AGENDA DATE: 1/10/2024
TITLE:
Title
Personnel Policy Amendments
BODY
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Consider amendments to County personnel policies to comply with federal and state laws, best practices, and reflect organizational values
ITEM TYPE: Consent Action Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Richardson, Rosenberg, Bessette, Shifflett, Rice
PRESENTER (S): N/A
LEGAL REVIEW: Yes
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: Albemarle County ended the shared service Human Resources (HR) model in Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 23) and approved the formation of a HR Department dedicated to local government operations. Foundational work in establishing a government-focused HR Department includes a full review and revision of all County Personnel Policies, which is now underway. During this review, staff identified opportunities to modernize existing Personnel Policies to align with changes in legislation and public sector best practices.
Under the County Code, personnel policies and amendments are adopted by the Board of Supervisors.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Workforce & Customer Service - Recruit & retain engaged public servants who provide quality government services to advance our mission
DISCUSSION: Staff is proposing updates to the Personnel Policies listed below with a summary of the proposed changes for each. The revised policies have been renumbered to improve ease of use and accessibility for all staff. The personnel policies utilize a new template in an effort to standardize the appearance of the documents.
§P-12 Facility Closure
Previously § P-66 Coverage Due to Inclement Weather or Emergency (Attachment A), the proposed changes include: added sections for Roles and Responsibilities and Definitions; removed sections pertaining to annual and sick leave usage (this already appears in the County’s Holiday and Leave policy).
§P-15 Employee Safety
Is a new personnel policy (Attachment B), created to provide an overarching framework for the County’s safety procedures, initiatives, and behavior.
The following personnel policies are proposed to be archived, as they are no longer relevant, as described below.
§P-31 Bloodborne Infectious Conditions
Archive P-31. The policy addressed internal procedures and programming to comply with the County’s safety policy and Virginia Occupational Safety and Health regulations. This topic will be included in the County’s written safety manual of operational protocols.
§P-32 Hazard Communications
Archive P-32. The policy addressed internal procedures and programming to comply with the County’s safety policy and Virginia Occupational Safety and Health regulations. This topic will be included in the County’s written safety manual of operational protocols.
§P-35 Staff Health
Archive P-35. The policy covered the manner in which the County, as an employer, utilized the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for employee relations and disciplinary purposes. This is no longer in practice.
§P-37 Emergency Situation Staffing
Archive P-37. This policy required County staff to follow the regional Continuity of Operations Plan. This plan is no longer in practice. The County is currently creating a modernized Continuity Plan which will contain specific guidelines and procedures for situational staffing.
BUDGET IMPACT: There is no budget impact associated with the proposed adoption of these amendments.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board adopt the Resolution (Attachment C), to amend personnel policy § P-12, adopt policy § P-15, and archive policies § P-31, § P-32, § P-35, and § P-37.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - Proposed § P-12
B - Proposed § P-15
C - Resolution