Conditions of Employment

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I - Employment Type
II - Probation
III - Performance Evaluation
IV - Hours and Location of Work
V - Paid and Unpaid Breaks
VI - Smoking and Tobacco Use Prohibited
VII - Employment in More Than One County Job & Outside Employment
VIII - Personal Information Changes
IX - Reporting of Arrests
X - Personnel Files
XI - Release of Employee Information
XII - Legally Mandated Release of Employee Information
XIII - Temporary Suspension of County Operations and Closure of Facilities
XIV - Remote Work
XV - Employment of Related Persons
XVI - Separation From County Employment

PURPOSE: To provide employees with information regarding their primary conditions of employment, so that each employee can make his or her best effort to perform the duties of the job assigned and to abide by the personnel policies and procedures of the County.

SCOPE: This Policy and Procedure applies to all employees of Larimer County and employees of the Office of the District Attorney, Eighth Judicial District, with the exception of employees of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office.

RESPONSIBILITY: The Human Resources Director administers this Policy.

SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: None

REVISION SECTION: (Significant Changes from Previous Policy)

Section I, B., D.
Section V, B.
Section IX
Section X, C., D.
Section XIV
Section XVI

POLICY:

I. EMPLOYMENT TYPES

A. REGULAR EMPLOYEES

Regular employees are hired and employed for an undetermined period of time. They may work full or part time.

1. Employment Rights: Regular employees are covered by the rights provided in Larimer County Human Resources Policy and Procedure Recruitment, Applications, and Hiring (Reference 1).

2. Regular employees are eligible for all benefit coverages and all forms of paid leave, except as specifically exempted in Larimer County Human Resources Benefits Policy (Reference 2).

B. APPOINTED OFFICIALS

Appointed Officials generally include senior level leaders. See Appendix A for a complete listing (Enclosure 1).

1. Employment Rights: Appointed Officials do not have rights to the corrective action, adverse action, problem solving, or grievance procedures. (Larimer County Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Corrective and Adverse Actions; Grievance Procedure; and Problem-Solving Process (Reference 3).

2. Appointed Officials are eligible for all benefit coverages and all forms of paid leave, except as specifically exempted in Larimer County Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Benefits Policy (Reference 2).

3. If there is an anticipated or probable limit to the length of a specific Appointed Official’s appointment, then such limit is noted in Appendix A (Enclosure 1) of this Policy and Procedure, in Colorado Revised Statutes, or elsewhere in writing.

4. If an Appointed Official accepts a position as a Regular or Limited Term employee, the employee must sign a Change to Regular or Limited Term Status form (Enclosure 2).

C. LIMITED TERM EMPLOYEES

Limited Term employees are hired for a specific term of employment, specific business need, or for the duration of funding for their position.

1. Employment Rights: Limited Term employees are covered by the rights provided in Larimer County Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Recruitment, Applications and Hiring (Reference 1).

2. Limited Term employees are eligible for all benefit coverages and all forms of paid leave, except as specifically exempted in Larimer County Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Benefits Policy (Reference 2).

3. Employees hired into Limited Term positions may be dismissed from employment, or have their hours reduced by the decision maker when the funding for the position is reduced, eliminated, or if the business need for the position no longer exists.

4. Employees hired into Limited Term positions must sign an offer letter acknowledging their Limited Term status.

D. TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

Temporary employees are hired for a temporary assignment with the County for typically less than one year, or to work as needed for a varying number of hours. Either the temporary employee or the County may end the employment relationship for any reason at any time.

1. Employment Rights: Temporary employees do not have rights to performance evaluations, corrective action, adverse action, problem solving, or grievance procedures. Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Recruitment, Applications and Hiring, (Reference 1).

2. Temporary employees are not eligible for benefits coverages or paid leave except those benefits that are legally mandated. (Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Benefits Policy (Reference 2).

II. PROBATION

All newly hired, transferred, or promoted Regular and Limited Term employees of the County, with the exceptions identified in Appendix B (Enclosure 3) are subject to a six-month probationary period beginning on the effective date of employment and extending six months from that date, Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Compensation (Reference 4). The Decision Maker may extend the probationary period or dismiss probationary employees with or without cause during the probationary period after consulting with a Human Resources Generalist.

III. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

A. All Regular, Limited Term employees, and Appointed Officials will have an annual performance evaluation completed by the employee's supervisor. An evaluation is required prior to the end of the probationary period for all Regular and Limited Term employees.

B. Employees who are dissatisfied with or wish to respond to any aspect of their performance evaluation may use the Problem-Solving Process found in Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Corrective and Adverse Actions; Grievance Procedure; and Problem Solving Process (Reference 3).

IV. HOURS AND LOCATION OF WORK

Decision makers are authorized to observe and keep business and working hours necessary for the efficient provision of services in their departments or offices. This includes establishing hours and work locations for each employee.

V. PAID AND UNPAID BREAKS

A. Employees who work in excess of five hours each day are entitled to an unpaid break for a minimum of 30 minutes.

B. Employees may take a paid 15-minute break for every 4 hours of work. Employee paid breaks will be scheduled during the work period. Paid breaks may not be combined with the beginning or ending of workdays to shorten an employee’s workday or work week. The manager or supervisor can determine when the paid breaks are taken.

C. A reasonable break is provided for nursing mothers to express breast milk for a nursing child for up to 2 years after the child’s birth. The break will be paid if it is less than 20 minutes; and will be unpaid if longer than 20 minutes. In addition, a place will be provided, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public. Nursing mothers should combine their regular paid and unpaid breaks with these breaks whenever possible. Please see our Nursing Mother’s Room List (Reference 12) for designated rooms.

D. Specific internal policies or practices concerning breaks, including nursing mother breaks, are to be established by the Decision Maker in accordance with the provisions set within this policy. Any such internal policies must be approved by the Human Resources Director, or designee.

VI. SMOKING AND TABACCO USE PROHIBITED

A. All employees and visitors are prohibited from smoking or vaping in any Larimer County owned, rented, or leased buildings and vehicles. This prohibition includes all forms of tobacco use and e-cigarettes.

B. Smoking and vaping are not authorized within 25 feet of common points of entry, exit, operable window, or air intake ventilation locations.

C. Employees and visitors must extinguish and dispose of all cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products in the proper receptacles.

VII. EMPLOYMENT IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTY JOB & OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT

A. Before an employee may work in more than one County department or office, the departments or offices must agree on how to allocate any overtime pay, benefits costs, workers compensation costs, and obtain approval from the Human Resources Director or designee.

B. Current employees may not work as Election Judges.

C. Employees may work outside jobs in addition to their county job under these conditions:

The employee must inform and receive approval from their Decision Maker and HR Generalist prior to accepting outside employment or beginning self-employment.
There is no conflict with the employee’s scheduled County work hours.
The employee's performance in the County job is maintained.
There is no conflict of interest.
If the employee maintains a Commercial Driver’s license as a condition of their employment with the County, the employee will comply with regulations provided in Administrative Policy and Procedure: Compliance with US Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA) Regulatory Procedures (Reference 5).

D. Employees may not engage in personal business activities or in activities for an outside job during the employee's scheduled County work hours.

VIII. PERSONAL INFORMATION CHANGES

A. Employees are required to promptly update personal information such as contact information, name, or benefits status in the County’s Human Resources information system.

IX. REPORTING OF ARRESTS

A. If an employee is arrested for any crime that impacts the employee’s job duties, is a potential conflict of interest with the employee’s job, or is contrary to the interests of the County, the employee must disclose the arrest to their supervisor or Decision Maker within 24 hours.

X. PERSONNEL FILES

A. Personnel Files are maintained by the Human Resources Department, and the Human Resources Director is the official custodian. The Sheriff’s Office employees should reference departmental personnel policies. Personnel files are maintained in accordance with Administrative Policy and Procedure: Records Retention Program (Reference 6).

B. Personnel files are not released except as provided by law (Reference 7). Employees have the right to review their own personnel files and make additional written statement(s) concerning an item in the file. Employees can view their personnel file via the County’s Human Resources Information System.

