A. 
The Town Administrator or designee shall be Personnel Director for the Town of Easton and will impartially and equitably oversee all personnel activities of Town government. He or she may delegate to another or others personnel functions entailed in administering this chapter but shall retain personal responsibility for all such delegated acts.
B. 
The Personnel Director shall:
(1) 
Prepare and recommend to the Select Board for its approval a personnel plan and revisions thereto and direct the continuous administration of said plan, in accordance with the provisions of the Town Charter, § C4-2(m).
[Amended 5-20-2019 ATM by Art. 21]
(2) 
Review for budgetary purposes the annual salaries and associated costs.
(3) 
Direct the recruitment, testing, selection and hiring of employees.
(4) 
Prepare and administer tests, whenever practicable, for all original appointments and promotions in the Town service in conjunction with the appropriate department head.
(5) 
Enforce policies and procedures for personnel administration.
(6) 
Supervise, develop and maintain personnel systems, forms, procedures and methods of recordkeeping.
(7) 
Maintain a roster of all employees in the Town service.
(8) 
Certify, in writing, appointments, promotions, demotions, discipline and other actions.
(9) 
Direct employee orientation, training, counseling and career development in conjunction with department heads.
(10) 
Administrate these personnel policies, including the handling of grievances.
(11) 
Evaluate performance evaluation reviews completed by department heads.
(12) 
Perform other lawful acts which are considered necessary or desirable to carry out the purpose of the central personnel system and the provisions of these personnel policies.
(13) 
Ensure that all employees certify, in writing, that they have received this chapter and all other labor contracts, policies, procedures and rules which affect them.
(14) 
Assist the Human Resources Board (hereinafter "HRB") in the performance of its duties under this Chapter.
A. 
Composition of Board:
(1) 
The Town shall have a Human Resource Board consisting of three residents appointed by the Select Board.
[Amended 5-20-2019 ATM by Art. 21]
(2) 
No member shall be a member of another board or committee or an officer, official or paid employee of the Town.
(3) 
At least one member shall have education and/or experience in human resources or labor relations.
(4) 
The term of office shall be three years, so arranged such that the term of one member shall expire each year. The initial membership term shall commence upon the approval by Easton voters at the next annual election of an amendment to Section 4-2(m) of the Home Rule Charter.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said amendment was approved by voters 1-12-2004 STM, Art. 20.
(5) 
Any vacancy in the HRB shall be filled by the Select Board, and any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired term of the person whom s/he succeeds.
[Amended 5-20-2019 ATM by Art. 21]
(6) 
The HRB shall annually elect its own Chair and Vice-Chair. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall act as Chair.
(7) 
The HRB members shall serve without compensation.
(8) 
The HRB shall hold meetings at least once per year or at such times as it may determine. Such meetings may be scheduled either by Chair or the Town Administrator.
B. 
Duties:
(1) 
The HRB shall cause to be created a Classification Plan and Salary Plan. They shall prepare a draft request for proposals from consultants with input and advice from the Personnel Director, assist in the review of proposals, make a recommendation to the Select Board regarding contracting with a consultant to create these plans, and shall approve of the methodology used by the consultant in the creation of the plans. They shall submit their recommendations for proposals to the Town Administrator or the Town procurement officer. In the alternative, if a consultant is not hired, the HRB shall create the Classification and Salary Plans.
[Amended 5-20-2019 ATM by Art. 21]
(2) 
The HRB shall make recommendations to the Personnel Director as to the implementation and administration of the Classification and Salary Plans (see Subsections C and D below), and shall recommend policies and procedures consistent with those plans, as it deems necessary for the administration thereof.
(3) 
The HRB shall from time to time review the Salary Plan. It shall keep informed as to pay rates and policies outside the service of the Town and shall make recommendations to the Personnel Director necessary to maintain a fair and equitable pay level.
