[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Selectmen
of the Town of Haddam effective 11-1-1988; revised 6-28-1989, 4-18-1990, 6-6-1990, 2-5-1992, 12-16-1992, 4-15-1994, 10-5-1994, 7-1-1995, 12-20-2006, and 2-22-2007. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Retirement programs — See Ch. 185.
A.
The personnel policies of the Town of Haddam are established
to carry out the intent and purpose of the Haddam Town Charter, to
provide an efficient and responsive municipal operation, to promote
proper personnel administration, and to inform all personnel about
their responsibilities to the Town of Haddam as well as the Town's
responsibilities and obligations to its employees.
B.
The personnel policies provide information that each
person will require for his daily activities, is designed to inform
everyone of Town policies in general, and should be consulted on a
continuing basis for operating other policies. Benefits described
herein are applicable only to full-time employees unless otherwise
designated. Any masculine pronoun used in this manual shall also include
the feminine.
C.
The personnel policies provide a general guideline
only. The policies set forth herein may be altered or modified for
any reason from time to time, with or without notice, at the discretion
of the Town in accordance with Town Charter rules and regulations.
Nothing in this manual is to be considered a term or condition of
employment or a contractual relationship for employment.
D.
The Town recognizes that the effective application
of these personnel policies is necessary for a positive and continuing
work environment. The policies shall be applied to ensure compliance
with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended by the Equal Opportunities
Act of 1972, Presidential Executive Order No. 11246, No. 11375, and
No. 1141, and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act, the Age
Discrimination Act of 1976 as amended and all other laws which pertain
to equal employment opportunity.
E.
The provisions of the personnel policy shall apply
to all members in the service of the Town of Haddam. Where there is
a conflict between these rules and regulations and any union contract,
the terms of the union contract shall prevail. The First Selectman
and/or his or her designee shall have responsibility for administering
the personnel policy to the Town of Haddam.
A.
The personnel policies shall apply to all persons
employed by the Town of Haddam, excluding those employed by any local
or regional Board of Education.
B.
Those policies shall not be superseded by any department,
board, commission or agency regulations. Job descriptions shall be
approved by the Board of Selectmen after review by the First Selectman.
A.
The employment of personnel and personnel decisions
shall be based solely on merit and the needs of the Town of Haddam.
B.
All employees shall receive, on or before their starting
date of employment, a job description, if one exists, for the position
which they occupy, a copy of the personnel policies of the Town, and
a communication from the First Selectman indicating the following:
C.
Job descriptions may be changed, eliminated, and/or
created at any time with the approval of the Board of Selectmen.
D.
New employees shall serve a probationary period of
six calendar months, during which time they shall obtain neither seniority
nor other rights under these rules and regulations. Such probationary
employees may be terminated at the sole discretion of the Town for
any reason whatsoever without recourse to any procedures for review
or grievance contained in these rules and regulations. Upon satisfactory
completion of the employee's probationary period, seniority shall
date back to the original date of employment. Additionally, each employee
shall receive a probationary period review of his/her job performance.
Upon request of the department head and/or as circumstances may require,
the probationary period may be extended for not more than 90 working
days if said determination of the length of the extended probationary
period is made by the First Selectman.
Pre-employment examinations are required after
an offer of employment has been made and prior to commencing employment
with the Town. Said offer shall be conditioned upon the applicant
submitting a complete application, including physical examination,
to the Town for acceptance. Physical examinations during the term
of employment may be required at the Town's expense.
A.
A permanent full-time employee is one who works at
least 30 hours a week and has completed his/her probationary period.
B.
A permanent part-time employee is one who works at
least 20 hours per week or more, but fewer than 30 hours, for 12 months
per year.
C.
Temporary full-time and part-time employees are ones
who work for a minimum period of four months per year.
D.
All other individuals who perform temporary tasks
on a sporadic and casual basis shall not be considered employees of
the Town and shall be treated accordingly.
A.
The normal work schedule for all employees shall be
40 hours per week for members of the Town road crew, except the senior
citizen bus driver and dump custodian who may have a different schedule,
and shall be 35 hours per week for other Town employees. Department
heads and/or supervisors shall work the basic hours but shall be required
to provide services in accordance with their supervisory responsibilities.
B.
The normal work week for all employees shall be five
days, Monday through Friday, except that the First Selectman may determine
different schedules or work to meet the operational needs of the Town.
C.
Nothing provided herein shall be construed as guaranteeing
any schedule of hours, minimum work week or minimum work day or the
availability of work.
A.
