TABLE OF CONTENTS
Disclaimer
Employment Practices
Section 1: Equal Employment Opportunity Statement5
Section 2: Recruitment and Applications of Job Vacancies 5
and Postings
Section 3: Residency 5
Section 4: Nepotism 5
Section 5: Personnel Records 6
Section 6: Performance Evaluation 6
Section 7: Part-Time/Temporary Employment 6
Conditions of Employment
Section 1: Working Hours 7
Section 2: Rest Periods and Lunch Periods 7
Section 3: Fair Labor Standard Act 7
Section 4: Compensatory Time and Overtime 7
Section 5: Pay Periods 7
Section 6: Outside Employment 8
Section 7: Use of Town Property 8
Vehicles 8
Seatbelt Usage 8
Emergency Vehicle8
Route Vehicle 9
Cell Phone Policy 9
Section 8: Conduct and Appearance 9
Section 9: Conflict of Interest 9
Section 10: Political Activity9
Section 11: Use of Controlled Substance and Alcohol 10
Section 12: Safety 10
Section 13: Sexual Harassment – Purpose, Definition, 10
Guidelines and Procedures
Section 14: Privileged Information 10
Section 15: Attendance/Punctuality 10
Other Employee Benefits
Section 1: Workers’ Compensation10
Section 2: Unemployment Compensation 11
Section 3: Health and Life Insurance 11
Section 4: Retirement 11
Section 5: Mileage and Per Diem 11
Section 6: Uniforms 11
Section 7: Safety Clothes 12
Section 8: Credit Union 12
Holidays and Leave Policy
Section 1: Holidays 12
Section 2: Vacation 12
Section 3: Sick Leave 13
Section 4: Military Leave 14
Section 5: Funeral Leave 14
Section 6: Court Leave 14
Section 7: Election Leave 14
Section 8: Personal Leave 14
Section 9: Administrative Leave 15
Section 10: Absence without Leave 15
Section 11: Emergency Closing 15
Section 12: Community Leave 15
Section 13: Executive Leave 16
Employee Occupational Injury/ Off Duty Policy General 16
Separation from Employment
Section 1: Voluntary Separation 18
Section 2: Involuntary Separation 18
DISCLAIMER
THIS HANDBOOK IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE, BUT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE EMPLOYEES WITH A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE TOWN’S GUIDELINES, POLICIES, AND PROACTICES, AND A GUIDE FOR THE EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE OF YOUR JOB. THIS EDITION REPLACES ALL PREVIOUSLY ISSUED EDITIONS. NOTHING IN THIS HANDBOOK SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO BE AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN YOU AND THE TOWN, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. ANY ORAL OR WRITTEN STATEMENTS OR PROMISES THAT ARE CONTRARY TO THESSEE RULES ARE NOT VALID OR BINDING AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON BY ANY PROSPECTIVE OR EXSITING EMPLOYEE.
ALL EMPLOYMENT WITH THE TOWN OF DIAMONDVILLE IS EMPLOYMENT AT WILL.
EMPLOYEES HAVE THE RIGHT TO END THEIR WORK RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TOWN, WITH OR WITHOUT ADVANCE NOTICE FOR ANY REASON, AT ANY TIME, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE, THE TOWN OF DIAMONDVILLE HAS THE SAME RIGHT.
THE TOWN EXPLICITLY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO UNILATERALLY MODIFY, CHANGE, ADD OR ELIMINATE ANY PROVISIONS OF THE HANDBOOK AT ITS DISCRESTION.
NO HANDBOOK CAN ANTICIPATE EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE OR QUESTION. AFTER READING THE HANDBOOK, IF AN EMPLOYEE HAS QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, THEY SHOULD TALK WITH THEIR DEPARTMENT HEAD.
EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES
Section 1: Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Town of Diamondville is an equal opportunity employer. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, handicap, disability, sex, age, veteran status or political affiliation with respect to terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, employment, appointment, reinstatement, termination, training or any other personnel action is prohibited except where a bona fide occupational qualification or job requirement exists.
The Town of Diamondville shall take action to insure equality of opportunity in employment.
Section 2: Recruitment and Applications of Job Vacancies and Posting
All vacancies for positions shall be publicized by posting an announcement on official bulletin boards and in other places and through such media as appropriate to attract any and all qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, sex, age, disability, or national origin as defined under applicable statutes. An announcement shall specify the title, salary range, duties, and minimum qualifications of the class, the time, place and method of making application, and other pertinent information to include, but not limited to, upon offer of employment, driving record and drug screen.
Applications for job vacancies shall be made on forms to be provided by the Town of Diamondville. Applications forms of accepted applicants will become a permanent part of the employee’s personnel file. Applications may remain active and shall remain on file for consideration for ninety (90) days after receipt.
Section 3: Residency
In all cases, employees shall be required to reside within a 5-mile radius of the Town of Diamondville, either upon employment or within a specified period of time following employment.
Section 4: Nepotism
In recruiting persons for employment or appointment, the applicant most qualified to perform the duties of the classification should receive the offer of employment. Supervisors and elected officials shall not hire their spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild or any family member who resides in their household for part or full time jobs or temporary employment. Neither shall two member of an immediate family be employed at the same time if such employment will result in an employee supervising a member of his or her immediate family on a regular basis.
