a designated holiday and who do not report to work on said holiday will not be compensated for said holiday unless the employee contacts an immediate supervisor and indicates he/she is unable to report to work because of an emergency or illness, and provides the county a written excuse from the attending physician.

If any of the above holidays fall within an employee's approved vacation period, he/she will be paid for the holiday in addition to his/her vacation pay.

HOURLY RATE

Basic hourly rate or base rate of pay as used in this policy manual shall mean the employee's normal hourly rate minus any supplements.

All county employees shall be compensated based upon the adopted county's classification and compensation plan.

INJURY LEAVE

Upon the approval of the board of county commissioners or the appropriate constitutional officer, any county employee who qualifies for temporary total disability payments through the Georgia Bureau of Worker's Compensation for an injury incurred in the line of duty shall be entitled to receive his/her normal pay during such injury without loss of personal leave time, provided the employee agrees to reimburse the city all temporary disability payments paid by the bureau for those days of injury. The employee must sign and submit a written statement to the county clerk's office which directs all temporary disability payments received for lost wages from the bureau directed to the county.

In the event that the bureau of workers compensation should deny any claim as not being sustained in the course of and arising out of employment or related to a previous injury, disability pay charged to injury leave will be charged against the employee's accumulated personal leave. In the event the employee does not have sufficient accumulative personal leave to cover the period of absence, the employee shall be personally liable for refunding the county all the amount received as injury leave pay. Holidays which occur during the injury leave days which subsequently were disallowed shall not be charged against the employee's personal leave accumulation.

It is the responsibility of the employee or his designated agent to make the required request using the standard "request of leave" form in the appendix of this manual to the appropriate supervisor and then to the county clerk for injury leave.

Any county employee permanently separated from the county due to a service related disability compensated by the Georgia Bureau of Worker's Compensation as a result of a bodily injury received in the line of duty, shall receive a lump sum payment of the full balance of his/her accumulated but unused sick leave. The designated beneficiary of any employee who dies as a result of such injury shall receive the full balance of the accumulated but unused sick leave.

JOB CLASSIFICATION/COMPENSATION SYSTEM

County classification system.

All employees who are paid by Berrien County shall be classified to a position allocated and approved by the chairman and board of county commissioners.

The chairman shall be responsible for the implementation, additions, amendments, and enforcement of the adopted county job classification plan.

No new employment positions with the county shall be filled prior to the preparation of said job classification and the approval of the appropriate job classification by the chairman and board of county commissioners.

County compensation plan.

The chairman and board of county commissioners shall establish a scheduled compensation plan for all county job classifications.

The chairman shall be responsible for the implementation of the county's compensation plan.

No amendments, deletions or additions shall be made to the compensation plan without the approval of the chairman and board of county commissioners.

Payment at assigned pay rate.

(a)

All full-time county employees shall be compensated at his/her assigned pay rate.

(b)

All new employees shall be compensated at the minimum pay step unless otherwise recommended by the appropriate supervisor. Said deviation from this section shall have the final approval of the chairman and board of county commissioners.

(c)

All salary increment changes shall only be one full step unless otherwise approved by the chairman and the board of county commissioners.

(d)

All promoted, transferred, demoted, and part-time employees shall have his/her salary rate recommended by the appropriate supervisor with final approval by the chairman and board of county commissioners.

(e)

Upon the final adoption of the compensation plan by the chairman and board of county commissioners, the following steps shall be implemented by the chairman:

(1)

No county employee shall receive a salary reduction as the result of the newly adopted plan. However, an employee may have his/her salary frozen for one year if deemed appropriate by the chairman and board of county commissioners.

(2)

All county employees currently being compensated at a rate lower than the minimum rate established for a position shall have his/her salary rate increased to the new minimum step assigned to his/her job classification.

(3)

All county employees being compensated at a rate below the maximum rate established for his/her position shall be paid at the closest rate listed in the salary schedule.

(f)

All future pay adjustments shall be based upon the employee's annual performance evaluation. No employee shall receive any increase in compensation without an employee performance evaluation being completed by the appropriate supervisor and approved by the chairman and board of county commissioners.

JURY/WITNESS DUTY

Any employee who is called for jury duty or as a witness under summons or subpoena will receive full pay for any regular hours work missed as a result of such services.

In order to receive such pay the employee must present his/her summons or subpoena to the appropriate supervisor and the county clerk as soon as possible prior to his/her court service.

Employees are expected to report to work if, after court or jury duty responsibilities are met and four or more hours of the employee's regular scheduled shift remains.

Employees will not be entitled to jury/witness leave when the case being heard is in connection with an employee's personal matter (i.e., traffic court, civil case, etc.). These absences will be personal leave without pay or if approved by the appropriate supervisor charged against the employee's personal leave time.

Employees shall honor all subpoenas issued to them including those for workers compensation, unemployment compensation, etc.

LAYOFFS

Defined. Layoff is the termination of an employee with the county when for any reason (i.e., lack of work or county funds, elimination of a county operation, etc.) it becomes necessary to abolish one or more positions or reduce the number of employees in the county service.

Layoff does not reflect any discredit upon the service of any employee.

Order of layoff. When it has been determined that a layoff situation is necessary, the following is the order of layoff for employees by category:

Part-time and temporary employees;

Full-time employees still on probation; and,

Full-time employees in the same job classification as determined by the appropriate supervisor and the chairman.

Notification of layoff. Each employee to be laid off shall be given a five working day advanced written notice by the chairman. Said notice shall be mailed via certified mail to the affected employee stating the following:

Reason for the layoff;

Effective date of the layoff;

County layoff list; and,

Reinstatement procedures.

LIFE INSURANCE

The county shall provide the employee the opportunity to participate in a group life insurance program with death benefits for all regular, full-time employees and all elected county officials.

All employees shall successfully complete his/her probationary period with the county prior to being enrolled in the life insurance program.

The county clerk or his/her designee shall provide each enrolled employee with all available information on the life insurance program.

Each employee is issued a $15,000.00 life and accidental death coverage policy. The county pays the premium for the insurance.

Employees who leave the employment of the county have the right to keep their life insurance if the policy in effect allows for the conversion to private coverage and the employee pays the premium.

LIGHT DUTY/RETURN TO WORK PROGRAM

It is the policy of the Berrien County to provide, if economically possibly, an opportunity for the workers compensation injured employee to return to work through a light duty program.

All said employees will be afforded the opportunity to immediately discuss with the board of commissioners or constitutional officer the following items prior to returning to work:

Identification of light duty position;

Any specific job modifications necessary while on specific restrictions;

Outlining the expectations and responsibilities of the light duty position;

Level of work for specific job restrictions by attending physician.

If the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act prevail, the following items will be specifically discussed prior to the employee returning to work:

Job description restructuring;

Part-time or modified work schedules;

Potential reassignment to vacant position;

Acquisition and modification of equipment in work station.

Refusal of suitable employment.

The county will provide a written notice to the affected employee offering the light duty position for a 30-day period. If the employee does not respond to the county within seven working days, the offer of employment will be officially withdrawn.

If the position offered to the affected employee adheres to the job restrictions delineated by the county's recognized workers compensation physician and the employee refuses to return to work within five working days, the county will appeal the employee's receiving of continued payments to the state's workers compensation board.

MATERNITY LEAVE

Upon written notification to the board of commissioners, an employee who becomes pregnant will be granted maternity leave without pay. The employee will use any or all of her accrued sick and vacation leave for maternity purposes before going on maternity leave. The length of the maternity leave shall be determined by a licensed physician and the county clerk shall be provided a 60-day advanced written notice for the beginning date of the maternity leave.

In accordance with the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, the county will recognize pregnancy and childbirth the same as any other certified disability.

A supervisor who has reason to believe that the employee's pregnancy is inhibiting the normal performance of her duties may require the employee to provide the county clerk with a written statement from the attending physician indicating the employee's ability to continue to work.

Any employee who applies for maternity leave shall utilize "application for leave" form included in the appendix section of this manual.

In accordance with the pregnancy discrimination act, the county may provide reinstatement rights for six months for an employee on leave for pregnancy related reasons. The employee will be returned to her former position or a comparable position without loss of seniority or related benefits, including the preservation and accrual of all retirement benefits.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

The county shall provide to all regular, full-time county employees and all constitutional officers medical insurance.

The county shall cover 100 percent of the cost of the medical coverage for each county employee and constitutional officer.

All employees after the six-month probationary period become eligible to enroll in said medical insurance program.

All the details of the various medical insurance shall be provided to each employee by the county clerk including the procedures for filing claims.

