Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to employee referral bonuses for nonrepresented county employees for referring employees to the positions of deputy sheriff, corrections officer and detention officer; and establishing an expiration date.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. Recruitment for positions in law enforcement especially public safety and corrections has grown increasingly challenging in recent years.
2. King County is currently facing an unusually high vacancy rate among its law enforcement employees, particularly deputy sheriffs, corrections officers and detention officers.
3. These ongoing vacancies have a negative impact on the county's provision of essential law enforcement services.
4. Employee referrals can be a reliable method of attracting candidates who are more likely to successfully complete the required training programs and probationary periods.
5. Providing an employee referral incentive is an effective way to encourage employee referrals.
6. In an effort to bolster the number of successful law enforcement candidates, it is advisable to adopt an employee referral bonus for the successful referral to the position of deputy sheriff, corrections officer or detention officer.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. A referral bonus of five thousand dollars shall be paid to a nonrepresented employee who refers a successful candidate to the position of deputy sheriff, corrections officer or detention officer. The bonus shall be subject to the following:
A. All nonrepresented employees, in any branch of county government, are eligible for a referral bonus, except for those employees who by virtue of their jobs are assigned or tasked with recruiting for deputy sheriff, corrections officer or detention officer. For example, employees tasked with attending a job fair for recruitment purposes is not eligible for the referral bonus(es) associated with any candidate(s) that were recruited from that job fair;
B. The referral bonus shal...

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