Staff Development and Wellness Allowance Program

File a reimbursement claim

Not applicable for certain bargaining units – Bargaining Units Eligible to be Reimbursed

To prevent unnecessary delays in claims processing, the purchase receipt/documentation should contain the following minimum requirements:

Date of purchase
Itemized list of item(s), cost, and total
Method of payment (i.e. cash, credit card, debit card, PayPal, etc.)

Staff Development and Wellness Benefit Allowance Program

Download Administrative Manual as a PDF (518 kB)

The employee Staff Development and Wellness Benefit Allowance Program (“Program”) has been developed to encourage learning and wellness. The Program provides an annual benefit to employees as negotiated by collective bargaining or contained in the Salary Resolution.

All benefits provided under this Program are subject to applicable provisions of federal and/or state law, and County policies and procedures, as approved by the County Administrator and the Board of Supervisors. These policies and procedures include but are not limited to the County Travel and Meal Reimbursement Policy, Vehicle Use Policy, Policy on Purchasing, Departmental Computer Use Policy, and Department Telework policies, guidance or agreements.

Bargaining Units Eligible to be Reimbursed

DSA, DSLEM, SCLEMA, and SEIU employees are not eligible for staff development reimbursement.
ESC, Local 39, SCLEA, SCPA, SCPDIA, SCPDAA, and WCE employees are eligible for reimbursement of wellness and emergency preparedness items in addition to the above.

The table below illustrates which bargaining units are eligible to claim reimbursement under the corresponding staff development category.

Groups Eligible to File Reimbursement Claims	Category
Group 1, 2	Wellness
Group 1, 2	Emergency Preparedness
Group 1, 2, 3	Computer Hardware and Mobile Devices
Group 1, 2, 3	Ergonomic Office
Group 1, 2, 3	Professional Development
Group 2	Tools (Local 39 eligible Job classes only.¹ )

Group definitions include the following bargaining units:

Group 1: ESC (75), SCLEA (30,40,41,70), SCPA (45), SCPDIA (55,56), SCPDAA (60), WCE (21)
Group 2: Local 39 (85)
Group 3: Salary Resolution (00,49,50,51,52)
Group 4: DSA (46,47), DSLEM (43), SCLEMA (44) not listed above because an annual stipend payment is paid
Group 5: SEIU not listed above because fringe benefit sunset for bargaining unit as of June 30, 2025

¹Applies to employees assigned to Fleet Operations, Sonoma County Fair and Exposition, Inc. or Water Agency for the following job classification: Automotive Mechanic (5222), Automotive Technician (5223), Heavy Equipment Mechanic (5225), Heavy Equipment Technician (5226), Lead Automotive Technician (5224), Lead Heavy Equipment Technician (5228), Welder (5210), Fleet Equipment Mechanic I (5101), Fleet Equipment Mechanic II (5102), and Lead Fleet Equipment Mechanic (5103).