Jasper County employees are getting an extra paid holiday this year, while the Bonus Day Program is being eliminated as of July 1st. The County Supervisors this week added Friday, December 26th to this year’s paid holiday’s list. Board Chairman Brandon Talsma pushed for the change due to a prior Friday courthouse visit after a two day holiday. 

“I came in here for something, and I kid you not, I don’t think there were four people in the entire courthouse and maybe five people at the administration building. That got me thinking, Why are we making employees use an extra day of vacation when a major holiday is laying on a Wednesday and Thursday? Ninety-five percent of the employees are using a vacation day anyway.”

On the recommendation of County Human resources Director Dennis Simon, the County Supervisors also unanimously approved eliminating the Bonus Day Program effective at the start of the new fiscal year July 1st. Under the program, hourly employees who do not use any sick time during a three month quarter earns one paid day off.

“Personally, I believe this creates some manipulation of the system. Instead of calling in sick, employees will use a vacation day. That way they still get their bonus day.”

Simon notes any employee earning a bonus day in this fiscal year’s final quarter, must use that day in the first quarter of the coming fiscal year.