12-04-2023 Council Work Session Packet

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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT ITEM NO. 10 STAFF ORIGINATOR: Meg Sawyer, Human Resources and Communications Manager WORK SESSION DATE: December 4, 2023 TOPIC: Personnel Policy Updates ______________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND Several new laws were enacted in the 2023 legislative session making changes to employment law and requiring employers to post or provide notice of the changes to employees. These changes also require the City Personnel Policy to be updated. The redlined version of the Personnel Policy is included as an attachment. The proposed changes include: 1.4 Statement of Non-Discrimination – the CROWN Act adds to the Minnesota Human Rights Act a definition of race that is inclusive of natural hair styles and textures. (Page 6) 1.7 Personal Communications and Use of Social Media – guidelines for personal communications for City employees, including interacting through social media platforms. (Page 9) 6.1 Holidays - Minnesota Stat., section 645.44, subdivision 5 adding Juneteenth as a holiday in which no public business shall be conducted. (Page 21) 6.8 Military Leave – two new sections added per Minnesota Stat. 181.947 & Minnesota Stat. 181.948 Military Leave for Family Members and Military Leave for Family Member Injured or Killed in Active Service and some language clean up. (Page 26) 6.9 Time off to Vote - Right to be Absent for Voting provision expands the right of employees to be absent from work for the time necessary to vote to include voting during the early voting period. (Page 28) 6.12 Family & Medical Leave - Pregnancy & Nursing Accommodations and Employer Retaliation law expands the reasonable pregnancy accommodations including more frequent or longer breaks. It also states that an employer cannot retaliate or discriminate against an employee for asserting nursing rights. (Page 31) 221