Employees shall be compensated at time and 1/2 of
their hourly rate for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a
work week. Hours worked in excess of 35 hours per week up to 40 hours
per week shall be compensated at straight time. Employees may be required
to perform overtime work as determined by the Town based upon operational
requirements. All overtime must be specifically approved in advance
by the First Selectman and/or his designee.
B.
Each employee shall record his/her time worked on
a time sheet and/or by means of an electronic time clock. The First
Selectman or his designee shall determine whether or not employees
are required to punch time cards and/or fill out time sheets. Any
employee punching a time card and/or creating time records for another
employee shall be subject to dismissal.
C.
The Town shall retain the right to require overtime
work when it deems necessary. Overtime shall, within the demands of
operational needs of the Town, be distributed equally among full-time
employees with similar duties. The distribution shall be over a four-month
period.
D.
If an employee refuses, is unavailable for, or cannot
be reached for overtime work, the employee will be charged with overtime
in relation to the overtime rotations as if the employee had worked.
Employees refusing to work overtime when ordered to do so may be subject
to disciplinary action.
E.
An employee who is called in to work during nonscheduled
hours shall be paid a minimum of two hours at the applicable rate.
The Town may require the work in addition to that which created the
reason for the call-up, up to the amount of the minimum payment. If
an employee is recalled to work within two hours after being released
from work, he/she shall be considered to have never been released
and shall be paid accordingly.
With the approval of the First Selectman, supervisors
shall determine the time and schedule for breaks. Work areas shall
not be left unattended, and required coverage to perform Town business
must be maintained.
A.
Hourly employees shall be paid for the actual number
of hours worked during the applicable pay period, less authorized
deductions.
B.
Salaried employees shall be paid their annual rate
of pay divided by the number of pay periods per year, less applicable
deductions.
C.
Department heads shall be required to attend meeting
of Town agencies as part of the duties for their position and shall
not be ordinarily eligible for compensation in the equivalent time,
pay or time off for said duties.
Any employee who engages in employment outside
of his/her regular working hours shall be expected and required to
perform duties for the Town first. The Town shall not be liable for
any injury to an employee while he/she is engaged in outside employment
or for any occupational illness or injury attributed thereto. Outside
employment shall not be prohibited by these personnel rules, except
that said employment shall not conflict with the employee's position
with the Town and/or with the faithful performance of the employee's
duties on behalf of the Town of Haddam.
An employee who is leaving Town employment shall
file, at least two weeks in advance, a written and signed statement
of resignation stating the effective date and reasons for leaving.
Said resignation shall be filed with the department head and/or the
First Selectman.
A.
Seniority rights in Town employment are conditional
upon the employee, in the judgment of the Town, being fully qualified,
capable and willing to perform the work to which his/her seniority
may entitle him/her.
B.
Seniority is defined as the employee's total length
of continuous unbroken service with the Town. Seniority shall be considered
broken for such reasons as resignation or separation, discharge, layoff
of more than one year and overstaying a leave of absence.
C.
In the event that a layoff becomes necessary or there
is a reduction in the work schedule and/or work force, the more qualified
employee, as determined by the First Selectman, shall be given preference
for the available work, provided that where it is determined that
the ability to perform the required work is equal, the more senior
employee shall be given preference for the available work. Employees
subject to layoff or reduction in hours shall be notified in writing
at least two calendar weeks prior to the effective date of the layoff
or reduction or said employee shall receive two weeks pay in lieu
of said notice. If an emergency exists, notice and payment will not
be required. Employees first laid off will be first recalled, provided
said employee is qualified to perform the required work.
D.
The First Selectman may initiate transfers of employees
between departments and/or work shifts, based upon the needs and interests
of the Town operations. Employees will be provided five days' notice
of transfer except where an emergency exists.
A.
There shall be 13 1/2 paid holidays a year for
employees holding permanent full-time positions:
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New Year's Day
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Columbus Day
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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Veterans Day
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Presidents' Day
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Thanksgiving Day
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Good Friday
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Day after Thanksgiving
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Memorial Day
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From 12:00 noon the day before Christmas
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Fourth of July
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Christmas Day
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Labor Day
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Day after Christmas
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B.
When a holiday occurs on Saturday, Friday shall be
the day of observance. When a holiday occurs on Sunday, Monday shall
be the day of observance. When a holiday occurs on a Friday, employees
who are normally scheduled to work a half day will be allowed to take
a half of a floating holiday, scheduled by mutual agreement between
the employee and the Town.
C.
Permanent part-time employees shall be granted holiday
pay on a pro-rata basis, provided it falls on their regular workday.
D.