MILITARY LEAVE (LONG TERM)

Berrien County desires to comply with all applicable federal and state legislation with regard to military leave including Chapter 42 of Part III of Title 38, U.S. Code and section 6736 of Title 10, U.S. Code.

Employees who complete their military services are entitled to request reinstatement to their former county position within 30 days from their discharge from active duty. The employee shall be reinstated to their same or like position without any loss of seniority if a vacancy exists and approved by the chairman and board of county commissioners.

Military reserve and national guard personnel will not be denied advance training or promotion because of membership in the reserve or national guard.

NEPOTISM

No person shall be employed full-time by Berrien County which will result in his/her being supervised by an immediate relative (i.e.; father, mother, spouse, child, or in-law).

However, a person may be employed by the county in a part-time position under the direct supervision of an immediate relative.

ORIENTATION AND TRAINING

It is the policy of Berrien County to provide orientation programs for new employees and to conduct or support training programs as deemed appropriate.

Each constitutional officer or department supervisor is responsible for the overall development and coordination of the orientation program and for implementing the portions that cover county history, philosophy, policies, benefits, and new employee files and documentation. Each constitutional officer or department supervisor is also responsible for orientation as it applies to introducing the new employee to the specific job and department and may select a co-worker to serve as a sponsor to facilitate the new employee's transition.

Constitutional officers or department supervisors are responsible for recommending employees for special training programs, for providing on-the-job training, or for arranging on-the-job trainers. Such training will normally be conducted during regular working hours.

Constitutional officers and/or department supervisors may approve employee participation in continuing education and/or training programs when such instruction is deemed beneficial or considered necessary for satisfactory job performance. In some cases, employees may be required to enroll in and complete such programs satisfactorily.

The chairman must approve, upon recommendation from the constitutional officer or department supervisor, employee participation in special programs, either external or in-house, dealing with supervisory, professional, or management development; cost reduction; quality improvement; or compliance with government regulations.

The county may consider the feasibility of sponsoring or conducting special programs when continuing education and in-service programs are required for licensing, or re-certification of a license, for groups of employees. Under such circumstances, it will apply for approval by the licensing authority and will seek to comply with all requirements established by such authority. However, it may at its discretion cancel, modify, or withdraw from such certification or program.

The county will provide special training programs for job entrance, safety, and health matters when deemed necessary, or as required by government regulations.

Each department of the county, to the extent feasible, will maintain a library of self-instructional programs and materials for employee use.

County sponsored or conducted orientation and training programs may be evaluated from time to time as to the quality of the instruction, the content, and the results. In such cases, the board of county commissioners or an outside organization will administer the evaluation, which may involve the testing of participants.

Employees may receive certificates of completion for successfully finishing county approved or sponsored training and educational programs. The county clerk will maintain records of all training programs completed by each employee.

OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT

No county employee shall accept outside employment that interferes with the employee's performance of his/her duties or responsibilities in his/her position with the Berrien County or compromises the employee's position with the county through a conflict of interest.

No county employee is permitted to engage in any action or financial interest which is inconsistent, incompatible, in conflict with, or harmful to the duties and functions of Berrien County.

County employees shall not wear badges, clothing, hats or caps or other similar paraphernalia pertaining to the county while on other pursuits, outside county employment.

OVERTIME

All overtime work is to be avoided if at all possible.

All overtime work shall have prior approval of the constitutional officer or department supervisor.

All overtime shall be compensated at the rate of 1½ times the normal rate of pay for all hours worked over the standard work week.

Overtime shall be paid only after 40 regular hours have been "actually worked" by all county employees (43 hours for EMS employees).

Overtime shall be compensated according to the current FLSA wage/hour requirements.

All overtime work shall be performed at the assigned job location.

All regular full-time employees who are required to work on a holiday will receive double the compensation.

Hourly employees will be compensated for at least two hours of pay at the appropriate rate, when due to an emergency the employee is called back to work after completing his/her regular shift, or is called into work on a nonscheduled work day.

PAYDAY

Paychecks will normally be issued every other Friday for the pay period ending the two weeks preceding the standard payday.

If a holiday should occur on the Friday on which a payday would normally fall, the pay shall be issued on the preceding Thursday.

Any employee's questions regarding pay should be directed to the immediate supervisor for further investigation to resolve the matter.

At any time when an employee requests another individual to pick-up his/her paycheck, the employee shall complete, sign, and date an "authorization to pick-up paycheck" form as presented in the appendix of this manual. Said form is available upon request from the commissioner's office. The form shall be submitted to the county clerk or his/her designee agreeing to hold the county harmless from any legal action. This written form shall be signed and dated by the person receiving the check and in the presence of the person issuing the check.

If no written authorization is received by the county clerk or his/her designee, then the paycheck shall be held by the county in the county clerk's office for pick-up by the employee at a later date.

PAY FOR PERFORMANCE

It is the county's policy to establish competitive rates of pay and benefits. The county shall compensate employees as fairly as possible within its ability to pay, based upon the county's adopted compensation plan and according to the employee's demonstrated performance.

Rates of pay and the provision of benefits shall be established by the board of county commissioners.

Job classifications for all county employees shall be established by the board of county commissioners through an adopted job classification plan. Increments within established pay ranges shall be used as a means of recognizing good performance and continued good service upon the recommendation of the appropriate constitutional officer or department supervisor.

PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS

The only payroll deductions which may be made from an employee's paycheck are those which are required by federal and state laws, any court order, and those for which the employee has completed a signed authorization.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

[Requirements and procedures.] This policy outlines the requirements and procedures for evaluating the job performance of all, nonelected county employees.

[Purpose.] The county's performance evaluation program is intended to be a system of communication among the board of county commissioners/constitutional officer/department supervisor and the employee. Positively and conscientiously applied, it can improve employee performance and morale by recognizing skills and strengths while constructively remedying short comings and weaknesses. It will also strengthen supervisory skills and identify areas in which training at either level would be beneficial. The ratings themselves will be useful in evaluation of potential candidates for promotion, in addition an intricate part of layoff procedures if such action becomes necessary.

Types of evaluation.

Employees serving initial or promotion probationary periods should receive at least two probationary evaluations during the course of such period. The first should be completed approximately halfway through the probationary period; the second no later than seven days prior to the completion of the probationary period. The appropriate supervisor may utilize fewer evaluations depending upon the applicant's prior qualifications and his/her length of probation. The first evaluation is intended to provide the employee timely information regarding the adequacy of his/her job performance. If the probationary performance is found to be unsatisfactory, the second evaluation should detail the reasons as specifically as possible.

Employees not in probationary periods shall receive at least one performance evaluation per year which is to be completed 30 days prior to any scheduled salary adjustments.

Employees may be given a special evaluation at the discretion of the chairman/constitutional officer or department supervisor. Such evaluations are to be used for internal department purposes (i.e., a supervisor leaving may want to evaluate his/her employees to assist an incoming supervisor, etc.).

Rating procedure.

Each county employee should be rated by the appropriate constitutional officer/department supervisor. Extreme care must be taken by each rater to insure fair and impartial ratings. Employees are to be rated on their performance over the entire rating period. The supervisor must discuss the rating with the employee, in addition to signing, and dating the form (see appendix of this manual).

If an employee has been assigned or transferred to another department, both immediate supervisors should cooperate in completing the form which will require the new rater's (supervisor's) signature.

The rater must discuss the evaluation with the employee in a private, unhurried, and uninterrupted session. The appropriate supervisor, may request the chairman to be present at the evaluation meeting. Areas of strength should be reviewed and highlighted as well as areas of weakness with employee. In addition, a constructive discussion on how to improve job performance should be included in the session. The employee should sign and date the evaluation form. If the employee refuses to sign the form, the rater should so indicate at the bottom of the signature page. The employee may comment in writing on any area(s) of disagreement with the ratings given. The employee's written comments will be attached to the evaluation form. Ratings shall not be changed once the employee has signed the form.

Finally, the form is reviewed by the appropriate appointing authority. The final probationary evaluation must indicate either the employee should be retained or removed. The originals of all forms will be forwarded to the county clerk's office for placement in the employee's personnel file. In all cases, a copy of the evaluation must be returned to the employee.

Employee appeals.

The rater must advise any employee who disagrees with the performance evaluation ratings of his/her right to appeal such ratings.

Such appeal will be reviewed internally by the chairman.

The rater should impartially consider the employee's objections during the initial employee discussion. Unknown facts of problems that would warrant rating changes may be presented by the employee during the discussion. When a rating change is warranted, the rater may either complete a new performance evaluation form or cross out the old rating and mark the new one.

If not resolved, the appeal may be forwarded to the board of county commissioners; whenever applicable.

PERSONAL LEAVE

The county awards personal leave to all full time county employees who have completed the 90-day probationary period. Personal leave includes what was formerly known as sick leave and vacation leave.

