Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout20230213 - Admin Committee Agenda_PacketCity of Hastings  101 Fourth Street East  Hastings, MN 55033-1944  Phone: 651-480-2350  www.hastingsmn.gov Administration Committee Meeting February 13, 2023 7:00 p.m. City Hall Agenda: 1. Policy Review Policies/Benefits Proposal As a result of the Employee Handbook policy updates and the Compensation and Classification study, there has been an informal review of benefits provided by the City. The benefits provided help define who we want to be as an employer. The past few years have demonstrated the need to be family friendly, the importance of retention and recruitment of high-performing employees, and that opportunities for flexibility are increasingly important. With these themes in mind, the following benefits will be part of an upcoming discussion with the Administration Committee of Council in February. Policy/Benefit Current Proposed Remote Work Temporary related to COVID practices See Draft Policy in packet Sick Leave Donation Needs minor modifications, updated language See edits in packet Parental/Family Leave Paid: if employee uses accrued sick/vacation/comp time Unpaid: if approved Full-time regular employees – 12 days paid at 50% Part-time regular employees – prorated according to the employees scheduled hours Eligible after [XX] days of employment—proposed in conjunction with FMLA which requires one year—state level decisions may impact Safety Boot Policy $200.00 reimbursement per year Increase safety boot allowance to $250.00; clarify language for one pair of boots per year; meet defined departmental requirements Compensatory Time None Pay out up to [XX] comp time hours for exempt employees one time per year Vacation Needs minor modifications Adjust accrual schedule (see page 2) Longevity After Year 5 1% After Year 10 2% After Year 15 3% Add longevity tier After Year 20 4% Vacation Accrual--non-represented Current Option A Option B Option C Years of Service Hours Days Hours Days Hours Days Hours Days 0-1 80 10 80 10 80 10 88 2 96 12 96 12 88 11 96 3 96 12 104 13 96 12 104 4 96 12 112 14 104 13 112 5 96 12 120 15 112 14 120 6 104 13 128 16 120 15 128 7 112 14 136 17 128 16 128 8 120 15 144 18 136 17 136 9 128 16 152 19 144 18 136 10 136 17 160 20 152 19 144 11 144 18 168 21 160 20 144 12 152 19 176 22 168 21 152 13 160 20 184 23 176 22 160 14 168 21 192 24 184 23 168 15 176 22 200 25 192 24 176 20 200 25 208 26 200 25 200 Other options: # of hours per pay period per year of service City of Hastings Remote Work Policy The City of Hastings is committed to providing excellent customer service for our residents, as well as attracting and retaining critical employee talent. A remote work policy provides these benefits to the City and is hereby adopted according to the guidelines below. This policy governs the practice of working remotely from locations other than a City facility, including an employee’s home. Remote work should not adversely affect other operational needs of the City. It is voluntary for the employee and at the sole discretion of management. General Guidelines Remote work, for this policy, is defined as regularly working some scheduled hours off-site and some on City premises. This policy does not pertain to occasional work outside the office or “work from home” days. No employee will be allowed to remotely work all scheduled work hours unless approved as a reasonable ADA accommodation. Regardless of location, a remote worker remains responsible for all job duties, responsibilities and obligations associated with their position, even if such duties require the employee to come into a City facility while performing work remotely. Employees and supervisors should seek to find solutions to maximize benefit to the City and to the employee. City employees who meet the eligibility criteria will be considered for remote work on a case-by-case basis, where remote work arrangements have been shown to accomplish both work and personal goals, and meet the criteria and guidelines set forth below. Remote schedules may need to change to accommodate the needs of the City or when employee job duties change. When making the decision to approve remote work, supervisors and the City Administrator will consider the following guidelines: • The remote work arrangement must be set in advance and approved by the supervisor and the City Administrator. • Remote work requires the same focus on job duties as if the employee were in the office; frequent interruptions from household members, pets or other distractions may disqualify an employee from remote work. • There must be adequate department coverage during all standard hours. • There must be no adverse impact on internal or external customers. • There must be no known safety issues associated with working remotely. • There must not be any known security issues with technology or otherwise, in order to protect nonpublic government data. • Employees working under a Performance Improvement Plan are not eligible for remote work. • Employee and supervisor will define daily availability and manner in which employee will be available to internal and external customers. • Internal