North Hennepin News

After the death of George Floyd, Hennepin County employees have been allotted 16 hours of paid time off to mourn, Alpha News reported.

County Administrator David Hough told the news agency that the decision for paid time off was unanimously approved by the county board. Hough sent a message with the announcement to all of the county's 8,500 employees, saying that the trauma of Floyd's death has been felt worldwide and was the result of centuries of institutional racism.

"Today, I advanced a board action request granting paid time off for benefit-earning county employees in remembrance and reflection of the death of George Perry Floyd or in service to communities and organizations committed to community restoration and healing," Hough wrote in the letter obtained by Alpha News. "The action was approved unanimously by the County Board." 

County employees are allowed to use the 16 hours in two-hour increments or more between May 26 and Dec. 31, the letter states.

"Hennepin County is committed to the health and wellness of our employees," Hough wrote. "My hope is this addition paid leave time will give you time to grieve and offer support to our communities most affected by the death of Mr. Floyd and the restoration of our communities damaged during ensuing violence."

The news agency reported that Minneapolis police officers are also included in the paid time off offer. The officers' jobs are already under attack by the City Council, with Council President Jeremiah Ellison tweeting last week that they were planning to dismantle the entire department and change the way it runs.

"We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department," Ellison tweeted. "And when we're done, we're not simply gonna glue it back together. We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response. It's really past due."