It shall be the policy of Prince George's County to: Develop and maintain training programs for the purpose of properly effectuating the promotional policies set forth in Section 16-152 with respect to career development and upward mobility for employees; Provide employees with healthful and safe working environments and conditions; and, Develop and maintain an incentive awards program for employees so as to properly recognize employee achievement and productivity.

The Director of Human Resources Management shall have the following general responsibilities with respect to employee training, subject to funding availability: To develop and conduct, on a continual basis, an appropriate orientation program for all employees upon initial appointment; To develop and conduct, on a continual basis, centralized employee and management level training programs where such programs have common application to the training needs of a majority of departments, agencies, and offices; To assist all appointing authorities and supervisors in the development of intradepartmental or intraoffice training programs designed to meet the special training needs of their departments, agencies and offices; To develop and conduct a centralized employee counseling service designed to insure that all employees are aware of and are participating in, applicable intradepartmental and interdepartmental training programs; and To provide guidance to employees on available tools and resources to further career growth and development. In furtherance of the responsibilities set forth in Subsection (a), above, the Director of Human Resources Management shall prepare, in consultation with appointing authorities and supervisors, an annual County training plan. All appointing authorities and supervisors shall have the following general responsibilities with respect to employee training: To assist the Director of Human Resources Management in the development of the applicable components of each of the County's annual training plans; To make all employees under their respective jurisdictions aware of all applicable training programs and to otherwise assist and facilitate said employee's participation in such programs; and To recognize and utilize the increased skills and capabilities of employees under their respective jurisdictions developed as a result of participation in such training programs to the extent possible.

The County Executive or the County Executive's designee shall develop an occupational health and safety program for employees which conforms to the occupational health and safety standards and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry of the State of Maryland pursuant to the provisions of Title 5, Labor and Employment Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. In addition to the responsibilities set forth in Subsection (a), above, the County Executive or the County Executive's designee shall be responsible for developing and conducting a medical examination program applicable to the following classes or groups of employees as a qualification for such employee's initial appointment or reappointment, as the case may be: For any employee who is to be appointed to a position in a class of work which, due to the nature of the duties, tasks, and responsibilities of said class of work as stipulated in the applicable class specification, reasonably requires such employee to undergo a medical examination to insure that such employee, if appointed, will not constitute a danger to the employee, other employees, and/or members of the general public; and For any employee seeking reappointment who has been previously separated from County service under the provisions of Section 16-189(c) or (d) respecting disabilities.

The Director of Human Resources Management shall be responsible for maintaining an incentive awards program for employees designed to improve the efficiency and economy of County government by recognizing, through appropriate awards, the special talents, creativity, productivity, and resourcefulness of employees. The incentive awards program may include provisions for appointing authorities to recognize extraordinary performance by employees under their jurisdictions pursuant to agency procedures approved by the Chief Administrative Officer. The incentive awards program may also include provisions for the nomination of employees to receive, at the County Executive's discretion, County Executive awards for distinguished or meritorious service. Any incentive award granted pursuant to this Section may be in the form of a gift, grant of annual leave, or nonbase salary payment. Pursuant to procedures promulgated by the Director, an appointing authority may recommend the additional accrual of annual leave days in any leave year for any eligible employee under the appointing authority's jurisdiction where the appointing authority believes the employee's performance justifies such award. Any revenue appropriated in any of the County's current expense budgets to support the incentive awards authorized by this Section shall be maintained in a special, nondepartmental or departmental account and no award authorized shall be granted in excess of the revenue appropriated in any fiscal year to support such program.

There is hereby established a Tuition Assistance Program for the purpose of providing tuition reimbursement to full- and part-time permanent merit and exempt status employees upon their successful completion of college-level courses attended at accredited institutions and related to the nature of such employee's duties, tasks, and responsibilities. The Tuition Assistance Program is designed to facilitate employee career development and upward mobility in the interests of quality public service and is subject to funding availability in the Tuition Assistance Fund pursuant to Subtitle 10, Division 24. The Tuition Assistance Program will be administered in accordance with established personnel procedures and will provide for the establishment of an oversight committee, development of criteria for participation and approval, and is subject to the provisions of the Tuition Assistance Fund pursuant to Subtitle 10, Division 24. Full-time employees may receive up to Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000) each per fiscal year and part-time employees may receive up to One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500) each per fiscal year for tuition assistance. A participating employee in the Tuition Assistance Program shall have worked for the County for at least one (1) year, has had no disciplinary action against them within the last year of employment with the County, and has a minimum performance evaluation of Satisfactory. All employees who receive such tuition assistance shall remain in the County Government employment for at least two (2) years from the date of conclusion of said education program. All employees seeking tuition assistance shall successfully complete the educational course(s) in its entirety. In the event the employee who receives such tuition assistance does not comply with the requirements of Subsection (d), said employee shall refund all disbursed monies to the County unless the requirements are waived by the Director of Human Resources Management.

