Commissioners amend ordinance to allow county employees to work from home

MARSHALL COUNTY – Employees of Marshall County can now be allowed to work from home if so needed. The commissioners approved an amendment to the personnel policy at their last meeting that would grant county employees the ability to work from home as long as certain steps are taken.

This is a temporary remote work policy according to County attorney Jim Clevenger.

“In the event an employee is required to work remotely due to a countywide closure for health or pandemic reasons or quarantine or whatever the purpose is, we set in place a plan that would permit an employee to work remotely, presumably from home,” Clevenger said.

He went on to explain that the employee would have to fill out a form requesting permission to work remotely from home. The form, said Clevenger, “is designed to make sure that the employee is promising to work and to do the things required.” Some of those required items include the employee’s work, responsibilities, and accurately recording their

work time.

“Ideally what’s supposed to happen is, the request is supposed to be made as part of a plan that is already been in place. It’s supposed to be improved by you all and the Auditor’s office. And then a log is submitted that the work was actually done. And again, back and submitted and approved,” he said.

Commissioner Kevin Overmyer stated that even though this policy wasn’t in place, there had been some employees that were already working remotely.

“I know here recently we’ve had some employees working that we didn’t know were working at home and it just causes confusion for payroll,” Overmyer said.

Clevenger informed the commissioners that the employee, the elected official department head, and all three commissioners have to sign the request form.

Commissioner Stan Klotz asked what would happen if the employee requested to work from home during the time between commissioner meetings. Auditor Julie Fox stated that the request did not require a formal meeting and that the three commissioners could come in and sign the request at any time.

The commissioners approved the amendment to the personnel policy by unanimous vote on all three readings.