News : Supervisors approve new vacation policy for employees after first six months

The Benton County Supervisors approved part of a request from County Attorney David Thompson regarding the county's vacation policy during their meeting on Tuesday. But they did not make all of the changes that Thompson had asked them to make.

The supervisors unanimously approved a motion offering a 5-day vacation benefit to full-time employees who have completed six months of work for the county. Previously, employees were required to work a full year before becoming eligible for any vacation benefits.

But Thompson had asked to make the change retroactive to last year. This would have allow the two workers in his office, as well as other recently-hired employees, to be eligible for vacation benefits now.

But the supervisors disagreed.

Jason Sanders said that when those employees agreed to full-time employment with the county, they understood that the terms of employment included working for a full year before becoming eligible for vacation.

Supervisors Ron Buch and Dave Vermedahl worried that making the change retroactive to some employees but not to others would be unfair to those not included.

Thompson pressed the supervisors to rethink making the change retroactive; he told them the two employees in his office who were moved to full-time status as the beginning of 2011 had worked for years as 70-percent employees. He said that including those and other employees in the expanded vacation benefit would inspire more hard work from people who are already doing a great job.

The new policy goes into effect July 1, and applies to those hired after that date.