In order to avoid any possible conflict of interest, the persons so related must not participate in or vote on decisions relating to the hiring, retention, promotion or determination of the salary level of a member of his immediate family.
Section 5: Personnel Records
All personnel records shall be maintained in secured storage by the municipal clerk. Applications, performance evaluations, training, records, promotion, and transfer records, vacation and sick leave records, pay schedules and other pertinent information shall become a part of each employee’s personnel file.
All information in the personnel file shall be deemed confidential and shall be disclosed only in accordance with W.S. 16-4-203.
Verification of employment, compensation and similar information is frequently request with respect to Town employees. All such requests shall be referred to the municipal clerk. Such information shall be disclosed only with the consent of the affected employee with supervision.
Section 6: Performance Evaluation
- Evaluating the performance and productivity of each employee is necessary for the effective administration of a properly implemented personnel management system. Employees need to know how they are doing, and whether they are meeting expected performance levels. Evaluations are equally important to management in identifying training adequacy and needs, future manpower needs and to provide a basis for judging and, when warranted, rewarding performance.
- One of the basic functions of the governing body is to continually evaluate how well employees do their jobs. In addition to the day-to-day evaluations, employee’s performance also needs to be reviewed over an extended period. This permits documentation and for safeguards to be built into the evaluation process. This is best accomplished by a written performance appraisal and review conducted annually. New hires will be evaluated prior to the end of their six-month probation period.
- Appraisals include completing a performance appraisal form, a review of the completed appraisal form by the department head and a discussion of the appraisal with the employee. They Mayor will evaluate department heads. This discussion with the employee also includes a plan for development and improvement of performance. Both the department head and employee shall sign the form to acknowledge that the discussion took place.
Section 7: Part-Time/ Temporary Employment
The Town of Diamondville reserves the right to hire part time/temporary employees to temporarily replace a fulltime employee who is on long term disability, illness, or other absence. The governing body, along with the appropriate department head, shall deem when employment is necessary. The part time/temporary employee shall receive no benefits other than hourly compensation.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Section 1: Working Hours
Except as otherwise specifically provided, the normal work week of municipal employees shall consist of forty (40) hours per week of work. The governing body or other designated administrative officials or supervisors shall determine the schedules of the various departments consistent with the foregoing provisions. Changes in scheduling may be made by appropriate supervisors or department heads as working situations and conditions required.
Section 2: Rest Periods and Lunch Periods
Employee work schedules may provide for a fifteen (15) minute rest period during each four (4) hour period of continuous work as determined by the department head or appropriate supervisory personnel. Break periods may not be accumulated. In addition, employees shall be granted an unpaid lunch period during each work shift. The normal lunch period should be scheduled near the middle of each work shift and should be a maximum of one (1) hour in length. Exceptions to this provision may be made by the governing body or designated supervisory personnel.
Section 3: Fair Labor Standards Act
The Town complies with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which sets minimum wage, overtime pay, equal pay and child labor standards.
Section 4: Compensatory Time, Overtime and On Call Time
At the discretion of the governing body, reasonable overtime may be required of employees. The performance of such overtime may be scheduled at the direction of the appropriate supervisor.
Employees are only allowed to accrue eighty (80) hours of Comp Time from fiscal year to fiscal year. Comp time will be paid out at time and a half at the end of the fiscal year or at separation from employment with the Town.
Section 5: Pay Periods
- The pay period for the Town employees shall be and fall on the fifteenth of each month and last day of each month.
- When employees terminate from the Town, they shall be required to return all Town property and clear all financial obligations to the Town prior to receiving their final pay check. The immediate department head is responsible for insuring that the property is returned to the Town before authorizing a final pay check. In the event they do not clear the above obligations, the amount of their financial obligations shall be deducted from the final pay check.
Section 6: Outside Employment
Employees may engage in outside employment provided there is no conflict with assigned working hours and if such employment does not interfere with or adversely affect the employee’s responsibilities with the municipality or create any conflict of interest. In the event extra or overtime duty may be necessary, such duty shall take precedence over outside employment. If the employee’s outside employment interferes with the municipal employment, the governing body shall require the employee in writing to terminate the outside employment. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action.
Section 7: Use of Town Property
Employees shall be responsible for the proper use and care of Town property issued to them for the performance of their official duties. No Town equipment, materials, or supplies shall be removed from its location without approval of the department head except in the ordinary course of business. Except as specifically provided, Town employees may use Town owned equipment or other materials for personal use, if before its use the employee notifies a department head and lists the equipment or material being used on a check out sheet, which when returned will be checked off the sheet by someone other than the employee using the equipment or material.
Some job classifications require that the employee possess a Commercial Driver’s License. Where an employee is notified in writing that such a requirement is a condition of employment, suspension of the driver’s license for any reason or loss of insurability shall be cause for termination.
