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Council reviews condensed employee handbook and ordinance changes to Chapter 155
Summary
City staff presented a condensed employee handbook and proposed ordinance edits to move procedural rules into the handbook while keeping monetary benefits under council control; council advanced the handbook and ordinance revisions to the agenda.
City staff briefed North Canton City Council on a substantial rewrite and condensation of the city employee handbook and companion changes to Chapter 155 (personal regulations) to shift procedural details into the handbook while retaining monetary benefits and policy-setting authority with council.
Staff said the new handbook is shorter by roughly 50 pages, consolidating repetitive sections and clarifying areas that generated questions previously: travel and training reimbursements, business-expense rules, a simplified accommodations request process (reduced from six pages to one), a consolidated discipline section, an attendance policy intended to close loopholes, and a new policy addressing use of generative artificial intelligence. Staff credited HR Generalist Kelly Hart and legal review for ensuring compliance with federal and state requirements such as the Family and Medical Leave Act.
On Chapter 155, staff said they moved process rules (for example, comp-time increments) into the handbook while retaining monetary benefits and rates in ordinance text so council controls those values. The section previously titled “maternity leave” was rewritten to reference the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to broaden coverage beyond pregnancy. Staff recommended removing detailed laboratory procedures for drug testing from the ordinance and, if council desires, retaining a general statement that the city supports a drug-free workplace while leaving testing procedures to contracted labs. Staff reiterated that DOT-related drug testing (for CDL holders) remains in place per contract and regulatory requirements; random testing is limited to DOT-sensitive positions.
Council voted to move the handbook and Chapter 155 updates to the council agenda for final action.
