Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Anacortes adopts updated personnel policies, adds telecommuting and other clarifications
Summary
The City Council adopted Resolution 31-81 to replace prior personnel policies with updates that add a telecommuting policy, adjust sick-leave language, and align security and benefits provisions with recent state law changes; councilmembers asked for further review on some language.
Anacortes City Council adopted Resolution 31-81 on April 28 to replace the city personnel policies with an updated employee manual that includes a telecommuting policy, adjustments to sick-leave language, and other clarifications tied to recent state law changes.
Director Moyle, human resources director, told council the update follows an internal HR review, legal review by an employment attorney (Kristen Anger, Summit Law), and two rounds of employee and union comment. She said the packet included a red-lined draft and a summary of substantive changes.
Key changes highlighted in the staff summary include formatting and clarifying edits; a telecommuting policy (Policy 905) permitting selected positions to telecommute up to two days per week with supervisor approval; revisions to conform with Washington paid sick leave amendments effective Jan. 1, 2025; restoration of the city sick-leave language to its 2021 version to distinguish it from state leave; allowance for leave accruals to supplement Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) without reducing the weekly PFML benefit; clarifying language on nonexempt employees’ meal breaks and voluntary meal-break waivers; and an update to the security policy to reflect RCW 49.44.230 on possession of property in vehicles when permitted by law.
Several councilmembers voiced support for the update but asked for additional refinement on some points before future reviews. Councilmember Walters said he appreciated the changes but requested further review of Policy 605, expressing concern the draft language might not align with state statutory standards on employee parking and searches. “So maybe there's room for further improvement here and we can have that further discussion,” Walters said.
Councilmembers also noted employee feedback that informed the draft. Moyle said staff received requests that included a scent/fragrance policy and questions about telecommuting applicability; she said directors reviewed telecommuting eligibility for their departments. “Definitely a lot of excitement, enthusiasm around the telecommuting policy,” Moyle said.
Councilmember Cleland McGrath moved adoption of Resolution 31-81; Councilmember Michael Fantini seconded. The motion passed during the April 28 meeting with affirmative votes recorded from Walters, Cleland McGrath, Moulton, McDougall, Hubick (recorded in roll call as Seabick/Hubick), Fantini and Young.
The resolution supersedes Resolution 31-20 and takes effect on adoption. Staff said they expect to review personnel policy updates regularly to reflect ongoing state changes to leave programs and other legal requirements.