Vehicles:
Employees using Town vehicles shall use them exclusively for authorized purposes. Any abuse of Town vehicles shall be grounds for immediate disciplinary action. Town vehicles will not be permitted to leave the Town limits unless on official Town business or approved by a department head of the Town of Diamondville. Having more than two moving traffic violations in any one calendar year in a Town vehicle shall be cause for disciplinary action. Job classifications that require an employee to possess a Commercial Driver’s License or is required to possess a driver’s license, as a part of the condition of employment, whose driver’s license is suspended for any reason or loss of insurability shall be cause for termination.
Seatbelt usage:
Seatbelts area required to be worn by all Town of Diamondville employees in vehicles or equipment if so equipped with such devices, unless in extenuating circumstances apply.
Emergency Vehicles:
Operation of an emergency vehicle by a law enforcement officer or other authorized operator under circumstances in which compliance could endanger the safety of the operator or another which results in a rapid exit from the vehicle the requirement does not apply. Prisoners that are non-combative will be seat belted, if the prisoner becomes or is combative and the use of a seatbelt jeopardizes the officer’s mission and exposes the officer to undue risk the requirement shall not apply.
Route Vehicles:
Vehicles used for routes where their operator makes more than ten stops per mile involving an exit from the vehicle in the scope of his or her employment the requirement shall not apply.
Cell Phone Policy:
Cell phones are provided to select Town employees in order to improve customer service and to enhance business efficiency. Town provided cell phones are not intended to be a personal benefit, nor primary mode of personal communication. Town provided cell phones are to be used for official Town business.
Section 8: Conduct and Appearance
The Town is a public service institution and personal appearance, grooming and conduct are extremely important. Employees shall maintain a clean, well-groomed appearance consistent with their position and responsibilities, shall serve the public in a courteous, impartial manner demonstrating tact and good judgment, and shall devote their energies to the service of the Town while on duty and not to personal affairs.
Section 9: Conflict of Interest
No employee shall engage in any activity or enterprise which conflicts with his/her duties as a Town employee or with the duties, functions and responsibilities of the department in which he/she is employed. No employee of the Town shall have any financial interest in the profits of any contract, service or other work performed by the Town, nor shall nay employee personally profit directly or indirectly from any contract, purchase, sale or service between the Town and any person or company. Employees exercising influence in connection with a Town contract, purchase, payment or any other financial or monetary transaction and having substantial personal interest in a transaction shall provide within seventy-two (72) hours written advance notice of the conflict to the Governing Body. Failure to disclose a conflict of interest may be grounds for immediate termination.
Section 10: Political Activity
Political beliefs, activities and affiliations shall be a private matter of the employees of the Town. No employee or applicant for a vacant position shall be required to divulge political beliefs as requirement of employment. Nor shall any employee or applicant be required to participate in, make or withhold contributions to political parties or groups.
Political activity on the national, state or county levels is unrestricted. Employees shall refrain from any campaign activity while on duty. No employee shall hold the office of Mayor or Councilperson. Any employee desiring to hold such office shall resign from Town employment upon election to such office.
Section 11: Use of Controlled Substances and Alcohol
We are a drug and alcohol free workplace.
Section 12: Safety
It is the responsibility of each employee to observe safety and operating procedures at all times. It shall be the responsibility of supervisory personnel to train employees in safety and operating procedures. Any employee who has a question concerning safety or operating practices should inquire of his/her supervisor. Violation of the adopted safety rules and regulations may result in a disciplinary action. Employees are encouraged to report safety violations or concerns to their supervisor.
Section 13: HarassmentSexual Harassment – Purpose, Definition, Guidelines and Procedures
See Town Clerk for Procedures and Guidelines.
Section 14: Privileged Information
Town employees involved with plans, programs or information of significant public interest shall not use this information for personal gain or to benefit friends, relatives or acquaintances. Each employee is charged with the responsibility of insuring that only information generally available to the public is released. Violation is subject to disciplinary action.
Section 15: Attendance/Punctuality
Employees are expected to report for work at their specified hour. Any employee unable to report for duty on a work day shall notify his/her supervisor within one hour of the usual starting time. Failure to provide notification shall be considered an absence without leave for which there shall be no compensation, and may be cause for further disciplinary action.
OTHER EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Section 1: Workers’ Compensation
Certain classes of employees are covered by the Workers’ Compensation Act under Wyoming state law. Eligible employees injured by accident or occupational disease in the performance of official duties shall receive compensation in accordance with the Workers’ Compensation Act. Injuries must be reported to the employer within 72 hours and reported to the Department of Employment, Division of Workers’ Safety and Compensation. Review for continued employment will be made at the end of ninety (90) days of disability and a decision reached as to future employment status. At the discretion of the Governing Body and Department Heads, light duty employment may be provided for employees, who because of a particular disability would be capable of performing light duty employment. Such reviews will be conducted by the Governing Body and designated representatives on a case-by-case basis and their decision will be final. Such decision shall be taken in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.
Section2: Unemployment Compensation
Town employees are covered by the Unemployment Compensation Program administered through the Employment Security Division of the State of Wyoming. Generally, this compensation is available to those who are terminated from Town employment through no fault of their own (e.g. layoff, manpower cutbacks) and are actively seeking employment elsewhere.