and external customers must be given direction on whom to contact in the employee’s absence and how, if the employee is not available during all business hours. • The schedule must not result in additional overtime for the employee or co-workers, unless pre-approved by the Supervisor. • The supervisor or City Administrator may end the remote work arrangement at any time. Remote work arrangements may vary depending on the position and department. Supervisors are responsible for determining the work schedules within their departments, subject to the approval of the City Administrator. Because the primary focus is serving the needs of the customers, it is important to realize remote work arrangements may not be possible for some positions. A remote work agreement is to be completed and signed by the employee, the employee’s supervisor, and the City Administrator prior to beginning the remote work. Eligibility for Flexibility in the Place of Work Individuals requesting remote work arrangements must be employed with the City for a minimum of 12 months of continuous, regular employment and be successfully performing their job duties, as determined with supervisor input. There may be additional considerations when an employee requests remote work as a reasonable accommodation and the City will consider those requests on a case by case basis. Supervision and Performance Evaluation For employees who are working remotely at least half of their schedule, supervisors must hold regular meetings to discuss work progress and issues for the first three months. These meetings can be conducted by phone, virtual computer technology or in person. Evaluation of remote worker performance beyond the initial three months will be consistent with that received by employees working at the office. If work performance declines or becomes unsatisfactory, the employee may face discipline and/or the remote work arrangement may be terminated at the discretion of the City. Work Hours, Calendars and Meetings The employee and supervisor will agree on the number of days of remote work that will be allowed each week, the work schedule the employee will customarily maintain, and the manner and frequency of communication. The employee agrees to be accessible by phone, virtual computer software or email within a reasonable time period during the agreed upon work schedule. Depending on the employee’s position and the needs of the City, the work schedule may include core hours during which the employee must be available or the schedule can include greater flexibility for the employee to work outside the City’s normal business hours. Remote workers who are not exempt from the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be required to record all hours worked in a manner designated by the City. Hours worked in excess of 40 hours (or regularly assigned hours) per week, will require advance approval of the supervisor. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in termination of the remote work arrangement. Remote workers who are exempt from the overtime requirements of the FLSA must follow the City’s normal payroll and timekeeping policies and are generally accountable for their normal work week hours (e.g., for most full-time employees that will be at least 40 hours/week). All remote workers must use sick, vacation or compensatory time off as needed to cover periods of time off, following the City’s normal paid leave policies. See the Employee Handbook for other types of leave, notification, and coverage for eligible employees. Remote workers must attend all required meetings, including those which normally would be held on a remote workday, and are also responsible for obtaining information from optional meetings when such meetings impact their work with the City. In-person business meetings with others cannot be held at an employee’s home. Work Environment and Technology For employees working remotely on a routine basis, the employee must establish an appropriate work environment to avoid problems associated with safety or poor ergonomics. The City will not be responsible for costs associated with initial setup of the employee’s remote office such as remodeling, furniture, lighting, repairs, or modifications to the office space. Employees will be offered appropriate guidance in setting up a workstation designed for safe, comfortable work. The City will provide employees with appropriate technology (e.g., computer, monitor(s), docking station, mouse, keyboard, headset) as determined by consultation with the employee, supervisor and IT. Employees will be required to perform software and hardware updates in keeping with standards set by the IT Department. Employees are required to provide a reliable internet connection and follow all guidelines regarding appropriate use of City technology equipment found in the Employee Handbook. All City-owned equipment must be returned upon termination of the remote work arrangement or at termination of employment. The City will supply the employee with the appropriate office supplies (pens, paper, etc.) for their assigned job responsibilities. The organization will also reimburse the employee for