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9.3. SR 01-19-2021 Request for Action To Item Number Mayor and City Council 9.3 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Work Session January 19, 2021 Cal Portner, City Administrator Item Description Reviewed by Review and Provide Direction for City Lauren Wipper, Human Resource Manager Personnel Policy Drafts Reviewed by Action Requested Review and provide direction for City Personnel Policy drafts. Background/Discussion On, December 21, 2020, the Council reviewed and consented acceptance for updates to the Personnel Policy Manual. The Council also discussed three policy changes with potential benefit/financial impacts and directed staff to craft draft policies for consideration at a future meeting. Financial Impact N/A Mission/Policy/Goal N/A Attachments  City Personnel Policy Manual Update - Draft  Sick Leave Donation Policy Update - Draft  Parental Leave Policy - Draft The Elk River Vision A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity. Updated: August 2020 City Personnel Policy Manual Update January 19, 2021 Conflict of Interest The credibility of local government rests heavily upon the confidence residents have in public officials to render fair and impartial services to all without regard to personal interest and/or political influence. Thus, city officials and employees must scrupulously avoid any activities that suggest a conflict of interest between their private interests and city responsibilities. The city has adopted a Conflict of Interest Ordinance that addresses these issues (Chapter 2, Article 3, Division 3, Section 2- 132). Employees and officials are required to follow all applicable laws related to conflicts of interest, including the city’s Conflict of Interest Ordinance which can be found on Access Elk River and in the City Code of Ordinances. Wellness Center Signature page: The City of Elk River (“City”) has made available a fitness and workout facility (the “Facility”) for the exclusive use of city and municipal utilities employees, city council members and one (1) guest (“Employee”). Regular City and municipal Utilities employees and council members are responsible for their guest. The undersigned employee and their guest (“Employee”) shall be permitted to make use of the Facility upon the following terms and conditions: Vacation Leave Paid vacation leave is provided for regular, full-time employees and on a prorated basis for eligible part-time employees. To be eligible, part-time employees must work a set schedule with a minimum of forty (40) hours per biweekly pay period. Most temporary, seasonal, and part-time employees are not eligible for vacation benefits. Vacation leave is accrued based on consecutive years of leave-eligible service. To determine an employee’s vacation accrual rate, years of service will include all continuous time the employee has worked at the city in a position that is eligible for paid leave (including authorized unpaid leave). Employees who are rehired after terminating city employment will not receive credit for their prior service unless specifically negotiated at the time of hire. Leave-eligible employees hired before December 31, 2020, may carry more than 240 hours of vacation leave during a year but may not carry more than 240 hours forward to the next calendar year. Employees hired after January 1, 2021, shall accrue 120 working hours per year at the start of eligible employment through the th completion of their ninth (9) year. These employees may not carry more than 120 hours forward to the next calendar year but may carry more than 120 hours during a year. Employees with fewer than eight (8) years of service as of January 1, 2021, may receive the new accrual rate provided they accept and acknowledge the reduced annual carry over rate of 120 hours. The request and acknowledgement shall be in writing. Employees accrue vacation leave at the following rates with the exception of 2021 and later hires and eligible employees who have requested and acknowledged the new accrual and carry over rate: Sick Leave Donation With the written consent of the city administrator, employees may donate equal shares of sick and vacation leave to fellow employees experiencing a major illness such as, but not limited to, heart attack, stroke, organ transplant, or other illness all of which must be supported by a physician’s diagnosis, a catastrophic accident with serious injuries supported by a physician’s diagnosis, or to care for a spouse or dependent under the same circumstances. An employee is eligible to receive donated leave: 1. If the employee currently earns sick leave. 2. After all their own sick, vacation, compensatory, or other leaves are exhausted. 3. Only for normal work hours lost due to the illness for which the leave is donated. 4. Only for time not covered by disability insurance or Workers’ Compensation. 5. Up to a maximum of 240 hours. 6. If the physician’s diagnosis indicates the employee will be able to return to work after rehabilitation or recovery. Donated leave is used concurrently with FMLA leave and must be used within twelve (12) weeks of the date of the illness or be forfeited. If the condition of the recipient improves and s/he is able to return to work either in a light duty capacity, if work is available, or to his/her normal work schedule, any donated leave time shall be forfeited and remain in the bank of the donor. An employee may donate up to sixteen (16) hours of equal shares of sick and vacation per recipient per year made in increments of not less than eight (8) hours. Employees with a sick leave balance of more than 960 hours shall donate equal shares of sick and vacation. Employees with a sick leave balance of less than 960 hours may donate only sick leave. The employee must complete a Leave Donation Form to donate leave. All donations are anonymous. Donated leave will be paid at the recipient’s current rate of pay. Donated hours do not qualify to be included as part of sick leave for the severance pay calculation. This policy applies on a prorated basis for part-time employees eligible for sick leave. In the event of a mandatory or recommended quarantine because of a public health event, the city administrator may use his/her discretion to allow leave donation when the leave is not concurrent with FMLA. Parental Leave Purpose Federal and state law mandates a number of paid and unpaid types of leave to protect employment and to benefit certain activities. The city provides certain leaves to assist employees with life’s challenges enabling employees to be productive at work. For this purpose, the city has adopted a paid Parental Leave Policy. Paid parental leave is intended to provide workplace support for parents of newborn or adopted children as they adjust to new life changes and to assist with the preservation of accrued sick leave. Policy Eligibility Employees must be leave benefit-earning to be eligible for Parental Leave after one (1) year of continuous leave benefit-earning city employment. Leave may be granted following the birth of a biological child or legal adoption of a child. Foster child placement, surrogate mothers, and sperm or egg donors are excluded from coverage. Employees shall notify Human Resources and their supervisor of the desire to take Parental Leave as soon as possible but no later than thirty (30) days before anticipated birth or custody to ensure work/shift coverage. A Request for Leave of Absence form shall be submitted at least thirty (30) days before anticipated leave. Leave is discretionary subject to city service needs. Use Eligible parents are permitted ten (10) working days (up to 80 hours) of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child. Hours are paid at the employee’s regular base wage for regularly scheduled work hours only and do not include overtime, supplemental pay, and/or other additional pay. Leave must be taken within the first six months of birth or adoption custody. In no case shall Parental Leave combined with other types of leave extend beyond 12 weeks. Leave may be taken intermittently and may run consecutively with other leave (sick, vacation, or compensatory time). Parental leave shall run concurrently with FMLA, MN Parental Leave, and/or Short Term Disability. Employer benefit contributions and leave accruals (both according to policy) continue during paid parental leave.