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Council approves employee‑handbook updates including ESST policy and carryover amendments
Summary
The council approved updates to the employee handbook including an Earned Sick and Safe Time policy, separation of sick and vacation leave, and amendments reducing maximum vacation carryover to 240 hours and adjusting firefighter carryover to 300 hours.
The City Council approved updates to the employee handbook after staff presented changes to comply with state ESST rules and to clarify vacation and carryover policies.
Staff recommended adding an Earned Sick and Safe Time policy and discussed options including front‑loading 48 hours on Jan. 1 for full‑time employees and how to handle cash‑out. The presenter said the statute recommends several options and staff recommended paying out ESST as cash on the last paycheck of the year rather than depositing into a retirement savings plan.
Council also discussed separating vacation and sick leave accruals, potential cash‑out changes, and the financial liability of large carryover balances. An amendment to reduce the maximum vacation carryover for city staff from 260 to 240 hours passed by voice vote. A separate amendment adjusted firefighter carryover from a higher proposed cap to 300 hours to align accrual rates; that amendment also passed. The council approved the revised handbook as amended.
What happens next: Staff will implement handbook changes and update payroll and HR processes to reflect ESST and the amended carryover limits.
