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Zeeland Personnel Committee approves Employee Handbook updates and appreciation policy
Summary
The Zeeland Personnel Committee unanimously approved Employee Handbook amendments aligning benefits and terminology with 2025 union contracts, raised the health plan opt‑out amount, and updated the Employee Appreciation Policy’s per‑diem rate.
The Zeeland Personnel Committee on Jan. 28 unanimously approved a package of Employee Handbook amendments that align personnel terminology with the Human Resources department, adjust vacation and longevity provisions to match 2025 union contracts, and raise a health plan opt‑out payment. The committee also approved a separate amendment to the Employee Appreciation Policy.
City Manager Klunder and HR Specialist Hellenthal presented the handbook changes, which clarify exemption status for exempt and non‑exempt positions, allow departments flexibility in posting open positions instead of automatically sending every opening to all departments, and update the distribution of paid time off upon separation. The handbook now aligns paid vacation accruals with the 2025 union contracts: an additional (sixth) week of vacation is added after 29 years of service, and an alternate sixth week is available after 23 years of service, with qualified overtime language updated to reflect tax changes for 2025–2028.
The amendments also reduce the years of service required to receive an extra paid personal leave day, add holiday benefit guidelines for part‑time employees, and increase longevity pay amounts to match the union contracts. A travel appendix was added to encourage carpooling to reduce costs, and guidance was developed regarding paid travel time. In Health Appendix G the committee approved increasing the health plan opt‑out payment from $1,000 to $2,500.
Fire provisions in Appendix H were revised to ensure employees attending required training or certification are paid for that time, to adjust the work period to align with Fair Labor Standards Act standards for overtime exemption, and to match certain vacation benefits between fire staff and regular employees.
Separately, the committee approved changes to the Employee Appreciation Policy, updating the U.S. General Services Administration meals & incidental (M&E) rate to $74 and setting the M&E effective period to Oct. 2025–Sept. 2026. The appreciation policy amendments also replace references to "City Clerk/Personnel Assistant" with the Human Resource Department.
The handbook and appreciation policy amendments were each put to a motion: the Employee Handbook amendments were approved on a motion by BPW Chair Boerman, seconded by Mayor Pro‑Tem Gruppen; the Employee Appreciation Policy amendment was approved on a motion by Boerman, seconded by Council Member Lam. Both motions carried unanimously.
The changes take effect per the language in the adopted amendments; the handbook clarifications also note that group insurance coverage ends on the day active employment ends. The committee did not adopt specific changes to holiday pay parity for streets or BPW workers at this meeting, though a city streets employee had requested such consideration during public comment.
