County to look at sick leave policy

November 9, 2010

Howard County Commissioners discuss the creation of a committee to look into the county's sick leave policy during their Monday meeting. (HERALD photo/Thomas Jenkins)

Howard County commissioners agreed to form a committee to look into the way the county deals with employee sick leave during its Monday morning meeting, following an executive session to discuss the matter.

According to County Judge Mark Barr, the county has seen an upswing in the amount of sick leave being used by county employees this year.

“We've had at least two cases where employees have had to dip into the sick leave pool, which is basically reserved only for catastrophic situations,” Barr said. “We've seen a real increase in the amount of sick leave being used this year, and we don't know why. That's why we decided to appoint a committee to look into the matter.”

The committee, which will be appointed by Barr, is expected to begin working on the matter after the first of the year.