Personal leave shall be accumulated as follows:

	Other employees	EMS personnel only
3 years or less .....	11.34 hrs per month .....	28.67 hrs per month
3 years or more .....	14.67 hrs per month .....	33.33 hrs per month

No county employee is eligible to accrue any personal leave during the standard 90-day probation period.

Personal time cannot be used to compensate the employee for their 40-hour work week as to allow them to be compensated for overtime pay.

Personal leave may be used as the employee sees fit provided that leave is taken in accordance with the county's personnel policies and procedures.

The employee's paycheck stub will indicate the balance of hours accumulated in personal leave and this balance will be taken into consideration before requests for leave are a approved.

Personal leave shall not exceed a maximum accumulation bank of 600 hours. Any hours accumulated and not used or sold beyond this amount shall be forfeited.

A maximum of 40 hours shall be permitted to be sold back to the county during any county fiscal year.

Upon the retirement or separation of employment with the county, the employee shall be compensated the remaining balance in their accrued personal leave to be divided into 12 equal monthly installations until completely paid out.

(Res. of 1-10-2000)

PERSONAL VEHICLE USE

An employee who is required to use his/her personal vehicle in the performance of his/her daily duties shall be reimbursed 25 cents per mile for such miles driven in the normal course of his/her employment.

An employee who uses his/her vehicle in the course of their employment shall submit the necessary completed "expense and mileage" forms found in the appendix of this manual.

Vehicle liability and insurance shall be the sole responsibility of the employee and not the county.

PERSONNEL RECORDS

Personnel records shall be maintained for all county employees. These records shall include, but not limited to the following:

Completed employment application or resume;

I-9 Form—Verification of Employment Eligibility;

Reference checks;

Medical report, if applicable;

County personnel action form as well as other changes in employment status (i.e., promotions, etc.);

Completed performance evaluations;

Commendations or disciplinary action reports;

Training records;

Accumulated personal and sick leave records;

10.

Emergency notification information.

Upon request to the county clerk, an employee may inspect his/her personnel file during normal business hours. This inspection process shall not interfere with the employee's normal work duties except as approved in advance by the appropriate constitutional officer or department supervisor. The employee desiring to view his/her personnel file shall make an appointment with the county clerk who shall monitor access to the personnel records. No originals of any items in the employee's file shall be removed. A reasonable copy charge shall be assessed for all copies of requested items.

An employee shall not [only upon written authorization—form in appendix section of this manual] permit any person to review his/her individual personnel file, with the exception of those instances requiring management access.

If item C occurs, the authorized person shall make an appointment with the county clerk and shall present the written authorization to the county clerk as a condition of access to the employee's personnel file.

For management purposes, the chairman may review any personnel file when deemed appropriate.

PERSONNEL STATUS FORM

"Change of Personnel Status" form (see appendix) shall be completed by the constitutional officer/department supervisor, whenever, an employee is appointed, terminated, reclassified, laid off, or any change in the employee's status occurs.

Whenever a transfer or a promotion occurs, said status form shall be reviewed and approved by all appropriate department supervisors involved with the affected employee.

When completed, said form shall be submitted to the county commissioner's office for payroll purposes and placed in the employee's personnel file.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

Applicants for employment may be required to satisfactorily pass a physical examination after a job offer has been made to the applicant. Said physical will be at the county's expense.

The board of county commissioners may require any permanent employee to take an examination, conducted by a licensed physician, to determine if the employee is capable of performing his/her regularly assigned duties. The cost of said examination will be paid by the county. If found not qualified, the employee may be placed on sick or disability leave until such time the employee is physically and/or mentally capable of performing the duties of his/her position.

The county shall comply with all the provisions of the Americans With Disability Act.

POLITICAL ACTIVITY

This policy lists the specific political activities legally permitted and prohibited to be performed by a county employee.

Permitted and limited activities:

Registration and voting;

Expressing opinions either orally or in writing (not on county property, not during working hours);

Voluntary contributions to political candidates or organizations;

Circulation petitions (not on county property, not during working hours);

Attendance at political rallies that are open to the public (not on county property, not during working hours);

Political pictures, cartoons, etc.;

Badges, buttons, stickers, etc.

Prohibited activities on county property, during working hours:

Campaigning for an elected office;

Making political speeches;

Soliciting contributions for a candidate;

Soliciting the sale of political party tickets;

Engaging in political activities at the voting polls (unless specially permitted by Georgia law);

Acting as a poll watcher;

Engaging in political caucuses.

No county employee shall hold a public, elected office except as a member of the board of education.

An employee, currently working for the county, who qualifies to run for any constitutional officer's position, shall be required to resigned his/her position.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD

The immediate supervisor shall orient new employees to his/her new position. During this time, every effort will be made to acquaint the new employee with the county's organization, the department functions, duties, and responsibilities, and expectations of the job. All employees will be informed of his/her rights and responsibilities in accordance with the county's policies, procedures, and the objectives for which the employee will be held accountable. The employee will also be informed of the specific standards by which the employee's performance and conduct will be assessed.

The probationary period is designed to provide time for assessing the employee's ability to perform the job to which he/she has been appointed or promoted. Probationary periods pertain to all county employees except constitutional officers.

All original and promotional appointments, shall be for a minimum probationary period of six months. Probationary periods may be extended or reduced at the discretion of the chairman/constitutional officer or department supervisor.

No appointment or promotion is final until the appointee has satisfactorily served his/her probationary period. Successful completion of a probationary period does not guarantee continued employment with the county. All employees are "at-will" employees.

Part-time employees who work a regular schedule shall have their probationary period determined in the same manner as full-time employees.

Any time period of one day or greater spent in a nonpay status (i.e. suspension, etc.) and excluding military leave, is not credited toward the completion of the probationary period.

Probationary removals.

If an employee's service in the course of his/her initial probationary period is found to be unsatisfactory, said employee may be removed at any time. The employee shall be notified in writing by the appropriate supervisor regarding specific reason(s) in which his/her job performance was unsatisfactory. An evaluation form shall be completed at least seven working days prior to the completion of the probationary period or at termination with a copy to be included in the employee's personnel file.

Probationary reductions.

If an employee's service during a promotional probationary period is found to be unsatisfactory, he/she may be reduced to the previous job held prior to such promotion if the vacancy still exists. Written notice to the employee, a performance evaluation, and a personnel action form shall be completed in the event of a probationary removal.

PROMOTION

It is the policy of the county to promote those qualified employees from within the county's work force to vacancies in higher job classifications whenever possible.

All promoted employees will serve a probationary period.

If an employee is promoted to a higher job classification and fails to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, he/she may only return to his/her former job if a vacancy still exists.

If the appropriate department supervisor or constitutional officer determines that no existing employee is qualified for promotion, the job may be filled by a new appointment.

All supervisors are responsible for assisting employees in his/her new position.

RE-EMPLOYMENT

Prior to the re-employment of an individual who previously worked for the county, all pertinent past employment records will be compiled and reviewed by the chairman/constitutional officer or appropriate supervisor. The purpose of this review is to determine whether or not the applicant may be re-employed.

Re-employment of an individual who previously worked for the county shall be subject to the approval of the board of county commissioners.

The appropriate "personnel action" form (see appendix section of this report) shall be completed by the immediate supervisor for payroll purposes and forwarded to the county clerk's office for the placement in the employee's personnel file.

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

It is the intent of the county to make reasonable accommodations for the religious needs of employees whenever possible.

Employees requesting religious holidays off, in addition to those specified in the holiday policy, will be permitted to take vacation leave if approved by the appropriate supervisor.

If vacation leave is not available, the employee may be permitted to take the day off as personal leave without pay if approved by the chairman.

RESIGNATIONS

An employee who chooses to resign from employment with the county is required to provide a written, minimum notice of two weeks prior to his/her last day of work. This is to allow sufficient time to process the employee's final paycheck and to advertise for a replacement.

Any vacation leave balance of a resigned employee shall not be payable any sooner than the issuance of the employee's final paycheck.

SAFETY

Safety is a matter of great concern to Berrien County. The lack of proper safety procedures can result in lost hours of work with lost income to the employee and his/her family. More important, is the failure to use proper safety precautions may result in the injury or even death of the employee. Therefore, it is necessary for the county to establish specific safety rules and procedures for the protection of all county employees.

Safety rules are not established to restrict or punish employees, but are a necessary reminder and guidelines for employees to follow as they perform their duties for the county.

Often employees become so involved in getting the work accomplished, that they fail to use the necessary safety precautions. All of the safety rules, regulations, and equipment are of little value if employees fail to take a positive approach toward maintaining and improving safety.