(4) 
As frequently as deemed necessary or desirable by the HRB, but not less frequently than every five years, the HRB shall direct, assist with and/or conduct salary surveys regarding collection and analysis of data for comparison between the Town Classification and Salary Plans and comparable classifications and compensations outside the service of the Town. Based on such surveys, the HRB shall recommend changes or adjustments to the Classification and Salary Plans to the Select Board through the Town Administrator.
[Amended 5-20-2019 ATM by Art. 21]
(5) 
The Classification and Salary Plans shall not include reference to any Exempt Official, including classifications within collective bargaining units, as defined by § 59-10. Nothing in this article, or the Salary Plan, shall be construed to conflict with Chapter 31 of the General Laws or Easton's Home Rule Charter.
C. 
Classification plan:
(1) 
A Classification Plan is to be created by the HRB.
(2) 
The classifications of all officers and employees of the Town (whether full-time, part-time, seasonal, casual, special, Civil Service, or others) other than those filled by popular election, those under the direction and control of the School Committee, those subject to a collective bargaining agreement entered into pursuant to MGL c. 150E, and those for whom the General Laws allow the Town to negotiate an employment agreement (e.g., MGL c. 41, § 108N and 108O) shall be classified in classes in the Classification Plan.
(3) 
The HRB shall maintain written descriptions of the jobs or classifications in the Classification Plan, describing the essential characteristics, requirements and general duties of the jobs. The descriptions shall not be interpreted as complete or limiting definitions of any job, and employees shall continue in the future, as in the past, to perform any duties assigned by department heads, supervisors, or other authority.
(4) 
The HRB, from time to time, shall review the duties of all classifications subject to the Classification Plan. Such reviews shall be made at such intervals as the HRB deems necessary and, to the extent which the HRB considers practicable, shall include all classes.
(5) 
The HRB may recommend to the Personnel Director a new classification. If the Personnel Director establishes the classification, the HRB shall assign it to a class consistent with Article IV of this Chapter.
(6) 
The HRB shall transmit the Classification Plan to the Town Administrator who shall then submit it to the Select Board for approval pursuant to § C4-2(m) of Easton's Home Rule Charter. The Classification Plan shall become effective within 30 days after submission once presented to the Select Board, unless rejected by the Board. The Classification Plan shall be implemented and administered by the Town Administrator.
[Amended 5-20-2019 ATM by Art. 21]
D. 
Salary plan.
(1) 
A Salary Plan is to be created by the HRB. Such Plan shall provide wage and salary schedules to include minimum and maximum salaries for each class in the Classification Plan. The salary range for each classification shall be the salary range established for all classification in the class.
(2) 
The HRB shall transmit the Salary Plan to the Town Administrator who shall then submit it to the Select Board for approval pursuant to § C4-2(m) of Easton's Home Rule Charter. The Salary Plan shall become effective within 30 days after submission once presented to the Select Board, unless rejected by the Board. The Salary Plan shall be implemented and administered by the Town Administrator.
[Amended 5-20-2019 ATM by Art. 21]
Department heads shall have responsibility to supervise effectively their employees, to report in an approved manner upon the efficiency and performance of their subordinates, to notify the Town Administrator of changes in duties of their employees in order that the Classification Plan will be maintained; and to recommend salary increases. Department heads shall recommend to the Town Administrator, as necessary, desirable changes in the personnel policies and procedures to improve administration of the personnel system. Department heads may establish such rules deemed necessary for the efficient and orderly administration of the department. Such rules must be on file in the office of the Town Administrator before they become effective and must be consistent with these personnel policies and procedures. They may not conflict with any procedures established by the Town Administrator/Personnel Director to fulfill his duties under Easton's Home Rule Charter or this Chapter. Copies of department rules must be made available in the office of each department head for use by the employees.
It shall be the responsibility of all employees to acquaint themselves thoroughly with the material in these personnel policies and subsequent revisions. Employees are also encouraged to submit suggestions for changes and improvements in personnel policies and procedures for improvement of the personnel administration.