RESO 25-001 - Adopting Employee HandbookRESOLUTION NO. 25-001
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK
WHEREAS, the City of Golden Valley is committed to fostering a professional, equitable, and
productive workplace by providing employees with clear policies, procedures, and expectations; and
WHEREAS, an employee handbook promotes transparency and trust, mitigates risks, and
ensures fairness in the treatment of employees; and
WHEREAS, periodic review and updates to the handbook ensure compliance with evolving state
and federal laws, industry standards, and organizational needs while supporting a positive
organizational culture; and
WHEREAS, the current employee handbook was approved by Resolution No. 24-005 on January
2, 2024; and
WHEREAS, the City amended the employee handbook with City employee values and purpose,
general administrative changes, and updated policy language to the following sections:
Recruitment and Selection: Veteran’s Preference
Respectful Workplace: Accommodations Section: Animals in the Workplace
Workplace Rules: Animals in the Workplace and Children in the Workplace
Compensation: Job Classification Process
WHEREAS, the above-referenced amendments will become effective as of January 8, 2025.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GOLDEN VALLEY,
MINNESOTA that the Employee Handbook, hereto referred to as Exhibit A, is adopted in its entirety, and
the revised handbook policies supersede all previously adopted handbook policies and procedures, except
those contained in approved union contracts.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Golden Valley, Minnesota this 7th day of January, 2025.
____________________________
Roslyn Harmon, Mayor
Attested:
____________________
Theresa Schyma, City Clerk
Docusign Envelope ID: D4CF667F-4A2E-4D82-81B3-0CF2030FBD23
Employee
HANDBOOK
A guide to the personnel policies of the City of Golden Valley
This handbook, dated January 3, 2024, supersedes and replaces all prior versions.
TABLE of CONTENTS
2 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Section 1.0 Introduction
Scope ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Data Privacy And Personnel Records ............................................................................................................................. 9
Section 2.0 Respectful Workplace
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement.................................................................................... 12
Accommodations For Disabilities ................................................................................................................................. 12
Accommodations For Pregnancy And Nursing Mothers...................................................................................... 12
Accommodations For Religious Practice ..................................................................................................................... 12
Respectful Workplace Policy .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Reporting Violations Of This Policy .............................................................................................................................. 15
No Retaliation. ..................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Section 3.0 Recruitment And Selection
Recruitment .......................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Selection. ............................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Pre-Employment Screening ........................................................................................................................................... 19
Probationary Period .......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Employment of Relatives ................................................................................................................................................. 20
Section 4.0 Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol Policy
Smoking And Tobacco Use .............................................................................................................................................. 22
Drug And Alcohol Use ....................................................................................................................................................... 22
City’s Employee Assistance Program. ............................................................................................................................ 22
TABLE of CONTENTS
employee
HANDBOOK
3
Drug And Alcohol Testing For Employees Not Licensed By The DOT ............................................................ 22
Rights Of Refusal ................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Cost Of Required Testing ................................................................................................................................................. 24
Right To Provide Information After Receiving Test Results ................................................................................. 24
Right To Confirmatory Retest ........................................................................................................................................ 24
Drug And Alcohol Testing Policy For DOT Licensees ............................................................................................ 25
Prohibited Conduct ............................................................................................................................................................ 25
Pre-Employment Testing ................................................................................................................................................. 26
Post-Accident Testing ....................................................................................................................................................... 26
Post-Accident Controlled Substance Testing ........................................................................................................... 27
Random Testing .................................................................................................................................................................. 27
Reasonable Suspicion. ...................................................................................................................................................... 27
Refusal To Submit .............................................................................................................................................................. 28
Cost of Required Testing ................................................................................................................................................ 28
Right To Confirmatory Retest/Dilute Specimens ................................................................................................... 28
Consequences For Engaging In Prohibited Conduct ........................................................................................... 28
Section 5.0 Workplace Rules
Children in the Workplace .............................................................................................................................................. 32
Animals in the Workplace ................................................................................................................................................ 32
Appearance And Dress ..................................................................................................................................................... 32
Attendance And Absences ............................................................................................................................................. 33
Citywide Email Policy ....................................................................................................................................................... 33
External Communications ................................................................................................................................................ 33
Technology Use ................................................................................................................................................................... 34
TABLE of CONTENTS
4 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Use Of City Property .................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Use Of Mobile Devices ................................................................................................................................................................ 36
Use Of City Vehicle ....................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Section 6.0 Code Of Conduct
Confidential Information. ................................................................................................................................................. 39
Conflict Of Interest ............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Employee-To-Employee Solicitation. ........................................................................................................................... 40
Political Activity ................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Public Funds ......................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Solicitation Or Receipt Of Gifts .....................................................................................................................................40
Whistleblower Protections .............................................................................................................................................. 40
Section 7.0 Hours Of Work And Time Tracking
Core Work Hours ............................................................................................................................................................... 43
Time Tracking Procedures ............................................................................................................................................... 43
Breaks And Meals ............................................................................................................................................................... 44
Travel Time ........................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Meeting Attendance, Standby Duty, And Emergency Call-Out ........................................................................ 45
Flexible Work Arrangement Policy .............................................................................................................................. 45
Severe Weather ................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Section 8.0 Compensation
Job Classification And Pay Plan. ................................................................................................................................... 50
Compensation, Overtime, And Compensatory Time ............................................................................................. 50
Payroll Policies And Procedures .................................................................................................................................... 51
TABLE of CONTENTS
employee
HANDBOOK
5
Section 9.0 Employee Performance Management
And Discipline
Suspension. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Demotion Or Transfer ....................................................................................................................................................... 54
Termination Of Employment .......................................................................................................................................... 54
Grievance Procedure ......................................................................................................................................................... 54
Section 10.0 Benefits
Cafeteria Plan. ...................................................................................................................................................................... 57
Benefit Eligibility ................................................................................................................................................................. 57
Tuition Reimbursement ................................................................................................................................................... 57
Miscellaneous ......................................................................................................................................................................58
Section 11.0 Employee Travel
Conferences And Seminars ............................................................................................................................................ 60
Travel Expenses .................................................................................................................................................................. 60
Reimbursement Process ................................................................................................................................................. 61
Section 12.0 Expenses
Equipment And Uniforms ................................................................................................................................................ 63
City Expenses ....................................................................................................................................................................... 63
Section 13.0 Holidays
Scheduled Holidays........................................................................................................................................................... 65
Floating Holidays ............................................................................................................................................................... 65
TABLE of CONTENTS
6 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Holiday Pay Eligibility ....................................................................................................................................................... 65
Section 14.0 Time Away From Work
Sick Leave And Vacation Leave For Employees Hired Before Jan 1, 2009 .................................................... 67
Paid Time Of f For Employees Hired On Or After Jan 1, 2009 ........................................................................... 69
Earned Sick And Safe Time (ESST) Leave ...................................................................................................................71
Leave Donation ................................................................................................................................................................... 74
Family Medical Leave ......................................................................................................................................................... 74
Pregnancy And Parenting Leave ................................................................................................................................... 77
Jury And Witness Duty ...................................................................................................................................................... 78
Funeral Leave ....................................................................................................................................................................... 78
Military-Related Leave ...................................................................................................................................................... 78
Other Leaves ......................................................................................................................................................................... 79
Other Unpaid Leave ........................................................................................................................................................... 80
TABLE of CONTENTS
employee
HANDBOOK
7
Section 15.0 Safety
Reporting Accidents And Illnesses ............................................................................................................................... 82
Compensation And Insurance Continuation ............................................................................................................. 82
Return To Work ................................................................................................................................................................... 83
Workplace Violence ........................................................................................................................................................... 83
Possession Of Weapons ................................................................................................................................................... 83
Reporting Workplace Violence ...................................................................................................................................... 84
Workplace Emergency Situations ................................................................................................................................. 84
Section 16.0 Separation
Benefits After Termination Of Employment ............................................................................................................... 86
Paying Out Vacation Time And/Or PTO At Termination Of Employment ...................................................... 86
Discharge ............................................................................................................................................................................... 86
Resignation ........................................................................................................................................................................... 87
Retirement ............................................................................................................................................................................. 87
Layoff ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 87
References ............................................................................................................................................................................. 87
Section 17.0 Definitions
8 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
SECTION 1.0
introduction
Scope ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Data Privacy And Personnel Records ................................................................................................................................ 9
employee
HANDBOOK
9
Introduction
This handbook is a guide to the policies and
procedures that affect City employees. The
purpose of these policies is to establish a
uniform and equitable system of personnel
administration.
Please take time to read and become
familiar with the information this handbook
contains and keep it in a convenient place
for reference when questions arise. This
version of the handbook supersedes and
replaces all prior versions.
The City reserves the right, in its sole
discretion, to change or terminate any
provision of this handbook or to add new
provisions at any time without prior
notification.
This handbook does not contain all of the
information employees will need during the
course of employment. The City will provide
information verbally and through various
notices, and when there is a change in
policy, will notify employees of updates to
this handbook.
Additionally, departments may have
special work rules deemed necessary by
the Department Head and approved by
the City Manager for the achievement of
that
department’s objectives. The department
will give each employee a copy of such work
rules upon hiring, and the immediate
supervisor will further explain those rules
and discuss their enforcement with the
employee.
It is impossible for this handbook to address
every situation that may arise in the
workplace. Employees of the City of Golden
Valley are expected to exercise reasonable
and proper judgment in all aspects of their
employment. Employees should direct any
questions about the handbook to Human
Resources or their supervisor.
At-Will Employment: Neither this handbook nor
any of the City’s policies are intended
to be a contract between the City and its
employees. The policies in this handbook may not
be construed as contractual provisions.
10 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Employment is considered at-will,
which means the employee or the
City may choose to terminate the
employment relationship at any time
for any reason, subject to limitations
imposed by law.
Scope
These policies apply to all employees
of the City of Golden Valley. Except
where specifically noted, these policies
do not apply to:
• elected officials
• members of boards,
commissions, and committees
• consultants and contractors
• volunteers
Union Employees: With respect to
employees whose positions are
included in a collective bargaining unit,
provisions of the applicable collective
bargaining agreement pursuant to the
Public Employment Labor Relations Act
supersede these policies on any
subject area covered by both the
collective bargaining agreement and
these policies. Union employees
should always refer to their collective
bargaining agreement (CBA). Union
employees who have questions about
any conflicts between this handbook
and their collective bargaining
agreement should contact Human
Resources or their union representative.
Furthermore, nothing in these
policies is intended to conflict with
any applicable provision of local,
state, or federal law. If such a conflict
arises, the City will abide by all local,
state, and federal laws.
Data Privacy And Employee
Personnel Records
The Minnesota Government Data Practices
Act requires cities to release certain
information to the public about current and
former employees upon request. Some of
the public information about an employee
includes name, education and training, title
and job description, dates of
Introductio
n
10 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
employment, honors and awards, work
location, and work phone number. This law is
subject
to change, and any requests for information
about employees should be directed to
Human Resources.
During the course of City employment, an
employee will likely receive a request from the
public to provide information that state law
classifies as either private or confidential. The
City maintains employee personnel data and
information to administer employee benefits
and payroll, to complete required federal and
state reports, and to record employee work
performance. Laws regarding data privacy
are strictly followed. Data is kept in
individual employee files, payroll files, and
computer files. These files are the property
of the City. Employees have the right to
know what data is retained, where it is kept,
and how it is used.
All employee data will be received,
retained, and disseminated according to
the Minnesota Government Data Practices
Act. Files of employees who have
separated from their employment with the
City of Golden Valley are maintained in
accordance with Minnesota records
retention guidelines.
Personnel Records
Employees have the right to review their own
personnel files during the City’s regular
business hours. Employees must make a
written request for such a review and may
review their files once every six months
during their employment and once per year
after their separation from employment (for
as long as the City maintains the personnel
record).
Current employees may request copies of
their personnel file after reviewing the file;
former employees may simply request a copy
without prior review. The City will not charge
employees for the cost of copies made
pursuant to a valid request for review.
If employees dispute information in their
personnel file, and the City does not agree to
revise or remove that information, the
employee may submit a letter specifically
identifying
the disputed information and explaining the
employee’s position with respect to the disputed
information. The City will include employee
statements with their personnel files.
The City will not retaliate against employees who
exercise their rights under this policy.
employee
HANDBOOK
11
SECTION 2.0
respectful workplace
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Statement ......................................................................................... 12
Accommodations For Disabilities ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Accommodations For Pregnancy And Nursing Mothers ......................................................................................... 12
Accommodations For Religious Practice ........................................................................................................................ 12
Respectful Workplace Policy ............................................................................................................................................. 12
Reporting Violations Of This Policy ................................................................................................................................ 15
No Retaliation ......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Respectful
Workplace
12 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Equal Employment Opportunity
(EEO) Policy Statement
The City is committed to providing equal
employment opportunity to all persons, in all
areas of employment, including but not
limited to recruitment, hiring, placement,
promotion, demotion or transfer, layoff,
recall, termination, rates of pay or other
forms of compensation, or selection for
training.
All employment policies and practices will be
nondiscriminatory in compliance with federal,
state, and local laws.
The City will not discriminate against any
employee or job applicant on the basis of
race, traits associated with race (including,
but not limited to, hair texture and hair styles
such as braids, locs, and twists), color, creed,
religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression,
disability, age, marital status, genetic
information, status with regard to public
assistance, veteran status, familial status, or
membership on a local human rights
commission.
Accommodations For
Disabilities
The City will make reasonable
accommodation for a qualified individual
with a disability who requires such
accommodation to perform the essential
functions of his or her job.
Employees who believe they are qualified
individuals with a disability and need
accommodations should contact Human
Resources. The City will then engage in an
interactive process to better understand
each employee’s needs in the context of
the position and to determine what
reasonable
accommodations, including alternative duties, that may
be made to address the disability.
As part of that interactive process, the City may ask
for information from a medical provider about the
nature of the disability and the accommodations
necessary to allow employees to perform the
essential functions
Respectful
Workplace
employee
HANDBOOK
13
of their positions. Employees who
do not meet the qualifications
under the Americans with
Disabilities Act may be eligible for
alternative duties under the
Alternative Duty Policy.
Additionally, as an exception to Section 5.0
(Workplace Rules), regarding no animals in the
workplace, qualified individuals with a disability
have the right to request a reasonable
accommodation to bring service animals or
emotional support animal (ESA) to the
workplace. A service animal is defined by the
federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a
dog that is individually trained to do work or
perform tasks for people with disabilities.
Emotional Support Animals whose sole purpose
is to provide comfort or emotional support do
not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
Accommodation requests for both service
animals and ESA will be considered.
For an employee to bring a service animal or
emotional support animal to the workplace, the
employee must submit a request for reasonable
accommodation. When assessing an employee’s
reasonable accommodation request to bring a
service animal or ESA to the workplace, the City
may collect the same information it collects
when determining whether to grant any other
type of accommodation request. If another
accommodation would enable an employee to
perform their job, then the City may offer
alternative accommodation to the use of a
service animal or ESA. If the request causes an
undue hardship in the workplace, the City may
deny the request. See Section 5.0 for more
information on workplace rules regarding
animals/pets to the workplace.
Accommodations For
Pregnancy And
Nursing Mothers
For employees with health conditions
relating to pregnancy or childbirth, the City
will provide reasonable workplace
accommodations, such as but not limited to:
• more frequent unpaid restroom, food,
and water breaks
• seating
• limits on lifting more than 20 lbs
• temporary transfer to a less strenuous or
hazardous position, should one be
available
Additionally, the City will provide nursing
mothers with paid break time and a suitable
room to express milk for nursing the child.
Contact Human Resources for more
information.
An employer shall not discharge, discipline,
penalize, interfere with, or otherwise retaliate
or discriminate against an employee for
asserting reasonable accommodations
pregnancy rights or remedies. A pregnant
employee shall not be involuntarily
transferred to a temporary modified-duty
assignment.
Accommodations For
Religious Practice
The City values the diversity of its employees
and recognizes that employees may need
accommodation to observe the practices of
their religious tradition. Employees who
require accommodation of their schedule or
other aspects of their job for religious
reasons should talk to Human Resources. The
City will work with employees to determine
reasonable ways to accommodate those
practices.
Respectful Workplace Policy
The City is committed to maintaining a
working environment that is free of
offensive
Respectful
Workplace
14 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
behavior and unlawful discrimination. The
City embraces diversity and recognizes the
rights of individuals to live their lives with
dignity, free of discrimination, fear,
violence, and hate. This policy is intended
to inform all
employees, volunteers, members of boards
and commissions, and elected officials of their
rights and obligations related to offensive
behaviors, including harassment,
discrimination, and retaliation.
All complaints of offensive behaviors will
be taken seriously and followed through
to
resolution, and employees who file complaints
will not be victimized for “whistleblowing” or
reporting others for inappropriate behavior.
Scope
This respectful workplace policy applies
to all employees, volunteers, and elected
and
appointed officials of the City. Protection
from offensive behavior extends to
management, employees, subordinates,
clients, and customers, and it expands beyond
the place of work to
off-site and work-related social events. It is
the responsibility of all employees and
managers of the City to provide a healthy
workplace
environment to peers and co-workers, where
all communication and interactions are
marked by dignity and respect.
Offensive Behavior Prohibited
Offensive behavior has damaging
consequences for the recipients of the
behavior as well as observers and the
organization as a whole.
Discrimination and harassment on the
basis of an individual’s membership in a
protected
class or otherwise is prohibited and will not
be tolerated. Employees and elected and
appointed officials of the City are prohibited
from engaging in any offensive behavior. Any
employee or official who engages in offensive
behavior is subject to consequences, up to and
including termination.