The following safety rules have been established to initiate a positive attitude toward on-the-job safety and to inform the employee of the safety regulations which they are required to follow:

All county vehicles and equipment shall be operated in a safe, efficient manner in accordance with all applicable State of Georgia and local vehicle laws. Seat belts shall be worn in all county vehicles. All traffic citations received by an employee operating a county vehicle/equipment shall be paid by the employee and not the county.

Each work site including along all public roadway which obstructs traffic, in any manner, shall be properly marked in order to re-route traffic around the work area so that approaching motorists receive notice of danger. When traffic can not be re-routed around the work area, a flagman shall be provided.

Employees are required to keep hard hats accessible at all times. Hard hats shall be worn by all county employees in any of the following situations:

When the employee is required to work in or adjacent to traffic in a public roadway;

When the employee is working near or operating any equipment which is subject to discharge rocks and/or debris;

When the employee is working in any excavation or manhole;

When the employee is working on or adjacent to a structure under construction/renovation.

ALL equipment and vehicles shall be maintained with the proper safety features and guards that are designed to prevent injury to any employee (i.e. seatbelts, horns etc.) Any equipment or vehicle not in safe operating condition shall be reported immediately by the employee to the immediate supervisor.

All employees shall wear appropriate eye protection such as safety glasses, goggles, or face shields whenever working with or near grinders, chippers, jackhammers or other similar equipment that presents an immediate danger to an employee's eyes.

All employees shall wear appropriate ear protection such as ear plugs or ear muffs whenever working near loud or noisy equipment that presents an immediate danger to an employees hearing.

No employee shall operate any county vehicle or equipment while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.

All open excavations or road hazards shall be properly covered, marked, and barricaded in order to prevent injury to the general public.

Employees shall not carry any firearms, explosives, or other illegal weapons while on duty excluding those required by the sheriff's department.

10.

Employees shall not engage in any "horseplay" or other nonrelated activities which may cause injury to the employee or his/her fellow employees.

11.

All excavations deeper than five feet shall be cut in such a manner or properly shored in order to prevent possible cave-in on employees while working.

12.

Office machines shall be maintained with proper safety features.

13.

Offices and work areas shall be kept in a clean, orderly, and free from all hazards.

The chairman/constitutional officer or department supervisor may establish additional safety rules to meet the specific needs to protect his/her employees.

Safety equipment.

The county shall issue appropriate safety equipment, as deemed necessary, to protect employees from on-the-job injuries.

All employees shall be responsible for securing and maintaining all safety equipment including wearing apparel issued to him/her.

The employee shall be responsible for replacement of any safety equipment including apparel lost or destroyed due to employee's negligence.

Report of safety problems.

Unsafe conditions and unsafe acts shall be reported to the employee's immediate supervisor. Said supervisor shall examine the situation then take corrective action necessary to eliminate the safety problem.

Safety problems or equipment defects affecting the operation shall be reported to the immediate supervisor. The employee shall complete the required "hazard" form (see appendix) then submit it to the appropriate supervisor for proper follow-up and replacement of equipment or corrective action.

SOLICITATION/SELLING

Solicitations, distribution of literature, sales or collections of any nature on county property, during normal business hours by a county employee or another person by umbrella agencies shall be permitted contingent upon the approval of the chairman and the board of county commissioners. "Umbrella" agencies are defined as those groups whose sole purpose is the support of charitable, non-profit entities.

The chairman and board of county commissioners reserve the right to screen all requests and to make a determination as to whether an organization falls into an acceptable category. All other types of solicitation are strictly prohibited.

Any contributions made by employees of the county shall be made directly to the requesting organization and shall not be routed through the county's payroll system.

SUPERVISION

It is the policy of the Berrien County that the work of all employees is to be assigned, directed, and reviewed by supervisory personnel. Employees ordinarily will have only one supervisor to whom they report. The chain of command shall be adhered to (i.e, supervisor, chairman/constitutional officer, etc.).

A primary role of each supervisor is to provide an effective link between management and non management employees. As such, supervisors are expected to communicate the goals and policies of management to the employees under them. At the same time, they are expected to communicate back to management the attitudes, suggestions, and complaints of their employees.

Supervisors must, in addition to mastering the technical skills needed for their department, be able to lead and motivate their employees to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. Therefore, supervisors should be prepared to:

Treat employees as individuals;

Give recognition for good performance, and provide guidance when improvement is needed;

Explain in advance when and why changes are necessary;

Recommend employees with growth potential for promotion, even if it means losing them to other departments;

Show integrity by admitting mistakes instead of shifting the blame to others;

Be impartial and let employees know the reasons for any decisions that might be interpreted as unfair;

Demonstrate a desire for good performance by setting work goals and standards for employees;

Create a feeling of teamwork and belonging among employees; and

Set good examples by holding themselves to the standards of conduct and performance that they demand of their employees.

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the goals regarding employee conduct and performance established by the board of county commissioners are achieved and that the personnel policies established by this manual are implemented.

Supervisors are expected to be involved, at a minimum, in:

Recommending the hiring of personnel and overseeing special job training;

Keeping employees informed on factors relating to their work assignments, work progress, and opportunities for advancement;

Evaluating, as required by the county, the performance of introductory employees, regular employees, and employees who are being considered for termination;

Recommending salary adjustments, promotions, transfers, and termination of employees;

Scheduling vacations, lunch, and rest breaks;

Approving travel allowances and reimbursement of employee expenses;

Controlling absenteeism and tardiness, and approving requests for time off;

Verifying employee time sheets/cards and scheduling overtime when necessary;

Recommending job elimination when appropriate;

10.

Complying with applicable federal and state laws and regulations concerning employee safety;

11.

Maintaining neat and orderly work areas;

12.

Implementing suggestions, disciplinary, and problem review procedures; and,

13.

Ensuring that all rules and regulations are observed by employees.

TELEPHONES

Telephones are provided for county business. Telephones will be answered promptly and in a courteous manner.

Use of county telephones for personal business is strictly prohibited except in the case of an emergency or with the specific approval of the employee's immediate supervisor or the chairman.

All toll calls for personal reasons made by a county employee on county phone shall be reimbursed to the county through a payroll deduction system. Refusal to reimburse the county for said cost will result in immediate disciplinary action including payment to the county for the long distance call.

All long distance calls will be documented by the person making the call on forms furnished by the county. Said forms will be reviewed and compared with the county billing by the county clerk.

TEMPORARY AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES

It is the policy of Berrien County to supplement the regular work force with temporary, part-time, or intermittent employees, or other forms of flexible staffing, when needed because of periods of peak work load, employee absences, or other situations as may be determined by the board of county commissioners.

A temporary employee is an individual who is hired either part-time or full-time for a specified, limited period. A part-time employee is an individual who is hired for a normal workweek for an indefinite period, but who works less than 30 hours per week. An intermittent employee is an individual who is hired on a yearround basis and is subject to fill in occasionally for regular employees or during peak work load periods. Other flexible staffing classifications or arrangements may be added as needed.

Temporary and part-time positions will be filled as follows, if circumstances permit:

The supervisor of the department with the need will attempt to fill the position by transfers from within the department.

If the position cannot be filled from within the department, then the supervisor will submit a request to the board of county commissioners. The chairman or his/her designee will then try to satisfy the request by the transfer of employees from other departments.

If it is necessary to hire temporary or part-time personnel from outside the county departments, the standard advertisement procedures shall be used.

Regular full-time employees who are given temporary transfers are not considered temporary employees unless, in fact, their job has been eliminated and only temporary employment is available.

The county may utilize students (i.e., college intern, Job Corp, etc.) and other similar applicants for flexible staffing purposes, if not prohibited by law. When deemed necessary, such applicants will be required to provide a certificate of age. The county clerk will handle the assignment of students working special temporary or part-time jobs which are considered preparatory for management training programs.

Eligibility of temporary and part-time employees for paid absences, vacations, and holidays is governed by the individual policies contained in this manual. An employee whose status changes from full-time to part-time may use any days of paid absence or vacation earned as a full-time employee. An employee whose status changes from temporary or part-time to full-time will be considered as hired on the date of the change of status for purposes of eligibility for paid absences and vacation. Information concerning eligibility of temporary and part-time employees for other county benefits, is available in the county clerk's office.

TIME CLOCKS

It is the policy of the county to establish the use of time clocks for all hourly employees of the county that are paid under Berrien County's Employer Taxpayer Identification Number. Time cards cover one week work period and must be completed by the close of each workday.

