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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 06-07 Approving Amendments to the Personnel ManualTOWN OF WESTLAKE RESOLUTION NO. 06-07 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS, APPROVING ADDITIONS TO THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE PERSONNEL MANUAL. WHEREAS, the Town of Westlake desires to document formal and consistent guidelines with regards to employment policies; and WHEREAS, the Town of Westlake realizes the need for standardized procedures for handling routine personnel matters; and WHEREAS, the Town of Westlake desires to limit both Town and employee liability; and WHEREAS, the goal of the Town of Westlake is to provide policies and benefits that are competitive to surrounding cities; and WHEREAS, the Town of Westlake desires to provide employees with a personnel manual that reflects the goals and vision of the Town's leaders; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE TOWN OF WESTLAKE: SECTION 1: That the Town of Westlake Board of Aldermen does hereby approve the proposed policy additions and amendments, and their inclusion into the Town of Westlake Personnel Manual as attached Exhibit A. SECTION 2: That this Resolution shall become effective upon the date of its passage. PASSED AND APPROVED ON THIS 13TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2006. ATTEST: J Dwinnell, Town Secretar Scott Bradley, Mayor r Trent O. Petty, Town ger EXHIBIT A TOWN OF WESTLAKE DIES RESERVE OFFICER PROGRAM The Town of Westlake Reserve Officer program helps to maintain minimum staffing requirements by qualified personnel on a part-time basis. The primary purpose of the Reserve Officer Program is to provide the community with an auxiliary unit of trained, competent DPS officers. These officers supplement our regular personnel and can be used in the event of an emergency when manpower is critical. The application and screening process for part-time positions is the same as for full-time positions. Requirements 1. Must be at least 21 years of age; 2. Must be in good physical and mental health with no disabling physical condition; 3. Must possess a valid Texas driver's license; 4. Must not have a history of criminal or improper personal conduct that may affect suitability for public safety work; 5. Must possess a United States high school diploma or G.E.D. equivalent; and 6. Must possess current firefighter and paramedic certifications; 7. United States Citizenship required or legal authorization to work in the United States. Hiring Process 1. Completion of Town of Westlake Employment Application 2. Completion of Personal History Statement 3. Review of Candidate Qualifications 4. Background Investigation 5. Department Interview 6. Certification and Appointment Commitment RPS Reserve Officers are required to work a minimum of one 24-hour shift every calendar quarter to remain an active employee. Reserves not meeting this requirement will be classified as inactive for an additional calendar quarter. Emolovee Benefits The DPS reserve officer program offers only specified benefits. These include social security match, medicare match, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation insurance, as required by law. Other benefits, including vacation pay, sick leave, retirement benefits, health or disability insurance or related benefits, or any other type of employee benefits, are not included. Compensation Reserve Officers will be compensated at a rate of $14.18 per hour. This pay rate may be adjusted at the sole discretion of the Town Manager. Employees will be paid twice monthly by direct deposit in accordance with the DPS payroll cycle. Shift Selection Reserve Officers will be contacted by the DPS Director or shift lieutenant at the first available opportunity when an open shift arises. If the Reserve Officer is unavailable, then next person on the list will be contacted and offered to work the open shift. Uniforms Reserves will be provided with apparel which will identify the officer as a Town of Westlake employee. In addition, bunker gear will be available for Reserves to use during emergency calls. Pants and footwear will not be provided. Nature of Emnlovment All employment with the Town of Westlake is "at will," meaning that an individual's employment may be terminated at any time, with or without notice, for any reason or no reason, by either the Town or the employee. Employment is not guaranteed for any specific period of time. Neither the employee nor the Town of Westlake is bound to continue the employment relationship. Employees in the DPS Reserve Officer program are subject to the same policies and departmental procedures as all other employees. Details of these policies and procedures are contained in the Town of Westlake Personnel Manual and the Westlake DPS Standard Operating Procedures document. All DPS Reserve Officers will receive a copy of the Town of Westlake Personnel Manual, either in printed or electronic form. It shall be the responsibility of each employee to read, understand, and comply with all policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and practices, both those of the Town and those of their respective departments. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS Psychological evaluations may be required as part of the pre-employment screening process or to determine fitness for duty for current employees. All psychological evaluations will be conducted by a designated, licensed psychologist at the Town's expense. Pre-employment psychological evaluations are required for some positions to help determine suitability for work and to identify any psychological trait, factor, or condition, which may significantly interfere with an applicant's ability to carry out duties for the position for which he/she is applying, in accordance with the current departmental rules, regulations, and policies. Fitness for duty psychological evaluations may be required of current employees at any time. These evaluations are intended to provide guidance as to the employee's inability to carry out duties due to psychological factors. The Town Manager may require a psychological evaluation as part of an administrative action for an employee showing behavioral signs of distress or impairment or when mental instability is reasonably suspected. For fitness for duty evaluations, the employee shall receive a written directive from the Town Manager to undergo an evaluation. This order will also contain information related to the date, time, and location of where the evaluation will be conducted. Failure by the employee to report for an evaluation shall result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Psychological reports are to be kept confidential and used only by personnel authorized by the Town Manager. They are only advisory and shall not be the sole basis for administrative decisions. iEmPLOYMENT--RELATED PHYSICALS Certain positions exist where a certain level of fitness and physical well-being are required to perform requisite tasks proficiently and safely. This need has been recognized in the Department of Public Safety where pre-employment physicals have been mandatory for full-time positions. Medical screening of prospective employees serves several purposes; 1. Ascertains that employees meet the minimum physical requirements of jobs for which they are hired. 2. Protects existing medical conditions that need corrections or control. 3. Identifies pre-existing medical conditions that need correction or control. 4. Procurement of a healthy, more productive work force. A successfully completed pre-employment physical will be the final step in the hiring process for designated positions. After interview screening has been completed, the applicant selected will be notified of his/her tentative selection and informed that upon successful completion of a physical examination at the Town's expense he/she will be hired. The applicant will then obtain authorization and instructions pertaining to the physical from the Human Resources Office. Should the results of the screening and/or examination indicate that a health issue is to be considered, every reasonable accommodation will be made to work with the new employee given the circumstances. Pre-employment physical examination documentation will be maintained in the Human Resources Office as a permanent part of the employee's personnel records. Examination forms for disqualified applicants will be filed with their employment applications. For some positions, annual physicals made be required for employees in compliance with federal, state, or local requirements. These physicals will be at no cost to the employee. Results of physical fitness evaluations are personnel authorized by the Town Manager. sole basis for administrative decisions. to be kept confidential and used only by They are only advisory and shall not be the CAR ALLOWANCE AND MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT The Town of Westlake provides car allowances to reimburse employees required to use personal vehicles extensively for Town -related business. For some employees at a manager level and above, a car allowance may be set above the reimbursement level as a part of the employee's total compensation package. The use of mileage reimbursement is to reimburse employees who are required to use personal vehicles occasionally for Town -related business. The reimbursement rate will remain consistent with the IRS -approved rate. In order to receive a mileage reimbursement, employees are required to document the miles driven and purpose on an expense report. The expense report must be approved by the Department Head and forwarded to accounting for processing. Reimbursement checks will only be issued during the normal bi-monthly check run cycle.