Summary of Key Differences

Summary of Key Differences
Probation Policy

Probation Periods:
o
Newly hired regular employees now have a 6-month probationary
period (formerly unspecified).
o
Public safety employees (fire and police) will serve a 12-month
probationary period (formerly 1-year).

Termination During Probation: Clarified that Town Manager approval is
required for termination during probation.

Extension of Probation: Probation can now be extended one time for up to 90
days with approval from both the department head and HR Director (previously
only mentioned HR Director).

Promotions, Demotions, and Transfers: Employees on probation are not
eligible for promotions or demotions unless approved by both department heads
and HR.

Temporary/Acting Assignments: Employees on probation are not eligible for
temporary or acting assignments.
Bereavement Leave Policy Changes

Standardized Leave Duration: All employees now receive four consecutive
scheduled shifts (previously varied by in-state vs. out-of-state).

Expanded Family Definition: Includes domestic partners, great-grandparents,
great-grandchildren, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, first cousins, and step/in-
law relatives.

Flexible Leave Usage: Employees may request additional time using vacation,
comp time, or sick leave with approval.

Partial Day Option: Employees may take partial days if a full shift is
unnecessary.

Clear Request & Approval Process: Employees must notify supervisors and
HR, with timekeeping and payroll tracking in place.

Case-by-Case Consideration: Allows bereavement leave for non-immediate
family or significant others at HR and department discretion.

Specialty Pay

Purpose: The new policy explicitly states that specialty pay rewards employees
for specialized skills or training that contribute to the success of the organization.

Field Training Officer (FTO) Pay:
o
Now specifically applies to the Police Department, with a 5% increase of
base hourly rate after certification and while actively involved in training.
o
FTO pay now has defined start and end dates for clarity and tracking.

Bilingual Pay:
o
Introduces Bilingual (Spanish) Pay, with $0.75/hr for non-exempt and
$80 per pay period for exempt employees.
o
Requires competency testing for eligibility.
o
Discontinues bilingual pay if the employee no longer needs their Spanish
skills (due to withdrawal from the program or transfer/promotion to a
position that doesn't require bilingual skills).

Process for Specialty Pay:
o
Department directors must submit written requests for specialty pay,
including details about the business need and positions.
o
Specialty pay should begin the first complete pay period after eligibility
is approved.
Stand-By and Call-Back Compensation Policy

Clarified Purpose & Scope: Applies to non-exempt employees required to be
available for emergencies outside regular work hours, based on department
needs and budget.

Stand-By Pay:
o
Remains at $1.75 per hour but now specifies that employees must be
available for recall within a reasonable time and stay within proximity to
the town.
o
Employees may engage in personal activities but must remain available to
respond if called.

Call-Back Pay:
o
Now compensates at 1.5x the regular hourly rate for the first two hours
worked, with additional hours also paid at overtime rates.
o
Employees will not receive stand-by pay during actual hours worked on a
call-back.


Supervisor Responsibilities: Supervisors must maintain fair rotation schedules
and adjust for vacations or department needs.

Failure to Respond: Employees who fail to respond or report unfit for duty while
on stand-by may face disciplinary action.

Overtime & Pay Reporting: Stand-by time does not count toward overtime
calculations.

Additional Provisions:
o
Stand-by duty cannot be used to artificially increase pay or time off.
o
Stand-by pay is not eligible for conversion to compensatory time.
o
Employees on stand-by must be knowledgeable in operational
procedures.