County to penalize employees who leave after receiving training paid for by taxpayers

County commissioners want to make sure the money taxpayers spend on county employee training actually benefits the county.

Commissioners court Monday unanimously approved a new human resources policy affecting travel and training that costs $1,000 or more. The goal is to hold employees accountable if they leave soon after receiving the training.

This wouldn’t apply to required trainings, rather, those that would expand an employee’s capabilities. Oftentimes, this training makes county employees more attractive to other employers because it helps them acquire professional certificates.

Employees who leave after receiving this training would have to pay a pro-rated amount if they left for another job outside the county. The money would come out of the employees final paycheck, with any remainder due within 90 days.

For training and travel costing at least $1,000 and up to nearly $2,000, an employee would need to remain with the county for another 12 months to avoid repayment. For amounts between $2,000 and $4,999, that rises to 24 months, and for $5,000 and up, that requirement would top out at 36 months.

Employees will now have to sign an agreement with their supervisor accepting these terms before getting the training.

“So we’re making an investment in the employee,” said County Judge Veronica Escobar. “Which we are very happy to do, because that employee then gets equipped with information and knowledge that benefits the organization. But it also benefits the employee, and again, we fund it.”

There are some notable exceptions, like an employee who retires or an elected official ousted by voters.