all pre-approved, appropriate business-related expenses; however, the employee may be required to come into the office in order to perform some duties such as mailing, scanning, photocopying or picking up supplies. City Employment Policy and Benefits Coverage The City’s normal policies and procedures (for example, computer use, data practices, respectful workplace, outside employment, etc.) apply to employees working remotely. Employees should review the Employee Handbook or ask their supervisors if they have any questions about whether or how a particular City policy applies to a remote work environment. An employee working remotely is generally covered by the City’s Workers' Compensation insurance while acting in the course and scope of employment and must report any injury to their supervisor as soon as possible. Approved XX/XX/2023 Office Ergonomics Additional Resources Office ergonomics: Your how-to guide - Mayo Clinic eTools : Computer Workstations - Checklists - Evaluation | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov) Donated Sick Leave Donation Policy Purpose With the written approval of the City Administrator, City Employees having accrued sick leave will be allowed to donate a portion of such accrued sick leave to a sick leave donation “pool” to be used by employees experiencing a medical emergency. A medical emergency is a medical condition of the employee or a child, spouse or parent of the employee that will require the prolonged absence of the employee from duty and will result in a substantial loss of income to the employee. major life- threatening disease or condition suffered by the employee, their spouse, or minor children. A major life -threatening disease or condition shall include, but not necessarily limited to heart attack, stroke, organ transplant, or life- threatening illness or condition as defined by a physician’s diagnosis. Conditions: Receiving Donated Sick Leave. a. An employee is only eligible to receive donated sick leave for time lost from work due to absences directly related to a major life -threatening disease or conditionmedical emergency as described above, equal to the number of hours of time which the employee would lose from his/her job due to the major life- threatening disease or conditionmedical emergency. b. An employee will be eligible to receive donated medical sick leave only after the employee’s accrued sick leave, compensatory time, floating holidays, and vacation time balances have been exhausted by the employee. c. An employee will be allowed to receive up to and no more than one hundred and sixty (160) hours of donated sick leave for any single major life- threatening disease or conditionmedical emergency without the prior written approval of the City Administrator. The hours the recipient may obtain will only be provided if there are sufficient hours in the sick leave bank. In addition, the recipient will be notified prior to every eligible pay period as to how many hours they will be receiving for the pay period. d. Employees will not accrue time vacation or sick leave while using donated sick leave. e. The City Administrator shall may have the right to deny use of donated sick leave or limit its use, as shall be determined necessary and in the best interest of the City of Hastings. f. An employee is not eligible for the sick leave donation program if also eligible for Workers’ Compensation, receiving Long- Term Disability payments though the City’s program, or judged to be disabled to the extent that the employee will not be returning to work. Donating Sick Leave a. An employee may donate no more than thirty-two (32) hours per calendar year to the donated leave pool. Donations are to the pool, not a specific employee. b. An employee must have a minimum sick leave balance of 40 hours to donateafter donating sick leave to the pool. c. A prospective donor will indicate the amountnumber of hours he/she wishes to donate on the forms designated by the City for that purpose and submit the form to the Administrative Assistant/City Clerk or designeeHR Director. d. Hours, which have been donated to the sick leave pool are non-refundable and become the sole property of the City’s sick leave pool. Voluntary Participation a. Participation in the donation of sick leave donation program will be completely voluntary and confidential. No City employee shall pressure or otherwise attempt to influence another City employee to surrender sick leave. b. The City will not inform the recipient of the names of those surrendering hours or the number of hours surrendered. Other Provisions Donations must beshall be on an hour-for-hour basis. For every one (1) hour of sick leave donated by the donor, the recipient will be credited with one (1) hour of sick leave. The pay levels of the two employees shall not affect the transaction. The donated hours are taxable income to the recipient. Departing employees may not donate to the sick leave pool. If the recipient separates from City employment before using all of the donated leave time, the remaining donated time may not be converted to severance pay. Any remaining donated time shall be returned back to the donated sick pool.