south carolina association of counties personnel issues update may 29, 2008 linda pearce edwards,...
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South Carolina Association South Carolina Association of Countiesof Counties
Personnel Issues UpdatePersonnel Issues Update May 29, 2008 May 29, 2008
Linda Pearce Edwards, EsquireLinda Pearce Edwards, EsquireGignilliat, Savitz & Bettis, LLPGignilliat, Savitz & Bettis, LLP
(803) 799-9311(803) 799-9311
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BACKGROUND CHECKSBACKGROUND CHECKS
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Criminal background – all applicants Criminal background – all applicants tentatively selected for hiretentatively selected for hire
Sex offender registry – all applicants Sex offender registry – all applicants tentatively selected for hiretentatively selected for hire– sled.sc.gov/sorsled.sc.gov/sor
Driving record for employees whose jobs Driving record for employees whose jobs require they drive a County vehiclerequire they drive a County vehicle
Credit checks for employees involved in Credit checks for employees involved in finance or otherwise handling moneyfinance or otherwise handling money
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HANDBOOKS, POLICY HANDBOOKS, POLICY MANUALS, SOPsMANUALS, SOPs
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DISCLAIMERDISCLAIMER
On On Page 1Page 1 (first page after the cover) (first page after the cover)
UNDERLINED, IN CAPITAL LETTERSUNDERLINED, IN CAPITAL LETTERS
Signed by Employee and datedSigned by Employee and dated
– Get two “original” signatures Get two “original” signatures
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POLICIES ISSUED SUBSEQUENT TO POLICIES ISSUED SUBSEQUENT TO HANDBOOK/MANUALHANDBOOK/MANUAL
““THIS IS NOT A CONTRACT OF THIS IS NOT A CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT””
First page of the documentFirst page of the document
Signature not requiredSignature not required
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DRUG TESTINGDRUG TESTING
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POLICYPOLICY
Random testingRandom testing– CDL drivers: testing requiredCDL drivers: testing required– ““Safety sensitive” positionsSafety sensitive” positions
““Reasonable Suspicion” testingReasonable Suspicion” testing– All employeesAll employees
Applicants: tentatively selected for Applicants: tentatively selected for employmentemployment
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FAIR LABOR FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACTSTANDARDS ACT
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COVERAGE & EXEMPTIONSCOVERAGE & EXEMPTIONS
Elected/Appointed Officials or EmployeesElected/Appointed Officials or Employees
Exempt EmployeesExempt Employees
– Salary TestSalary Test
– Duties TestDuties Test
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WORK TIMEWORK TIME
Meal breaksMeal breaks
Pre- and post- work errandsPre- and post- work errands
Preparatory & concluding activitiesPreparatory & concluding activities
HomeworkHomework
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WORK TIME, continuedWORK TIME, continued
Waiting time – predominantly employer’s Waiting time – predominantly employer’s benefitbenefit
Rest breaks/coffee breaks/smoke breaksRest breaks/coffee breaks/smoke breaks
Training timeTraining time
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WORK TIME, continuedWORK TIME, continued
Travel timeTravel time– Home to workHome to work– All in a dayAll in a day– Overnight Overnight
On-call time – is not work timeOn-call time – is not work time
Leave time – is not work timeLeave time – is not work time
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OVERTIMEOVERTIME
An employee cannot “volunteer” to do his An employee cannot “volunteer” to do his own jobown job
Each workweek stands alone (except law Each workweek stands alone (except law enforcement and fire service)enforcement and fire service)
Must “work” before entitled to overtimeMust “work” before entitled to overtime
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OVERTIME, continuedOVERTIME, continued
Compensatory time – 1 ½ hours off for each Compensatory time – 1 ½ hours off for each hour of overtime worked (non-exempt hour of overtime worked (non-exempt employees)employees)
Unauthorized overtimeUnauthorized overtime
Employer and employee cannot “agree” to Employer and employee cannot “agree” to violate the Actviolate the Act
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VOLUNTEERSVOLUNTEERS
Employee cannot “volunteer” to do his own job and Employee cannot “volunteer” to do his own job and cannot perform the same type of services as a cannot perform the same type of services as a volunteer (e.g., administrative assistant)volunteer (e.g., administrative assistant)
May receive reasonable expenses and nominal feeMay receive reasonable expenses and nominal fee
Cannot require employee to volunteer; cannot punish Cannot require employee to volunteer; cannot punish if refuses if refuses
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DISCIPLINE & DISCIPLINE & DOCUMENTATIONDOCUMENTATION
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Date (day/month/year) and sign all memos, Date (day/month/year) and sign all memos, statements, etc. statements, etc.