C. Decision makers, their designees, and supervisors may review the files of those employees they directly or indirectly supervise.

D. Larimer County Hiring Managers screening a current or former County employee may review the applicant’s personnel file by contacting Human Resources.

E. Documents placed in personnel files may not be removed without the approval of the Human Resources Director or their designee. Documents added to personnel files in error may be deleted by Human Resources.

F. Managers, Supervisors, and Payroll Representatives are responsible for ensuring that all personnel related documents are loaded into the Human Resources system for storing personnel files. The files that must be in a personnel file are governed by procedures and/or County Records Retention Program (Reference 6).

XI. RELEASE OF EMPLOYEE INFORMATION

A. All employees must immediately refer all requests for information, including reference and recommendation requests, about current or former employees, to the Human Resources Department. Sharing information “off the record” is not permitted.

B. Larimer County will not disclose confidential personnel information concerning current or former employees without first obtaining a written authorization and full release of liability signed and dated by the current or former employee. Without a release, Larimer County will only disclose dates of employment, title, and the employee's salary, unless otherwise required by law.

C. If the response to the release of information is referred by HR to the Decision Maker, the response will not go beyond what the Decision Maker is permitted to provide in the authorization and release signed by the employee or former employee.

D. A former employee must make a written request to obtain a copy of any document the County provided to a requesting entity.

XII. LEGALLY MANDATED RELEASE OF EMPLOYEE INFORMATION

A. All requests for personnel information, copies of personnel records or requests to view personnel records that are made under the authority of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to the Human Resources Department. (Reference 7).

Immediate notification to the Human Resources Department is required because statutory time limits are imposed on the County to respond to such requests.
Records considered open records under CORA/FOIA will be made available for viewing by the custodian of those records.
When a member of the public requests personnel information under CORA/FOIA, Larimer County employees should inform the requestor that the Human Resources Department is the official custodian of personnel files and that any request for information from personnel files must be made to the Larimer County Human Resources Department.

B. Larimer County is required by Colorado law to publish the job title and the salary or wages paid to each County employee twice per year.

C. Licensed or certified employees may be required by law to report certain forms of conduct by other members of their profession to the appropriate licensing or certifying board. Nothing in this policy should be interpreted to prohibit legally required reporting to such authorized boards. Before making such a report, the employee must consult with their Decision Maker or designee. If a Decision Maker believes that such a report must be made, they must first consult with the Human Resources Director or designee and the County Attorney for guidance.

XIII. TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF COUNTY OPERATIONS AND CLOSURE OF COUNTY FACILITIES

A. The procedures for the County's Inclement Weather Policy are described in Administrative Policy and Procedure, Emergency Closing of County Offices (Reference 8).

B. Decision Makers are authorized to require any County employee to work during periods of inclement weather.

C. Employees who were previously approved to be absent when the County facilities are open for business will be required to use the leave that was previously approved.

XIV. REMOTE WORK

A. The Remote Work Program is for work performed inside the State of Colorado (Reference 13). Remote work arrangements outside the state will only be approved on a case-by-case basis when a critical business need is demonstrated. Such arrangements must be reviewed and approved in writing by the Human Resources Director prior to the employee beginning any out-of-state remote work. If remote work outside of Colorado is approved, the employee is subject to all provisions of this section.

B. Definitions:

Voluntary Remote work is when an employee works one or more days each workweek from home, or another Human Resources and Risk Management approved remote location, instead of from a County worksite, and is not required by the position or job requirements.
Mandatory Remote work is when an employee works remotely one or more days each workweek from home, or another Human Resources and Risk Management approved remote location, instead of from a County worksite, and is required by the position or job requirements. This designation is not applicable to out-of-state workers.

C. Suitability:

Not all positions are suitable for remote work. Decision makers will use consistent standards as they determine which positions are appropriate for remote work and will coordinate with their assigned HR Generalist.
The County can refuse an employee’s request for remote work and can terminate a remote work assignment at any time. The County is not responsible for costs, damages, or losses resulting from the cessation of participation in the Remote Work Program (Reference 13).

