Two years of discussion could be coming to an end as a revamped employee handbook could be in Shawano County Board members’ hands next week.
The Administrative Committee put a definitive period on the project Thursday by approving its release to the board, once the attorney who has been working with the county gives it another look this weekend to iron out any final issues. If the draft passes muster, it is expected to be sent to County Board members on Monday, giving them about a week to look over the document before their next meeting on Aug. 28.
It cannot be too soon for Supervisor Gene Hoppe, Administrative Committee chairman.
“I want to get this out as soon as possible,” Hoppe said.
The handbook revision started shortly after Act 10 was signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker. The budget bill limited the powers of public employee unions. Most of the county’s unions, except for deputies, dissolved, leaving hundreds of employees without firm guidelines previously detailed in their union contracts.
Supervisor Deb Noffke said she hopes the new handbook will help to clear up any confusion about county policies for employees, including issues such as dress code, pay increases and paid time off.
“We had a previous handbook, but it became apparent that no one followed it,” Noffke said.
Noffke was a member of the Transition Committee, which included county supervisors and department heads, that went through the previous handbook to see what needed to be changed or added.
The committee was ready to move the handbook forward in 2012, according to Noffke, but then learned that the Wisconsin Counties Association would provide an an attorney who specializes in labor law to look over the handbook.
That was when Dan Borowski, a partner with Phillips Borowski in Mequon, came on board to work out the details, first one-on-one with Noffke, and then through multiple sessions with the Administrative Committee.
“It will be very nice to have the process complete,” Noffke said.
Hoppe is also pleased that the process is finally ending after spending three all-day sessions in the last month working out the details with the Administrative Committee.
“It’s something we’ve needed for a long time, and it’s finally getting done,” Hoppe said. “We really had to put some hours into doing this, but thanks to Deb Noffke and Dan Borowski and this committee — and even the Transition Committee — we finally have a handbook.”
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