Paynesville Police Receive First-in-the-State Paid Sabbatical

(KNSI) – The Paynesville Police Department has announced what they believe is the first officer sabbatical offered in the state of Minnesota.

With the recent ratification of the officers’ union contract, members of the Paynesville Police Department will be offered a one-month sabbatical to focus on their well-being. According to a press release:

During contract negotiations, the department aimed to address the burn-out, retention, and wellness of officers with a proposed one-month paid sabbatical for officers after five years of service. It is believed that while this concept is not new to other professions, that it is the first in law enforcement for the State of Minnesota. This new component to the Health and Wellness program will allow officers to take 160 hours or one month off without having to utilize their paid time off. This time off will allow officers to completely remove themselves from the stress of the job and focus on their own psychological well-being and their families. Officers will be able to focus on decompressing, relaxing and re-charging during this much-needed break. The net effect of the program seeks to increase productivity, longevity, and retention of officers. It will also help to decrease the effects of burn-out, reduce costs of recruiting, hiring, and training new officers. With the full support of Mayor Reinke, the Paynesville City Council and Administrator Al-Rifai, this new benefit will take effect in January of 2022.

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