Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Policies topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Westfield board adopts 2026 personnel policy updates including drug-testing and expanded military leave
Summary
The board adopted modest updates to the 2026 personnel manual: oral‑swab testing for sworn officers, four post-accident testing triggers, military leave expanded to 360 hours, bereavement expanded to include pregnancy loss, and councilors made eligible for PERF effective Jan. 1, 2026.
The Westfield Board of Public Works and Safety on Nov. 19 adopted the city’s 2026 personnel manual with a set of targeted updates affecting public-safety employees and benefits.
Brady Logs, director of human resources, outlined the principal changes. The drug-and-alcohol section (2.07) was updated to allow an oral-swab for drug testing for sworn police and fire personnel; Logs said the policy also defines four post-accident testing triggers including fatalities, receiving a moving citation, bodily injury requiring off-scene medical treatment, or one or more vehicles towed from the scene. "We have expanded [military leave] to 360 hours for 2026," Logs told the board when describing changes to military leave limits.
Logs said bereavement policy was amended to list pregnancy loss among qualifying bereavement events and noted councilors were made eligible for PERF and the 401 matching plan effective Jan. 1, 2026 — language updated to reflect council budget actions. The transcript records an update to the sworn police and fire contribution (labeled in the presentation as moving from 20.3% to 23.3%) tied to the referenced retirement board noted in the staff presentation.
The board discussed tuition-assistance mechanics (a stated minimum of $3,000 per award and IRS guidance governing maximums), payback requirements tied to service for two years after reimbursement, and the need for prior approval by department heads and budget officials. After discussion, the board approved the policy manual by motion.
Officials said the updates are largely administrative tweaks with several items (drug-testing method, leave levels, bereavement additions, and council PERF eligibility) clarified in the updated text.
