Bartholomew County moves to earlier end for work day

Bartholomew County is considering changes to its personnel policies, allowing for maternity leave and moving work hours to earlier in the day.

Bartholomew County Commissioners yesterday gave their first approval to the ordinances making the changes.

Under the first, Bartholomew County full-time employees will be eligible for up to six weeks of paid maternity leave for a birth mother and up to four weeks for a non-birthing parent. Commissioners said that is less than some private companies, but more than the county has had before. If approved on final reading the change would go into effect January 1st.

The county will also be moving all normal office county employees to a regular 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. workday. Bartholomew is one of only two counties in the state that still work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Commissioner Tony London said.

Under the new schedule, each workday would also include a 20 minute paid lunch period instead of a one hour non-paid lunch. All affected employees will still work a 40 hour week. The change will not affect employees who work an around the clock schedule.

Commissioners said that individual office holders and department heads would have to make sure to manage their employees so all the work gets done.

The state recommended and the county approved an 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule for court employees earlier this year. Commissioner President Carl Lienhoop said that having non-court employees in the courthouse working until 5 p.m. caused some friction and that the amount of help requested by the public between 4 and 5 p.m. is minimal.

If approved by the commissioners, the new office hours would go into effect on October 1st.