Expectations
The City respects and values the diverse
identities and life experiences each employee
holds and will ensure well-being of employees
Respectful
Workplace
employee
HANDBOOK
15
and the stakeholders the City interacts
with through its employees and
officials. As such, employees are
expected to:
• treat employees, volunteers, and
stakeholders with respect and
ensure all voices are being heard
• challenge internal assumptions and
investigate internal bias that could
interfere with inclusive and equitable
engagement and behavior
• speak up when inequity in City
policies, systems, programs, or
services occur
Acceptable And Healthy
Workplace Behaviors Defined
Acceptable and healthy workplace
behaviors are any behaviors that promote
respect, positivity, and civility in our
workplace in alignment with the City
Council’s values (communication,
innovation, inclusion, community,
integrity, respect, courage, accountability)
and City values . They include, but are not
limited to:
• using respectful, supportive, and
encouraging language in all
interactions, no matter the subject of
conversation
• questioning a peer’s position on an
issue politely rather than asserting
your position is the right one
• listening to your peer’s position
with an open mind and
approaching conflict with maturity
and true desire for resolution,
rather than as a fight or
opportunity to belittle a co-worker
• giving peers direct, non-personal
feedback as opposed to criticism
• respecting each other as adults and
trusting each other’s decision-making
abilities, expressing appreciation when a
peer does something correctly and in a
timely manner
Offensive Behavior Defined
Offensive behavior means behavior that
causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm,
or
Respectful
Workplace
16 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
distress to one or more other persons.
Offensive behavior includes but is not limited
to violence, intimidation, objectionable or
threatening conduct, statements, epithets,
slurs, graffiti, jokes, pranks, innuendos,
anonymous notes,
or any other conduct that is critical, hostile,
offensive, or in any way otherwise
objectionable. Offensive behavior also
includes illegal,
immoral, or unethical conduct and negative or
aggressive acts aimed at one or more
individual and causing them to feel hurt,
embarrassed, incompetent, disrespected,
anxious, or depressed, whether or not the
behavior is because of an individual’s
membership in a protected class. Examples of
offensive behavior include, but are not limited
to:
• use of threatening or abusive language
or profanity
• conduct or language that is intended to
be, or is perceived by others to be,
demeaning, berating, rude, threatening,
intimidating, hostile, or offensive
• engaging in bullying, collusion, or hazing
• microaggressions
• making threats of violence,
retribution, litigation, or financial
harm
• shouting or engaging in other speech,
conduct, or mannerisms that are
reasonably perceived by others to be
intimidating or harassing
• using racial or ethnic slurs
• demonstrating racial, gender,
sexual orientation, or cultural bias
• making or telling denigrating jokes that
are intended to be, or that are
perceived by others to be, crude or
offensive; teasing, name calling
• ridiculing or making someone the brunt
of pranks or practical jokes
• using epithets, slurs, or negative
stereotyping
• distributing or displaying electronic or
written materials or messages that are
Respectful
Workplace
employee
HANDBOOK
17
abusive, profane, threatening, or
defamatory (“offensive material”)
• placing offensive material on
walls or elsewhere on City
premises, or circulating
offensive material in the
workplace
• using sarcasm or cynicism
directed as a personal attack
on others
• making unwanted or
threatened
inappropriate physical
contact
• throwing tools, office equipment,
or objects as an expression of
anger, criticism, or threat, or in an
otherwise disrespectful or abusive
manner
• making comments, starting or
spreading rumors, or engaging in
behavior that is untruthful or
directed as a personal attack on
the professional conduct of
others
• retaliation
• filing a false or malicious
claim against another
individual
• engaging in any pattern of
disruptive behavior or
interaction that could interfere
with the workplace or adversely
impact the quality of services,
programs, or the psychological
health of another
• conditioning employment
terms on submission to
harassing conduct
• harassment in any form
• discriminatory behavior, which
includes inappropriate remarks about or
conduct related to an employee’s race,
color, creed, religion, national origin,
disability, sex, marital status, age, sexual
orientation, gender identity, status with
regard to public assistance, Veteran’s
status, or any other reason protected by
local, state, or federal law, ordinance or
regulation
• sexual harassment, which means
unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature where:
• submission to or rejection of such
conduct is made either explicitly or
implicitly a term or condition of any
individual’s
Respectful
Workplace
18 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
employment or as a basis for
employment decisions
• such conduct has the purpose or
effect of unreasonably interfering
with an
individual’s work performance or
creating an intimidating, hostile, or
offensive work environment
While it is not possible to list all
circumstances that may constitute sexual
harassment, the following are some
examples of conduct that, if unwelcome,
may constitute sexual harassment:
• unwanted sexual advances, whether
they involve physical touching or not
• sexual epithets, jokes, written or oral
references to sexual conduct, gossip
regarding one’s sex life, comments
about an individual’s body, or
comments about an individual’s sexual
activity
• displaying sexually suggestive objects
or images
• unwelcome leering, whistling,
brushing up against the body, sexual
gestures, or suggestive or insulting
comments
• inquiries into one’s sexual experiences
• discussion of one’s sexual activities
Management Responsibility
Management, others in positions of
authority, and workplace representatives
have a particular responsibility to ensure
healthy and appropriate behaviors are being
exhibited at all times and that complaints to
the contrary are addressed speedily.
Management will:
• provide good examples by treating all
with courtesy and respect
• promote awareness of this policy and how
to follow the policy
• be vigilant for signs of inappropriate
behaviors at work through observation
and information seeking, and take action
to resolve the behavior before it escalates
• deal sensitively with employees involved
in a complaint, whether as complainant
or
Respectful
Workplace
employee
HANDBOOK
19
alleged aggressor
• explain the procedures to be followed if
a complaint of inappropriate behavior at
work is made
• ensure that an employee making a
complaint is not victimized for doing so,
and seek resolution of such behavior if it
occurs
• monitor and follow up on the
situation after a complaint is made so
as to prevent recurrence of the
behavior
• inform Human Resources pursuant to
the investigation process in this
policy
Employee Responsibility
Employees can contribute to achieving a
work environment that does not tolerate
aggressive behavior at work. Employees
should report what they see in the
workplace as it relates to behaviors
defined as unacceptable; employees are in
a far better position than management to
know what is happening with peers and
co-workers. Employees should also co-
operate with preventative measures
introduced by management and recognize
that a finding of unacceptable behaviors at
work will be dealt with through appropriate
disciplinary procedures.
An employee making a false or malicious
complaint not in good faith may also be
subject to disciplinary action.
Training Programs
As part of its commitment to encouraging
positive and healthy behaviors, the City
offers training opportunities for all
employees.
Training includes, but is not limited to,
factors that contribute to a welcoming
environment, microaggressive and
offensive behavior, and responsibilities
under this policy.
Reporting Violations Of This Policy
Employees who have observed or believe
others are being subjected to any form of
offensive behavior, discrimination, retaliation,
or any other violation of this policy by another
employee
of the City or by a non-employee, should
immediately report such conduct to Human
Respectful
Workplace
20 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Resources or their immediate supervisor. The
employee should submit this report in writing
with sufficient detail for Human Resources to
determine whether a policy was violated. Any
supervisor who experiences, witnesses, or
receives a written or oral complaint of violation
of this policy must immediately report it to
Human Resources.
Reports of violations of this policy will be
promptly and carefully investigated. The
Human Resources Manager may involve the
City’s
legal counsel in the investigation. If the City
determines an individual violated this policy,
the City may take disciplinary action, up to
and including termination of employment,
against the offending individual.
The City will treat complaints of violations of
this policy and the results of any
investigation as confidential to the extent
possible within the context of the
investigation and Minnesota law. Complete
confidentiality cannot be guaranteed,
as revelation of some reported information
might be necessary for a complete
investigation.
Elected Officials
If a Council member is the alleged
harasser, the report will be made to the
City Manager and referred to an outside
attorney who will undertake the necessary
investigation. The outside attorney will
report findings to the City Council, which
will take the action it deems appropriate.
Pending completion of
the investigation, the City Manager may take
appropriate action to protect the alleged
victim, other employees, or citizens.
If an elected or appointed city official (e.g.,
Council member or commission member) is
the victim
of disrespectful workplace behavior, the City
Manager will be consulted as to the
appropriate course of action.
Disclaimer
The City is not voluntarily engaging in a
dispute resolution process, as that term is
defined in state statute, by adopting and
enforcing this workplace policy. The filing of a
complaint under this policy and any
subsequent investigation by
the City does not suspend the one-year statute
of limitations period under the Minnesota
Human Rights Act for bringing a civil action or
for filing
a charge with the Minnesota Department of
Human Rights.
No Retaliation
The City will not retaliate against any employee
for making a good-faith complaint of
harassment or discrimination under this policy
or participating in an investigation of a
complaint made under this policy. Employees
who feel
they have been retaliated against for
reporting a violation of this policy in good
faith, or for participating in an investigation
of conduct
under this policy, should immediately report
their concern to Human Resources or their
supervisor.
employee
HANDBOOK
17
SECTION 3.0
recruitment and
selection
Recruitment ............................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Selection ................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Pre-Employment Screening ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Probationary Period ............................................................................................................................................................. 19
Employment of Relatives .................................................................................................................................................... 20
18 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Recruitment And
Selection
Recruitment
Human Resources oversees recruitment
and selection processes to ensure fair,
equitable, and inclusive practices and
compliance with state and federal laws, as
well as City of Golden Valley policies. This
includes job postings,
advertisements, addendums to the application,
and other recruitment materials.
Job Postings
Job postings will normally specify the title
and salary of the positions, the nature of the
work to be performed, the minimum and
essential requirements of the position, the
time and place to apply, the closing date for
receiving applications, and other pertinent
information. All postings will include the
statement “Equal Opportunity Employer” or
a similar statement that conveys the City’s
commitment to equal employment
opportunity.
When the City of Golden Valley recruits a
position externally, the position will be
advertised as deemed necessary, which may
include selected newspapers, periodicals,
newsletters, web pages, and/or through direct
mailings. In addition,
the City may post job openings with
colleges, universities, vocational or technical
schools, and organizations whose
membership includes people with
disabilities, minorities, and women in an
effort to recruit a broader range of diverse
and qualified applicants.
Applications
Applications for employment will be
generally made online, or by an application
form provided by the City. Other materials in
lieu of a form application may be accepted
in certain recruitment situations. To be
considered for any
position, all candidates must complete required
application materials with signatures and ensure they
are submitted by the application deadline. The
application deadline may be extended by Human
Resources.
Testing and Examinations
Applicants may be evaluated in one or more of the
following ways: training and experience rating,
written test, oral test or interview,
employee
HANDBOOK
19
performance or demonstrative test,
physical agility test, or other
appropriate job-related exam, as
noted on the job posting and/or the
job description.
Interim Or Acting
Appointments
Position vacancies may be filled on
an “acting” basis as needed before
filling a position through the normal
process. The City Manager will
approve all acting appointments for
regular positions. If a current
employee is appointed to an acting
position and is later hired to fill the
regular appointment, with no break
in service
in the new position, the effective date
of the regular appointment will be
considered the date on which the
acting appointment was made. Pay
rate adjustment for acting
appointments will be determined by
the City Manager.
Promotions
The City encourages promotion
from within existing employee
ranks whenever possible.
Promotional opportunities may
be offered on a competitive basis,
or the City Manager may select
an internal candidate. This does
not preclude the City from
recruitment and/ or selection of
applicants outside the City of
Golden Valley. This policy is not a
waiver of job- related qualifications
for the position, nor is it a guarantee
of promotion or preference to existing
employees. The City has the right to
make the final hiring decision based
on qualifications, abilities, experience,
and other needs of the City of Golden Valley.
Reinstatement
Employees who have left City service in good
standing are eligible for reinstatement. Under
special circumstances, the City Manager may
give credit for previous years of service to the
City, for benefit accrual purposes.
Veteran’s Preference
In the hiring process, the Minnesota Veterans
Preference Act provides a preference for
qualified veterans to recognize training and
experience
in the military services of the government and
20 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Recruitment And
Selection
Recruitment And Selection
loyalty and sacrifice for the government are
qualifications of merit that cannot be
readily assessed by examination. Preference
points are given to qualified veterans who
meet the minimum qualifications for the
job to increase the likelihood they will
receive a job interview.
For open, competitive positions, the City is
required to evaluate job applications and
assign veterans’ preference points by using a
training and experience rating. When the
recruitment process results in no applications
from qualified veterans, the City is not
required to use the training and experience
rating to evaluate application materials.
Dishonesty in Hiring Process
Any applicant who gives false or misleading
information on an application, cheats on an
examination, or falsifies a statement,
certificate, or evaluation will not be
considered for employment. Fraud or
attempts to commit fraud will be cause for the
City to refuse to hire an applicant or
terminate an employee.
Selection
The City has the right to make the final hiring
decision based on qualifications, abilities,
experience, results of testing, interviews,
exams, reference and/or background check
data, and City of Golden Valley needs. The City
has an appeal process in accordance with State
Statute and City Code for disqualified
applicants for employment.
Reference Checks
The City reserves the right to conduct
reference checks for all employees before
making a
job offer. This may include inquiries into all
statements contained on the application for
employment or made during the selection
and/ or interview processes.
Pre-Employment Screening
Background Checks
All finalists for employment with the City will be
subject to a background check to confirm
employee
HANDBOOK
21
information submitted as part of
application materials and to assist in
determining the candidate’s suitability for
the position. The City’s criminal
background check may include a State of
Minnesota and/or Hennepin County
criminal history check, a check for
warrants for arrest, and driver’s license
check to ensure valid driver’s license and
status of driving record.
Credit Checks
Certain positions, such as in finance,
public safety, or positions that handle cash,
may require procurement of a consumer
credit report as
part of the background check. In these
cases, the City will obtain the necessary
authorizations and otherwise comply with
federal and state law regarding credit
checks.
Pre-Employment Physicals/Testing
Due to the nature of City employment,
certain positions within the City may
require candidates to undergo a pre-
employment physical and/
or psychological testing, which may
include testing for drugs and/or alcohol.
Job notices will generally include notice of
this requirement to inform candidates
before they apply. Protocols for pre-
employment testing of specific jobs are
available from Human Resources.
Physicals or psychological exams will only
be conducted after a conditional offer of
employment has been extended. If
something in the applicant’s physical
and/or psychological exam makes them
ineligible for employment, the City will
withdraw the job offer at that time.
When required, the medical exam will be
conducted by a licensed physician
designated by the City, with the cost of the
exam paid for by the City. The physician will
notify the City that the candidate either is or
is not medically able to perform the essential
functions of the job, with or without
accommodations, and whether the candidate
passed a drug test (if applicable).
Probationary Period
The City of Golden Valley requires all
regular employees to serve a probationary
period of employment. This includes new
employees
Recruitment And
Selection
20 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
and anyone who is promoted, transferred,
or demoted. During this time employees
have the opportunity to show their ability to
meet the standards of work performance
while they get to know the job and co-
workers. Performance is evaluated
throughout the probationary period. As is
true throughout the employment
relationship, employees are at-will
employees during their probationary period,
which means that they may be transferred,
demoted to another position, or dismissed
without cause at any time and without
advance notice.
The probationary period is not guaranteed
employment.
All new regular employees and employees
promoted to a position of greater responsibility
will serve a one-year probationary period.
Employees who transfer to an equivalent
position within a different department, or
employees demoted to a lesser position,
voluntary or otherwise, will serve a six-month
probationary period.
Probation for an individual employee may
be extended up to six additional months
by the City Manager upon
recommendation of the department head.
In accordance with Minnesota law, after
serving an initial probationary period for
the City, employees who are Veterans will
not be subject to additional probationary
periods such as for promotion or a new
assignment.
Employment of Relatives
For the purposes of this policy only, “relative” is
defined as a spouse, sibling, parent,
grandparent, child or grandchild and includes
relatives by marriage (e.g., sister-in-law or
stepson). Due to the City’s legitimate concerns
regarding conflicts of interest and nepotism,
the City will not consider an internal or external
applicant for employment if:
• the applicant is a relative of a current
elected official or a confidential employee
as defined by State law
• the applicant’s relative is a current
employee of the City and has the
authority to hire, supervise, evaluate the
performance of, or discipline the position
in which the person is seeking
employment, or if the relative’s position is
classified as confidential
This policy will not apply to relatives of elected
officials or board or commission members who are
elected after the employee has been hired by the
City.
employee
HANDBOOK
21
SECTION 4.0
tobacco, drug, and alcohol policy
Smoking And Tobacco Use ................................................................................................................................................ 22
Drug And Alcohol Use ......................................................................................................................................................... 22
City’s Employee Assistance Program .............................................................................................................................. 22
Drug And Alcohol Testing For Employees Not Licensed By The DOT ................................................................ 22
Drug And Alcohol Testing Policy For DOT Licensees ................................................................................................ 25
Right To Confirmatory Retest/Dilute Specimens ....................................................................................................... 28
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
22 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Smoking And Tobacco Use
All City buildings and vehicles, in their entirety,
are tobacco-free, meaning that smoking in any
form (including tobacco products such as
pipes, cigars, and cigarettes) or vaping with e-
cigarettes is prohibited. Tobacco-free areas
include City facilities, parks, and vehicles.
The City prohibits smoking of any kind,
including pipes, cigars, cigarettes, vaping with
e-cigarettes, and the use of chewing tobacco
while employees are on duty. Employees who
are age 21 and older may smoke only during
their breaks and lunch and only in areas
designated for that purpose.