D. Employee Obligations:

Prior to remote work, employees must be approved through the Remote Work Program (Reference 13).
Employees working remotely are obligated to comply with all policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and supervisory direction (References 9 and 10).
Employees working remotely must continue to meet performance expectations.
Unless otherwise approved, employees working remotely are expected to work during normal business hours for their department or office.

E. Operational Guidelines:

When an onsite or remote work location is closed or unavailable, a supervisor may direct, based on the business need and nature of the work, that the work occurs at another County or remote work location.
If an employee is unable to work from a remote location, they must notify their supervisor immediately.
County work site closures will not impact employees scheduled to work remotely unless approved by their Decision Maker.
Working remotely while providing dependent care must be approved by the employee’s Decision Maker in advance.
All in-person client interactions and meetings will be conducted on a client or County site or other public location approved by the employee’s supervisor. Exceptions to this policy must be pre-approved by the employee's supervisor.

F. Workers Compensation and Liability:

Refer to Administrative Policy and Procedure: Workers’ Compensation (Reference 11).

XV. EMPLOYMENT OF RELATED PERSONS:

A. Any employee who is an immediate family member (as defined in Reference 2), a romantic, or intimate partner of another employee or applicant will not:

participate in any decision to hire, retain, promote, or discipline that person.
influence/determine the employment status or compensation of that person.
directly supervise that person.

B. It is not permitted to discriminate against the spouse or domestic partner of an employee solely because of the relationship.

C. It is a violation of this policy for County officials to grant competitive advantage to the spouse, domestic partner, or a related person of an employee because of the relationship. The spouse, domestic partner, or related person of an employee must compete for employment on the same terms as other applicants and, if they are the best qualified applicant, and there is no conflict with any other provision of this policy, they can be hired.

XVI. SEPARATION FROM COUNTY EMPLOYMENT

A. RESIGNATION:

To resign, an employee must provide written notice to their supervisor.

B. ELIGIBILITY FOR REHIRE:

To rehire a former County employee, a Decision Maker or designee must contact Human Resources to review the former employee’s personnel file and may contact previous supervisors as appropriate. Hiring managers may not hire a former employee who is ineligible for rehire. If a Decision Maker or designee would like to designate a separating employee ineligible for rehire in their Department/Office or countywide, they must contact their Human Resources Generalist for review and approval. Possible reasons to designate an employee ineligible for rehire:
a. Department/Office specific reason(s) for being ineligible for rehire may include performance or attendance specific to department/office policies.
b. Countywide specific reason(s) for being ineligible for rehire may include involuntary dismissal, resignation in lieu of involuntary dismissal, severe or pervasive conduct, or policy violations.

C. DEATH OF AN EMPLOYEE:

In the case of an employee death, notify the Human Resources Department immediately.
All wages due to the deceased employee will be made payable to their estate.
Departments or offices may reach out to their HR Generalist for resources such as grief counselors to assist staff.

D. RETURN OF COUNTY PROPERTY:

An employee leaving the County must return all County issued property. It is the responsibility of the Decision Maker or designee to ensure that an employee has returned all County property.

E. FINAL PAY:

A separated employee’s final pay will be issued on the next regularly scheduled pay day.
A separated employee will receive payment for all time worked in accordance with the Administrative Policy and Procedure: Compensation (Reference 4).
A separated employee will receive payment for leave balances in accordance with Human Resources Policy and Procedure: Benefits (Reference 2).

_______________________________________
Chair
(Approved by BOCC – Consent Agenda –11/03/2026)
(Signature on original filed in Records Management)

Distribution:
All County Department and Elected Officials
Records Management SOP Manual (original)

CK/vhd

DATE: November 3, 2026

EFFECTIVE PERIOD: Until Superseded

REVIEW SCHEDULE: Every one year in October; or as needed

CANCELLATION: Human Resources Policy and Procedure Conditions of Employment, dated July 29, 2025

ENCLOSURE(S):

1. Appendix A

2. Consent and Waiver for Change from Appointed to Regular or Limited Term Employment, LCHR-39

3. Appendix B

REFERENCE(S):