Persons on probation for permanent full-time positions
shall be granted holidays in the same manner as if they had completed
the probationary period.
E.
Whenever a holiday falls during the paid vacation
of an employee, the holiday shall not be charged against the employee's
earned vacation time. The employee shall be given another day off
at a time mutually agreeable to the employee and the First Selectman.
F.
Employees must complete the fully scheduled work day
immediately preceding and immediately following a holiday in order
to qualify for holiday pay. An immediately preceding work day and
immediately following work day is defined as the preceding and following
day in accordance with the employee's regular work schedule.
G.
Holiday pay is the employee's regular straight time
rate of pay for the hours of a normal work day and/or 1/5 of the weekly
salary for the salaried employees.
H.
Employees called into work on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
Day, or New Year's Day shall receive double-time pay.
I.
Whenever any holiday occurs while an employee is out
on sick leave, the employee shall be granted an additional day off
at a time mutually agreeable to the employee and the First Selectman.
J.
Temporary full-time and part-time positions shall
not be entitled to holiday leave.
All permanent employees shall receive vacation
as follows:
A.
Paid vacation shall commence accumulation on the first
day of the month of continuous employment if the starting date is
prior to the 16th day of the second month for employees beginning
employment on or after the 16th day of the month.
B.
No accumulation shall occur in the month of termination
unless the final date of employment is the 16th of the month or later.
C.
The vacation period shall begin on the anniversary
of the employee's date of hire, and each employee shall be required
to take his/her entire vacation within the current year earned.
D.
Vacation entitlement shall be based upon the following
schedule:
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Completed Service on Anniversary
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Vacation Entitlement
(days)
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|---|---|---|
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More than 6 months, but less than 12 months:
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5
| |
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1 to 5 years
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10
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6 years
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11
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7 years
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12
| |
|
8 years
|
13
| |
|
9 years
|
14
| |
|
10 years
|
15
| |
|
11 years
|
16
| |
|
12 years
|
17
| |
|
13 years
|
18
| |
|
14 years
|
19
| |
|
15 years
|
20
| |
|
16 years
|
21
| |
|
17 years
|
22
| |
|
18 years
|
23
| |
|
19 years
|
24
| |
|
20 years
|
25
|
E.
Employees shall be paid for vacation taken and shall
not be paid for vacation not taken during the vacation year. Exceptions
may be made by the First Selectman for employees under special circumstances.
F.
Vacation days may be taken in full- or half-day increments,
consistent with the operational needs of the Town and subject to the
approval of the First Selectman.
G.
An employee who is separated, dismissed or retired
from the Town service shall be paid the sum total of his accrued vacation
leave upon the date of such separation, dismissal or retirement in
accordance with the rules. Such vacation leave shall accrue month
by month during the fiscal year on a pro-rata basis, provided the
employee completes at least 16 days of the month.
H.
In the event of death of an employee, the employee's
accrued vacation pay shall be paid to the employee's spouse, otherwise
to his/her dependents on a pro-rata basis. Employees shall designate
in writing in their personnel folder the identity of such persons.
I.
Vacation pay is equal to the employee's regular straight-time
rate of pay times the number of hours in a normal work day and/or
1/5 of the employee's weekly salary times the number of days of vacation.
Vacation leave shall not be granted until the employee has completed
the probationary period.
J.
All vacation leave must be approved by the department
head and the First Selectman. Request for three or more days' vacation
shall be filed at least two full weeks prior to the requested dates
and are subject to the operational needs of the Town. Request for
less than three days of vacation must be made at least one week in
advance and are subject to the operational needs of the Town.
K.
Earned vacation time may be credited to sick leave
in the event that an employee has exhausted sick leave.
M.
Temporary full-time and part-time positions shall
not be entitled to vacation leave.
A.
Sick leave.
(1)
Upon the successful completion of the probationary
period of employment, each permanent full-time employee shall be entitled
to sick leave with pay which shall accrue at the rate of one day per
month. Permanent part-time employees shall accrue sick leave on a
pro-rated basis, based on actual hours worked. Unused sick leave shall
be accumulated from year to year, so long as the employee remains
continuously in the service of the Town, and is authorized by the
Town, but such accumulation of sick leave shall not be more than 80
days. Temporary full-time and part-time employees shall not be entitled
to sick leave.
(2)
In order to be qualified for sick leave pay, an employee
must notify his/her department head prior to the commencement of the
work day unless otherwise specified by the department head.
