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Committee tables revised Employee Handbook after CAO flags legal language
Summary
Interim CAO Chamberlin presented a substantially rewritten Employee Handbook but identified remaining references to 'at-will employment' that will be removed for compliance with Montana law; the Committee voted to table the item for further review.
Interim CAO Chamberlin presented a reorganized Employee Handbook intended to reduce redundancy and improve clarity, describing changes to disciplinary and grievance procedures, probationary periods for transfers, sick-leave donation rules, and incorporation of longevity policies.
Chamberlin said the handbook removes many safety-specific procedures to allow a separate Public Works Safety Manual to be developed. She also identified several remaining references to "at-will employment" that would be removed to comply with Montana employment law and said the handbook had already undergone review by MMIA, legal counsel, supervisors, and department management.
Committee members raised concerns about liability and evidentiary risks when police employees use personal devices for City business and requested clearer language encouraging use of City-issued devices for official police work. After discussion the Committee voted to table the Employee Handbook Update for additional review.
Next steps: City administration will remove inaccurate "at-will" references, address device-use language for police staff, and return the handbook to the Committee after legal and MMIA review.