The following points should be considered in utilizing time cards:

Employees shall punch in their starting time, time out for lunch, time in from lunch, quitting time, and total hours worked for each workday;

Employees are not permitted to clock in or begin work before their normal starting time or to clock out or stop work after their normal quitting time without the prior approval of the elected official or supervisor;

Employees who clock out five minutes early or clock in five minutes later than their regular scheduled shift shall be docked 15 minutes. All time is calculated in 15-minute increments.

Employees are required to take scheduled lunch or meal breaks;

Employee time cards shall be checked and signed by the supervisor involved. Unworked time for which an employee is entitled to be paid (paid absences, paid holidays, or paid vacation time) shall be entered by the elected official or supervisor on the time card. Authorized overtime also should also be identified by the elected official or supervisor;

All absences should not be considered as hours worked for pay purposes. Elected officials and supervisors should inform employees if they will not be paid for certain hours of absence; and

The clocking out of another employee's time card or the falsifying of any time record is prohibited and shall be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Any employee who fails to clock in or out, said employee shall have their time card hours written in and initialed by the appropriate supervisor and/or constitutional officer. Any employee's time not documented under these circumstances shall not be compensated by the county.

Personnel employed in executive, administrative, professional, and supervisory-related capacities are exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Such employees are not required to utilize the time card system but shall fill out hourly time records to account for daily attendance.

TRAINING

When economically possible, the county will provide its employees with the opportunities to advance through obtaining job-related, required certification, licensing or education in the employee's job field. When said training is extensive and completed at the expense of the county, the affected employee shall provide a written agreement to the county indicating the employee shall reimburse the county 100 percent of said cost if the employee resigns his/her position before completing one calendar year of employment after training has been completed.

The board of county commissioners will be responsible for determining when an agreement shall be required and the penalties which shall be enforced if the employee does not honor said agreement with the county.

Any employee who refuses to enter into an agreement as outlined in section A shall not be considered for the paid training by the county.

TRANSFER

A transfer generally is defined as the movement of an employee from one job to a similar job in a different department with a similar pay grade.

Any employee requesting a transfer must submit said request through their immediate supervisor.

All transfers are subject to the approval of the appropriate constitutional officer or department supervisor and the board of county commissioners.

TRAVEL/TRAINING EXPENSE

When a county employee is required to attend a training or certification seminar or conference, he/she shall be reimbursed for fair and reasonable expenses incurred for registration, food, and lodging.

If the county employee is required to furnish his/her own transportation, he/she shall receive mileage reimbursed at $.28 per mile.

All expenses for meals will be reimbursed up to a maximum of $35.00 per day.

The county will not reimburse any expenses for alcoholic beverages or in-room movies.

All county employees must utilize the appropriate "Expense Reimbursement" and "Tax Exemption" forms (see appendix) for reimbursement.

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION

Unemployment compensation covers all affected full-time employees provided he/she has been employed more than 26 weeks in the past year by a participating employer.

Eligibility for benefits shall be determined by the Georgia Board of Employment Services.

The county reserves the right to contest and challenge all claims made for unemployment compensation benefits.

UNPAID LEAVE OF ABSENCE

The authorization of a leave of absence not covered by the provisions of the Family/Medical Leave Act of 1993, without pay, is a matter of administrative discretion. The chairman or the appropriate constitutional officer shall decide in each individual case if a leave of absence is to be granted, within the limitation of this policy.

An employee on leave of absence without pay does not earn vacation/sick leave credit.

Reinstatement from leave:

Upon completion of a leave of absence, the employee will return to his/her former position or to a similar position if a vacancy still exists. Any replacement in a position while an employee is on leave must be on a temporary basis.

An employee may return to work before the expiration time of the leave of absence if approved by the chairman or appropriate constitutional officer.

If an employee fails to return to work by the expiration date of the approved leave of absence without just cause, the county shall consider the employee's action as a resignation.

WORK RULES

Each constitutional officer or department supervisor shall establish his/her own work rules pertaining to their individual departments.

Said departmental work rules shall not be inconsistent with the personnel policies established in this manual.

It is the responsibility of each constitutional officer or department supervisor to acquaint all employees in his/her department of all applicable work rules.

WORKER'S COMPENSATION/ACCIDENT REPORT

The State of Georgia provides, that every employee of the county, is eligible for Worker's Compensation for an injury or illness arising out of and in the course of his/her employment.

In order to provide the most effective management of this statute, the following procedures shall be followed:

Injury report (see appendix section of this manual):

(a)

Whenever an employee is injured during the course of his/her employment with the county, the employee shall immediately report the accident to the appropriate supervisor who in-turn will complete the required injury report. This report should be prepared whether medical attention is or is not required.

(b)

The supervisor shall forward the original injury report to the commissioner's office as soon as completed but no later than 24 hours after the accident and/or injury.

Serious injury: Supervisor shall notify the commissioner's office immediately of any serious injury in order that the proper investigation is conducted.

All claims shall be processed by the county clerk's office.

Time lost to injury: The supervisor shall notify the county clerk every two weeks of the status of the injured employee and the projected return to work date.

All worker's compensation documents shall be forwarded to the county clerk's office.

All injuries must be reported to the county's workers' compensation carrier as soon as possible.

WORKER'S COMPENSATION/SITF SYSTEM

Each new employee shall fill out the SITF form (found in the appendix section of this manual) and submit it by no later than five working days after the employee commences work with the county to the county clerk.

APPENDIX

Application For Employment—Berrien County

Applicants are considered for all position without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, or the presence of a non-job-related medical condition or handicap.

(PLEASE PRINT)

		Date of Application _____
Position(s) Applied For _____
Referral Source:	□ Advertisement	□ Friend	□ Relative	□ Walk-In
	□ Employment Agency		□ Other _____
_____
Name _____
Address _____
Telephone ( ) _____		Social Security Number _____
If employed and you are under 18, can you furnish a work permit? □ Yes □ No
Have you filed an application here before? □ Yes □ No If Yes, give date _____
Have you ever been employed here before? □ Yes □ No If Yes, give date _____
Are you employed now? □ Yes □No If so may we contact your present employer? □ Yes □ No
Are you prevented from lawfully becoming employed in this country because of Visa or Immigration Status? □ Yes □ No (Proof of citizenship or immigration status may be required upon employment.)
On what date would you be available for work? _____
Are you available to work □ Full-time □ Part-time □ Shift work □ Temporary
Are you on a lay-off and subject to recall?			□ Yes	□ No
Can you travel if a job requires it?			□ Yes	□ No
Have you been convicted of a felony within the last 7 years?			□ Yes	□ No
If yes, please explain _____
_____

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER M/F/V/H

Employment Experience

Start with your present or last job. Include military service assignments and volunteer activities. Exclude organization names which indicate race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

#1 Employer	Dates Employed		Work Performed
	From	To
Address
Job Title	Hourly Rate/Salary
	Starting	Final
Supervisor
Reason for Leaving
#2 Employer	Dates Employed		Work Performed
	From	To
Address
Job Title	Hourly Rate/Salary
	Starting	Final
Supervisor
Reason for Leaving
#3 Employer	Dates Employed		Work Performed
	From	To
Address
Job Title	Hourly Rate/Salary
	Starting	Final
Supervisor
Reason for Leaving
#4 Employer	Dates Employed		Work Performed
	From	To
Address
Job Title	Hourly Rate/Salary
	Starting	Final
Supervisor
Reason for Leaving

If you need additional space, please continue on a separate sheet of paper.

SPECIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Summarize special skills and qualifications acquired from employment or other experience _____

_____

Education

	Elementary	High	College/University	Graduate/Professional
School Name
Years Completed: (Circle)	4 5 6 7 8	9 10 11 12	1 2 3 4	1 2 3 4
Diploma/Degree
Describe Course of Study:
Describe Specialized Training, Apprenticeship, Skills and Extra-Curricular Activities

Honors Received: _____

_____

State any additional information you feel may be helpful to us in considering your application. _____

_____

AGREEMENT

I certify that answers given herein are true and complete to the best of my knowledge.

I authorize investigation of all statements contained in this application for employment as may be necessary in arriving at an employment decision.

In the event of employment, I understand that false or misleading information given in my application or interview(s) may result in disharge. I understand, also, that I am required to abide by all rules and regulations of the Company.

_____
Signature of Applicant

_____
Date

FOR PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT USE ONLY

Arrange Interview:	□ Yes	□ No
Remarks: _____
_____
Employed:	□ Yes	□ No	Date of Employment _____
Title _____		Hourly Rate/Salary _____	Department _____
_____ Name and Title				_____ Date
Application For Employment and Applicant Data Record is sold for general use throughout the United States. Amsterdam Printing and Litho Corp. Assumes no responsibility for the inclusion in said form of any questions which, when asked by the employer of the job applicant, may violate State and/or Federal Law.
Veteran of the U.S. military service? □ Yes □ No If Yes, give Branch _____
Are there workplace accommodations which would allow better job placement and/or enable you to perform your job to your maximum capability? □ Yes □ No
If Yes, please indicate: _____

List professional, trade, business or civic activities and offices held. Exclude those which indicate race, color, religion, sex, or national origin): _____

_____

Give name, address and telephone number of three references who are not related to you and are not previous employers.

