LAWTON – Comanche County’s elected officials recently eliminated the annual cumulation limit for employees’ sick leave and increased the monthly limit.
The officials unanimously approved the change during the Board of Comanche County Commissioners’ Dec. 2 meeting. Elected officials were required to vote on the change because it affects the handbook for county employees.
Commissioners Ryan John and Johnny Owens also voted to approve the change along with a proxy for Commission Chairman Josh Powers, who was absent. Sick leave The yearly accumulation limit for employees’ sick leave was previously set at 1,040 hours, and the monthly limit was eight hours per month. But the changes to the employee handbook, which went into effect Dec. 2, removed the annual limit and raised the monthly limit from eight hours per month to 10.
The annual limit for workers with at least five years of service will increase from 480 hours a year to 640.
County representatives discussed the current leave limits and other employment-related topics came up during a Feb. 26 meeting with Dale Frech, safety director for the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahoma, according to a letter from Comanche County District 3. Powers represents District 3 on the commission.
Based on that discussion, officials proposed eliminating the sick leave accumulation limit and boosting the monthly accumulation limit, according to the letter.
“Not only will these changes be favorable to all full-time employees who are eligible to receive these leave benefits, it will eliminate all current accumulation overages and bring each office back into compliance of the Comanche County Employee Personnel Policy Handbook,” officials said in the letter.