City Council Memorandum Human Resources Memo No.N/A
Date:
June 24, 2024
To:
Mayor and Council
Thru:
Joshua Wright, City Manager Tadd Wille, Assistant City Manager
From:
Rae Lynn Nielsen, Human Resources Director
Subject:
Resolution No. 5760 Personnel Rule 15 Amendments
Proposed Motion:
Move City Council pass and adopt Resolution No. 5760, amending Personnel Rule 15, Sections 4, Vacation Leave Accrual; 5, Maximum Accrual of Vacation Credits; 10, Statutory Sick Leave; 14, Bereavement Leave; 15, Military Special Leave; 17, Special Leave without Pay; 18, Extended Special Leave without Pay; 20, Doctor's Release; 21, Payment of Sick Leave; and 23, Administrative Leave
Background:
The proposed amendments to personnel rules stem from the findings of the city's recent comprehensive classification and compensation study, which evaluated general employee benefits relative to the City of Chandler's market group. The compensation and classification study was approved by the City Council in fiscal year 2021-2022 and conducted throughout calendar year 2022, with changes to base compensation implemented effective January 1, 2023. The review of employee benefits was planned as a second phase of the study.
While the city is generally competitive in most benefits, the proposed rule adjustments target areas that are currently lagging. These recommended changes are designed to keep the city competitive in the benefits it offers its employees, ultimately enhancing recruitment and retention efforts.
Discussion:
Detailed recommendations for personnel vacation accruals are provided in Attachment A. Other key modifications are summarized below.
The city currently lags behind competitor municipal employers in vacation accrual amounts for employees with 0-5 years, 5-10 years, and 10-15 years of service. Additionally, the city offers its employees less in comparison to the market concerning both vacation accrual caps and vacation cash-out limits. The discrepancies and recommended changes are outlined in the tables below:
Vacation Accrual
Market Survey (MS) Annual Accrual Max
Chandler Current (CC) Annual Accrual Max
Difference (MS-CC)
Recommended Annual Accrual Max
319 Hours
240 Hours
-79
320 Hours
Cash-Out Limits
Market Survey (MS) Cash Out Max
Chandler Current (CC) Cash Out Max
Difference (MS-CC)
Recommended Cash Out Max
50 Hours
35 Hours
-15
50 Hours
The existing bereavement leave policy defines an immediate family member as "mother, father, spouse, child, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, grandchild, or person serving in loco parentis of either the employee or the employee's spouse." In the event of an immediate family member's passing, an employee is entitled to three (3) days of bereavement leave, with an additional two (2) days provided if the employee must travel out-of-state. In comparison, four similar cities allow 5-10 days for the death of a spouse or child without an "out-of-state" requirement. Additionally, six peer municipal organizations permit the use of bereavement leave for aunts, uncles, and cousins at a reduced rate.
Proposed adjustments to the Bereavement Leave Policy are as follows:
Bereavement Leave Policy Adjustments
Family Members (Includes in-laws)
Chandler Current Policy
Amended Bereavement Leave
Spouse/Domestic Partner
3 days/2 out-of state
Up to 5 days regardless of in or out of state
Child
3 days/2 out-of state
Up to 5 days regardless of in or out of state
Parent/Loco Parentis
3 days/2 out-of state
Up to 5 days regardless of in or out of state
Grandparent/Grandchild
3 days/2 out-of state
Up to 5 days regardless of in or out of state
Sibling
3 days/2 out-of state
Up to 5 days regardless of in or out of state
Aunt/Uncle/Cousin
None
1 Day
Additionally, the proposed rule changes address Statutory Sick Leave (SSL), for which the city adopted a policy in 2017 in response to the statewide voter-approved Proposition 206. The proposed update requires employees to utilize SSL for the initial 40 hours of sick leave each year and updates documentation requirements, if requested.
Other proposed revisions also encompass minor adjustments related to military leave, leave without pay, doctor releases, payment of sick leave, and administrative leave administration.
Financial Implications:
The financial implications of the proposed changes are dependent on employee usage of the various types of leave, which vary from year to year. Analysis was conducted on anticipated usage based on historical averages, with appropriate financial capacity included in the FY 2024-2025 annual budget, which was approved by City Council on June 13, 2024.