Memorandum 15-188 Revisions to Personnel Regulations

Memorandum 15-188

TO:                       Mayor and City Council

THRU:                 Katie Koester, City Manager

FROM:                 Andrea Browning, HR Director

DATE:                  October 23, 2015

RE:                       Personnel Regulation Revisions

As you know the Personnel Regulations have not been updated since 2009. 

The Regs are long overdue for some revision and clarification, and in the future the City will update the Personnel Regs annually – taking into account employee input and Dept. Head suggestions prior to making recommendations to City Council.   A more comprehensive update will take place in 2016, and I will let Dept. Heads know prior to that time.

However, due to a recent PERS audit – there is a need to revise a few sections before the end of the year. 

Chapter 3

Current Personnel Regs read:

3.11     Casual Appointments.  Casual appointments are made when the need for an employee’s services is on an intermittent as needed basis over a longer period of time. Employees who have been casually appointed are at will.  These casual appointed employees shall not receive leave accrual, shift differential or other benefits.

Change:  Additional composite classification of “Casual Jail Officers” will be inserted.   PERS advised the City that the part-time/casual jail officers currently employed do not fit clearly into the Temporary, Casual, or Part-Time classifications.  The “Casual Jail Officer” will be a composite position that allows these employees to work more than 30 hours in one week but never more than 60 hours in a two-week period.  This allows them to cover the standard Jail Officer shifts, without surpassing the part-time hourly restriction.

Chapter 6

Current Personnel Regs read:

6.16     Short-Term Military Leave with Pay.  A full-time employee who is a member of the National Guard or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States, is entitled to a leave of absence with pay from their duties for a period not exceeding fifteen calendar days in any calendar year. Pay received from the military during the leave should be paid to the City. Military leave with pay may be granted only when an employee receives bona fide orders to active or training duty for a temporary period and shall not be paid if the employee does not return to their position immediately following the expiration of the period for which they were ordered to duty.  Employees on military leave will adjust their work schedule to five eight hour days, 40 hours per week at their hourly rate of pay, excluding shift differential.

Change:  The highlighted section will be removed, and the City will no longer require military pay to be turned over in order to offset military leave payments.

 Chapter 8

Current Personnel Regs read:

8.14     City Vehicles.  On-call personnel, Department Directors and Police Officers may be issued the use of City vehicles for conducting City business and for driving to and from work. City vehicles should not be used for personal use. However, it is expected that employees may occasionally transport family members or stop at the store while they are traveling to and from work but this should be kept to a minimum and not become a daily occurrence. When issued a city vehicle the employee shall; use the seat belt device and require any passengers to do the same, monitor fuel, fluids and tire pressure, immediately notify the employee’s supervisor of any malfunctions or accidents, keep the interior of the vehicle clean, operate the vehicle in accordance with application State and laws, refrain from smoking in City vehicles and immediately notify supervisor of any change in driver’s license status, including suspension, revocation, or restriction.

Change: 

PERS has brought to the City’s attention that personal use of City vehicles is considered a benefit, and therefore must be included in the employees’ gross wages reported on the W2 Form and this benefit is subject to income tax withholding, possibly SSA tax withholding and Medicare tax withholding. This benefit would also be considered remuneration for services to an employer and as such would be included in the gross wages reported to the Public Employment Retirement System under AS39.35.680(9) and AS39.35.990(7).

Amended 8.14 will read:

8.14     City Vehicles.  Emergency Services Personnel, including Police and Fire, may be issued the use of City vehicles for conducting City business and for driving to and from work.  Employees that utilize City-owned vehicles during their workday will only drive the vehicle while on official City business.   City vehicles should not be used for personal use.  When employees take their lunch hour or breaks, they will use their personally-owned vehicle.  Emergency Services Personnel, including Police and Fire, are excluded from this provision.  When issued a city vehicle the employee shall; use the seat belt device and require any passengers to do the same, monitor fuel, fluids and tire pressure, immediately notify the employee’s supervisor of any malfunctions or accidents, keep the interior of the vehicle clean, operate the vehicle in accordance with application State and laws, refrain from smoking in City vehicles and immediately notify supervisor of any change in driver’s license status, including suspension, revocation, or restriction.