(3)
Sick leave shall not be considered a privilege to
be used at the employee's discretion but shall be allowable only in
the event of the actual illness or injury of an employee except as
noted in Subsection A(5) herein. The Town may require a physician's
certificate or other proof of illness if sick leave extends beyond
one week in duration. Failure to provide such verification upon request
shall be sufficient to deny sick leave payment.
(4)
Sick leave must be used in increments of at least
1/2 of an employee's normal work day.
(5)
Employees may utilize the sick leave provided in these
policies in the event of an emergency, serious illness or injury to
a member of their immediate family. "Immediate family" is defined
as a husband, wife, father, mother, sister, brother, child and any
other cohabitant of the employee's household. This provision is subject
to a three-day limitation per calendar year.
B.
Funeral leave.
(1)
All employees shall be granted funeral leave with
pay for a maximum of five days for their immediate family, which consists
of mother, father, spouse, son, daughter, sister, or brother. All
employees will receive a maximum of three days for the following:
father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandparents or grandchildren, daughter-in-law,
son-in-law or any blood relative actually living in their household
(each occurrence).
(2)
All employees may be granted funeral leave with pay
for a maximum of one day per occurrence to attend the funeral of the
following: niece, nephew, uncle or aunt, sister-in-law, brother-in-law.
Additional days taken under this provision may be deducted from accumulated
sick time.
C.
Personal days. Two days of paid personal leave will
be granted each year to permanent full-time and permanent part-time
employees after the completion of the probationary period. Temporary
full-time and part-time employees shall not be entitled to personal
leave.
D.
Injury leave.
(1)
Injury leave shall mean paid leave given to an employee
due to absence from duty caused by an accident or injury which occurred
while the employee was engaged in the performance of his/her authorized
Town duties.
(2)
An employee must immediately report to his/her supervisor
all instances of injuries sustained on the job.
(3)
Employees of the Town are covered by workers' compensation
insurance and are paid stated amounts due to injuries sustained on
the job.
(4)
Lost time under injury leave shall not be charged
to vacation or sick leave accruals. Employees on injury leave will
accrue seniority during the first 12 months of injury leave. Employees
will receive compensation and benefits as provided in the Workers'
Compensation Act.
E.
Military leave.
(1)
Employees leaving the service of the Town to join
the military forces of the United States of America, during the time
of war or other national emergency, or who are inducted by the Selective
Service shall be entitled to a leave of absence, accumulation of seniority
and re-employment rights in accordance with applicable statutes.
(2)
The Town will provide a leave of absence for employees
participating in National Guard or Reserves training or duty. The
employee shall be compensated at his/her full rate of pay, less the
compensation received from the military, for a period not to exceed
30 days in one year.
F.
Family and medical leave.
(1)
Disabilities caused or contributed to by pregnancy,
miscarriage, abortion, childbirth, and recovery therefrom, shall be
treated as temporary disabilities for all job-related purposes. Accumulated
sick leave shall be available for use during such disability.
(2)
Disability leave may be extended for cases at the
discretion of the First Selectman in accordance with state statutes.
(3)
Upon signifying intent to return, an employee will
be reinstated to his/her original job or to an equivalent position
with no reduction in pay. Reinstatement is subject to the availability
of positions.
G.
Jury duty. Employees who serve on jury duty shall
be paid the difference between the employee's normal rate of pay and
the fee received for serving as a juror, not to exceed 40 hours in
any week and/or the regular hours which the employee works, whichever
is less. An employee called for jury service shall furnish the Town
with a notice to serve and evidence of attendance.
H.
Leaves of absence.
(1)
Leaves of absence without pay may be granted to any
permanent full-time employee upon recommendation by the employee's
supervisor, not to exceed two months. The First Selectman shall determine
whether or not to grant said leave of absence, which in no event shall
exceed two months.
(2)
Upon the recommendation of the First Selectman, leaves
of absence beyond a two-month period may be granted for extraordinary
circumstances for specific periods by the Board of Selectmen.
(3)
If a leave of absence is granted under Subsection
H(1) for medical reasons, the employee's individual medical insurance
will be continued, consistent with § 303-20. An employee
must provide an appropriate physician's certificate in support of
any medical leave request. When an employee is granted a leave of
absence for nonmedical reasons, the employee may maintain medical
insurance benefits at his/her own expense.
It is the responsibility of an employee to report
all work-related accidents to the First Selectman's Office within
24 hours of the occurrence, excluding weekends and holidays. Forms
for said reporting are maintained in the First Selectman's Office.
A.
The Town shall maintain safe and healthy work sites.
B.
Whenever unsafe or unhealthy conditions exist, the
Town shall endeavor to correct them as soon as possible.
C.