Drug And Alcohol Use
Under this policy, “Illegal Drugs” is defined
to include all controlled substances and all
prescription and over-the-counter substances
and medications that are used for a purpose for
which they are not prescribed or intended.
The City of Golden Valley has adopted the
following policy on drugs and alcohol in the
workplace:
• No employee may use, possess,
manufacture, distribute, dispense, sell,
transfer, or
be impaired by Illegal Drugs or alcohol
while the employee is working, while the
employee is on call to return to work, or
while the employee is on the City’s
premises or operating City vehicles,
machinery,
or equipment, except when engaged in
approved law enforcement activity.
• An employee must notify the City in
writing of any conviction for a violation of
a criminal drug statute occurring in the
workplace no later than five days after
such conviction.
This policy does not restrict employees’ use of
lawful consumable products during nonworking hours,
nor the proper use of medications prescribed under
supervision of a medical provider.
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
23
Medical Cannabis
No employee may use, possess,
manufacture, distribute, dispense,
sell, transfer, or be impaired by
medical cannabis while the employee
is working, while the employee is on
call to return to work, or while the
employee is on the City’s premises or
operating City vehicles. There is
no exception for employees who are
registered patients with valid
prescriptions as authorized by state
law.
Employees legally using medical
cannabis under state law are still
subject to the City’s drug and alcohol
testing policy. Employees in safety-
sensitive positions (such as operating
machinery or vehicles) are prohibited
from being under
the influence of medical cannabis
during work time or while on work
premises. Employees who violate
this policy will be subject to
disciplinary action, up to and
including termination, to the extent
allowed by state law.
City’s Employee Assistance
Program
The City has a formal employee
assistance program (EAP) to help
employees address serious personal
or work-related problems at any
time. The City’s EAP provides
confidential, cost-free, short-term
counseling to employees and their
families. Employees who may have
alcohol or other chemical
dependency issues are encouraged to
seek assistance before a problem
affects their employment status.
Drug And Alcohol Testing For
Employees Not Licensed By The
DOT
City employees and applicants required to
hold a commercial driver’s license by the
United States Department of Transportation
(DOT) for their job will be tested under the
City’s Policy on Controlled Substance and
Alcohol Testing for Commercial Drivers (the
DOT Policy). All other employees and job
applicants offered
employment with the City must undergo testing
as described by this policy.
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
24 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Under this policy, the City may test
applicants to whom an offer of employment
has been made and may test any employee
if reasonable suspicion exists to do so or if
the employee is referred by the City for
chemical dependency evaluation or
treatment.
Pre-Employment Testing
All regular (full-time and part-time) and
paid on-call firefighter job applicants
offered employment with the City receive
the job offer
dependent upon successful completion of a
drug test, among other conditions. If the job
offer is withdrawn based on drug test results,
the City will inform the applicant of the
reasons for the withdrawal. Refusing to take or
failing the drug and alcohol test will result in a
withdrawal of
the offer of employment, even if the
applicant’s employment has begun.
Temporary and seasonal employees are not
subject to drug and alcohol testing, except
those in safety-sensitive positions.
Employees who left City employment and
were subsequently rehired must undergo
drug and alcohol testing if it has been at
least one year from the date of their last
drug screen as a City employee.
Reasonable Suspicion Testing
The City may require an employee to
undergo drug and alcohol testing if there is
a reasonable suspicion the employee:
• is under the influence of alcohol
or a controlled substance
• has violated this policy by using,
possessing, selling, or transferring drugs
or alcohol while working, while on City
property, or while operating City vehicles,
machinery or any other type of
equipment
• has sustained a personal injury or has
caused another employee to sustain an
injury or
• has caused a work-related accident or was
operating or helping to operate machinery,
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
25
equipment, or vehicles involved in a work-
related accident
Reasonable suspicion may be based on,
but is not limited to, facts regarding
appearance, behavior, speech, breath,
odor, possession, proximity to or use of
alcohol or a controlled
substance or containers or paraphernalia,
poor safety record, excessive absenteeism,
impairment of job performance, or any
other circumstances that would cause a
reasonable employer to believe that a
violation of the City’s policies concerning
alcohol or drugs may have occurred. These
observations will be reflected in writing on a
Reasonable Suspicion Record Form.
The City will not discharge, discipline,
discriminate against, or request or require
rehabilitation of an employee based on a
positive test result from an initial screening
test that has not been verified by a
confirmatory test.
However, the City may temporarily
suspend a tested employee with or
without pay, or
transfer that employee to another position
at the same rate of pay pending the
outcome of the requested confirmatory
retest, provided the City believes it is
reasonably necessary to protect the health
or safety of the employee, co-employees, or
the public. The employee will be asked to
return home and will be provided
appropriate arrangements for return
transportation to his or her residence.
An employee who has been suspended
without pay will be reinstated with back
pay if the outcome of the requested
confirmatory retest is negative. A negative
or positive dilute test
result that is been confirmed following a
second collection will also result in
disciplinary action, up to and including
termination.
Treatment Program Testing
The City may require an employee to undergo
drug and alcohol testing if the employee
has been referred by the City for chemical
dependency treatment or evaluation, or
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
26 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
is participating in a chemical dependency
treatment program under an employee benefit
plan. In such a case, the City may require the
employee to undergo drug or alcohol testing
without prior notice during the evaluation or
treatment period and for a period of up to two
years following completion of any prescribed
chemical dependency treatment program.
Rights Of Refusal
Employees and job applicants have the
right to refuse to submit to an alcohol or
drug test under this policy. However, such
a refusal will
subject an employee to immediate
termination. If an applicant refuses to submit
to testing,
any conditional offer of employment will be
withdrawn.
Any intentional act or omission by the
employee or applicant that prevents the
completion of
the testing process constitutes a refusal to
test. An applicant or employee who
substitutes, or attempts to substitute, or
alters, or attempts
to alter, a testing sample is considered to have
refused to take a drug and/or alcohol test. In
such a case, the employee is subject to
immediate termination of employment, and in
the case of
an applicant, the job offer will be immediately
withdrawn.
Refusal On Religious Grounds
An employee or job applicant who, on
religious grounds, refuses to undergo drug or
alcohol testing of a blood sample will not be
considered to have refused testing, unless the
employee or job applicant also refuses to
undergo drug or alcohol testing of a urine
sample.
Cost Of Required Testing
The City will pay for the cost of all drug and alcohol
testing required of all job applicants and employees,
with the exception of confirmatory retests. Job
applicants and employees are responsible for paying
for all costs associated with any requested confirmatory
retests.
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
27
Right To Provide
Information After
Receiving Test Results
Within three working days after
notice of a positive controlled
substance or alcohol test result on a
confirmatory test, the employee or
job applicant may submit
information to the City to explain the
positive result. If an employee
submits information either before a
test or within three working days after
a positive test result that explains the
positive test result, (such as legal
prescriptions or over-the-counter
medications the employee is properly
taking), the City will
not take an adverse employment
action based on that confidential
medical information unless the
employee failed his or her affirmative
duty to provide the information
before, upon, or after hire.
Right To Confirmatory Retest
A job applicant or employee may
request a confirmatory retest of the
original sample at the job applicant’s
or employee’s own expense after
notice of a positive test result on a
confirmatory test. Within five
working days after notice of the
confirmatory test result, the job
applicant or employee must notify
the City in writing of the job
applicant’s or employee’s intention to
obtain a confirmatory retest. Within
three working days after receipt of
the notice, the City will notify the
original testing laboratory that the
job applicant or employee has
requested a confirmatory retest or
transfer the sample to another
qualified laboratory licensed to
conduct the confirmatory retest.
For job applicants, if the confirmatory retest
does not confirm the original positive test
result, the City will reinstate its job offer and
reimburse
the job applicant for the actual cost of the
confirmatory retest.
For employees, if the confirmatory retest
does not confirm the original positive test
result, the City will not take any adverse
personnel action against the employee based
on the original confirmatory test, will
reinstate the employee
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
28 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
with any lost wages or salary for time lost
pending the outcome of the confirmatory
retest result, and will reimburse the employee
for the actual cost of the confirmatory retest.
The first time an employee has a confirmed
positive test result, the employee must
complete drug/alcohol counseling or a
rehabilitation program chosen by the City and
paid for by the employee or the employee’s
benefits plan. If the employee refuses to enroll
or fails to complete the counseling or
rehabilitation program, the City may discipline
the employee, up to and including
termination. Employees who have two or
more confirmed positive tests results are
immediately subject to discipline, up to and
including termination.
Drug And Alcohol Testing Policy
For DOT Licensees
This policy implements the drug and alcohol
testing requirements of the US Department of
Transportation (DOT), Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA).
This policy applies to every City employee
(full-time, part-time, and
temporary/seasonal, etc.) or applicant for
employment (in the case of pre-
employment drug testing) who holds a
Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and who
drives a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV).
All employees are subject to testing whose
job
duties include performing safety-sensitive
duties on City vehicles that:
• have a gross combination weight rating
or gross combination weight of 26,001
pounds or more, whichever is greater,
inclusive of a towed unit(s), with a gross
vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle
weight of more than 10,000 pounds,
whichever is greater
• have a gross vehicle weight rating or
gross vehicle weight of 26,001 or more
pounds, whichever is greater
• are designed to transport 16 or
more passengers, including the
driver
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
29
• are of any size and are used in the
transportation of materials found to be
hazardous and which require the motor
vehicle to be placarded under the
Hazardous Materials Regulations
Fire trucks and other emergency fire
equipment are not considered to be
commercial vehicles under this policy.
Safety Sensitive Functions
Employees are engaged in a safety-
sensitive function while they are:
• waiting to be dispatched to
drive a commercial motor
vehicle
• inspecting, servicing, or
conditioning a commercial motor
vehicle
• driving at the controls of the
commercial motor vehicle
• in or upon a commercial motor vehicle
(except time spent resting in a sleeper
berth)
• loading, unloading, or attending a
commercial motor vehicle, giving or
receiving receipts for shipments being
loaded or unloaded, or remaining in
readiness to operate the vehicle
• repairing, obtaining assistance, or
attending to a disable commercial
motor vehicle
Prohibited Conduct
The following conduct is explicitly prohibited:
• No driver may report for duty or
remain on duty requiring the
performance of safety- sensitive
functions while having an alcohol
concentration of 0.04 or greater.
Drivers reporting for duty or remaining
on duty to perform safety-sensitive
functions while having an alcohol
concentration of 0.02, but less than 0.04,
will be removed from duty for 24 hours,
escorted home, and placed on vacation
leave/PTO for hours missed from work.
• No driver may use alcohol while
performing safety-sensitive functions.
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
30 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
• No driver required to take a post-
accident alcohol test may use alcohol for
eight hours following the accident, or
until the driver undergoes a post-
accident alcohol test, whichever occurs
first.
• No driver may perform safety-sensitive
functions within four hours after using
alcohol. Employees who have had
alcohol within four hours are to notify
their supervisors before performing any
safety- sensitive functions.
• No driver may alter or attempt to alter a
urine sample or breath-test.
• No driver may report for duty or
remain on duty requiring the
performance of safety-sensitive
functions when using any
controlled substance, except when the
use is pursuant to the instructions of a
licensed medical practitioner who has
advised the driver in writing that the
substance does not adversely affect the
driver’s ability to safely operate a
commercial motor vehicle. Drivers must
forward this information regarding
therapeutic controlled substance use to
the City immediately after receiving any
such advice.
• Having a medical marijuana card and/or
cannabis prescription does not allow
anyone to use or possess that drug in the
City’s workplace. The federal government
still classifies cannabis as an illegal drug.
There
is no acceptable concentration of
marijuana metabolites in the urine or
blood of an employee who performs
safety-sensitive duties for the City.
Employees are still subject to being tested
under City policies, as well
as to being disciplined, suspended, or
terminated after testing positive for
cannabis while at work.
Pre-Employment Testing
Any initial job offer, reassignment, or promotion to a
position covered by this policy shall be contingent upon
the existing employee or applicant:
• submitting to drug screening and receiving
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
31
a negative drug test
report prior to
appointment to the
new position
• authorizing the City to obtain
past drug and alcohol test results
and refusals to be tested from
former employers within the
preceding two years
• passing a DOT-required physical exam
• complying with any other
conditions or requirements of
which the City advises the
employee or applicant at the time
of the offer
In addition to pre-employment
controlled substance testing,
applicants will be required to
authorize in writing former
employers to release alcohol test
results of .04 or greater,
positive controlled substance test
results, refusals to test, other
violations of drug and alcohol testing
regulations, and completion of
return-
to-duty requirements within the
preceding three years. The City will
contact the candidate’s DOT
regulated previous and current
employers within the last three
years for drug and alcohol test
results as referenced above, and
review the testing history if feasible
before the employee first performs
safety-sensitive functions for the
City.
The City will not make any job
appointment before test results are
known. Any applicable conditional
offer of employment will be
withdrawn from a job applicant or
employee seeking a transfer who refuses to
be tested or tests positive for controlled
substance pursuant to this policy.
Post-Accident Testing
As soon as possible following an accident
involving a commercial motor vehicle, the
City will test for alcohol and controlled
substances in each surviving driver who was
performing a safety sensitive function with
respect to the vehicle if:
• the accident involved loss of human life
• the City driver (also referred to as
employee) received a citation under state
or local law for a moving traffic violation
arising from the accident if the accident
involved:
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
32 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
• bodily injury to a person who, as a
result of the injury, immediately
receives medical treatment away
from the scene of the accident
• one or more motor vehicles incurring
disabling damage as a result of the
accident, requiring the motor vehicle
to be transported away from the scene
by a tow truck or other motor vehicle
An employee involved in an accident that
does not meet these requirements may wish
to be tested on a voluntary basis. In this case,
the test is considered a post-accident Non-
DOT and the City will cover the expense of the
test.
Post-Accident Controlled Substance
Testing
Drivers are required to submit a urine sample
for post-accident controlled substance
testing as soon as possible.
Post-Accident Alcohol Testing
Drivers are required to submit to post-accident
alcohol testing as soon as possible. After an
accident, consuming alcohol is prohibited until
the driver is tested. If the driver is not tested
within two hours after the accident, the City
will prepare and maintain on file a record
stating why the test was not administered
within that time. If eight hours have elapsed
since the accident and the driver has not
submitted to an alcohol test, the City will cease
its attempts to test the driver and prepare and
maintain on file a record stating why the test
was not administered.
The City may accept the results of a blood or
breath test in place of an alcohol test and urine
test for the use of controlled substances if:
• the tests are conducted by federal, state,
or local officials having independent
authority for the test
• the tests conform to applicable federal, state,
or local testing requirements
• the test results can be obtained by the City
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
33
Whenever such a test is conducted by a law
enforcement officer, the driver must contact
the City and immediately report the
existence of the test, providing the name,
badge number, and telephone number of the
law enforcement officer who conducted the
test.
Random Testing
Random drug/alcohol testing will be
conducted in accordance with DOT-Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
drug testing regulations. If a driver is
selected for a random test while he or she is
absent, on leave, or away from work, that
driver may be required to undergo the test
when he or she returns to work. A driver who
tests positive or refuses to submit to a test is
medically unqualified to drive and/or
perform any other safety-sensitive function.
Reasonable Suspicion
Reasonable suspicion may be based on,
but is not limited to, facts regarding
appearance, behavior, speech, breath,
odor, possession, proximity to or use of
alcohol or a controlled
substance or containers or paraphernalia,
poor safety record, excessive absenteeism,
impairment of job performance, or any other
circumstances that would cause a reasonable
employer to believe that a violation of the
City’s policies concerning alcohol or drugs
may have occurred. These observations will be
reflected in writing on a Reasonable Suspicion
Record Form within 24 hours of observation.
Reasonable Suspicion Drug Testing
Shall be administered as soon as possible
after making a reasonable suspicion
determination.
Reasonable Suspicion Alcohol
Testing
This testing is authorized under this policy
only if the observations are made just
before performing, while performing, just
after performing, or while in a state of
readiness to
perform safety sensitive functions that the
driver is required to be in compliance. The
employee will not be permitted back to the
work site until
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
34 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
the test results are known or until 24 hours
have elapsed. The City shall not take any
action
against employees based solely on their
behavior and appearance with respect to
alcohol use, in the absence of an alcohol test
(except that the employee may not be allowed
to perform safety sensitive functions until 24
hours have elapsed).
Refusal To Submit
No applicant or driver may refuse to submit
to pre-employment, post-accident,
random, reasonable suspicion, or follow-up
alcohol or controlled substance testing. In
the event an
applicant or driver does in fact refuse to
submit to required alcohol or controlled
substance testing, no test will be conducted.
Refusal by
a driver to submit to controlled substance or
alcohol testing will be considered a positive
test result, will cause disqualification from
performing safety-sensitive functions, and may
appear on the driver’s permanent record.
Drivers who refuse to submit to testing will be
subject to discipline, up to and including
termination. If an applicant refuses to submit to
pre-employment controlled substance testing,
any applicable conditional offer will be
withdrawn.
Cost Of Required Testing
The City will pay for the cost of pre-
employment, post-accident, random, and
reasonable suspicion controlled substance and
alcohol testing requested or required of all job
applicants and employees. The driver must pay
for the cost of
all requested confirmatory re-tests, return-to-
duty, and follow-up testing. Furthermore, the
employee is responsible for cost of evaluation
and rehabilitation (including services provided
by the SAP), except to the extent that such
expense is covered by an applicable employee benefit
plan or imposed on the City pursuant to a collective
bargaining agreement.
