Watch Your Computer Use-They Are!

This week I had the misfortune of sitting with a member who received a day off for using a computer for non-work related use. I cannot stress enough that you will not win this fight. The computers are the employers property and the employer has made it clear their computers are for work use only. Misuse can lead to discipline.

The employer can discipline you only for "just cause."

Some elements of just cause are:
Was the work rule clear.
Was the employee aware of the rule.
Was the employee warned before.

As far as computer use for non-work activities goes, no one working in the jail can say they don't know the rule. If you are disciplined it will stick and the only thing the Union can do for you is to make sure your discipline is consistent with others who have done the same thing.

Fox TV had an interesting piece on this. (Click Here)
People have lost jobs over this.

Sheriff Stanek Replies to KMSP TV

Click here for Sheriff Stanek's reply to KMSP TV's reports in the previous blog.

The point of interest to us is the Sheriff's willingness to waive the 16 hour work rule. A rule heavily enforced on those of us making far less money then Sen. Ortman and more dependent on overtime.

Conflict in the front office?

Channel 9 has an interesting piece on our new Financial Officer Sen. Julianne Ortman
Click Here

Combine this with our former Lobbyist Ryan Griffin featured here.

Together this makes for some very interesting news.

On Merkel

AFSCME forwarded the following letter to me at home:

I am pleased to announce the selection of Tom Merkel as the new Corrections Director, effective May 21st. Tom has a long and distinguished career in criminal justice with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a law degree. Tom has served as the Inspector in charge of Adult Detention in the Sheriff's Office since July, 2001. Prior to that he was the Deputy Director of Corrections in Shawnee County, Kansas. Please join me in welcoming Tom into his new responsibilities.

Richard P. Johnson Acting County Administrator

They wanted to know what we thought of him. I know that under his hand discipline was very heavy handed. Prior to his arrival if someone made a mistake they might get a letter of reprimand, if it was bad maybe a day off, if severe (and rare) a three day suspension. Under Inspector Merkel, 6 and 10 day suspensions were common. This was a man who once fired a woman just for filing a workers comp claim when he was Deputy Director in Kansas.

The following day, August 21, 1998, Major Thomas Merkel, the jail administrator, telephoned the claimant and terminated claimant supposedly for reasons not related to her worker's compensation claim. Claimant filed a grievance in reference to the termination and was reinstated to her job on September 22, 1998. (McCall v. Shawnee County)

We haven't seen the last of him though. He will be subpoenaed to be at an arbitration regarding a 10 day suspension of an SRT member and over the breakfast issue. I do hope his replacement is a little more employee conscious. If you take the time to read the 2006 annual report it says that employee retention is a problem and that it's cheaper to retain employees then to continuously hire and train new ones. The ball's in their court.

Pictures From The HCSO Open House 5/17