[Adopted 10-20-1986]
A. 
The objective and policy of the Town of West Seneca is and has been to maintain a safe and healthful work environment for all employees. To that end, on July 25, 1983, the town implemented a Loss Control and Safety Program which sought to eliminate unsafe conditions and unsafe behavior that could cause workplace injuries and illnesses. On February 1, 1985, the town retained professional loss control service providers to further this goal.
B. 
The town also recognizes that it is every town employee's desire and responsibility to maintain adequate physical and mental ability so that work tasks can be completed in a safe and healthful manner. In order to further these goals, the town now establishes the following Employee Wellness and Work Safety Policy.
Unless incapacitated, employees must report all accidents and injuries in writing in order to claim town benefits. An employee report of injury form will be available from the town for this purpose. The report must be signed by the employee and filed with the employee's department head.
Injured employees must immediately seek professional medical treatment for other than first-aid injuries and request their attending physician or other health-care provider to file a written report of injury and disability with the town within 48 hours of treatment. If disability is continuing, employees must ask the physician/health-care provider to send the town a complete medical report of the injury and disability within 15 days. Failure of employees to file a written report of injury or failure of the treating health-care provider to file its reports promptly will prevent or delay payment of compensation benefits.
A. 
Physicians and other health-care providers treating town employee injuries will be requested to cooperate with the employees and the town in filing timely injury and treatment reports, recommending rehabilitative and wellness treatment activities and in permitting employees safe return to work in modified duty plans adopted by the town.
B. 
Employees disabled from work will be expected to follow the doctor's treatment program and make every effort to rehabilitate themselves as promptly as possible. Employees being paid sick leave or compensation benefits will be expected to stay in health-care facilities or at home recuperating when unable to work. Employees found to be engaged in unhealthful activities while disabled will have benefits terminated.
C. 
Employees with nondisabling injuries requiring follow-up visits for medical treatments will schedule such treatments during nonwork hours. The town will not pay workers' compensation benefits for nonemergency medical treatment during work hours, except under very unusual circumstances.
Except as provided by contract or law, vacation and sick leave benefits will not accumulate during periods of employee absence from work, whether due to accident or illness. Furthermore, the town will not make pension contributions on employees' behalf which are based on workers' compensation benefits.
A. 
The town will implement job performance standards and periodically review each employee's ability to maintain those standards. The town expects employees to maintain physical competence to perform assigned work in a safe and healthful manner and will initiate programs to facilitate this competence. In this regard, the town received a Department of Labor education and training grant and has retained service providers to conduct training in back injury prevention, work site hazard marking, supervisory safety skills, toxic hazard communication and advanced driver performance programs. This training is presently ongoing.
B. 
The town will consider both an employee's accident record and attendance record as critical elements in evaluating overall job performance. Employees with a pattern of repetitive absences and injuries may be considered incompetent and subject to disciplinary procedures and discharge where that pattern is not corrected. The town will make every effort to avoid subjecting employees to disciplinary actions by recommending use of safety and health training techniques. However, employees must utilize such information and training effectively.
A. 
Recognizing that the health and well-being of its employees is vital to the success of the Town of West Seneca, an Employee Assistance Program shall be established to provide responsible confidential assistance to employees experiencing personal problems which may adversely affect their job performance.
B. 
As a statement of policy, the town recognizes that a wide range of human problems not directly associated with one's job function can affect an employee's job performance and recognizes that many human problems can be successfully treated, whether the problem be one of alcohol, drug abuse, physical illness, mental or emotional illness or financial, marital or family stress. The purpose of the Employee Assistance Program is to provide effective assistance to those individuals who are currently experiencing or are at risk of experiencing personal problems and to help the town and unions deal more effectively with employees experiencing personal problems which may cause deterioration of job performance.
C. 
Since employee work performance can be affected by the problem of an employee's spouse or other dependents, the Employee Assistance Program is also available to the dependents of all Town of West Seneca employees on a voluntary basis. The town encourages employees and/or their dependents who have a problem to seek help. Employees seeking help through this program are assured that their job security and promotional opportunities will not be jeopardized solely as a result of a request for help with their problem. Further, employees are assured that referral for assistance with such problems will be handled in a confidential manner. The decision to participate in the Employee Assistance Program is voluntary and the personal responsibility of the employee. Employees participating in this program will be expected to meet all existing job performance standards and established work rules as any other nonparticipating employee.
Nothing in the Employee Assistance Program or in the Wellness and Work Safety Policy contained in this resolution shall in any way waive management's right to take appropriate disciplinary or administrative action, nor shall the use of the program waive a represented employee's right to use the grievance procedure to contest any such discipline under existing collective bargaining agreements. Similarly, the use of the program does not waive a nonrepresented employee's rights under the problem-solving procedure.