Right To Confirmatory Retest/Dilute
Specimens
Within 72 hours after receiving notice of a positive
controlled substance test result, an
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
35
applicant or driver may request a
confirmatory retest of the driver’s
split specimen. Action required by
federal regulation as a result of a
positive controlled substance test
(eg, removal from safety-sensitive
functions) will not be stayed during
retesting of the split specimen. If the
result of the confirmatory retest fails
to reconfirm the presence of the
controlled substance(s) or controlled
substance metabolite(s) found in the
primary specimen, or if the split
specimen is unavailable, inadequate
for testing, or untestable, the test will
be canceled.
If the City receives information that a
driver has provided a dilute negative
specimen, the City will direct a
recollection under direct observation.
Consequences For Engaging In
Prohibited Conduct
In evaluating and resolving problems
associated with the misuse of alcohol
and use of a controlled substance, the
City will advise each driver who has
engaged in conduct prohibited by
federal law or has a positive alcohol
or controlled substance test of the
available resources, including the
names, addresses, and telephone
numbers of Substance Abuse
Professionals (SAP) and counseling
and treatment programs. The City will
provide this SAP listing in writing at
no cost to the driver.
The City reserves the right to
impose whatever discipline it deems
appropriate in its sole discretion, up
to and including termination, for a
first occurrence against drivers who
violate applicable FMCSA or DOT rules or
this policy, subject to applicable personnel
policies and collective bargaining
agreements. Except
as otherwise required by law, the City is not
obligated to reinstate or requalify such drivers
following a first positive confirmed controlled
substance or alcohol test result.
Return-To-Duty Testing
Should the City consider reinstatement of a
DOT covered driver, the driver must undergo
a SAP evaluation and participate in any
prescribed education/treatment, and
successfully complete
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
36 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
return-to-duty alcohol test with a result
indicating an alcohol concentration of less
than
0.02 and/or a controlled substance test with a
verified negative result, before the driver
returns to duty requiring the performance of a
safety- sensitive function. The SAP determines
if the driver has completed the
education/treatment as prescribed. The
controlled substance test will be conducted
under direct observation.
Follow-Up Testing
If the driver passes the return-to-duty test,
the City will ensure the driver is subject to
unannounced follow-up alcohol and/or
controlled substance testing. The number
and frequency of such follow-up testing
will be
directed by the SAP and will consist of at least
six tests in the first 12 months following the
driver’s return to duty. Follow-up testing will
not exceed 60 months from the date of the
driver’s return
to duty. The SAP may terminate the
requirement for follow-up testing at any time
after the first six tests have been
administered, if the SAP determines such test
is no longer necessary. The employee is
responsible for paying for all costs associated
with follow-up tests.
Follow-up alcohol testing will be conducted
only when the driver is performing safety-
sensitive functions, or immediately before or
after performing safety-sensitive functions.
Signs And Symptoms
The City has a vital interest in maintaining
safe, healthful, and efficient working
conditions for employees and recognizes that
individuals who are impaired because of
drugs and/or alcohol jeopardize the safety
and health of other workers as well as
themselves.
Some of the most common physical,
psychological, and behavioral signs and
symptoms of drug or alcohol abuse are:
• poor coordination
• slurred speech
• impaired thinking
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
37
• memory impairment
• diverting energy from work, family, and
social life in order to drink or use drugs
• being secretive about the extent
of the alcohol abuse in order to
protect it
• engaging in risky behavior, such as
impaired driving
• being in denial about the extent
of the alcohol abuse problem
• becoming distressed at the prospect
of not having access to alcohol
• symptoms of withdrawal such as
shaking, anxiety, irritability, confusion,
fever, and rapid heartbeat
Employees who have concerns about
themselves or another employee may seek
assistance
from their immediate supervisor or human
resources. The City will provide resources
and intervene when necessary to assist an
employee experiencing alcohol or drug
abuse problems.
The Drug And Alcohol
Clearinghouse The Drug and Alcohol
Clearinghouse (Clearinghouse) is an
electronic database required by federal
law (49 C.F.R. § 382, subp. B) and
maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier
Administration. The Clearinghouse
contains records of violations of drug and
alcohol prohibitions. The database
includes positive drug or alcohol test
results, refusals, and other drug and
alcohol violations for drivers. When
a driver completes the return-to-duty
process, this information is also be
recorded in the Clearinghouse.
The City will conduct a query on each
driver with the Clearinghouse when the
driver is hired and once annually. All drivers
must provide consent for this query. Drivers
who refuse to
provide consent will not be permitted to
perform safety-sensitive functions, and their
refusal
will be reported to the Clearinghouse. The
City will notify drivers if the query reveals a
drug or alcohol program violation.
Additionally, drivers
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
38 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
who refuse to submit to testing will be subject
to discipline, up to and including termination.
Prohibition For Drivers
The City will not allow a driver to perform
any safety-sensitive functions if the results
of a Clearinghouse query demonstrates
that the driver:
• has a verified positive, adulterated, or
substituted controlled substances test
result
• has an alcohol confirmation test with
a concentration of 0.04 or higher;
• has refused to submit to a test in violation
of FMCSA regulations
The City will not allow a driver to perform any
safety-sensitive functions if the City has
actual knowledge of a violation, as defined by
FMCSA regulations, that the driver used
alcohol on duty, used alcohol before duty,
used alcohol following an accident, or used a
controlled substance, except where a query
of the Clearinghouse demonstrates:
• that the driver has successfully completed
the SAP evaluation, referral, and
education/ treatment process; achieves a
negative return-to-duty test result; and
completes the follow-up testing plan
prescribed by the SAP
• if the driver has not completed all follow-
up tests as prescribed by the SAP and
specified in the SAP report, the driver has
completed the SAP evaluation, referral,
and education/ treatment process and
achieves a negative return-to-duty test
result, and City assumes the responsibility
for managing the follow-up testing
process associated with the testing
violation
Recordkeeping Required
The City will retain a record of each query, and
all information received in response to each query for
three years.
Tobacco, Drug, And Alcohol
Policy
employee
HANDBOOK
39
Pre-Employment Checks
The City will continue to conduct pre-
employment checks with previous
employers until the Clearinghouse
has been in operation for three years
(January 6, 2023). After three years
of operation, the drug and alcohol
background check required by
FMCSA will be satisfied by querying
the Clearinghouse. The City may
still contact a driver’s previous DOT-
regulated employer for this
information in its discretion.
The City’s Obligation To
Report To The Clearinghouse
The City is required to collect,
maintain, and report personal
information of applicants and drivers
to the Clearinghouse under the
following circumstances:
• an applicant or driver has a
verified positive, adulterated, or
substituted drug test result
• an applicant or driver has an
alcohol confirmation test with a
concentration of 0.04 or higher
• an applicant or driver refuses to
submit to a drug or alcohol test
• an employer has actual
knowledge that a driver has
used alcohol or controlled
substances, as defined at 49 C.F.R. §
382.107
• an applicant or employee engages
in on-duty alcohol use while
performing safety-sensitive
functions
• an applicant or employee
engages in pre- duty alcohol
use within four hours before
performing a safety-sensitive
function
• an applicant or employee engages in
alcohol use following an accident
• a drug use pursuant
• an SAP reports the successful completion
of the return-to-duty process
• the City receives a negative return-to-
duty test for an employee; and
• an employee completes follow-up testing
employee
HANDBOOK
31
SECTION 5.0
workplace rules
Children in the Workplace .............................................................................................................................................. 32
Animals in the Workplace ................................................................................................................................................ 32
Appearance And Dress ..................................................................................................................................................... 32
Attendance And Absences.............................................................................................................................................. 33
Citywide Email Policy ......................................................................................................................................................... 33
External Communications ............................................................................................................................................... 34
Technology Use .................................................................................................................................................................. 34
Use Of City Property ......................................................................................................................................................... 36
Use Of Mobile Devices ..................................................................................................................................................... 36
Use Of City Vehicle ............................................................................................................................................................ 37
32 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Workplace
Rules
Children in the Workplace
City employees are welcome to bring children in
their care to visit their worksite, provided that the
visit is approved by the employee’s supervisor, the
child or children are not ill, and visits are
infrequent, brief, and planned in a fashion that
limits disruption to the workplace and does not
jeopardize the safety of the child. The City's
insurance does not cover liability related to
children in the workplace.
Children visiting the workplace must be directly
supervised by the host/parent/guardian at all
times. If the frequency, length, or nature of visits
interferes with City business, the employee (host
or parent/guardian) will be advised of the
situation and will be expected to take corrective
action. This policy is not to be used as a childcare
arrangement. Employees are provided with paid
time off (PTO) benefits which may be used for
personal reasons or other issues related to
childcare.
Animals in the Workplace
The City does not allow animals/pets in the
workplace. Bringing any non-service animals to
work creates significant liability risk for the City. In
addition to liability concerns, pets in the
workplace can cause other challenges, including
but not limited to:
• Negatively impacting the health and
comfort of employees and members of the
public who are allergic to animals
• Presenting safety concerns, including but
not limited to slip, trip and fall hazards,
scratches, bites, and other pet related
injuries
• Inciting fear among employees or
members of the public that are not
accustomed to or have had negative
experiences with animals
• Conflicting with religious beliefs
• Causing distractions, especially if pets are noisy or
high-energy
• Causing inter-office squabbles, for example,
between pets that do not get along
• Pets need conflicting with work schedules and job
duties
• Violating public health rules related to food
preparation
Creating uninsured risk: the City's insurance does not cover
liability related to pets in the workplace
The City recognizes the importance of allowing individuals
with disabilities the support of service animals or emotional
support animals (ESA) and may grant exceptions to this rule
based on an employee’s need for reasonable
accommodation (See Section 2.0, Respectful Workplace for
more information on reasonable accommodation). City
employees granted reasonable accommodation for a
service animal must ensure that the service animal is
properly harnessed, leashed, or tethered to ensure the
accommodated employee always maintains control of a
service animal, unless the individual’s disability prevents
using these devices or these devices interferes with the
service animal’s safety. In that case, the individual must
maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or
other effective controls. In the case of non-service animals,
service animals, or ESA, employees shall be liable for any
damage done to City premises and facilities, and/or injuries
to other employees or members of the public.
Appearance And Dress
It is the City’s policy that each employee’s dress,
grooming, and personal hygiene should be appropriate
to the work situation. Employees who have regular
contact with the public must present in a manner
acceptable for carrying out their daily responsibilities.
employee
HANDBOOK
33
Workplace
Rules
Employees may dress in accordance with their
gender identity, and they may dress and style
their hair in a manner that expresses their
individuality within the constraints of the dress
codes adopted by the City.
Certain employees may be required to meet
special dress grooming and hygiene standards
depending on the nature of their job. Clothing,
jewelry, or other items that could present a
safety hazard are not acceptable in the
workplace.
Establishment of departmental and/or division
standards of dress for safety protocol is at the
discretion of the supervisor and/or
department head and with consultation of the
City Manager or their designee.
At its discretion, the City may allow employees
to dress in a more casual fashion than is
normal, such as allowing casual Fridays. On
these occasions, employees still must present
a tidy appearance and are not permitted to
wear torn or disheveled clothing, athletic wear,
or similarly
inappropriate clothing. Employees are
prohibited from wearing clothing or accessories
with
words, images, or phrases that violate the City’s
Respectful Workplace Policy, including
profanity, hate speech, pornography, reference
to drugs or alcohol, or can reasonably be
construed as racist, lewd, or vulgar.
Any employee who does not meet the
standards of this policy will be required to take
corrective action, which may include leaving
the premises. Non-exempt employees will not
be compensated for any work time missed
because of failure to comply with this policy.
As further explained in the Reasonable
Accommodations policy, the City will reasonably
accommodate a staff member’s religious
beliefs in terms of workplace attire unless the
accommodation creates undue hardship.
Accommodation of religious beliefs in terms
of attire may be difficult in light of safety
issues for staff members. Those requesting a
workplace attire accommodation based on
religious beliefs must contact Human
Resources.
Uniforms
Employees who are provided uniforms by the
City are required to wear them during paid
work time. Uniforms may not be used for any
purpose other than City business and may
not be worn during off-duty time. For more
information on equipment and uniform
expenses, see page 53. To provide a measure
of security to customers, non-uniformed
employees are expected to wear City-
provided badges when entering businesses
and residences while performing City
business.
Attendance And Absences
Attendance
Employees are expected to work the
normal hours and minimum number of
hours per week as established for their
positions in their
respective departments. If not detrimental to
the performance of City activities, certain
positions may be afforded a modified work
schedule under the Flexible Workplace
Program (see page 40).
Absences
Employees who are going to be absent from
work are required to notify their supervisor in
advance as soon as possible. In the event of
an unexpected absence, employees should call
their supervisor before the scheduled starting
time and keep in mind the following
procedures:
• If the supervisor is not available at the
34 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Workplace
Rules
time, the employee should
leave a voice mail message that
includes a telephone number
where the employee can be
reached and/ or contact any
other individual who was
designated by the supervisor.
Failure to use the established reporting process will
be grounds for disciplinary action.
Workplace
Rules
employee
HANDBOOK
33
• The employee must call the supervisor on
each day of an absence extending beyond
one day unless arrangements otherwise
have been made with the supervisor.
• Employees who are absent for three days
or more and who do not report the
absence in accordance with this policy
will be considered to have voluntarily
resigned not in good standing.
• The City may waive this rule if
extenuating circumstances warranted
such behavior.
This policy does not preclude the City from
administering discipline for unexcused
absences of less than three days. Individual
departments may establish more specific
reporting procedures.
Citywide Email Policy
Mass email is an effective way to deliver
appropriate and time-sensitive information that
applies to or is important to the majority of the
recipients. The City of Golden Valley uses email
groups to deliver messages that meet one or
more of the following criteria:
• alert city employees to situations
about health and safety risks
• provide information essential to
the operation or execution of
business
• notify City employees about changes
in governance, policy, practice,
benefits, wellness, and employee
engagement opportunities
• communicate important information
from the City Manager, City Council, or
other senior leadership
The City prohibits any all-staff emails that are
not in line with the City’s mission, vision, and
values.
The City Manager, Deputy City Manager, and
Department Heads may send city-wide emails
that meet the criteria listed above. All other
employees are prohibited from sending citywide
email messages to all employees or to more
than one employee group without prior
authorization
Workplace
Rules
34 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
from their Department Head. On occasion, a
Department Head may delegate authority
to send employee emails related to health
and safety risks or the execution of City
business. Employees are prohibited from
requesting replies to citywide emails
without prior authorization.
External Communications
The City of Golden Valley strives to provide
the public with accurate and timely
information, communicated in a
professional manner and in accordance
with the laws regarding public information
and data practices. This policy
provides guidelines for external
communications from the City.
City Representation/Media
Requests Employees may receive requests
from the public for information. With the
exception of routine events and basic
information readily available
to the public, the City prohibits employees
from speaking or posting to social media
on behalf of the City without prior
authorization from the City Manager and
designated communications staff. Beyond
routine and public data, additional
requests, including requests for
information on City personnel, potential
litigation, or official opinion on a City
matter, must be forwarded
to the City Manager and communications
department.
Non-personal communications (performed
within one’s job duties) to members of the
public must always be professional and
comply with the requirements of this policy
and any other applicable rules or
requirements of the City’s communications
department.
Use of City Logo/Department
Representations
Employees must receive authorization by the
City Manager or communications department
before using or authorizing use of the City’s
logo and department representations.
Employees
are prohibited from using the City’s logo and
department representations for personal
benefit or to benefit their outside
employment.
Workplace
Rules
employee
HANDBOOK
35
Social Media Use
The City acknowledges and respects
employees’ rights to privacy and free speech,
including activity conducted on personal time
on personal social media networks. Employees
have the right to use their personal social
media to discuss the terms and conditions of
their employment.
An employee’s own personal communications,
such as on social media, can have a significant
impact on the public’s belief that all City staff
will carry out City functions faithfully and
impartially and without regard to factors such
as race, sex/ gender, religion, national origin,
disability, sexual orientation, or other
protected categories.
The following guidelines apply to personal
communications, including various forms such
as social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogs,
YouTube, etc.), letters to the editor of
newspapers, and personal endorsements:
• Do not share any private or confidential
information you have access to as a result
of your City position.
• Any personal communications made
on a matter of public concern must not
disrupt the efficiency of the City’s
operation, including by negatively
affecting morale.
• The City expects its employees to be
fair, courteous, and respectful to
supervisors, co-workers, citizens,
customers, and other
persons associated with the City. Avoid
using statements, photographs, video or
audio that reasonably may be viewed as
malicious, obscene, threatening or
intimidating, disparaging, or might
constitute harassment or bullying.
Examples of such conduct
might include offensive posts meant to
intentionally harm someone’s reputation
or posts that could contribute to a hostile work
environment on the basis of sex, race, traits
associated with race (including, but not limited to,
hair texture and hairstyles such as braids, locs, and
twists), national origin, age, color, creed, religion,
disability,
Workplace
Rules
36 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
marital status, familial status,
veteran status, sexual
orientation, gender identity,
gender expression, status with
regard to public assistance, or
membership or activity in a local
human rights commission.
• Personal social media
account name or email
names should not be tied to
the City (for example, by
listing your job title and the
name of the City). Employees
may not create social media
accounts using City email
addresses, or create social
media accounts using the
City’s name without
prior authorization from the City
Manager or communications
staff.
• Employees are prohibited from
using their personal social media
in any way that violates the City’s
Respectful Workplace Policy
(such as engaging in harassing,
discriminatory, or threatening
posts) or any other City policy
(such as representing the City’s
views without prior
authorization).
