Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City staff outline proposed employee-handbook changes including equivalent paid-leave plan
Summary
City staff summarized proposed updates to the employee handbook — clarifying workweek options (including a 9/80 schedule), attendance and vacation sell-back limits, updating Oregon Family Leave Act language, and proposing an in-house equivalent to Paid Leave Oregon to reduce administrative delays and potential employer/employee costs.
City staff presented proposed updates to the Umatilla employee handbook at the Feb. 18 council meeting and asked council members for questions and direction before returning for formal adoption.
John Donnie (presenter) told council the draft updates are primarily clarifying language, changes to reflect state law, and League of Oregon Cities (LOC) recommendations. Notable proposed changes include expanded work-week options (adding alternative schedules such as a 9/80), clearer language that leave balances are the employee’s responsibility, and a limit on vacation sell-back of 80 hours once per fiscal year.
A substantial proposed change addresses state paid-leave law. Staff described options to adopt an equivalent plan to Oregon’s Paid Leave Oregon program: the city has been using the state program but staff said an in-house equivalent could shorten approval waits for employees and reduce the employer-employee cost share. Staff stated the state program currently costs 1% of wages split 60% employee / 40% employer; an equivalent city-administered plan could save that 1% for both parties and allow the city access to employee leave balances for administration.
Other clarifications include prohibiting staff from downloading apps on city-issued mobile devices, formalizing bilingual-incentive language tied to the city wage scale, clarifying allowable employee-recognition items and hosted-meal practices at city events, and a proposed paid-holiday change (adding Christmas Eve) contingent on collective-bargaining outcomes.
Next steps: staff said the draft will be refined, returned for further review and will be checked against state law and LOC guidance before council action.
Ending: Council members asked for time to review the draft and indicated no immediate objections; staff will bring a refined version back for formal consideration.