The purpose of this Section is to enable all permanent status employees to participate in a voluntary tax sheltered income deferment plan and to obtain the tax advantages inherent in such a plan as authorized by Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The County Executive or the County Executive's designee shall develop a deferred compensation plan for the benefit of all employees described in Subsection (a), above, which shall meet the criteria for approval by the Internal Revenue Service. Upon the development of said plan, the County Executive shall be authorized, by executive order, to promptly effectuate and implement the plan, without the need for further legislative action thereon. However, nothing in this Section shall be construed to preclude the County Council from adopting further legislation with respect to said plan. The plan may provide for a Board of Trustees to exercise overall supervision over the administration of the plan, and, to that end, the executive order may provide for the establishment of an indenture of trust for the plan and a Board of Trustees to superintend the administration thereof. The Board of Trustees or such other official or entity charged with superintending the administration of the plan, shall be designated and appointed by the County Executive, and shall have the following powers: To do such acts as may be necessary to implement, maintain, and administer the plan; To receive the amount of compensation deferred pursuant to Subsection (d), below, and to use such proceeds, in accordance with any investment election permitted the employee under the plan, to purchase a fixed or variable life insurance or annuity contract, or such other investment or savings options as may be permitted under the plan, or a combination of the same, all to be held by the superintending board, official, or entity. Each such fixed or variable life insurance and annuity contract shall be purchased from one (1) or more insurance companies licensed to write insurance in the State of Maryland; and, To take such other and further actions as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Section. The County Executive or the County Executive's designee may, by contract, agree with any of the employees described in Subsection (a), above, to defer, in whole or in part, any such employee's authorized salary or compensation. The deferred compensation plan authorized by this Section shall exist and serve in addition to any other retirement, pension, or benefit system established by the State or County and no deferral of income under such deferred compensation plan shall effect a reduction of the amount of any such retirement, pension, or other benefit provided by law. Any sum deferred under such deferred compensation plan shall be included in the employee's compensation for purposes of computing FICA contributions and contributions to a State or County retirement system, but shall not be included for the purposes of computing Federal or State taxes withheld on behalf of any such employee.

The County Executive shall establish health and life insurance plans for the benefit of all permanent status employees. Said plans may provide for contributions by both the County and participating employees toward the cost of maintaining said plans. The benefits established under said plans, as well as any County contributions thereto, may be increased from time to time by the County Executive, but said benefits and/or contributions shall not be decreased by the County Executive without the prior approval of the County Council by resolution or by a specific reduction of the amount of funds budgeted for said purposes. Any insurer contracted with or procured by the County to provide health insurance to county employees shall offer at least one health insurance plan to county employees that includes a hospital that both provides inpatient hospital care and is located in Prince George's County in the health insurance plan's coverage network for inpatient hospital care. This provision shall apply prospectively to the time of the County contract renewal, extension, or procurement for health insurance plans. Any insurer contracted with or procured by the County to provide health insurance to county employees shall offer IVF and Egg Freezing fertility coverage as an offered part of health insurance. Egg Freezing coverage for purposes of this section shall involve proactive care and egg storage for a period of not less than ten (10) years. This provision shall apply prospectively to the time of the County contract renewal, extension, or procurement for health insurance plans.

An appropriate award shall be given to each employee by the Director of Human Resources Management upon each such employee's completion of the first five (5) years of County service, and an appropriate award of elevating value shall be awarded to each such employee for each subsequent five (5) year period of County service.

An appropriate certificate, signed by the County Executive and the Chairman of the County Council, shall be presented to each employee upon such employee's retirement from County service.