Primary Department: County Judge
Primary Department Head/Elected Official: Lina Hidalgo
Secondary Department: N/A
Secondary Department Head/Elected Official: N/A
Regular or Supplemental RCA: Supplemental Type of Request: Policy
Project ID (if applicable): N/A
Vendor/Entity Legal Name (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Contracted Goal (if applicable): N/A
MWBE Current Participation (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% MWBE Participation Goal: N/A - Goal not applicable to the request
Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Justification for 0% Grant Indirect Costs Rate (if applicable): N/A
Request Summary (Agenda Caption):
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Request by the County Judge for approval to direct HRT to create a survey for Harris County employees who care for young children to better understand the current needs, challenges, and experiences of these Harris County employees and come back with results and recommendations to the October 6, 2026 Commissioners Court.
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Background and Discussion:
Family-friendly workplace policies help improve employee retention by supporting staff during major life transitions, reducing burnout, and increasing overall job satisfaction.
Following the 2020-2021 actions of Commissioners Court to advance workplace practices that are supportive of families, the County Judge’s Offices seeks to better understand the current needs, challenges, and experiences of Harris County employees who care for young children (ages 0-4). This item proposes directing Human Resources & Talent (HRT) to develop and administer an annual anonymous employee survey, analyze survey results, and return to Commissioners Court on 10/6/2026 with findings and actionable recommendations to strengthen family-friendly workplace policies for the Court’s consideration.
As part of the survey development process, HRT would establish safeguards to protect employee privacy, including ensuring responses are anonymous and reported only in aggregate. Additionally, HRT would define who will have access to survey data. These safeguards would be communicated to employees to encourage participation.
Example survey questions include:
● Workplace Flexibility: How well does your current work arrangement (including scheduling, flexibility, and, where applicable, hybrid work) support your caregiving responsibilities?
● Awareness of County Resources and Benefits: How familiar are you with the County’s family-friendly resources and benefits, such as child care resources, lactation pod locations and policies, EAP benefits (mental health care, legal assistance, etc.), and FMLA or Family Sick Leave policies?
● Work-Life Balance: What are the biggest challenges you face in balancing work and caring for young children?
Expected Impact:
The Annual Survey for Harris County Employees with Young Children is expected to strengthen workplace policies by capturing employee experiences and needs, enabling data-driven recommendations that improve family-supportive practices and overall employee well-being.
Alternative Options: N/A
County Strategic Plan Goal: N/A
County Strategic Plan Objective: N/A
Justice/Safety Initiative (Goal 1): N/A
Infrastructure Initiative (Goal 2): N/A
Economy Initiative (Goal 3): N/A
Health Initiative (Goal 4): N/A
Climate/Resilience Initiative (Goal 5): N/A
Housing Initiative (Goal 6): N/A
Additional notes related to the Strategic Plan: N/A
Prior Court Action (if any): N/A
|
Date |
Agenda Item # |
Action Taken |
|
1/5/2021 |
1.4.B |
Court approved a new Paid Parental Leave Policy |
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11/10/2020 |
1.4.B |
Court approved HRRM’s proposed Family-Friendly Workplace Policy recommendations, including paid family and parental leave policies, childcare access, support for breastfeeding, and mental health support |
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9/29/2020 |
11 |
Court directed HRRM to research best practices for family-friendly workplace policies |
Location:
Address (if applicable): N/A
Precinct(s): Countywide
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County Attorney’s Office Legal Review (for Harris County Code Items only) |
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Anticipated Court Date: 7/9/2026
Anticipated Implementation Date (if different from Court date): N/A
Emergency/Disaster Recovery Note: Not an emergency, disaster or ARPA related item
Contact(s) name, title, department: Veronyka James, Policy Director, County Judge’s Office
Attachments (if applicable): N/A