_____

Special Employment Notice to Disabled Veterans, Vietnam Era Veterans,
and Individuals with Physical or Mental Handicaps

Government contractors are subject to Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974 which requires that they take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which requires government contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified handicapped individuals.

If are a disabled veteran, or have a physical or mental handicap, you are invited to volunteer this information. The purpose is to provide information regarding proper placement and appropriate accommodation to enable you to perform the job in a proper and safe manner. This information will be treated as confidential. Failure to provide information will not jeopardize or adversely affect any consideration you may receive for employment.

I wish to be identified, please complete and sign below.

____________ Handicapped Individual

____________ Disabled Veteran

____________ Vietnam Era Veteran

_____

EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION ADDENDUM

NAME: _____	DATE: _____
ADDRESS: _____	RACE: _____
TELEPHONE: _____	DOB: _____
PRIMARY JOB BEING SOUGHT: _____
SECONDARY POSITIONS SOUGHT: _____
_____
The Employment practices of Berrien County are the subject of a consent decree issued by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, a copy of which is available without cost from the Personal office.
This Employment application will be considered only for vacancies existing on or within 120 days after being filed. Applications must be renewed in writing in order to receive further consideration after the 120 days period.
_____ Applicant
Interviewed by: _____
Personnel Officer: _____
Date: _____

BERRIEN COUNTY
APPLICATION FOR LEAVE

DEPARTMENT _____

This form must be submitted on any absence from scheduled work.

Separate forms are to be submitted for each type of leave required.

This form must be submitted prior to the leave requested except for sick leave as indicated below or in case of emergency.

Approval of the requested leave is not granted until all required signatures are affixed to this form.

Employees must report to the person and/or place designated for their unit within the time established for their department/division, to report any absence not previously approved. Failure to so report may result in the loss of leave benefits and/or appropriate disciplinary action.

Sick leave benefits are governed by the provisions of the county Personnel Policies.

NOTICE — "Falsification of either a written, signed statement or a physician's certificate shall be grounds for disciplinary action including dismissal."

(PRINT LAST, FIRST, MIDDLE INITIAL)	(SOCIAL SECURITY NO.)
NAME _____	DATE ____________

I hereby apply for _____ hours of the following type of leave:

□ Sick Leave
□ Vacation
□ Leave of Absence

□ Personal Business
□ Funeral
□ Military

□ Other _____

Beginning date _________________ a.m. ____________ p.m.

and

Ending date _________________ a.m. ____________ p.m.

Complete the following when applying for Sick Leave

□ Incapacitated by illness or injury	□ Undergoing medical, dental, or other treatment or examination
Description of illness or injury	_____
□ Death of member of my family	_____ name and relationship
□ Required to care for member of my family	_____ name and relationship
Reasons: _____
□ Required to be absent because of exposure to contagious disease (explain circumstances)
_____
Physician's Certificate. If medical attention is required or the absence extends beyond three working days or if a certificate is required by supervision, a licensed physician must certify the necessity for sick leave stating the nature of the illness. Failure to obtain this certification may result in denial of sick pay benefits and/or disciplinary action.
_____ (Employee's name) was under my care and treatment during the period noted above for (nature of the illness/injury) _____ and is hereby released to return to full duty as a (employee's position) _____ effective _____ with the county
_____ Physician's Signature	_____ Date
EMPLOYEE'S STATEMENT
I hereby declare that the personal data provided in this application is true, correct, and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. I fully understand that a false entry shall be grounds for disciplinary action including dismissal.
	_____ Signature - do not print or type
Disposition:
The leave requested above is □ approved, □ denied, □ with, □ without pay.
Reason for denial: _____
Supervisor _____	Date ____________
Granting authority _____	Date ____________

BERRIEN COUNTY
CHANGE OF PERSONNEL STATUS AND/OR PAY

To: _____	Sup't or Dept. Head: _____
From: _____	Department: _____
Date: _____
Re: Employee _____

_____

Check (x) One:
□ New hire	□ Probation completed (new employee)	_____ Effective date
□ Re-hired	□ Probation completed (promotion)	_____ Department
□ Part-time help	□ Probation completed (demotion)	_____ Division
□ Temporary/Seasonal	□ Probation completed (transfer)	_____ Present position
□ Promotion	□ Permanent employee
□ Demotion	□ Voluntary separation	_____ Probationary position
□ Transfer	□ Discharge
□ Merit increase	□ Retirement
□ Wage adjustment	□ Layoff
□ Pay increase for certification salaried employee	□ Other
□ Hourly employee		_____ WAGE STATUS

_____

REMARKS: _____

_____

Authorizing Signature: _____ Title: ____________ Date: ____________

Affected employee signature (optional) _____ Date: ____________

(NOT NECESSARY—Although not necessary, management may wish to occasionally obtain employee's signature to acknowledge certain, special, or peculiar change in personnel status)

BERRIEN COUNTY
RECORD OF VERBAL WARNING

Employee's Name _____

Employee's Classification _____

Date Warning was Issued _____

VIOLATION

Date Violation Occurred _____

Location Where Violation Occurred _____

Type of Violation:

□ Incompetency	□ Neglect of Duty
□ Inefficiency	□ Failure of Good Behavior
□ Dishonesty	□ Misfeasance
□ Drunkenness	□ Malfeasance
□ Immoral Conduct	□ Nonfeasance
□ Insubordination	□ Other (explain below)
□ Discourteous Treatment of the Public

Description of Violation: _____

_____
(attach additional sheet if necessary)

This Verbal Warning is issued as a corrective measure in an effort to help you improve your conduct. This warning will be removed from your personnel files after twelve (12) months, providing you have no additional disciplinary actions during that time period. Any further violations could result in more severe disciplinary actions.

	_____ Signature of person issuing reprimand
	_____ Title

I hereby acknowledge that a copy of the above Record of Verbal Warning has been given to me this day.

	_____ Employee's signature
	_____ Date

Copies: Employee
Employee Personnel File

BERRIEN COUNTY
WRITTEN REPRIMAND

Employee's Name _____

Employee's Classification _____

Date Warning was Issued _____

VIOLATION

Date Violation Occurred _____

Location Where Violation Occurred _____

Type of Violation:

□ Incompetency	□ Neglect of Duty
□ Inefficiency	□ Failure of Good Behavior
□ Dishonesty	□ Misfeasance
□ Drunkenness	□ Malfeasance
□ Immoral Conduct	□ Nonfeasance
□ Insubordination	□ Other (explain below)
□ Discourteous Treatment of the Public

Description of Violation: _____

_____
(attach additional sheet if necessary)

This Written Warning is issued as a corrective measure in an effort to help you improve your conduct. This warning will be removed from your personnel files after twelve (12) months, providing you have no additional disciplinary actions during that time period. Any further violations could result in more severe disciplinary actions.

	_____ Signature of person issuing reprimand
	_____ Title

I hereby acknowledge that a copy of the above Record of Written Warning has been given to me this day.

	_____ Employee's signature
	_____ Date

Copies: Employee
Employee Personnel File

BERRIEN COUNTY
RECOMMENDATION FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION

To: _____ Date ____________

From: _____

Employee's Name _____

Employee's Classification _____

VIOLATION

Date Violation Occurred _____

Location Where Violation Occurred _____

_____

Type of Violation _____

Description of Violation _____

_____

_____
(Attach additional sheet if necessary)

PREVIOUS DISCIPLINARY RECORD

_____

RECOMMENDED DISCIPLINARY ACTION

□ Suspension of ____________ days

□ Reduction

□ Dismissal

□ Other

BERRIEN COUNTY
DISCIPLINARY MEETING NOTICE

To: _____
Employee

You are hereby notified that a disciplinary meeting will be held, in regard to your actions on ____________, which may result in your suspension or discharge.

This meeting will be held on ____________ [day and date] at ____________ [time and place].

_____ Date	_____ Employer
I hereby acknowledge receipt of the above Notice of Disciplinary Meeting.
_____ Date	_____ Employee's Signature

Copies: Employee
Employee Personnel Files

BERRIEN COUNTY, GEORGIA
EXPENSE REPORT

From: _____
(Date)

To: _____
(Date)

Week Beginning	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Total
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Hotel/Motel
Telephone/Fax
Taxi Fare
Air Fare
Parking Fees
Fuel/Oil
Mileage@ $0.28 per mile
Other: (designate)
Total*

*ATTACH RECEIPTS FOR ALL EXPENSES LISTED ABOVE.

