Hickman council adopts revised employee handbook with new protections for pregnant and nursing workers

The Hickman City Council on a unanimous roll call approved Resolution 2025-05 to adopt a revised employee handbook intended to replace prior versions and clarify personnel procedures.

Jenna Mesa, who presented the handbook updates, told the council the document “supersedes all previous versions and it does not serve as a contract of employment.” Mesa summarized key changes including expanded harassment-reporting procedures; explicit protections for pregnant workers and break time for nursing mothers; standardized job descriptions and performance-review guidance; conflict-of-interest and non‑solicitation provisions; revised technology, property and equipment rules; and an expansion of paid volunteer leave by eight hours.

Mesa said the handbook also clarifies the relationship between insurance plan documents and handbook summaries and updates leave language (including FMLA, military leave and jury duty) to conform with Nebraska law. On workplace safety, staff added procedures for reporting workplace violence and declared the workplace weapons‑free. "We consider it a working document," Mesa told the council when asked how future legal or regulatory changes would be handled.

Mayor Garing and council members thanked the personnel committee and staff for multiple meetings to draft the revisions; the council scheduled a staff meeting with HR for June 23 and set an effective date of June 22 so full‑time employees would receive copies before that meeting. The motion to adopt the resolution was made by Mr. Wagner and seconded by Mr. Norn; the motion carried on roll call (ayes recorded by the clerk).

The council vote completes the formal adoption step; staff said all full‑time employees will receive the handbook the day after the meeting and may raise questions at the June 23 staff session.