(Red Oak) The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors discussed possible changes to the county employee handbook regarding holidays and overtime, but took no action.
County Auditor Jill Ozuna told supervisors that new legislation affecting overtime calculations and IRS reporting prompted a review of the handbook. Ozuna said the current handbook is not compliant with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
According to Ozuna, the handbook currently states that holidays and vacation time are counted as hours worked when determining overtime, language that aligns with the union contract. However, FLSA does not recognize holidays, vacation, sick leave, or comp time as hours worked for overtime calculations. Ozuna said the wording must be changed to reflect that holiday and vacation time cannot be counted toward overtime.
Supervisor Bryant Amos said he understands the exclusion of holidays, but noted that vacation time is earned.
Ozuna said the handbook needs to be updated immediately, but the union contract supersedes county policy, creating a conflict. She said all parties need to come together and agree on any changes before they are made.
The supervisors did not act on the issue on Tuesday. Attorney Brent Hinders will hold an hour-long meeting next week to answer questions and before the start of Union Negotiations.
