Human Resources
Welcome to the Human Resource Division. The Human Resources objective is to actively contribute to the agencies achievement of its goals. The HR Division handles many necessary functions of the agency, it is instrumental in providing labor law compliance, personnel record keeping, recruiting, hiring, terminations, discipline, maintaining interoffice relationships, employee benefits, risk management, employee assistance programs, evaluations, agency policies, assist with staff training, compensation, unemployment compensation, public record request, assist with Internal Investigations, learning and development, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USSERA), performance management, EEOC, and helps with handling specific performance issues. These are critical day to day functions within the agency. The division works diligently behind the scenes to ensure the agency runs efficiently.
Recruitment and Training
Recruiting and training new employees are primary responsibilities of the human resources team. This part of the job often entails advertising open positions internally and externally, interviewing and hiring candidates, conducting new employee orientation. The HR division administers general aptitude tests, fingerprints, and runs preliminary background checks on selected applicants.
Compliance with Labor Laws
One of the chief duties of the HR Division is to ensure the agency operates in compliance with all labor laws. The division has to know and comply with employment regulations such as equal employment opportunity, fair labor standards, benefits and wages, and work hour requirements. The division also ensures harassment and discrimination complaints are handled and investigated properly, and ensures the agency remains compliant with United States Department of Labor regulations. The HR Division works directly with the Sheriff's attorney and the Sheriff's labor law attorney.
Employee Benefits
The HR Division manages all aspects of employee benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, retirement, deferred compensation plans, worker's compensation, short term and long-term care or disability programs as well as employee assistance and wellness programs. The division keeps track of employee absences and job-protected leave, such as family medical leave. HR ensures employees receive the proper disclosures regarding benefit eligibility or if benefits are no longer available because of a layoff or termination.
Employer-Employee Relations
Another key function of the HR Division is the managing of employee relations within the agency. The division maintains the relationship between employees and command staff by promoting communication and fairness within the company.
Employee Performance Improvement Plans
The HR Division is instrumental in setting up performance improvement plans (PIP). These are written proposals designed to help struggling employees improve their work to raise it to a certain expectation level of the agency. The PIP includes a description of the behavior or performance that needs attention, objectives to be met within a certain time period, a plan for accomplishing the improvement along with support resources and detailed consequences if the improvement does not occur.
Administrative Responsibilities
The final function of HR is its administrative responsibility. These include personnel procedures involving the handling of promotions, transfers, discipline, performance improvement, illness, regulations, cultural and racial diversity, unwanted intimacies, and bullying. For each of these situations, HR is responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures are developed and followed to successfully comply with employment laws.
You may contact the HR Division by:
Main # - (352)569-1600
Email - hr@sumterso.org
Fax – (352) 569-1633
The Sheriff's HR team consists of:
Rachel Turner – Director Human Resource, Sheriff's Administrative Staff
(352) 569-1632, rturner@sumterso.org
Oversees all HR functions
Vanessa Ramos – Human Resource Assistant
(352) 569-1687, vramos@sumterso.org
Public Records Request, Training, Employee Benefits
Megan Sheen – Human Resource Clerk
(352) 569-1658, msheen@sumterso.org
Applications, New Hire processing, Evaluations, Backgrounds
Jakarla Youngblood – Human Resource Clerk
(352) 569-1697, jyoungblood@sumterso.org
Worker's Compensation, FMLA, Employee Files,
Each employee of the HR Division is cross-trained in all aspects of the division's responsibilities and are available to assist you with any inquires.