Employees shall not be required to work in, on, with,
or about unsafe pieces of equipment or unsafe or unhealthy conditions.
D.
The Town shall provide all OSHA-required hard hats,
safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, and orange vests for employees
who work in the field, on construction sites, or other hazardous areas.
A.
It is the policy of the Town to recognize that employees
who have complaints regarding working conditions or on matters concerning
their employment should have a mechanism to handle such matters. The
purpose shall be to settle grievances at as low a level as possible
in order to expedite settlement of problems and ensure effective work
performance.
B.
A grievance is defined as an employee or union complaint
regarding discharge, suspension or other disciplinary matters, claims,
misinterpretations or misapplications of specific sections of this
agreement.
C.
Steps in the grievance procedure.
(1)
The employee should register the complaint orally
with his/her immediate supervisor. If a satisfactory conclusion is
not reached with the supervisor, the matter should be submitted in
writing to the department head, if such exists, within five working
days of the occurrence of the problem. If there is no department head,
the employee may register his/her complaint with the First Selectman
as prescribed in Subsection C(2).
(2)
If the department head exists, he/she will render
a decision within five working days of the complaint. If the employee
is unable to reach a satisfactory conclusion, the employee shall present
the grievance in writing to the First Selectman within five working
days of the decision of the department head.
(3)
The First Selectman will consider the grievance, conduct
any further investigation if necessary, and render a final written
decision to the employee within 15 working days of the receipt of
the grievance.
(4)
The employee may present any objection to the First
Selectman's decision to the Board of Selectmen at the next regularly
scheduled meeting.
A.
No employee shall be discharged or disciplined without
proper reason.
B.
Disciplinary action shall be applied in a fair manner
and shall be consistent with the infraction for which the disciplinary
action is being applied. The severity of the disciplinary action shall
be determined by the seriousness of the violation and the employee's
record of discipline and performance.
C.
The department head and/or First Selectman are authorized
to determine disciplinary action. Suspensions and discharges shall
be recommended and implemented solely by the First Selectman in accordance
with applicable Town Charter provisions.
D.
Employees shall be notified of disciplinary actions
in writing and have a copy placed in their personnel file.
B.
The Town shall have the right at any time to change
insurance carriers, provided that the coverage is substantially the
same as the existing plan.
C.
All references in this agreement to types of benefits
are solely for the purpose of description and identification, and
in all cases the terms and the provisions of the insurance policies
shall govern any claim.
D.
Employees who retire shall be eligible to receive
for themselves and eligible dependents upon payment by the employee,
at the applicable group rate, such contractual insurance in which
the insurance carrier will allow the retiree to participate. Said
insurance coverage shall not be retroactive and will only be effective
when the insurance carrier deems it to be so.
E.
Effective July 1, 1993, all employees who are covered
under the pension plan will be included in a group life insurance
and accidental death and dismemberment program with American United
Life Insurance Company in the amount of $45,000 until age 65, at which
time the coverage will be reduced by 35%. The benefits are further
reduced by 35% of the remaining amount every five years thereafter.
The current Town of Haddam retirement and insurance
plan shall remain in effect. Eligibility requirements are detailed
in the plan. A copy of the plan shall be made available to all employees
upon request.
Employees shall have the right to see their
personnel file by appointment. The employee shall make his/her request
to the First Selectman in writing or to the First Selectman's designee.
The right shall be exercised during nonworking hours. A copy of any
disciplinary items placed in an employee's personnel file shall be
provided to the employee within a reasonable time of the discipline.
There shall be no unlawful discrimination against
any employee based upon marital status, age, sex, race, creed, national
origin, ancestry, religious beliefs, physical disability, union activity,
or lack of union activity either by the Town or by the union. As used
herein, the words "he" and "him" apply fully to bargaining unit members,
regardless of sex or gender.
Subject to a determination of the Board of Selectmen,
employees may have Town vehicles for commuting to and from work. When
a vehicle is assigned to an employee, it may not be used for personal
business and/or any activities unrelated to the conduct of Town of
Haddam business. Failure to abide by these provisions shall result
in the loss of use of the vehicle, and employees may be subject to
reimburse the Town for any costs.
When employees are required to utilize personal
vehicles during working hours at the direction of the department head,
they shall be reimbursed at the rate set by the IRS and approved by
the Board of Selectmen.
Solicitation of or offering of goods and services
to employees is prohibited on Town property at all times.
Whenever an employee is required to work out
of classification, he/she will be compensated at the higher classification,
and the employee works in the higher classification rate if the position
being filled is of a higher classification and the employee works
in the higher classification for a period in excess of 10 working
days.
