Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Employee Handbook topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rock Creek council reviews employee‑handbook draft, debates PTO and classifications
Summary
City consultant Julia Risland updated the Rock Creek City Council on a draft Employee Handbook, recommending policy additions on hiring, drug testing, classifications and PTO accrual; council set milestones for a May 1 editable draft and a June 1 final version.
Julia Risland, who provided the update to the Rock Creek City Council on April 9, said the draft Employee Handbook needs more detail in areas such as hiring practices, drug and other testing requirements, and internal‑hiring preferences compared with a sample from another city. She also noted that the sample included provisions for union employees that “do not currently apply to Rock Creek.”
Risland told the council that state statutes commonly treat full‑time employment as 30 or more hours per week and that some unemployment thresholds are tied to 32 or more hours, cautioning that any change to classification or hours would require notice to affected employees and would change benefit eligibility. “PTO must begin accruing immediately upon hire and cannot be delayed due to a probationary period,” she said, and she added that accrual during probation with front‑loading after completion is permissible. Risland also said PTO payout on separation is not required unless it is stated in an offer letter or wage notice, and that employees returning within 180 days retain previously accrued PTO.
Council Members Dan Saumer and Sam Christenson said they supported implementing PTO accrual across employee categories, with a proposed cap for part‑time employees of 80 hours unless adjusted for years of service. The council discussed allowing seasonal employees to accrue PTO and considered delaying some non‑PTO benefits, such as healthcare reimbursements, until after a probationary period.
The council directed Interim City Administrator and Deputy Clerk Ashley Rauschnot to draft welcome‑letter templates for full‑time, part‑time and seasonal employees and discussed miscellaneous administrative changes including implementing direct deposit and allowing overtime only with supervisor approval. Julia Risland said she will provide an editable handbook draft by May 1, 2026, and a final version by June 1, 2026; she is scheduled to return for further discussion at the April 23 meeting.
The council raised several procedural items to resolve before adoption: whether to define full‑time at 40 hours per week, the minimum annual hours to qualify as an employee (a suggested 80 hours/year), and the formation of a Personnel Committee to oversee hiring practices. Council Member Nancy Rys said she will consult the City Attorney on the minimum‑hours question and proposed that the Personnel Committee include the City Clerk and one to two council members.
Next steps: staff will prepare the requested handbook draft and welcome‑letter templates for council review at upcoming meetings.
