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Sandy council adopts 20‑hour volunteer time‑off policy for city employees
Summary
The council approved a policy granting city employees 20 hours of paid volunteer leave per calendar year, with supervisor approval and geographic emphasis on serving Sandy residents; staff will report back on utilization in six to 12 months.
The Sandy City Council voted to authorize the city manager to implement a Volunteer Time Off policy that gives employees up to 20 hours of paid leave per calendar year to volunteer with organizations that benefit the Sandy community.
Tyler presented the policy and told the council the intent was to give employees paid time to volunteer without taking vacation days: “Some key takeaways here is 20 hours of paid time off, per calendar year,” he said. The policy excludes participation in political or religious advocacy and requires employees to be in good standing and beyond any probationary period to use the benefit. Operational needs may limit when leave can be taken.
Councilors debated guardrails: whether the activity must directly benefit Sandy residents or simply serve organizations that include Sandy in their service area (examples discussed included countywide programs such as TIP and regional providers like Mount Hood Hospice). The council added language emphasizing service that directly benefits the Sandy community and confirmed supervisor approval would be required to avoid subjective or inconsistent approvals.
Councilor Walker moved to authorize the city manager to implement the policy, Councilor Sheldon seconded, and the council called the question; the motion passed (vote recorded as ayes with no opposition noted in the public record). The council directed staff to return in six to 12 months with a utilization recap (organizations served and aggregate hours used).
Staff said the new leave will be available between now and the next January (20 hours for the remainder of the calendar year) and suggested they will monitor usage and refine policy language if needed.