• City employees who wish to
share personal opinions about
the City or City business must
include the disclaimer: “These
opinions/ statements are my
own. They are not the official
position of the City of Golden
Valley or the City elected body.”
Technology Use
The City of Golden Valley provides a
variety of electronic tools such as
telephones, computers, facsimile (fax)
machines, electronic mail (email) systems, and
Internet access for employees. This policy
governs access to and the appropriate use of
City- provided electronic tools and technology
at all times, including both work and non-work
time, by City employees, consultants,
contractors, council members, vendors,
volunteers, interns, and other individuals
granted access to or use
of the Cities’ electronic systems in any form or
manner. As a member of the LOGIS
Consortium, the City of Golden Valley must also
adhere to the requirements and
recommendations outlined with the LOGIS
Members Security Policy.
Workplace
Rules
employee
HANDBOOK
37
Security
Unauthorized wireless access into the
City’s network is strictly prohibited.
Employees are prohibited from installing
any wireless
computing device or access point
equipment on City equipment or property.
City users
are required to abide by software and
documentation copyright laws and
licensing agreements. At no time should
any users make copies of City-owned
software and
documentation. Furthermore, no City
employee will be allowed to manipulate
hardware and software standard
configurations. Employees must adhere to
additional security measures while working
remotely under a Flexible Work Arrangement.
No Expectation of Privacy
All equipment provided for employees’ use,
and all documents, messages, files, data,
postings, and other items received, sent, or
created
using City equipment, is property of the
City. Employees have no expectation of
privacy with respect to such equipment and
materials. The City of Golden Valley strictly
prohibits the forwarding of work-related
email messages
to personal e-mail accounts. Furthermore,
employees on a leave of absence (including
FMLA, ADA, short-term disability, or long-term
disability) may not access City-email or City-
drives without express permission of Human
Resources or the City Manager. All public data
received or sent from City-owned email
accounts become property of the City of
Golden Valley and could subject the personal
email account and/or personal computer to an
open records request.
The City reserves the right to monitor any and
all telephone, facsimile, email, and Internet
activities that occur on City equipment,
including those that may be of a personal
nature, within the limits of and in accordance
with applicable law. City- owned telephones,
facsimile machines, email, and Internet systems
and any and all software, data, or other
information stored on a City-
Workplace
Rules
38 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
owned computer are the property of the City
and may be monitored, read, examined,
seized, or confiscated as necessary.
City-owned property, including but not
limited to locked/unlocked desk drawers
and cabinets, vehicles, and equipment, may
also be seized, confiscated, and/or
searched as necessary.
Outside of restrooms and changing
facilities, employees have no expectation
of privacy in the workplace. Employees
should not expect any personal property
that is maintained and/ or stored in City-
owned property would remain private.
Personal Use
Employee access to and use of electronic
tools such as email and the Internet is
intended for business-related purposes.
Outside of work time, employees may
occasionally use the City’s technology for
personal email, social media, and web
browsing. However, such personal use may
not interfere in any way with the employee’s
performance, nor may it violate any policy in
this handbook, such as the Respectful
Workplace policy.
Record Retention
Data the City maintains electronically is
government data and, as such, is subject to
classification and access under the Minnesota
Government Data Practices Act. Improper
disposal may subject the employee and
the agency to legal sanctions and other
administrative or legal consequences.
Union Use
In the interest of maintaining effective labor-
management relationships and efficient use
of City time and resources, City email systems
may be used by employee representatives of
the union for certain union activities, in
accordance with provisions of applicable
bargaining unit agreements and state and
federal law.
Workplace
Rules
employee
HANDBOOK
39
Use of City Property
As stated under the Code of Conduct
policy, no employee may use City-owned
property, such as vehicles, equipment, or
supplies, for personal convenience or profit,
except when
such property is available to the public
generally or where such property is provided by
specific City policy in the conduct of official City
business. No personal business of any kind
should be conducted during business hours.
The City’s equipment (including mobile
devices, laptops, computers, or tablets)
devices must not compromise the City’s
standards, values,
or ordinances and cannot be used for
illegal or inappropriate uses. Examples of
illegal or inappropriate use include, but are
not limited to, adult entertainment; sexually
explicit
material; political activities; material advocating
intolerance or disrespect for other people, races
or religions; activities that result in personal
gain for a public employee; pirating of
software; and copying copyrighted information.
Use of City equipment for unlawful purposes,
or use that
is disruptive to the workplace, may be cause
for disciplinary action, including discharge.
Any inappropriate use of phones may subject
the employee to disciplinary action and
require the employee to reimburse the City.
Employees are responsible for safekeeping
all City-owned equipment. All such
equipment must be turned in and
accounted for by any employee leaving
employment with the City.
The duplication of keys owned by the City
is prohibited unless authorized by the
City Manager. Any employee found
having an
unauthorized duplicate key will be subject to
disciplinary action.
Use of Mobile Devices
This policy is intended to regulate the use of mobile
devices within reasonable, practical parameters. This
policy applies to all City employees, including full- and
part-time staff, council members, seasonal employees,
and paid
Workplace
Rules
40 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
or unpaid interns who use either City-
owned or personally-owned devices
to access, store, back up, relocate, or
access any City data. This includes, but
is not limited to, mobile/cellular
phones, smart phones, portable
drives, data cards, laptops,
notebooks, and tablets.
Employees using City-owned
devices and/or personal devices for
City business are required to follow
all City policies and state laws, data
retention requirements, and City-
identified security standards.
Non-exempt employees require prior
authorization by their supervisor to
conduct City business outside their
designated work hours.
This applies to City-owned or
personal mobile devices and includes
the acts of checking City email,
working on City related documents,
and other types of City related
communication.
City Devices
The City Manager or designee will
determine which
positions/employees should have
access to City-owned mobile devices
and shall specify the level of access
required. Final purchase approval will
be made in accordance with the City’s
purchasing policies. Again, the City
reserves the right to monitor the use
of all mobile devices issued, and
employees acknowledge they have
no expectation of privacy when using
City- owned mobile devices.
City-owned mobile devices are
intended for business use. Employees
should have the equipment available
during employee’s business hours and
established on-call times. Incidental personal
calls or texts on City-owned mobile devices
are acceptable. Frequent personal use that
interferes with an employee’s job functions is
prohibited.
Personal Devices
Upon approval from the City Manager or
designee, employees acting within the scope
of their job responsibilities may request
installation, configuration, and connection of a
personally-
employee
HANDBOOK
37
owned mobile device to the City-owned
network and/or computer. The connection of a
personally- owned mobile device to the City’s
network infrastructure and/or computing
systems without prior approval from the City
Manager or designee is prohibited.
The City of Golden Valley assumes no
responsibility and/or liability for costs
incurred for personally owned mobile
devices that are connected to or installed on
City systems. This includes, but is not limited
to, maintenance
or upgrades of hardware or software for any
purpose, licensing requirements, or as
related to employee responsibility to comply
with legal discover requests. The employee
waives all liability claims against the City for
any property
or data loss that may occur as a result of the
legal discovery process.
Use of City Vehicles
City employees are encouraged to make use of
City vehicles whenever possible for City
business. These vehicles are provided for the
performance of employee responsibilities
relating to job functions. When no City vehicle
is available, employees will be reimbursed for
using their own vehicles for City business at the
IRS standard mileage rate. Mileage and
Expense Report forms are available from the
Finance Department.
City vehicles are only to be used by
employees conducting official City business
and may not be used for personal business.
Employees are expected to drive safely, obey
all traffic laws, and limit use of cell phones
while driving City vehicles or driving for City
business. Employees who drive for City
business must keep a clean driving record.
Employees who are required to hold a valid
driver’s license as part of their job, or anyone
assigned or authorized to use a City
vehicle, must immediately report any suspension,
revocation, or restrictions of their driver’s license
to their supervisor. The City may regularly obtain
driver’s license checks on all employees assigned
or authorized to use City vehicles. The City has
the right to revoke any employee’s privilege to
operate a City vehicle at any time.
Workplace
Rules
38 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Upon approval by their department head
and the City Manager, employees who have
official
City vehicles assigned to them may be
authorized to keep the vehicles at their place
of residence during non-scheduled hours.
These vehicles may not be used for any
personal business other than commuting
between the residence and the City. Based on
IRS regulations, use of a City vehicle for
commuting purposes may subject the
employee to additional income taxes,
depending on the employee’s position with
the City.
Idling
No City vehicle or piece of equipment is to
be idled in a non-emergency situation.
Vehicle idling is allowed as needed:
• in emergency vehicles at scenes where
lights, PTOs, and/or other accessories are
needed to accomplish the mission
• when passengers’ safety or welfare
would be compromised if the vehicle
were not maintained at an adequate
temperature
• in Police and Fire Department vehicles in
accordance with the departmental
guidelines
• in Public Works department vehicles
needed for flooding skating rinks,
protecting work zones with lights, as
well as during repair
of water main breaks, sandblasting, and
inclement weather situations where heater/
defrosters may improve working conditions
Accidents and Traffic Violations
All accidents involving City vehicles or
equipment must be reported to the police
and the employee’s supervisor immediately.
The police will investigate the accident
scene and prepare a report, if necessary.
Employees will also be required to complete a
City accident form.
Any employee convicted of a traffic
violation while traveling in a City vehicle or
while on City business is responsible for
payment of the associated fines.
employee
HANDBOOK
39
SECTION 6.0
code of conduct
Confidential Information .................................................................................................................................................. 39
Conflict Of Interest ............................................................................................................................................................. 39
Employee-To-Employee Solicitation ........................................................................................................................... 40
Political Activity ................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Public Funds ......................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Solicitation Or Receipt Of Gifts ..................................................................................................................................... 40
Whistleblower Protections .............................................................................................................................................. 40
Code Of
Conduct
employee
HANDBOOK
39
An employee’s primary responsibility is to
serve the residents of Golden Valley. Overall,
employees should exhibit conduct that is
ethical, professional, and responsive.
Employees must act in the best interests of the
City of Golden Valley, serving all persons fairly
and equitably without regard to their own
personal or financial benefit.
The Code of Conduct establishes standards
of conduct for all employees by setting forth
acts or actions that are incompatible with the
best interests of the City. Failure to follow this
Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary
action up to and including termination.
City employees are required to:
• perform their assigned duties to the best
of their ability at all times and to
continually strive to improve their
performance
• render prompt and courteous service to
the public at all times
• read, understand, and comply with the
rules and regulations as set forth in this
handbook as well as those of their
department
• conduct themselves with decorum
toward both residents and staff and
respond to inquiries and information
requests with patience and every
possible courtesy
• report all unsafe conditions to
their immediate supervisor
• maintain good attendance
• approach job responsibilities with a
positive attitude and constructively
support open, respectful communication
and teamwork
Dishonesty interferes with effectively
performing essential job duties. Employees
who intentionally misrepresent facts or falsify
records, including personnel records, medical
records, leaves of absence documentation, or
the like, will be subject to disciplinary action up
to and including termination.
Confidential Information
During the course of their official duties,
employees may have access to confidential
information, as defined by the Minnesota
40 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Government Data Practices Act. Employees
must not disclose confidential information to
others or use it to further their personal
interest.
Conflict of Interest
City employees are to remove themselves
from situations in which they would have to
take action or make a decision where that
action or decision could be a perceived or
actual conflict of interest or could result in a
personal benefit for themselves or a family
member. If employees
have any questions about whether such a conflict
exists, they should consult with the City Manager.
Holding Investments/Financial Interest
The City requires employees to disclose
any and all investments that might
compromise the performance of their
duties. The City also requires all employees
to disqualify themselves
from taking any action related to or influenced
by their investments, except as permitted by
statute.
Where employees have a financial interest
in any matter they are considering as part
of their employment, such interest (if
known) must be
disclosed to the City Manager, and the
employee shall be disqualified from further
participation in the matter.
Outside Employment
The City of Golden Valley expects full-time
employees to consider City work their
primary employment. Prior to engaging in
any outside employment, employees must
submit a written request to, and receive
approval from, their supervisor,
department head, Human Resources
Director, and the City Manager. Any other
job must be compatible with the
employee’s role with the City without
conflict of interest or schedule. The City
does not tolerate or allow outside work that
interferes with the efficient and effective
performance of an employee’s job duties and
responsibilities. Examples of conflict- of-
interest situations include those in which:
• an employee’s official capacity with the
City, or with the outside organization, may
enable the employee to influence the
securement of City business
Code Of
Conduct
employee
HANDBOOK
41
Code Of Conduct
• an employee accepts a paid or unpaid
position elsewhere, where such activity
interferes with the employee’s duties and
job performance at the City
• an employee may gain access to
information not generally available to the
public, which may allow the employee to
directly or indirectly gain anything of
value
In the course of outside employment, the
employee may not use City equipment,
resources, or staff, or receive compensation
from another individual or employer for
services performed during hours for which
they are also
being compensated by the City. Work
performed for others while on approved
vacation, PTO,
or compensatory time is not a violation of this
policy unless that work creates the appearance
of a conflict of interest.
Employee-to-Employee
Solicitation
Employee-to-employee solicitation on City
property for products, services, or causes is
limited to two weeks in length, to sign-up
sheets or self-serve displays (no verbal
presentations) in a break room/kitchen
area/dining area, and during break/meal
times (not during work time). Nothing in this
policy is intended to interfere with
employees’ ability to discuss the terms and
conditions of their employment.
Political Activity
City employees have the right to express their
views and to pursue legitimate involvement in
the political system. However, no City
employee will directly or indirectly, during
hours of employment, solicit or receive funds
for political purposes. Further, any political
activity in the workplace must be pre-approved by the
City to avoid any conflict of interest or perception of
bias, such as using authority or political influence to
compel another employee to apply for or become a
member in a political organization.
For the purposes of this policy, the term “political
organization” excludes unions.
42 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Public Funds
No employee may use City public
funds, equipment, or facilities for
private gain or political campaign
activities, unless such equipment and
facilities are available for use by the
general public.
Solicitation or Receipt of Gifts
Employees must not solicit or receive
anything of value from any person or
association, directly or indirectly. This
means the City prohibits employees
from accepting gifts, trinkets, or
mementos valued at more than $5.
Incidental items provided to public
employees in the due course of
business while attending conferences,
seminars, and training sessions are
exempt from this provision.
Employees are prohibited from
accepting cash in any amount.
Employees may accept gifts and
donations on behalf of the City in
accordance with established policy,
and these gifts will become property
of the City.
Whistleblower Protections
An employee of the City who, in good
faith, report activities they consider to
be illegal or dishonest to one or more
of the parties may have whistleblower
protections. The whistleblower
is not responsible for investigating
the activity or for determining fault or
corrective measures; appropriate City
management officials are charged
with these responsibilities.
Examples of illegal or dishonest
activities include violations of federal,
state, or local laws; billing for services
not performed or for goods not delivered;
and other fraudulent financial reporting.
If an employee has knowledge of or a
concern of illegal or dishonest fraudulent
activity,
the employee is to contact their immediate
supervisor or Human Resources. The
employee must exercise sound judgment to
avoid baseless allegations. An employee who
intentionally files a false report of
wrongdoing may be subject to discipline up
to and including termination.
Code Of
Conduct
employee
HANDBOOK
41
It is the City’s legal responsibility to protect
employees who make a complaint of
employment discrimination, who serve as a
witness or participate in an investigation, or
who are exercising their rights when
requesting religious or disability
accommodation from retaliation.
Whistleblower protections are provided in
two important areas—confidentiality and
against retaliation; insofar as consistent
with
Minnesota Data Practices, the confidentiality
of the whistleblower will be maintained.
However, identity may have to be disclosed
to conduct a thorough investigation, to
comply with the law, and to provide accused
individuals their legal rights of defense.
The City will not retaliate against
whistleblowers. This includes, but is not limited
to, protection from retaliation in the form of
an adverse employment action such as
termination, compensation decreases, or poor
work assignments, and threats of physical
harm.
Whistleblowers who believes they are being
retaliated against must contact Human
Resources immediately. The right of a
whistleblower for protection against retaliation
does not include immunity for any personal
wrongdoing.
42 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
SECTION 7.0 hours of work and time tracking
Core Work Hours ................................................................................................................................................................ 43
Time Tracking Procedures ................................................................................................................................................ 43
Breaks And Meals ............................................................................................................................................................... 44
Travel Time ............................................................................................................................................................................ 44
Meeting Attendance, Standby Duty, And Emergency Call-Out......................................................................... 45
Flexible Work Arrangement Policy .............................................................................................................................. 45
Severe Weather .................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
employee
HANDBOOK
43
Core Work Hours
The regular work week consists of 40 hours,
plus one-half hour per day of non-
compensable time for lunch. Employees are
expected to be
in attendance during all scheduled hours
of work. Typical City Hall hours are 8 am to
4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Hours of
service for other City facilities vary
depending on the services performed by
the department and/or division.
Time Tracking Procedures
Every non-exempt employee is responsible for
accurately reporting time worked, rounded
to the nearest 1/10th of an hour. The City
of Golden Valley must keep an accurate
record of time worked to calculate
employee pay and benefits. Employees
should clock in no sooner
than 10 minutes before their scheduled shift
and clock out no later than 10 minutes after
their scheduled shift. Non-exempt employees
are required to clock in and out for lunch
breaks in addition to clocking in and out at
the beginning and end of the work day. If an
employee misses an entry into the
timekeeping system, he or she must notify
the supervisor as soon as possible.
The City prohibits employees from working
“off the clock.”
Non-exempt employees of Brookview Golf
Course are required to use the time clock
system to record their hours worked
(automatically rounded to the nearest 1/10th
of an hour) using the pin number provided to
them by the City.
