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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.E.4. Amendments to the Personnel Handbook City of Shakopee MEMORANDUM S. E. ~ TO: Mayor and City Council Mark McNeill, City Administrator FROM: Kris Wilson, Assistant City Administrato~ SUBJECT: Amendments to the Personnel Handbook C., O. (p(! (:, r: ~,. ~ T' . j\d~",-~~ DATE: April!7,2008 Introduction The Council is asked to consider two amendments to the City's Personnel Handbook. Background The City adopted a new personnel handbook in May of last year. While the document has served us well so far, there are two modest amendments recommended in order to address issues that have come up. The first amendment relates to conducting background checks on prospective City employees. The current language of the handbook states that background checks will only be done after a conditional offer of employment has been extended to the candidate. In practice, this means that the background check isn't done until after the person's appointment has been conditionally approved by the City Council and after we have already notified the other candidates that they were not selected. The requirement that the background check be done only after a conditional offer of employment is a self-imposed requirement. There is no legal requirement that we do it this way. Therefore, it is recommended that the City provide itself with the opportunity to conduct background checks earlier in our selection process by removing this self-imposed requirement. The second amendment relates to the use of vacation leave by employees after they have given notice of their resignation. In the past we have had employees give notice of their resignation and then ask for up to three weeks of vacation leave following their last actual day of work. While we do pay-out unused vacation leave to a departing employee, having an employee actually take the leave time results in the City paying additional PERA and health insurance costs that we wouldn't pay if we simply provided the cash payout. To address this situation, it is recommended that the policy on resignations be amended to state that employees may only use a maximum of 40 hours of vacation time between the time they submit their resignation and the effective date of the resignation. This approach is intended to reduce unnecessary benefit costs, while balancing flexibility for the employee with the need for the Department to have that employee close out any in-progress work and transition their assignments to another employee. Budget Impact. None Relationship to Vision This is a housekeeping item. Requested Action: If it concurs, the Council is asked to offer Resolution No. 6766, a resolution amending Resolution No. 6604 adopting a Personal Handbook for Employees of the City of Shakopee, and move its adoption. RESOLUTION No. 6766 A RESOLUTION AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 6604, A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A PERSONNEL HANDBOOK FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF SHAKOPEE WHEREAS, Resolution No. 6604, a resolution adopting a Personnel Handbook for Employees of the City of Shako pee, was adopted on May 1, 2007; and, WHEREAS, from time to time there is a need to modify such policies to best suit the needs of the City and its employees. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SHAKOPEE, MINNESOTA, that Chapter III of the Personnel Handbook for Employees of the City of Shakopee is hereby amended to read as follows: C. Pre-employment Background Check. In accordance with federal, state and local law, the City may conduct a pre-employment background check, including, but not limited to, a criminal record check of candidates for employment. wOO have been made written oonditional offers of employment. This pre-employment background check may include a credit check, depending on the job duties of the position being filled. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Chapter IV of the Personnel Handbook for Employees of the City of Shako pee is hereby amended to read as follows: B. Resignation. 1. Procedure. Any City employee wishing to leave the City's service in good standing shall file with the City Administrator, at least fourteen (14) days before leaving, a written resignation stating the effective date of the resignation and the reason for leaving. Failure to comply with this procedure may be cause for denying such employee future employment with the City and denying severance benefits. 2. Use of Paid Leave Followint! Resit!nation. Employees who have submitted their resignation may use no more than 40 hours of vacation leave between the date their resignation was submitted and the effective date of the resignation. Exceptions to this policy may be allowed for special circumstances, contingent upon approval by the City Administrator. 3. Unauthorized Absence. An unauthorized absence from work for a period of three (3) consecutive working days may be considered a resignation, and the employee shall not be entitled to severance benefits. Adopted in session of the City Council of the City of Shakopee, Minnesota, held this _ day of , 2008. Mayor of the City of Shako pee ATTEST: City Clerk