The purpose of this Article is to establish fair and equitable personnel
administration based on merit principles that ensures a uniform, fair and
efficient application of personnel policies. This Article is adopted pursuant
to the authority granted by Article LXXXIX of the Constitution of the Commonwealth
and MGL C. 41, §§ 108A and 108C.
All Town departments and positions shall be subject to the provisions
of this Article, except elected officers, employees with personal contracts
and employees of the School Department.
Personnel systems shall be established by promulgation of policies pursuant to §
58-8 of this Article. The personnel systems shall make use of current concepts of personnel
management and shall include but not be limited to the following elements:
A. Method of administration. A system of administration
which assigns specific responsibility for all elements of the personnel systems,
including maintaining personnel records, implementing effective recruitment
and selection processes, maintaining the classification and compensation plans,
monitoring the application of personnel policies and periodic reviews and
evaluating the personnel system.
B. Classification plan. A position classification plan for
all employees subject to this Article, based on similarity of duties performed
and responsibilities assumed. Thus, the same qualifications may be reasonably
required for, and the same schedule of pay may be equitably applied to, all
positions in the same class. No employee may be appointed to a position not
included in the classification plan. No new position shall be created nor
existing position reclassified to a different grade/pay level without proper
Town Meeting approval.
C. Compensation plan. A compensation plan for all positions
subject to this Article consisting of:
(1) A schedule of pay grades including minimum, maximum and
intermediate rates for each grade; and
(2) An official list indicating the assignment of each position
to specific pay grades.
D. Recruitment and selection policy. A recruitment, employment,
promotion and transfer policy which ensures that reasonable effort is made
to attract qualified persons and that selection criteria are job related.
E. Personnel records. A centralized recordkeeping system
which maintains essential personnel records.
F. Personnel policies. A series of personnel policies which
establishes the rights and benefits to which personnel employed by the Town
are entitled and the obligations of said employees to the Town.
G. Other elements. Other elements of a personnel system
as deemed appropriate or required by law.
The Personnel Board shall prepare policies or amendments to policies.
Any member of the Board of Selectmen, Personnel Board, the Director of Human
Resources or any three (3) employees may suggest policies for consideration
by the Personnel Board. The Personnel Board need not consider any proposal
already considered in the preceding twelve (12) months. Any person proposing
a new or amended policy shall provide the substance and the reason for the
proposed policy to the Personnel Board in writing. The Personnel Board shall
hold a public hearing on any proposed policies or amendments. Any proposed
policies or amendments shall be posted at least five (5) days prior to the
public hearing in prominent work locations, copies of all proposals shall
be provided to representatives of each employee collective bargaining unit,
and a copy shall be submitted to the Board of Selectmen.
A. Public hearing. The Personnel Board shall present the
proposed policies or amendments, the purpose of the proposal and the implication
of any proposed change at the public hearing. Any person may attend the hearing,
speak and present information. Within twenty (20) days after such public hearing,
the Personnel Board shall consider the proposed policies and may vote to adopt
the policies, with or without modifications, reject the policies or indicate
further study is necessary.
B. Recommended administration policies. The Personnel Board
shall transmit proposed policies in writing to the Board of Selectmen within
twenty (20) days of any vote on proposed personnel policies or amendments.
The Board of Selectmen shall review said policies and may agree to their adoption
or may request further deliberation by the Personnel Board. Upon review of
any recommendations made by the Board of Selectmen, the Personnel Board shall
vote on the final version of the recommendations and policies. Policies shall
become effective upon the vote of the Personnel Board, unless some other date
is specified.
C. Computation of time. In computing time (days) under this
Article, only days when Town Hall is open for business shall be counted.
[Amended STM 10-24-1989, Art. 58]
In the event any provision of application of this Article shall be held
to be invalid by the proper authority, the remaining provisions of this Article
shall not be affected thereby.
[Amended STM 10-24-1989, Art. 59]
This Article shall take effect on January 1, 1989. Personnel policies existing prior to said date as presented in Article
12, Personnel Bylaw, will remain in effect for at least sixty (60) days from said date until promulgation of new policies in accordance with §
58-8.