This number acts to verify time reported in
lieu of providing a handwritten signature
on a timesheet. Employees who
consistently miss
time clock entries may be subject to
disciplinary action.
Non-exempt employees are permitted to work
overtime only with prior authorization from the
supervisor. Overtime includes clocking in early,
late, or working through the scheduled
lunch period. Non-exempt employees who work
overtime without prior authorization will be
subject to disciplinary procedures.
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
44 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Minutes Hours
6 minutes 0.10 hours
12 minutes 0.20 hours
18 minutes 0.30 hours
24 minutes 0.40 hours
30 minutes 0.50 hours
36 minutes 0.60 hours
42 minutes 0.70 hours
48 minutes 0.80 hours
54 minutes 0.90 hours
60 minutes 1.00 hours
Employees may not clock in or clock out for
another employee. Altering, falsifying,
tampering with time records, or recording
time on another employee’s time record
may result in disciplinary action, up to and
including termination of employment.
Timesheets
Full-time and part-time regular employees
must submit electronic timesheets using
the City payroll system by 9 am on
Monday with the appropriate approvals
from their supervisors.
Employees cannot approve their own
timesheets unless otherwise directed by
their department head.
Non-regular employees must
complete the department-
prescribed timesheet (paper or
electronic). All paper timesheets
and/or
timecards must be completed in ink and
signed by employees and their
supervisors by 9 am on Monday. Any
changes or errors should be crossed out
and initialed by the employee and
supervisor. In general, only supervisors
designated by the department head can
approve time sheets.
In the event of a holiday, the Finance
Department may request that all employees
submit their timesheets at an earlier time. All
timesheets will include the appropriate
declaration under Minn. Stat. § 412.271, subd.
2.
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
employee
HANDBOOK
45
Breaks And Meals
The regular 40-hour week includes two
separate paid 15-minute rest breaks during
each workday, plus one-half hour per day of
unpaid time for lunch. Lunch and rest breaks
must be scheduled to ensure continuity of
service and so a department is not left
unattended during normal business hours.
Rest Breaks
If full-time employees request and receive
prior approval from their department head
and/or supervisor, the rest breaks may be
combined and taken during the normal lunch
break. If the workday exceeds eight hours, rest
breaks are usually scheduled at the rate of
one break for each four hours worked per day.
Different departments may set different
schedules for their employees to better meet
the needs of the City.
Regular part-time employees are provided
one 15-minute rest break for each four hours
of work time per day.
Lunch/Meal Breaks
The length of the workday cannot be
shortened by eliminating rest breaks or lunch
periods.
However, certain positions may be
afforded a modified lunch schedule under
the Flexible
Workplace Program. If a non-exempt
employee (eligible for overtime pay) is
required to work while eating or to take a
lunch break of 20 minutes or less, the time
will be considered “hours worked” and the
employee will be paid for the one-half hour
that is normally non- compensable time.
Incidental interruptions do not qualify as
working through a lunch break.
Working through lunch must be
authorized by the supervisor and is not to
be done at the employee’s discretion.
Regular part-time employees with questions about
lunch and rest breaks should talk with their supervisor.
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
46 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Travel Time
Some non-exempt positions require
travel in outstate Minnesota or out-
of-state. Non-exempt employees
may be paid for the time they spend
traveling. Whether travel is paid work
time depends upon the kind of travel
and whether the travel time takes
place within normal work hours or
outside of normal work hours.
Travel Time
“Travel time” is time spent traveling,
including the employee’s drive to the
airport or hotel, driving or flying to a
destination, etc. Travel between home
and work site or between the hotel and
work
site is considered normal
commuting time and is not eligible
for compensation. If an employee is
traveling by air and no flights are
available from or to the airport
nearest the employee’s residence,
then travel between the
employee’s residence and the
airport is considered travel time
and is eligible for compensation
during “normal work hours.” If an
employee requests a
specific travel itinerary or mode of
transportation that is different from
the one authorized, only the
estimated travel time associated with
the itinerary and authorized mode of
transportation will be eligible for
compensation.
Normal Work Hours
For the purposes of this policy,
“normal work hours” are defined as
8 am to 4:30 pm. This definition
applies to normal workdays
(Monday through Friday) and to
weekends (Saturday and Sunday).
Any portion of authorized travel
time that takes place within normal work
hours is treated as compensable work time
and will be paid at the employee’s regular
hourly rate and factored into overtime
calculations. Any portion of authorized travel
time (with the exception
of driving time) that takes place outside of
normal work hours is considered to be
outside travel hours. Travel time will not be
counted
as compensable hours if traveling outside the
normal working hours.
Automobile Travel
All authorized travel time spent driving an
automobile (as the driver, not as a passenger)
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
employee
HANDBOOK
47
is treated as work hours, regardless of
whether the travel takes place within normal
work hours or outside normal work hours.
Employees will receive their regular hourly rate
for all travel time spent as the driver of an
automobile, and this time will be factored into
overtime calculations.
Travel as a passenger in an automobile is
not automatically treated as work hours.
Travel as a passenger in an automobile is
treated the same as all other forms of travel,
and compensation depends on whether the
travel time takes place within normal work
hours or outside of normal work hours. If an
employee drives a car as a matter of
personal preference when an
authorized flight or other travel mode is
available and the travel time by car would
exceed that of the authorized mode, only the
estimated travel time associated with the
authorized mode will be eligible for
compensation.
Of course, all time spent actually working
while traveling is compensable work time.
For example, if the passenger in a car is
working on a presentation while traveling
outside of
normal work hours to a conference, all time
spent working on the presentation is
compensable work time. Employees are
responsible for accurately tracking,
calculating, and reporting travel time on their
time sheets in accordance with this policy.
Meal periods should be deducted from all
travel time.
Meeting Attendance, Standby
Duty, And Emergency Call-Out
The City assigns non-exempt
employees to perform various duties
after hours, on
weekends, and during holidays.
Depending on the function and schedule
requirements of individual positions within
the City, these
activities may qualify the employee for additional
compensation or overtime pay.
An employee who is not scheduled who
responds to a problem on a weekend or holiday,
or who must return to work for an “after-hours”
meeting, will receive a minimum two hours of
pay at one and one-half times their regular rate
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
48 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
of pay in any week the employee’s regular
hours exceed 40.
Supervisors may also modify the employee’s
work schedule to accommodate
circumstances such
as callout or meeting attendance. The
supervisor shall provide the employee with
as much
notice as possible when his or her
attendance is required outside of normal
working hours.
Non-exempt public works maintenance
employees may be assigned to a weekly
standby duty, wherein they are responsible
for responding to after-hours service calls
and other assigned duties. Employees
receive six hours of straight time on the
Saturday, Sunday, and any
City-designated and observed holiday during
the employee’s scheduled standby duty.
Employees who are scheduled for standby
duty must abide by all of the following
conditions:
• be reachable by standby telephone
• have capacity to report to work if
called (for example, not under the
influence of any drugs or alcohol)
• ensure appropriate response to all calls
• complete reports as required
Employees scheduled for standby duty must
follow the prescribed department procedures.
Flexible Work Arrangement Policy
The purpose of the City’s Flexible Work
Arrangement Policy (FWA) is to foster a
positive, adaptable work environment that
meets unique employee needs while
continuing to provide quality services to
customers, residents, and visitors. FWAs
encourage strong communication and
working relationships between employees and
supervisors and empower employees to
manage their work and personal
responsibilities effectively through alternative
work arrangements.
A flexible work arrangement is a business
strategy and not a benefit or right.
Participation in this program does not
change the basic terms and conditions of
employment with the
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
employee
HANDBOOK
49
City. All flexible work arrangements are
subject to the City’s Employment Rules, the
Fair Labor Standards Act, and other relevant
laws. FWAs are not appropriate for every
position or employee at the City. Based on
position requirements and employee
performance and conduct, some employees
may not be eligible for the flexible work
arrangements under this policy.
This policy establishes guidelines for the City’s
FWA, including types of FWAs, employee
eligibility, policy conditions, and request
process.
Types of Flexible Work
Arrangements Flexible work
arrangement requests are not the same as
ad hoc arrangements or the occasional
need for flexibility. FWAs generally last
longer than two months and are a regular
and predictable part of the employee’s
work schedule. The City offers three
standard FWAs:
• Telework—Working from a location other
than the employee’s designated on-site
work location (working from home).
• Flexible Work Schedule—Working hours
are outside of core business hours of 8
am to 4:30 pm. Flexible work schedules
do not reduce the total number of hours
worked in a given workweek. Schedule
options may include fixed starting or
ending times that change periodically,
starting and ending times that vary daily,
and variations in the
length of days. A flexible work schedule
may also include a traditional 40-hour
workweek condensed into fewer than five
workdays.
• Job Sharing—Sharing workload and
obligations of a full-time position by
two individuals.
All FWAs are made on a case-by-case basis.
Americans with Disability Act and Family
Medical Leave Act Arrangement Employees
experiencing a qualified disability
under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) may be
eligible for one or more flexible work arrangements.
Under this circumstance, the employee should follow
the ADA Request Process and contact Human
Resources.
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
50 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Other informal, short-term
arrangements may be made for
employees on family or medical
leave to the extent practical for the
employee
and the organization and with the
consent of the employee’s health care
provider, if appropriate. Under this
process, employees must contact
Human Resources.
Ad Hoc Arrangements
Department Heads may approve
temporary teleworking or other
flexible work arrangements for
circumstances such as inclement
weather, special projects, personal
needs, or business travel. The
Department Head may approve these
arrangements on an as-needed basis,
with no expectation of ongoing
continuance. Under these
arrangements, the employee must
still follow all City policies.
Employee Eligibility
This policy applies to all non-union
employees in the City of Golden
Valley.
Policy Conditions
Any flexible work arrangement must
meet the following criteria:
• Flexible work arrangements
must meet the operational
needs of the department,
division, or work group.
• Employee performance
expectations remain the same
regardless of the employee’s
work schedule or location.
• Employees must follow all City
policies, including but not
limited to, Technology Use Policy, Code
of Conduct, Respectful Workplace, and
Drug and Alcohol policies.
• Flexible work arrangements must be in
writing and must specify when the
employee is expected to be present on-
site.
• On occasion, a supervisor may require
an employee who is on an approved
FWA to work on site to meet the
needs of the department or work
group.
• Flexible scheduling is limited to a two-
week pay period and must follow the
City’s Hours of Work and Time Tracking
Policy.
employee
HANDBOOK
47
• Flexible work arrangements are not
guaranteed or permanent—they may
change as the needs of the department,
division, or work group change.
• The supervisor may temporarily adjust
work schedule or location as needed to
meet
the operational needs of the work group,
including meeting customer service needs.
Teleworking Conditions
Employees requesting a telework arrangement
must meet the conditions set forth in this
policy.
Work Environment
The employee must establish an appropriate
work environment within his or her home for
work purposes. The City will not be
responsible for costs associated with the setup
of the employee’s home office, such as
remodeling, furniture, or lighting, nor for
repairs or modifications to the home office
space. If an employee is working 100 percent
remotely, the City may reimburse the
employee for business- related expenses, such
as phone calls and shipping costs, as approved
by the City Manager.
Employees are expected to be in a location
where they can respond to work on site
within a reasonable amount of time.
Incidental arrangements outside of a
reasonable distance may be approved by
their supervisor as long as an employee
working in a location outside of Minnesota
understands and adheres to all tax
implications of the state where they work.
Employees must retain permanent resident
status of Minnesota at all times while
working remotely.
Safety
Employees must maintain their home
workspace in a safe and ergonomically
appropriate manner, free from safety hazards.
The City will provide each employee with a
safety checklist that the employee will complete
twice per year. Injuries sustained by the
employee in a home office location and in
conjunction with his or her
Hours Of Work And Time
Tracking
48 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
regular work duties are normally covered
by the company’s workers’ compensation
policy.
Teleworking employees are responsible for
notifying the employer of such injuries as
soon as practicable. The employee is liable
for any injuries sustained by visitors to his or
her home worksite.
Teleworking is not designed to be a
replacement for appropriate childcare.
Although an individual employee’s schedule
may be modified to accommodate childcare
needs, the focus of the arrangement must
remain on job performance and meeting
business demands. Except under emergency
situations or as temporary ad hoc
arrangements, employees may not work 100
percent remotely.
Equipment And Technology
The City will provide standard equipment
and technology required for employees to
perform their job responsibilities. The City
will not provide employees approved for
teleworking arrangements additional
equipment or property unless approved by
the Department Head and IT Supervisor.
Employees must sign an inventory of all City
property and agree to take appropriate
action to protect the items from damage or
theft. Upon termination of employment, all
City property must be returned to the City.
Internet Access
Employees that telework must have internet
access with enough bandwidth to reliably
connect to the City’s VPN. Employees
should contact IT if they need assistance
determining the appropriate bandwidth for
their specific needs. The City will not cover
expenses for employee internet access.
IT Support
The City will only maintain equipment
supplied by the organization and will
provide equipment support only at City
facilities. The IT Department will not provide
on-site support at an employee’s telework
location. Employees may use additional
equipment as needed. Equipment supplied by
the employee must be deemed appropriate
by
employee
HANDBOOK
49
the organization and must be maintained by
the employee. The City accepts no
responsibility for damage or repairs to
employee-owned equipment. The City
reserves the right to make determinations as
to appropriate equipment, subject to change
at any time.
Security
Consistent with the organization’s
expectations of information security for
employees working at the office, employees
must ensure the protection of private data
accessible from
their teleworking office. Steps include the
use of locked file cabinets and desks,
regular
password maintenance, and any other
measures appropriate for the job and the
environment.
Employees are required to maintain the
security of their City devices under the City’s
current Technology Use Policy.
Time Worked
Non-exempt teleworking employees are
required to accurately record all hours
worked using the City’s time-keeping system.
Hours worked in excess of those scheduled
per day and per workweek require the
advance approval of the telecommuter’s
supervisor. Failure to comply with this
requirement may result in
the immediate termination of the flexible work
agreement.
Request Process
To request a FWA, an employee must
complete the Flexible Work Arrangement
Request Form and the Information
Technology Form. The employee and
supervisor should complete
the Flexible Work Arrangement Form
together and submit the form to the
Department Head, Human Resources, and
Information Technology for approval.
The City will review each request individually and
consider all of the conditions and guidelines of this
policy. The Department Head and Human Resources will
evaluate each request by reviewing the following areas:
• Employee Performance—Assess the needs and work
habits of the employee. Employees
50 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
with unsatisfactory performance
evaluations may not be
approved for a FWA.
• Policy Conditions—The
Department Head and Human
Resources will ensure all policy
conditions set forth in this
policy are met under the FWA.
• Equipment Needs, Workspace
Design Considerations, And
Scheduling Issues— Review
the scheduling of other
department employees, the
needs of the department,
physical workspace needs, and
the appropriate location for
the telework (as applicable).
Supervisors whose employees are
operating under an approved FWA
must communicate the arrangement
with other staff in the department
and periodically evaluate and
update the Department Head.
Employees denied a flexible work
arrangement by the Department
Head may appeal to the City
Manager.
Severe Weather
City Hall offices and most other
facilities will remain open during
regularly scheduled hours
regardless of weather conditions,
unless otherwise authorized by
the City Manager.
When weather conditions prevent
employees from reporting for
regularly scheduled work
assignments, or when weather
conditions cause employees to
leave work before the regularly
scheduled time, a non-exempt
employee will be paid only for those
hours actually worked. Hours not worked can
be:
• charged to vacation leave, paid time off,
or compensatory time
• made up within the same workweek
through supervisor-approved work
Some employees may be provided
transportation to and from their work sites by
the City. Employees sent home early by order
of the City Manager may be required to use
accrued vacation leave, paid time off, or comp
time.
employee
HANDBOOK
49
SECTION 8.0
compensation
Job Classification And Pay Plan..................................................................................................................................... 50
Compensation, Overtime, And Compensatory Time ............................................................................................. 50
Payroll Policies And Procedures ..................................................................................................................................... 51
50 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Compensatio
n
Job Classification And Pay Plan
The City maintains a job classification
system for all positions in the City. The City
Council reviews the job classification system
and compensation grid (pay plan) at least
once each year. The job classification
and compensation grid includes a minimum
and maximum salary for each job classification.
Job Descriptions
Job descriptions formally document primary
job duties and requirements. When an
employee’s job duties change substantially, a
request for a classification review may be
submitted. After review by the supervisor, the
request must be submitted to Human
Resources for review, processing, and
approval. The City Manager will authorize
classification evaluations as time and budget
permits.
To ensure fairness, efficiency, and
consistency in job reclassification processes,
employees may only submit a request for job
reclassification once every three (3) years.
This policy is designed to maintain a
structured approach to managing job
classifications while addressing significant
and legitimate changes in job duties or
responsibilities.
Employees may request a review of their
classification outside of the three-year
window under extraordinary circumstances,
such as significant changes to job duties,
organizational restructuring, or other
substantial reasons. Any exceptions must be
approved by department head, human
resources, and the City Manager.
Compensation, Overtime, And
Compensatory Time
Starting Compensation
Employees may be hired above Step 1 if warranted by
their qualifications, market conditions, or other
position-related criteria in the judgment of the City
Manager in consultation with Human Resources and
the department head. When this occurs, the employee
will receive pay increases based on the normal length
of time it takes to advance to the next step increase.
Temporary Assignment Compensation
From time to time, employees may be asked to take
on significant additional responsibilities due to the
position vacancy of their supervisor or to fill-in as an
acting department head.
When this occurs, the employee’s pay will be adjusted
commensurate with the additional responsibilities,
though not all vacancies will cause an employee to
receive an increase in pay.
