Thurston County Personnel Policies

THURSTON COUNTY PERSONNEL POLICIES

1. Holidays

10.1Legal Holidays

The following days are designated as legal holidays for ThurstonCounty:

New Year's Day / January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day / 3rd Monday of January
Presidents' Day / 3rd Monday of February
Memorial Day / Last Monday in May
Independence Day / July 4
Labor Day / 1st Monday of September
Veterans' Day / November 11
Thanksgiving Day / 4th Thursday of November
Native American Heritage Day / The Friday immediately following the 4th Thursday in November
Christmas Day / December 25

10.2Holiday Observance

Holidays will be observed on the dates designated above. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will be the designatedholiday. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be the designatedholiday.

10.3Judicial Day

The courts have the statutory authority to hold court on a holiday and may require court employees to work on a designated holiday. Whenever a designatedholiday falls on a judicial day, the provisions of this chapter will not apply to any office required to work because of the judicial day.

The appointing authority will adjust the employee’s work schedule for the week of the holiday to give the employee the appropriate number of hours off for the holiday.

10.4Holiday Benefit Pay Eligibility

Regular, full-time employees who work standard or alternative work schedules will normally be entitled to the holiday offwith pay, based on an eight (8) hour day. The eight (8) hour holiday benefit will be prorated by FTE for regular employees who work less than full-time. Employees must be in paid status on the day before or the day after a holiday to beentitled to payfor the holiday. Employees who are in paid status every working day of a month that begins or endswith a holiday are entitled to receive pay for the holiday.

10.5Working on a Holiday, Standardand Alternative Work Schedule

A.Overtime-eligible employees with a standard or alternative work schedule who work on a holiday will be compensated for all hours worked in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the County’s policy on overtime[Insert Link to overtime policy], in addition to receiving holiday benefit pay.

B.Overtime-Exemptemployeesare required to work the hours needed to perform their duties regardless of whether or not they work on a holiday. Exempt employees will receive their normal rate of pay for the workweek.

10.6Holiday Compensation, Alternative Work Schedules

1. When a regular employee works an alternativeworkschedule, e.g. 4-10’s, 9-80’s, the holiday hours the employee receives aredetermined by multiplying the employee's FTE by eight(8) hours. With proper notice, the appointing authority may adjust the employee’s work schedule for the week of the holiday to give the employee the appropriate number of hours off for the holiday. For example, an employee who works a 4-10 schedule may be put on a 5-day/8-hour schedule during the week in which the holiday occurs.

1. If the appointing authority does not adjust the employee's schedule for the week of the holiday, the employee must either use accrued leave or have his or her pay reduced for holiday hours in excess of eight (8); or receive pay for holiday hours less than eight (8). For part-time employees, this provision will be based on the portion of eight (8) holiday hours to which the employee is entitled.

1. Appointing authorities who require an employee to work an alternative work schedule may, with proper notice, adjust the employee’s work schedule during the week of the holiday. In the absence of a schedule adjustment, the employee will receive their regular pay for the holiday based on the number of hours in the employee’s normally scheduled day, and the provisions in 10.6.A & B will not apply.

10.7Non-Standard Work Schedules, 24/7 Operations (Juvenile Court and Coroner’s Office)

Employees in departments and offices that run on a 24/7 schedule working on a 5/2 schedule (Monday through Friday, with Saturday/Sunday off) not required to work on the holiday will follow the County day of observance for the holiday.

Foremployees required to work a non-standard schedule of more than eight (8) hours per day, the following provisions apply:

1. When the holiday falls on the employee’s normal day off, the employee will receive their regular pay based on the number of hours in their normally scheduled shift, e.g. if the employee is required to work twelve (12) hour shifts, the holiday pay will be based on a twelve (12) hour day. In addition, the employee will receive an alternate day off (alternate holiday).

1. If the holiday falls on the employee’s scheduled work day, the following will apply:

1. Overtime-eligible employeesrequired to work rather than observe the holidaywill be compensated at a rate of one-and-one half times (1.5x) their regular pay for all hours worked on the holiday.

1. Employees required to work the holiday, regardless of overtime-eligibility, will receive an alternate day off (alternate holiday).

1. If the employee is allowed to observe the holiday, the employee will not be charged leave and will receive their regular pay based on the number of hours in their normally scheduled shift.

1. Alternate Holidays. Employees who accrue alternate holidays are encouraged to use them as soon as possible; ideally within the same workweek the holiday was observed or as soon thereafter as possible. Unused alternate holidaysare subject to the following rules:

1. On December 31 of each year, unused alternate holidays in excess of five (5), will be lost. An employee may roll-over up to five (5) unused holidays to the next calendar year.

1. Unused alternate holidays may not be donated.Employees who leave County service may cash-out up to five (5) unused alternate holidays. No other cash out of alternate holidays is allowed.

10.8Religious Holidays

Employees are entitled to two (2) unpaid holidays per calendar year for a reason of faith or conscience or an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Employees must use their accrued vacation, alternative, or alternate holiday leave, leave without pay, or make alternative work schedule arrangements. Employees must request pre-approval from their supervisors. Such requests will be granted unless the employee’s absence imposes an undue hardship on the employer as defined in WAC 82-56-020 or the employee is necessary to maintain public safety.

Employees may take additional religious holidays off with pre-approval from their supervisor. Employees must use their accrued vacation, alternative, or alternate holiday leave or make alternative work schedule arrangements. In the event an employee who is not eligible to use accrued leave requests time off to observe a religious holiday, the appointing authority will consider approving leave without pay.

10.9Floating Holiday

A.Regular employees will receive one(1)floating holiday on January 1st of each year. The floating holiday may be used by probationary employees after the first three (3) months of employmentwith approval of the appointing authority.

B.On January 1st of each year, following the completion of twenty (20) years of service based on the employee’s leave accrual date, regular employees will receive one (1) additional floating holiday, for a total of two (2) floating holidays per year.

On January 1st of each year, following thecompletion of twenty-five (25) years of service based on leave accrual date, regular employees will receive a second additional floating holiday, for a total of three (3) floating holidays per year.

C.Use of a floating holiday must be pre-approved. A floating holiday may only be used in afull-day increment andmust be used by December 31stof the calendar year in which it is earned or it will be lost.

D.The eight (8) hour holiday benefit will be prorated by FTE for regular employees who work less than full-time. Employees must use the hours constituting the floating holiday as a single block of time.

10.10Community Service Day

A.Regular employees will receive one (1) community service day on January 1st of each year. The community service day may be used by probationary employees after the first three (3) months of employment with approval of the appointing authority.

B.Use of the community service day is limited to participation inor volunteer workfor legitimate non-profit organizations or public agencies,or employee-selected training that enhances job or professional skills.

C.Scheduling of the community service day must be pre-approved. A community service day may only be used in a full-day increment and must be used by December 31st of the calendar year in which it is earned or it will be lost.

D.The eight (8) hour community service day benefit will be prorated by FTE for regular employees who work less than full time. Employees will take the hours constituting the community service day asa single block of time.

10.11No Cash Value

The county will not pay employees forunused floating holidays or the community service day upon termination of employment, nor may these holidays be donated through the shared leave program.

FINAL, includes legal and union feedback

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