Discussion:
The Personnel Handbook is used for guiding all city employees, and has been utilized for several years. This update contains various language changes applicable to our current working environment. The more notable changes are outlined below.
The League of MN Cities (LMC) is one of our biggest resources and provides cities with template policies on a number of different subjects. LMC provided cities with a "Dress for your Day" policy, which is being proposed over our old dress code section. This will allow non-uniformed employees to dress in an appearance according to their scheduled workday, which can vary greatly depending on the position. It also lists examples of items that are never acceptable.
LMC also recommends a "Respectful Workplace" policy which is proposed as section Q. This eliminates the need for our Workplace Violence and Sexual Harassment sections, as the Respectful Workplace encompasses both those areas and more. This will allow the city to partner with LMC to conduct Respectful Workplace training in the future with all employees.
The bereavement leave section has been updated to give employees three days of paid leave for planning, attending and traveling to an immediate family member's funeral service. Currently, most city employees have to use their sick time for applicable situations. The proposed change is already practiced in our public works department according to their negotiated union contract. Additional time-off needs beyond three days would come from an employee's accrued leave banks. If approved, this policy would also be extended to each union group. Draft MOU's for each contract are attached.
Appendix A, which applies to both exempt and non-exempt employees, proposes an increase to the city's (employer) contribution to employee's Health Care Savings Plan (HCSP). Currently, the city contributes $35/month to each employees HCSP account. This was increased from $25/month in 2015. The current proposal would increase the contribution to $45/month, and is being proposed due to the continued increase in healthcare costs. This would also be extended to each union group and is attached as MOU's to their respective contracts.
These updates are important not only to keep the City of Shakopee current on employment issues, but also to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging job market.