OCNH seeks personnel policy approval

By JOHN BRANNON
Messenger Staff Reporter
Memo for future reference: Any pay raises, cost of living adjustments or other pay increase given employees of Obion County will not include employees of Obion County Nursing Home — unless approved by the Obion County Commission.
Such is just one of several changes proposed for the nursing home’s personnel manual. The changes were approved by the Obion County Budget Committee on Sept. 8 and forwarded to the Obion County Commission for an up or down vote. The commission will meet at 9 a.m. Monday in the Circuit Court courtroom.
“Obion County Nursing Home is operated from revenues received from patient care, paid by charges to the patient or their responsible party, and payments made by Medicaid,” the change states.
Other changes in the nursing home personnel manual include:
• Overtime pay.
All hourly employees will be eligible for overtime for all hours worked over 40 in each work week.
• Dress code.
All nurses, certified nursing assistants, dietary, housekeeping and laundry personnel shall wear uniforms. Skirts shall be no shorter than mid-knee length.
• Smoking.
“(The nursing home) is a non-smoking facility for staff, residents and families,” the change states. “This includes all areas of the facility and grounds. Employees will be allowed to smoke in their vehicles, with the doors closed, during their scheduled breaks only. Employees are not allowed to leave the property during their shift, so no employee is allowed to go off the property to smoke. Any violation of this policy will be grounds for termination.”
• No cell phones.
Cell phones can be used only during lunch or breaks.
• Holiday pay.
Employees must work the scheduled work day before, the day of and day after a holiday to receive holiday pay.
• Sick leave.
A doctor’s excuse will be required for illness.
• Employee discipline.
The typical order of employee discipline is as follows: verbal warning, written warning, written warning and/or suspension, termination. “The administrator has authority to discipline in any order, depending on the severity of the infraction,” the change states. “The administrator, working with the Department head, will decide the level of discipline.”
Published in The Messenger 9.18.09

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