Make sure handwriting is legibleMake sure handwriting is legible
Prepare contemporaneously with eventsPrepare contemporaneously with events– Better memoryBetter memory– If late, looks fake If late, looks fake
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Be accurate. Even one factual error makes the Be accurate. Even one factual error makes the entire document suspect. entire document suspect.
Do not draw conclusions unless you Do not draw conclusions unless you knowknow. . Stick to observed facts. Stick to observed facts.
Be specific.Be specific.– PerformancePerformance– Behavior Behavior
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Don’t make excuses. Don’t make excuses.
Don’t lie, even to be nice. Don’t lie, even to be nice.
– ““No good deed goes unpunished.”No good deed goes unpunished.”
Be consistent with similar misconduct. Be consistent with similar misconduct.
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Do not over-focus. Do not over-focus.
Do not under-focus. Do not under-focus.
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POLITICAL ACTIVITYPOLITICAL ACTIVITY
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May notMay not prohibit employee from working on political prohibit employee from working on political campaign, contributing to political candidates, or campaign, contributing to political candidates, or holding office in a political party. holding office in a political party.
MayMay prohibit political activity in the workplace or prohibit political activity in the workplace or during work time. during work time.
May notMay not coerce employee to support a particular coerce employee to support a particular candidate. candidate.
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May notMay not fire someone who announces for non-partisan fire someone who announces for non-partisan political office. political office.
MayMay require that someone who announces for political office require that someone who announces for political office take a leave of absence. take a leave of absence.
NOTENOTE:: The federal Hatch Act covers employees whose job The federal Hatch Act covers employees whose job duties are “in connection with” programs or financed in whole duties are “in connection with” programs or financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by a federal agency. There or in part by loans or grants made by a federal agency. There are more stringent restrictions regarding these employees. For are more stringent restrictions regarding these employees. For example, these employees may not run for partisan political example, these employees may not run for partisan political office. office.
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HARASSMENTHARASSMENT
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Unlawful harassment is verbal, nonverbal or Unlawful harassment is verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct that denigrates, belittles or physical conduct that denigrates, belittles or puts down and individual or shows hostility, puts down and individual or shows hostility, distaste or aversion toward an individual based distaste or aversion toward an individual based on his/her:on his/her:
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RaceRace ColorColor National originNational origin ReligionReligion GenderGender DisabilityDisability AgeAge Participation in protected activityParticipation in protected activity
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To be unlawful, conduct must be unwelcome To be unlawful, conduct must be unwelcome and:and:– submission to the conduct is made a term or submission to the conduct is made a term or
condition of employment; orcondition of employment; or– submission to or rejection of conduct is used as the submission to or rejection of conduct is used as the
basis for employment; orbasis for employment; or– conduct has the purpose or conduct has the purpose or effecteffect of interfering of interfering
with an individual’s performance or creating an with an individual’s performance or creating an intimidating, offensive or hostile work intimidating, offensive or hostile work environmentenvironment
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Problem – determining whether behavior is Problem – determining whether behavior is unwelcomeunwelcome
Solution – any conduct which would violate Solution – any conduct which would violate the policy the policy ifif unwelcome, violates the policy. unwelcome, violates the policy.
– ““no tolerance” policyno tolerance” policy
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Practical problemPractical problem
– Conduct might seem harmless to you but may not Conduct might seem harmless to you but may not be harmless to othersbe harmless to others
– That conduct is culturally or socially acceptable That conduct is culturally or socially acceptable outside the workplace does not make it acceptable outside the workplace does not make it acceptable in the workplacein the workplace
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TYPES OF HARASSMENTTYPES OF HARASSMENT LanguageLanguage
Jokes, including emailsJokes, including emails
Mimicking an employee’s accentMimicking an employee’s accent
TeasingTeasing
Photos/screen saversPhotos/screen savers
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Staring/gesturesStaring/gestures
Touching, including “unintentional”Touching, including “unintentional”
IntimidationIntimidation
Vulgar conductVulgar conduct
Inquiries of a personal nature Inquiries of a personal nature
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RESPONSIBILITYRESPONSIBILITY
Own conduct – Own conduct –
– RULERULE: Do not say or do anything that you would : Do not say or do anything that you would not say or do in front of your parents, spouse or not say or do in front of your parents, spouse or childrenchildren
If you have to ask yourself “should I say/do it,” If you have to ask yourself “should I say/do it,” do do notnot say it or do it. say it or do it.
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Conduct of others – employees, vendors, the Conduct of others – employees, vendors, the publicpublic
– ““Know or have reason to know”Know or have reason to know”
Take seriously, no matter how trivial it soundsTake seriously, no matter how trivial it sounds