Overtime Pay
Unless otherwise specified by department or division
memorandum, the City work week starts at 12:01 am
on Monday morning and ends at midnight on Sunday.
Workdays begin at 12:01 am and end at midnight.
employee
HANDBOOK
51
Non-Exempt
Non-Exempt employees who
work in excess of the regular 40-
hour work week will be
compensated at one-and-one-
half times their regular rate of
pay. Overtime work must be
approved in advance by the
employee’s supervisor,
department head, or the City
Manager. Hourly rates are determined
by dividing the annual salary by 2,080
hours. All employees in all
departments are required to work
overtime as requested by their
supervisors as a condition of
continued employment. Refusal to
work overtime may result in
disciplinary action, up to and
including discharge.
Exempt Employees
Exempt employees are not eligible for
overtime compensation.
Employees Employed at
Recreational Establishments
Non-exempt employees who work at
certain recreational establishments
are eligible for overtime
compensation when they work more
than 48 hours in a workweek.
Compensatory Time
Compensatory (comp) time is paid
time off that is earned and accrued
by an employee in lieu of immediate
cash payment for statutory overtime
hours. Eligible employees may use
comp time in lieu of a cash payment
for overtime. The City has established
the following guidelines for accrual
and use of comp time:
• Non-exempt employees may
accrue a maximum of 72 hours
of comp time during the fiscal
year beginning after the last full pay
period in December. Hours not used by
the end of the first pay period in
December will be paid out on or near
Dec 15 of each calendar year.
• Employees earn comp time in one-
hour increments.
• Employees must use comp time in one-
hour increments.
• Before earning overtime or using comp
time, employees must receive prior
authorization from their supervisor or
department head.
52 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Compensatio
n
Compensation
• All comp time must be recorded on the
City timesheets.
Union Employees
Union employees should consult their
collective bargaining agreement for
information regarding job classification, pay,
compensation, overtime, and compensatory
time.
Payroll Policies And Procedures
Paydays
Payday is every other Friday. Wages are paid
for the two-week period ending on the
previous Sunday. When paydays fall on a
holiday, checks are issued the last working
day before the holiday. Generally, there are a
total of 26 pay periods per year. However,
there may be years when there are a total of
27 pay periods. Per the City’s Hours Worked
and Time Tracking policy, completed
timesheets are due to payroll the Monday
prior to the pay date.
Direct Deposit
The City mandates direct deposit of
paychecks for all employees. Employees may
direct deposit to checking or savings
accounts at multiple financial institutions
(banks or credit unions).
Employees must designate a primary account
but may also choose to deposit particular
dollar amounts into secondary accounts.
Enrollment forms and information can be
obtained from Payroll or Human Resources.
Payroll Deductions
The City is required to deduct federal and
state taxes, Social Security, and Medicare
(with some exceptions) from employee
paychecks. The City sends the amount
collected to the appropriate state and federal
government agency. The
City is also required to deduct the employee’s
contribution to the Public Employees Retirement
Association (PERA). Depending on the employee
group, the City may also be required to make
deductions for the Post-Employment Health
Care Savings Plan through Minnesota State
Retirement System (MSRS).
employee
HANDBOOK
53
The schedule for payroll deductions is
shown on page 52.
Final Paychecks
Employees who voluntarily resign their
employment typically receive their final
paycheck on the first pay period following
their last day of work, unless requested by
the employee. If the departing employee is
eligible to be paid out accrued sick leave,
vacation leave, and/or paid time off, the
City will make this payment within two
weeks after the employee’s last day of
work. Employees should review the
Separation Policy for more information on
final paychecks.
Wage Disclosure Notice
Under the Minnesota Wage Disclosure
Protection Law, employees have the right
to tell any
person the amount of their own wages.
While the Minnesota Government Data
Practices Act (Minn. Stat. §13.43),
specifically lists an
employee’s actual gross salary and salary
range as public personnel data, Minnesota
law also requires wage disclosure
protection rights and remedies to be
included in employer personnel
handbooks. To that end, and in accordance
with Minn. Stat. §181.172, employers may
not:
• require nondisclosure by employees of
their wages as a condition of
employment
• require an employee to sign a
waiver or other document which
purports to deny an employee the
right to disclose the employee’s
wages
• take any adverse employment action
against an employee for disclosing the
employee’s own wages or discussing
another employee’s wages which have
been disclosed voluntarily
• retaliate against an employee for
asserting rights or remedies under
Minn. Stat.
§181.172, subd. 3
The City cannot retaliate, discipline, penalize,
interfere with, or otherwise retaliate or
discriminate against an employee for
disclosing their own wages. An employee’s
remedies under the Wage Disclosure
Protection Law are to
bring a civil action against the City and/or file a
Compensatio
n
52 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
complaint with the Minnesota Department of
Labor and Industry at 651-284-5075 or 800-
342- 5354.
Improper Deduction And
Overpayment Policy
Employees who believe an improper
deduction, overpayment, or another type of
error has
been made should immediately contact their
supervisor. If the City determines it made an
improper deduction from a paycheck, it will
reimburse the employee for the improper
amount deducted and take good faith
measures to prevent improper deductions
from being made in the future.
In cases of improper overpayments,
employees are required to promptly repay
the City in the amount of the overpayment
(by personal check or by authorizing a
reduction in pay to cover the repayment).
The City will not reduce an
employee’s pay without written authorization
by the employee. Once the overpayment has
been recovered in full, the employee’s year-
to-date earnings and taxes will be adjusted (so
the year’s Form W-2 is correct), and the paying
department will receive the corresponding
credit. When an
overpayment occurs, the repayment must be
made within the same tax year.
If the overpayment occurs in one tax year
and is not discovered until the next year,
the overpayment must be repaid in the
year it is
discovered, but additional steps and
paperwork are required. Overpayments not
repaid in full within the calendar year of the
overpayment are considered “prior year
overpayments,” and the employee must
repay not only for the net
amount of the overpayment, but also the federal
and state taxes the City paid on their behalf. The
City is able to recover the overpaid Social
Security and Medicare taxes. Accordingly, the
City will not require employees to repay those
taxes if they provide a written statement that
they will not request a refund of the taxes. The
overpayment amount will remain taxable in the
year of the overpayment, since the employee
had access
to the funds. The employee is not entitled to
file an amended tax return for the year but
may be entitled to a deduction or credit with
respect
to the repayment in the year of repayment.
Employees should contact their tax advisors
for additional information.
Deduction When Taken
Taxes Every payroll
PERA
MSRS Post-Employment Health Care Savings Plan (if
applicable)
Flexible Spending – Medical Expenses
Flexible Spending – Dependent Care
Limited Flexible Spending – Vision and Dental
HSA Contributions
Approved Charitable Contributions
Medical Insurance Premiums First two payrolls in the month
employee
HANDBOOK
53
VEBA (HRA Contributions)
Dental Insurance Premiums
Long-Term Care Insurance Premiums
Supplemental Life and Dependent Insurance
Supplemental Insurance (Colonial)
Union Dues, Association Dues First payroll in the month
Compensatio
n
54 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
SECTION 9.0 employee performance and discipline
Suspension ............................................................................................................................................................................ 54
Demotion Or Transfer ....................................................................................................................................................... 54
Termination Of Employment .......................................................................................................................................... 54
Grievance Procedure .........................................................................................................................................................54
Employee Performance Management And
Discipline
54 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
The City uses an objective performance review
system to periodically evaluate the
performance of City employees. The quality of
an employee’s past performance will be
considered in personnel decisions such as
promotions, transfers, demotions,
terminations, and where applicable, salary
adjustments. Inadequate performance may
lead to the development of a performance
improvement plan and disciplinary actions.
City employees will be subject to disciplinary
action for failure to fulfill their duties and
responsibilities at the level required, including
observance of work rules and standards of
conduct and applicable City policies.
Discipline may include verbal or written
reprimands, suspensions, demotions,
transfers, reductions in compensation or
other discretionary benefits, termination of
employment, or other corrective actions. In
most cases, documentation of the disciplinary
action taken will be placed in the employee’s
personnel file with a copy provided to the
employee.
Suspension
The City Manager may suspend an employee
with or without pay for disciplinary reasons.
The employee will be notified in writing of the
reason for the suspension either prior to the
suspension or shortly thereafter. A copy of the
letter of suspension will be placed in the
employee’s personnel file.
An employee may be also suspended or
placed on involuntary leave of absence
pending an investigation of an allegation
involving that employee. The leave may be
with or without pay depending on a number
of factors, including the nature of the
allegations.
Employees on unpaid leave of absence may
be able to use accrued paid time-off at the
City Manager’s discretion. If the allegation is proven
not credible or false after the investigation, the
relevant written documents will be removed from the
employee’s personnel file and the
Employee Performance Management And
Discipline
employee
HANDBOOK
55
employee will receive any
compensation and benefits due had
the suspension not taken place.
Demotion Or Transfer
An employee may be demoted or
transferred if an attempt at resolving
an issue has failed and the City
Manager determines a demotion or
transfer to be the best solution to
the problem. The employee must be
qualified for the position to which he
or she is demoted or transferred.
Termination Of Employment
See Separation Policy (Section 16) for
more information.
Grievance Procedure
The City will administer discipline in
a non- discriminatory and non-
retaliatory manner. An employee
who believes the discipline applied
was either unjust or
disproportionate to the offense
committed may pursue a remedy
through the following grievance
procedure.
Step 1: The employee must first
discuss the discipline with their
immediate supervisor.
Step 2: If the grievance is not
resolved by Step 1, the employee
may submit a written grievance
within 14 days to their department
director. The document must
include:
• the nature of the grievance
• detailed information,
including the issue, related
policies, etc.
• remedy or outcome desired
The department director will have 10 business
days to respond to the employee in writing.
If the employee complaint is regarding
illegal harassment, discrimination, or
retaliation by the department director, the
employee should
submit the written complaint directly to
Human Resources.
Employee Performance Management And
Discipline
56 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Step 3: If the grievance is not resolved by
Step 2, the employee may submit a written
appeal to the City Manager. All written
appeals must be in writing and submitted
within 10 business days of receipt of the
Step 2 written response. The written appeal
must include:
• the nature of the grievance
• detailed information, including the
issue, related policies, etc.
• remedy or outcome desired
• a copy of the grievance document
submitted to the department director
• a copy of the department director’s
written response to the grievance
The City Manager shall render a decision
within 15 business days of receipt of the
written appeal.
This policy does not apply to employees with
union representation, who must follow the
grievance procedures outlined in the respective
collective bargaining agreement.
56 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
SECTION 10.0
benefits
Cafeteria Plan ....................................................................................................................................................................... 57
Benefit Eligibility ................................................................................................................................................................. 57
Tuition Reimbursement .................................................................................................................................................... 57
Miscellaneous ...................................................................................................................................................................... 58
employee
HANDBOOK
57
Benefit
s
Cafeteria Plan
Any plan offering a choice between two or
more qualified benefits is considered a
cafeteria plan. The City of Golden Valley
Cafeteria Plan allows employees to design
their own benefit packages by purchasing
benefits with a pre-specified amount of
employer dollars from a number of available
options. The amount of the employer’s
monthly contribution is established by the City
Council as part of the annual compensation
resolution.
The Internal Revenue Service allows several
qualified benefits within a flexible benefit plan:
• health (including medical, dental, vision,
etc.)
• group term life insurance and
accidental death and dismemberment
insurance
• flexible spending accounts
• short-term disability coverage
• long-term disability coverage
• 457 deferred compensation plans
• cash
Employees with questions about benefits
should contact Human Resources.
Benefit Eligibility
The effective date of the City’s contribution
and associated benefits is determined by the
City.
Regular full-time employees (one FTE) are
eligible for the entire monthly City
contribution. Regular full-time employees
must consistently work 40 hours each week to
be eligible.
Regular ¾-time employees (.75 FTE) are
eligible for 75 percent of the monthly City
contribution. Regular ¾-time employees must
consistently work a minimum of 30 hours each
week to be eligible.
Regular ½-time employees (.5 FTE) hired
prior to May 1, 2011, are eligible for 50
percent of the monthly City contribution.
Regular ½-time
employees must consistently work a minimum of
20 hours each week to be eligible.
58 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Benefit
s
Employees who work less than 20 hours per
week or who are temporary, seasonal, or
variable-hour employees are not eligible for
benefits.
Employees filling a full-time temporary
interim position may be eligible for
benefits as agreed upon by the candidate
and City Manager.
Specified management and supervisory
employees who have been appointed to
such designated positions prior to May 1,
2011, receive 2 percent of their salary per
month in addition to the monthly City
contribution.
Minimum Coverage
Eligible employees are not required to
select any benefits from the City’s cafeteria
plan. However, if employees elect to opt-
out of the City’s health insurance plan, they
must provide written proof of other
medical insurance and pay the monthly
Opt-Out Fee.
Tuition Reimbursement
Regular City employees may be eligible for
tuition reimbursement for job-related
education courses that are to be applied
toward a degree. Full-time regular
employees are eligible to receive 100
percent reimbursement for tuition and
books up to the IRS non-taxable limit for
employer-provided educational benefits
per calendar year.
Regular employees working ¾-time (.75
FTE) are eligible to receive 75 percent
reimbursement for tuition and books, and
regular ½-time employees (.5 FTE) are
eligible to receive 50 percent
reimbursement for tuition and books.
Regular part-time employees must have
been hired
prior to January 1, 2012, to be eligible for
Tuition Reimbursement.
All reimbursements are subject to
approval by the employee’s supervisor,
department
head, human resources, and the City Manager.
Probationary employees, employees on a
performance improvement plan, and
employees that receive a lower than
satisfactory rating
on their most recent performance review
Benefit
s
58 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
are not eligible to participate in the tuition
reimbursement program. Employees in the
position of Community Service Officer who
are not on a performance improvement
plan and have not received a less than
satisfactory rating on any recent
performance evaluation are eligible to
participate in the tuition reimbursement
program after six months of service.
City reimbursement will be reduced by any
other financial aid that does not have to be
repaid (such as the GI Bill, scholarships, and
grants). Reimbursement is limited to 100
percent of actual expenses. It is the
responsibility of employees to inform the City
if they have access to other forms of financial
aid.
Employees with Tuition Reimbursement
Eligibility Forms approved before September 1,
2005
are eligible to continue in the program under
previous program guidelines. However, these
individuals will be subject to the annual IRS
limit for any classes taken after January 1,
2006.
To be eligible for reimbursement,
employees must:
• receive approval from the department
head, human resources, and the City
Manager prior to enrolling in each course
by completing a Tuition Reimbursement
Eligibility Form for each course for which
the employee will seek reimbursement
• submit the Tuition Reimbursement
Request form within 45 days of class
completion (the last day of the class)
and include the following:
• all receipts for tuition and books to
be reimbursed
• the grade awarded for the course or
proof that the employee “passed” the
course
(if the course is graded, the employee
must receive a grade of “C” or better to
be eligible for reimbursement)
• not claim or secure reimbursement
from another agency or source that
would provide a total reimbursement
of more than 100 percent
Fees other than tuition, such as technology
fees or other student fees, are not
reimbursable.
Miscellaneous
Car Allowance
The City Council has approved a car allowance
for the City Manager unless specified in a
separate employment agreement.
Amounts for the car allowance are included
as part of the employee’s payroll check.
Employees who receive a car allowance are
not eligible to receive reimbursement for
mileage.
The City Council has approved a take-home
vehicle for the Fire Chief if appointed on or
before May 31, 2014, unless specified in a
separate employment agreement.
The City Manager may approve other positions
to use a take-home vehicle. All take-home
vehicles are subject to IRS taxation rules,
including daily commuting taxation reported
as income on the employee’s W2.
employee
HANDBOOK
59
SECTION 11.0
employee travel
Conferences And Seminars............................................................................................................................................. 60
Travel Expenses ................................................................................................................................................................... 60
Reimbursement Process ................................................................................................................................................... 61
Employee
Travel
60 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
From time-to-time employees may need to
travel to conduct City business (for example,
to attend outside meetings, seminars, and
conferences).
This policy sets forth the conditions under
which the City will reimburse employees for
travel related expenses.
Conferences And Seminars
Regular full-time employees may participate in
conferences or seminars for City business only
if the following criteria are met:
• The conference or seminar is
appropriately budgeted and
recommended by the department head
or City Manager.
• Prior to registration for the conference,
the employee submits a Conference
Request Form and includes the required
supporting documents and proof of cost
estimation. The Conference Request Form
must be approved by the employee’s
department head, human resources, and
the City Manager.
Additionally, whenever possible employees are
expected to take advantage of early bird
pricing for all conferences and seminars.
Employees who have been employed full-time
with the City for at least one year and fulfill the
requirements listed above may be eligible to
attend out-of-state conferences.
Travel Expenses
Employees who travel for City business
may be eligible for reimbursement of
reasonable travel expenses. Employees
are expected
to be fiscally responsible when considering
travel arrangements, which include air
travel, hotel, mileage, or meals. Employees
must keep appropriate receipts and
document all other expenses.
Transportation
The following types of expenses are approved for
reimbursement.
Employee
Travel
employee
HANDBOOK
61
Mileage
For employees who are required to
drive their vehicles as a job
requirement, the City reimburses
mileage at a rate consistent with IRS
regulations and approved by the City
Council as part of the annual
compensation resolution. If an
employee travels directly to an event
from the employee’s home, mileage
will be computed based on the
distance from the distance from City
Hall to the event or the employee’s
home, whichever is less.
Use of the employee’s personal
vehicle for work purposes must be
pre-approved by the employee’s
supervisor and department head.