_____
EMPLOYEE'S (SIGNATURE) and Date

_____
DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR'S SIGNATURE and Date

BERRIEN COUNTY
AUTHORIZATION TO PICK UP PAY CHECK

To:	_____
	_____
	_____
	_____

I ____________ [Employee's name] do hereby authorize ____________ [Person receiving check] to receive my pay check/checks payable ____________/____________/____________ [pay date]. I agree that this form shall serve to hold the employer harmless from any further claims by myself in regards to the above payroll check.

_____ Employee's Signature	_____ To be signed by person receiving check in presence of person issuing check
_____ Date	_____ Date

BERRIEN COUNTY
EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL REVIEW

Name: _____ Date of Employment: ____________ Date: ____________

Department: _____ Anniv. Date: ____________ Date of last appraisal: ____________

Present assignment: _____ Time in present assignment: _____

Present salary & step: _____ Proposed salary & step: _____

Education or training since last appraisal: _____

_____

Reason for appraisal: _____ Last evaluation score: ____________

Merit Increase: (warranted with score of 60 and above) _____

Listed below are traits, abilities and characteristics descriptive of job performance. Place an "X" next to the descriptive phrase which most nearly describes the employee being rated.

Evaluation Points	1. KNOWLEDGE OF WORK. Does employee follow procedures, techniques, instructions, etc. needed to do the present job? Does employee know how to locate information or instruction?
10	□ Exceptional
8	□ Well-versed on unusual and complex aspects of job
5	□ Performs well above accepted standards; uses initiative
4	□ Reasonably good knowledge. Not an expert but generally knows what to do and how to do it
2	□ Satisfactory; improvement or training needed
0	□ Lacks knowledge and understanding. Requires frequent help on routine problems. Must improve.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	2. PERFORMANCE LEVEL. Is work accurate and thorough?
10	□ Exceptional
8	□ Work always thorough and accurate.
6	□ Performs above average. Never repeats mistakes.
4	□ Work usually acceptable; seldom needs major redoing. Seldom repeats mistakes
2	□ Satisfactory but improvement desired.
0	□ Work frequently incomplete or unsatisfactory or needs to be done over. Often repeats mistakes.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	3. QUANTITY OF WORK. Does employee do an acceptable amount of work in one day?
10	□ Exceptional
8	□ Does work in excess of assigned. Helps others.
6	□ Industrious; does more than required.
4	□ Volume of work is acceptable.
2	□ Does just enough to get by.
0	□ Does not meet minimum requirements or do assigned share.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	4. PHYSICAL FITNESS. Does employee have the stamina to work consistently with only moderate fatigue? Is employee physically alert and energetic?
10	□ Excellent
8	□ Good health; never tires. Able to perform under various conditions.
6	□ Energetic; seldom tires.
4	□ Meets physical and job requirements to do job satisfactorily.
2	□ Frequently tires and slows down. Improvement desired.
0	□ Tires easily and requires frequent rest.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	5. DEPENDABILITY. Can employee carry out an assignment and take care of duties without close supervision?
10	□ Exceptional
8	□ Completely trustworthy; carries out responsibilities.
6	□ Requires minimum supervision. Is reliable.
4	□ Usually takes care of assigned tasks but needs some supervision.
2	□ Needs prompting to get work done. Improvement desired.
0	□ Forgetful and unreliable. Cannot be counted on to carry out assigned tasks. Poor attendance and/or tardiness must improve.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	6. COOPERATION. Does employee get along well with others? Is employee sensitive to other's views and feelings?
10	□ Exceptional.
8	□ Real team worker. Goes out of way to be constructive and helpful. Genuinely considerate of supervisors and co-workers.
6	□ Gets along well. Works harmoniously with co-workers.
4	□ Generally cooperative. Rarely annoys others or causes friction.
2	□ Has difficulties with some co-workers. Insensitive to feelings of others.
0	□ Troublemaker; discourteous. Unwilling to share workload.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	7. ATTITUDE. Amount of interest and enthusiasm in work and related activities. Has made effort at self-improvement or advancement.
10	□ Exceptional
8	□ Sustains motivation to do best possible job. Eager to do more than assigned share, to learn and improve.
6	□ Has considerable interest in work. Seeks information to learn more.
4	□ Reasonably conscientious; enthusiastic.
2	□ Needs to be pushed and prodded. Does job assignments routinely with supervision.
0	□ No lasting interest. Satisfied with "get by." Objects to or resists doing work not specifically defined.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	8. WORK HABITS. Is employee's work orderly? Is employee prompt? Does employee put tools away? Is employee organized? Is equipment properly used and maintained?
10	□ Excellent
8	□ Unusually organized and orderly; excellent care of tools and equipment.
6	□ Quite conscientious about neatness and orderliness; good care of tools and equipment.
4	□ Ordinarily keeps work area and/or equipment fairly neat.
2	□ Has tendency to be careless and untidy.
0	□ Disorderly, untidy; delays in getting things done and put away.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	9. JUDGMENT. Does employee have ability to make good decisions, use of work leaves, safety precautions? Does employee plan ahead well?
10	□ Exceptional
8	□ Evidences excellent and responsible judgment and initiative in dealing with problems and emergencies; very safety-conscious.
6	□ Usually demonstrates sound judgment and responsibility; can make independent decisions; observes all safety policies.
4	□ Generally makes sound decisions and uses common sense in situations of moderate difficulty; observes basic safety regulations.
2	□ Has limited ability to make sound, independent decisions and does so with guidance and counseling; needs reminding on safety regulations.
0	□ Often makes rash judgments, acting hastily; ignores safety policies and reminders.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	10. PERSONALITY. Is employee courteous? Does employee make a good appearance? Are behavior characteristics acceptable?
10	□ Exceptional
8	□ Open, friendly personality; sensitive, considerate of co-workers and/or public.
6	□ Polite and courteous. Gets along well with others.
4	□ Adequate. Meets minimum standards of acceptability.
2	□ Indifferent. Does not actively seek company of other people.
0	□ Rude, slovenly. Creates tension for co-workers and/or has difficulty in dealing with the public.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	11. ATTENDANCE. Is employee regularly on the job and prompt?
10	□ Excellent
8	□ Always regular and prompt.
6	□ Very prompt and regular in attendance.
4	□ Usually present and on time.
2	□ Lax in attendance and/or reporting for work on time.
0	□ Often absent without good excuse and/or frequently reports for work late.
	Comments: _____
	_____
	EMPLOYEE EVALUATION SCORE _____

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

Future Goals:

_____

How well were past goals accomplished?

_____

What formal training or other activity do you recommend?

_____

Employee comments:

_____

□ I have read the above and agree with it.

□ I have read the above and disagree with it.

Comments: _____

_____

Signature: _____ Date: ____________

SUPERVISOR/RATER

Signature: _____ Date: ____________

Title: _____

_____

REVIEW: The above evaluation has been reviewed at the time of merit increase due date.

SUPERVISOR/RATER

Comments: _____

_____

Signature: _____ Date: ____________

MANAGER

Comments: _____

_____

Signature: _____ Date: ____________

_____

BERRIEN COUNTY
COMPLAINT FORM

Complaint submitted to: _____

_____ NAME OF COMPLAINANT	/ / Date Complaint First Discussed with Elected Official or Immediate Supervisor
_____ Department in which employed	/ / Date this Written Complaint is Submitted
_____ Classification
_____

Date and time Complaint occurred: _____

Location where Complaint occurred: _____

Description of incident giving rise to the Complaint: _____

_____

_____
(Attach additional sheet if necessary)

County ordinance or resolution, personnel regulations, applicable state law, or policy believed to be violated:

_____

Desired remedy which Complainant feels will resolve the Complaint:

_____

All accompanying data and any responses from the previous steps shall be submitted with the original form at all subsequent steps.

STEP 1	_____ Supervisor's Signature	/ / Date discussed	/ / Date answered
STEP 2	_____ EEO Officer's Signature	/ / Date received	/ / Date answered
STEP 3	_____ Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Signature	/ / Date received	/ / Date answered

Response to Complaint at each step shall be written on a separate sheet of paper, identified as such, attached to the original Complaint form and returned to the Complainant.

BERRIEN COUNTY
MONTHLY BUSINESS TRAVEL LOG

Department ____________ Year: ____________ Page ____________ of ____________

Name _____

		Odometer
Date	Destination/Purpose	Begin	End	Business miles

Signature _____

BERRIEN COUNTY
HOTEL/MOTEL TAX EXEMPTION REQUEST

Georgia law authorizes an exemption from local option excise tax on rooms, lodgings, and accommodations for Georgia government employees traveling on official business.

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 48-13-51(a)(1)(c)(ii), "The tax authorized by this Code section shall not apply to the charges for any rooms, lodgings, or accommodations furnished for a period of one or more days for use by Georgia state or local government officials or employees when traveling on official business."

This certifies that _____
Name of State or Local Government Official
;xhg;was a guest at the _____
Name of Public Accommodation
;xhg;for the period ____________/____________/____________, 19____________ to ____________/____________/____________, 19____________.

The above named individual represented:

_____
Name of State or Local Government Agency

_____
Address

_____ Telephone number	_____ ID or Social Security number
and was on official business for the above named agency during the period for which the exemption is requested.
_____ Signature of Official	_____ Date
_____ Representative of Lodging Place	_____ Date

BERRIEN COUNTY
ACCIDENT/INJURY INVESTIGATION FORM

Department	Date and time accident occurred


Supervisor	Date and time accident was reported


Location of accident


Name of injured person	Title (address and telephone number if not an employee)


Names of witnesses	Titles (addresses and telephone numbers if not employees)


Injured person's supervisor at the time of injury (if different from above)


Description of injury	Person received medical attention □ Yes □ No




Cause of injury



Type of equipment the person was using


Injured person's description of accident (including circumstances leading up to the accident)




Costs of medical care	Number of lost working days	Costs of hiring/training replacement

Supervisor's Evaluation:
	Yes	No
Has a similar accident or injury happened before?			if yes, when?
Did you know that the employee was doing this job when the injury or accident occurred?
Should the employee be doing this job?
Was the employee trained to do this job?
Was the employee doing the job correctly when the accident occurred?
Were conditions and/or equipment efficient and safe?
Has the employee done the job correctly in the past?
Has the employee ever been corrected or retrained because he or she did the job incorrectly?
Did any obstacles keep the employee from doing the job safely:
Conflicting procedures?
Conflicting orders?
Lack of equipment?
Rush to finish the job?
Has the employee been under any stress?
Are there any morale problems among employees?
Was the job procedure awkward or unsafe?
Was personal protective equipment required for performing this job?
Was it used?
Was it used correctly?
Is the job boring?
Was the accident preventable?
Recommendations for preventing this accident from recurring in the future:

BERRIEN COUNTY
AUTHORIZATION TO REVIEW PERSONNEL FILE

To:	_____
	_____
	_____
	_____

I ____________ [Employee's name] do hereby authorize ____________ [Person reviewing file] to review my individual personnel file, on file in the Manager's office.

_____
Employee's Signature

_____
Date

EMPLOYEE INFORMATION AND VERIFICATION: (To be completed and signed by employee.)

_____
Name (Print or Type) Last First Middle Birth Name

_____
Address: Street Name and Number City State ZIP Code

_____
Date of Birth (Month/Day/Year) Social Security Number

_____

I attest, under penalty of perjury, that I am (check a box):

□	1.	A citizen or national of the United States.
□	2.	An alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (Alien Number A ____________).
□	3.	An alien authorized by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to work in the United States (Alien Number A ____________. or Admission Number ____________, expiration of employment authorization, if any ____________).

I attest, under penalty of perjury, the documents that I have presented as evidence of identity and employment eligibility are genuine and relate to me. I am aware the federal law provides for imprisonment and/or fine for any false statements or use of false documents in connection with this certificate.

_____
Signature

_____
Date (Month/Day/Year)

PREPARER/TRANSLATOR CERTIFICATION (To be completed if prepared by person other than the employee). I attest under penalty of perjury, that the above was prepared by me at the request of the named individual and is based on all information of which I have any knowledge.

_____ Signature	_____ Name (Print or Type)
_____ Address (Street Name and Number)	_____ City State Zip Code

□ EMPLOYER REVIEW AND VERIFICATION: (To be completed and signed by employer.)

Instructions:

Select one document from List A and check the appropriate box, OR examine one document from List B and one from List C and check the appropriate box: Select Document Identification Number and Expiration Date for the document checked.

List A Documents that Establish Identity and Employment Eligibility	List B Documents that Establish Identity and	List C Documents that Establish Employment Eligibility
_____	_____	_____
□ 1. United States Passport	□ 1. A State-issued driver's license or a State-issued L.D. card with a photograph, or information, including name, sex, date of birth, height, weight, and color of eyes. (Specify State) _____)	□ 1. Original Social Security Number Card (other than a card stating it is not valid for employment)
□ 2. Certificate of United States Citizenship	□ 2. U.S. Military Card	□ 2. A birth certificate issued by State, county, municipal authority bearing a seal or appropriate certification.
□ 3. Certificate of Naturalization	□ 3. Other (specify document and issuing authority)	□ 3. Unexpired INS Employment Authorization Specify form
□ 4. Unexpired foreign passport with attached Employment Authorization	_____	# _____
□ 5. Alien Registration Card with photograph	_____
Document Identification. # _____	Document Identification. # _____	Document Identification. # _____
Expiration Date (if any) _____	Expiration Date (if any) _____	Expiration Date (if any) _____

_____

CERTIFICATION: I attest, under penalty of perjury, that I have examined the documents presented by the above individual, that they appear to be genuine and belong to the individual named, and that the individual, to the best of my knowledge, is eligible to work in the United States.

_____ Signature	_____ Name (Print or Type)	_____ Title
_____ Employer Name	_____ Address	_____ Date

Form 1-9 (05/07/87)		U.S. Department of Justice
OMR NO. 1115-0136	BERRIEN COUNTY	Immigration and Naturalization Service

EMPLOYER REPORTING PROGRAM - REPORT FORM

When you use this form, please make and keep extra copies for future reference. Please note that the employer identification information below applies to your company ONLY

Employer Identification:
_____

Employer Name
_____

Employer Address
_____

City _____	State _____	Zip _____
	Employer Identification No. _____
New or Re-hired Employee Information
Last Name _____	First Name _____	MI _____
Street Address _____
City _____	State _____	ZIP _____
	Date of Birth _____	Social Security Number _____
Last Name _____	First Name _____	MI _____
Street Address _____
City _____	State _____	ZIP _____
	Date of Birth _____	Social Security Number _____
Last Name _____	First Name _____	MI _____
Street Address _____
City _____	State _____	ZIP _____
	Date of Birth _____	Social Security Number _____
Last Name _____	First Name _____	MI _____
Street Address _____
City _____	State _____	ZIP _____
	Date of Birth _____	Social Security Number _____

MAIL THIS REPORT TO:

Division of Children and Family Services

Child Support Enforcement

Employer Reporting Program

P.O. Box 575500

Atlanta, Ga. 30357

BERRIEN COUNTY
HAZARD REPORT

To:	From:
Location of hazard:
Description of hazard:






Summary of investigation:






Recommended action:






Abatement action:






Date:	Name of person who corrected hazard:	Signature:

BERRIEN COUNTY

EXIT INTERVIEW

NAME: _____	DEPARTMENT: _____
JOB TITLE: _____	TERMINATION DATE: _____
DATE INTERVIEWED: _____ BY: _____ EMPLOYMENT DATE: ____________
REASON FOR TERMINATION: _____
_____

EMPLOYEE'S EVALUATION OF THE JOB:

	EXCELLENT	SATISFACTORY	FAIR	POOR	UNSATISFACTORY
Interest Job Held
Performance Recognition
Supervisory Fairness
Chance for Advancement
Charges and Benefits
Enjoyed Fellow Workers
Training on Job
Work Was As Described
Communications
Working Conditions

OTHER COMMENTS: _____

_____

INTERVIEWER'S COMMENTS: _____

_____

SUPERVISOR'S OR DEPARTMENT HEAD'S FINAL EVALUATION OF EMPLOYEE: _____

_____

_____
Signature

E-MAIL, INTERNET AND VOICE-MAIL EMPLOYEE ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM

I understand that electronic communications systems and the information transmitted by, received from, stored in these systems belong to Berrien County. Furthermore, I understand that these systems are for use solely for work purposes and not for personal purposes, and that I have no expectation of privacy in connection with the use of this equipment or with the transmission, receipt, or storage of information in the County's computer system.

I agree not to use a password, access code, access file, or retrieve any stored communication unless authorized by the appropriated Department Supervisor. I understand and consent to the County monitoring my use of this equipment at any time at the discretion of the County. Such monitoring may include printing or reading e-mails in these systems, tracking the Internet sites I visited, and listening to any voice mail messages.

EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE _____

PRINT NAME _____

DATE: _____

WITNESS: _____

PRINT NAME: _____

DATE: _____

                    
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