In cases where the employee intends
to drive a personal vehicle out of
state for City business in lieu of using
public transportation, the means of
transportation must be pre-
authorized by the City Manager.
Parking fees will be reimbursed for
their actual amount.
Air Travel And Ground Travel
Appropriate transportation
should be determined on a least-
cost basis. If air travel is
considered the least expensive,
the City will
pay for the actual air travel
transportation costs to and from
the destination via coach, tourist, or
economy class and reasonable
ground
transportation costs to and from the
airport. The City will not reimburse
employees for first-class seating or
other upgrades.
In cases where air travel is
prohibitive, car rental is eligible for
reimbursement. For out-of- state travel, the
cost of mileage must not exceed
the cost of an airline ticket. Employees who
receive a car allowance are not eligible to
receive reimbursement for mileage.
The City will not reimburse any increase in
travel-related costs for employees to extend
the travel beyond the dates of the
conference.
Lodging
Employees who travel to outstate
Minnesota or out of state on City business
are eligible
Employee
Travel
62 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
for reimbursement of lodging expenses.
Employees are expected to choose lodging
based on reasonableness of cost and
proximity to the conference, meeting, or
training site.
Additionally, reimbursement is limited to the
minimum number of nights required to
conduct the assigned City business.
Meals
Employees who travel overnight on City
business are eligible for reimbursement of
reasonable meal expenses. Meals included as
part of a conference registration are not
reimbursable.
Alcohol is not reimbursable.
Personal Expenses
Employees must pay for any personal
expenses not related to City business. When
family members or friends accompany City
employees on trips, any companion fees or
other differentials
must be paid for by the employee. If an employee
extends the travel beyond the dates of the
conference, the employee is responsible for all
lodging, meals, and other expenses, as well as
the cost of return airfare if that cost exceeds
the return airfare of the end date of the
conference/ event. Recreational expenses,
including, but not limited to, golf and sight-
seeing, are not reimbursable.
Reimbursement Process
To receive reimbursement for reasonable
travel expenses, employees must submit a
Request for Reimbursement form, signed by
the department head, during the fiscal year in
which the expense occurred and no later than
30 days after the end of the fiscal year.
Requests that do not follow this policy may
not be approved.
SECTION
12.0
62 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
expenses
Equipment And Uniforms................................................................................................................................................ 63
City Expenses ....................................................................................................................................................................... 63
Expense
s
employee
HANDBOOK
63
Equipment And Uniforms
Employees who routinely work in a
construction or maintenance environment are
required to wear safety toe footwear. When an
employee purchases safety footwear for City
business, reasonable costs are eligible for
reimbursement. The amount eligible for
reimbursement each year is approved as part
of the annual compensation resolution.
Employees may purchase logo shirts at their
own expense. These items must be purchased
through the City from a company of the City’s
choosing.
Employees may select from any appropriate
design in the company’s catalog. Payment for
the shirts and shipping costs must be made
before the order is placed.
City Expenses
The City of Golden Valley requires that all
expenditures be valid based on the public
purpose for which they are purchased and the
specific or implied authority for the
expenditure found in Minnesota State
Statutes and as determined by the Public
Purpose Expenditure Policy approved by the
City Council. This includes the City’s
Recognition and Wellness Programs and their
objectives.
SECTION
13.0
64 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
holidays
Scheduled Holidays ........................................................................................................................................................... 65
Floating Holidays ................................................................................................................................................................ 65
Holiday Pay Eligibility ........................................................................................................................................................ 65
Holiday
s
employee
HANDBOOK
65
The City of Golden Valley recognizes 14 eight-
hour days as paid holidays for regular full-
time employees and 14 prorated days as paid
holidays for regular part-time employees each
year. This includes 12 scheduled holidays and
two floating holidays.
Scheduled Holidays
• New Year’s Day — January 1
• Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday —
Third Monday in January
• President’s Day — Third Monday in
February
• Memorial Day — Last Monday in May
• Juneteenth—June 19
• Independence Day — July 4
• Labor Day — First Monday in September
• Veterans Day — November 11
• Thanksgiving Day — Fourth Thursday
in November
• Day after Thanksgiving — Friday
following Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Eve — December 24
• Christmas Day — December 25
When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the
previous Friday is designated as the holiday;
when one falls on a Sunday, the following
Monday is designated as the holiday.
Floating Holidays
The City provides floating holidays to promote
workplace inclusion efforts by recognizing
employees’ varied religious and cultural
backgrounds.
Floating holidays must be approved by the
employee’s supervisor and/or department
head. Employees must use them in eight-
hour increments. Because floating holidays
do not
carry over to the next calendar year, they must be
used before the end of the final full pay period of
the calendar year. The floating holiday is not paid
out upon termination of employment.
SECTION
13.0
66 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Holiday Pay Eligibility
To be eligible for paid holidays, employees
must work on the day before and the day
after such holiday, unless one of the
following conditions is met:
• the employee’s regular part-time
schedule does not include the day
before and/or the day after the holiday
• the employee is using vacation or sick
leave or paid time off
• the employee is excused in advance by
the City Manager
Regular part-time employees are paid for
holidays on a prorated basis, according to
their budgeted Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)
status. For example, if an employee occupies
a position budgeted as .5 FTE, he or she will
receive four hours paid time off for each
holiday.
Employees who are scheduled to work on an
observed holiday will receive 1 ½ times
hourly rate for the hours worked on the
actual holiday.
SECTION
14.0
66 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
time away from work
Sick Leave And Vacation Leave For Employees Hired Before Jan 1, 2009 .................................................... 67
Paid Time Of f For Employees Hired On Or After Jan 1, 2009 ........................................................................... 69
Earned Sick And Safe Time (ESST) Leave ................................................................................................................... 71
Leave Donation ................................................................................................................................................................... 74
Family Medical Leave ......................................................................................................................................................... 74
Pregnancy And Parenting Leave ................................................................................................................................... 77
Jury And Witness Duty ......................................................................................................................................................78
Funeral Leave ....................................................................................................................................................................... 78
Military-Related Leave ...................................................................................................................................................... 78
Other Leaves ......................................................................................................................................................................... 79
Other Unpaid Leave ........................................................................................................................................................... 80
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
67
Sick Leave And Vacation Leave
For Employees Hired Before Jan
1, 2009
Full-time regular and part-time regular
employees hired before Jan 1, 2009, are
provided with a combination of paid sick
leave and vacation leave.
Sick Leave
Employees may only use sick leave to cover
absences on days when they would otherwise
have been at work. It may be used, with the
approval of the supervisor, in any of the
following cases:
• when the employee cannot work because
of illness, injury, or disability of themselves,
their children, spouse, parents,
stepchildren, stepparents, siblings, or
grandparents
• for medical, dental, chiropractic, or
optical examinations or treatment of
the
employee or employee’s children
(although appointments should be
scheduled to minimize the amount of
disruption to the workday)
• when the employee’s presence would
jeopardize the health of other employees
by exposing them to contagious disease
• during the period of incapacity when an
employee is on Family and Medical Leave
for the employee’s own illness or injury or
the serious health condition of eligible
family members
• when an employee is receiving or
providing assistance because the
employee or a relative, which includes
employee’s adult child, spouse, sibling,
parent, mother-in- law, father-in-law,
grandchild, grandparent, or stepparent,
is a victim of sexual assault, domestic
abuse, or stalking (safety leave for
listed relatives, other than the employee and
the employee’s child, is limited to 160 hours
in any 12-month period)
• when an employee is subpoenaed or
requested by the prosecuting attorney to
attend court or criminal proceedings
related
SECTION
14.0
68 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
to the victim’s case because the
employee is the victim or witness or is
the spouse or immediate family
member of such victim (immediate
family member includes parent, spouse,
child, or sibling of the employee)
• in the event of a death in the family
(up to five days of sick leave may be
used for the death of a spouse or
child, including
stepchildren; up to three days for a
death in the immediate family; and up to
one day for the death of any person in
the next degree of kindred)
Employees may use sick time for the same
purposes and under the same conditions as
provided under the Earned Sick and Safe
Time Leave policy.
Full-time employees accumulate sick
leave at a rate of one day per month,
accrued on a pay-
period basis (3.69 hours per pay period).
Regular part-time employees earn annual
leave on a prorated basis, according to their
budgeted Full- Time Equivalent (FTE) status.
Employees may not carry a negative sick
leave balance. Employees who have used up
all their sick leave and then subsequently
claim sick leave hours on their time sheet
will automatically have vacation leave and/
or comp time deducted from their
accumulated balance if any is available.
Non-exempt (hourly) employees must
use sick leave in 1/10th hour increments.
Exempt employees must use sick leave
in eight-hour
increments, except when hourly use of sick
leave may be required during a FMLA-
qualifying leave.
Employees must notify their supervisors of
their absence and request to use sick leave
before their work shift begins, or as soon as
practicable.
After an absence, the City may require an
employee to provide a physician’s statement
on the first day of return to work. This
statement must provide the nature of the
illness or medical condition and attest to the
employee’s ability to return to work and safely
perform the essential functions of the job with
or without reasonable accommodation. Any
work restrictions must be
Time Away From
Work
68 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
stated clearly on the return-to-work
statement. Employees who have been
asked to provide such a statement
may not be allowed to return to work
until they comply with this provision.
If the City feels an additional medical
opinion is warranted, Human
Resources will arrange for the
appropriate medical evaluation. The
City has the right to require
employees to be evaluated by
a physician of the City’s choosing to
determine the validity of a worker’s
compensation or sick leave claim, or
to obtain information related to
restrictions or an employee’s ability to
work.
Once an employee has a balance of
800 hours of sick leave, additional sick
leave earned is assigned one-half to
vacation and one-half to sick leave for
the current year. With 848 hours of
sick leave banked, full-time employees
accrue vacation in accordance with
the Sick Leave Accrual Schedule on
this page. If an employee’s balance
drops below 848 hours of sick leave,
the full allotment of sick leave will
accrue toward the balance until 848
hours is again achieved.
Employees shall receive a cash
payout of all sick leave accrued in
excess of 800 hours, and the balance
will revert to 800 hours of sick leave.
The payment shall be made mid-
December of the year in which it is
accrued and will be noted on the
payroll dates schedule for the year.
See the Separation Policy for information
about paying out sick time upon
termination of employment.
Vacation Leave
Vacation Accrual Schedule: Full-Time Employee With 800 Hours Of Sick Leave
Years
Of
Service
Vacation Accrual
Per Pay Period
Vacation
Time Per
Year
Maximu
m
Vacation
Accrual
5-11 6.46 hours 21 days 336
hours
Over 11 6.77 hours 22 days 352
hours
Over 12 7.08 hours 23 days 368
hours
Over 13 7.38 hours 24 days 384
hours
Over 14 7.69 hours 25 days (5
weeks)
400
hours
Over 15 8.00 hours 26 days 416
hours
Over 16 8.31 hours 27 days 432
hours
Over 17 8.62 hours 28 days 448
hours
Over 18 8.92 hours 29 days 464
hours
Over 19 9.23 hours 30 days (6
weeks)
480
hours
Over 20 9.54 hours 31 days 496 hours
Vacation Accrual Schedule: Full-Time Employee
Years
Of
Service
Vacation
Accrual
Per Pay
Period
Vacation
Time Per
Year
Maximu
m
Vacation
Accrual
0-4.99 3.08 hours 10 days (2
weeks)
160
hours
Over 5-10 4.62 hours 15 days (3
weeks)
240
hours
Over 11 4.92 hours 16 days 256
hours
Over 12 5.23 hours 17 days 272
hours
Over 13 5.54 hours 18 days 288
hours
Over 14 5.85 hours 19 days 304
hours
Over 15 6.15 hours 20 days (4
weeks)
320
hours
Over 16 6.46 hours 21 days 336
hours
Over 17 6.77 hours 22 days 352
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
69
Vacation leave for regular full-time
employees accrues based on years
of service unless negotiated
differently at time of hire. Vacation
leave accrues proportionately, at
the rate of 1/26 of
Time Away From
Work
70 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
the employee’s “total days per
year,” rounded to the nearest
tenth each pay period. No
vacation leave may be taken
before it is accrued.
Regular part-time employees
earn annual leave on a prorated
basis, according to their
budgeted Full-Time Equivalent
(FTE) status. Employees may
accrue up to twice the annual
earned vacation amount. For
example, a five-year employee
may accrue up to four weeks
(160 hours) of vacation.
Once the balance reaches its
maximum amount, no more
vacation will accrue. You may
never accrue more than the
maximum accumulation.
Employees should keep track of
their accumulated vacation hours.
As demonstrated in the table on
page 61, vacation maximums are
different for employees who have
accrued 800 hours of sick leave.
Non-exempt (hourly) employees shall use
vacation leave in 1/10th-hour increments for
purposes outlined below. Exempt employees
must use vacation leave in eight-hour
increments. Employees requesting vacation
must give two weeks’ written notice, or as
much notice as practically possible.
Employees should ask their department head
and/or supervisor for clarification on how
requests for vacation should be handled
within their division or department.
Vacation Payout
Employees who have a balance over 800 hours
of sick leave may also elect to receive a cash
payout of vacation hours accrued equal to the
number of sick hours the employee sells
back, provided the employee’s completed
election form is submitted to the City on or
before Dec 1 of the prior calendar year.
Employees will be paid the amount of vacation
Vacation Accrual Schedule: Public Safety Employee
Years
Of
Service
Vacation Accrual
Per Pay Period
Vacation
Time Per
Year
Maximu
m
Vacation
Accrual
0-4.99 6.77 hours 10 days (2
weeks)
168
hours
Over 5-10 8.31 hours 15 days (3
weeks)
248
hours
Over 11 8.62 hours 16 days 264
hours
Over 12 8.92 hours 17 days 280
hours
Over 13 9.23 hours 18 days 296
hours
Over 14 9.54 hours 19 days 312
hours
Over 15 9.85 hours 20 days (4
weeks)
328
hours
Over 16 10.15 hours 21 days 344
hours
Over 17 10.46 hours 22 days 360
hours
Over 18 10.77 hours 23 days 376
hours
Over 19 11.08 hours 24 days 392
hours
Over 20 11.39 hours 25 days (5
weeks)
408
hours
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
71
they have elected to convert to a cash
payment mid-December of the year in
which it is accrued, provided they have
accrued over 800 hours of sick leave and
sufficient vacation hours to satisfy the
election. If the employee has not accrued
sufficient sick leave to satisfy the full
amount of the election, the City will pay
out the amount
of accrued vacation available. An
employee’s election is irrevocable.
See the Separation Policy for information
about paying out vacation time upon
termination of employment.
Paid Time Off (PTO) For
Employees Hired On Or After
Jan 1, 2009
Effective Jan 1, 2009, the City
implemented PTO leave for newly employed
regular full-time and regular part-time
employees who are not members of an
organized bargaining unit. This policy
replaces other paid leave provisions of
vacation leave and sick leave. PTO can be used for
Time Away From
Work
72 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
any purpose, such as vacation
or sick or safety leave, subject
only to necessary request and
approval procedures consistent
with City and departmental
policies.
Paid Time Off Accrual
PTO is accrued each pay period.
Regularly scheduled part-time
employees accrue PTO on a
prorated basis, according to
their budgeted Full-Time
Equivalent (FTE) status. The PTO
year of service for new
employees begins on the date of
employment with the City, or if
there is a change of status, on
the date the employee
Maximum Accrual
more than two times their
accrual rate unless a written
request has been submitted to
and approved by the City
Manager. Such a waiver could
be granted
is eligible for
PTO.
Employees may not carry
over
PTO Accrual Schedule: Regular Full-Time Employee
Years
Of
Servic
e
Number
Of 8-Hour
Days
PTO
Hours Per
Pay
Period
Maximu
m
Accrual
In Hours
Required
Accrual
Balance
For PTO
Payout
0-5 17 5.23 272 204
Over 5 22 6.77 352 264
Over 11 23 7.08 368 276
Over 12 24 7.38 384 288
Over 13 25 7.69 400 300
Over 14 26 8.00 416 312
Over 15 27 8.31 432 324
Over 16 28 8.62 448 336
Over 17 29 8.92 464 348
Over 18 30 9.23 480 360
Over 19 31 9.54 496 372
Over 20 32 9.85 512 384
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
73
in the event
of a special
circumstance.
The City
Manager has the
authority to
establish a
higher annual
accrual at the
time of hire, not
to exceed the
maximum
accrual rate.
Use of PTO
This PTO policy
encourages
advance
planning of
absences
from work. To
ensure
Time Away From
Work
74 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
necessary
departmental
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
75
coverage, non-emergency (planned) use of
PTO should be requested in advance.
Employees must give their supervisor advance
notice equal to the amount of requested time
off.
Employees may use up to accrued paid
time off for the same purposes and under
the same
conditions as provided under the Earned Sick
and Safe Time Leave policy.
A department head or supervisor may deny a
request for planned PTO leave when granting
such leave would result in insufficient
personnel to carry out necessary functions of
the City. An employee will not be allowed to
use more than 20 consecutive “planned” PTO
days without prior approval of the
employee’s respective department head and
the City Manager.
Emergency (unplanned) use of PTO may
require documentation and requires notice
as soon as practicable. Established
departmental rules and requirements
concerning
employee absences from work will be
applied. To allow coordination of PTO with
Family Medical Leave, employees seeking to
use PTO may be required to provide
pertinent information as to the purpose of
the time off to allow a determination of
whether the time will also qualify for Family
and Medical
Leave. If the PTO qualifies for Family and
Medical Leave, the employee must take both
leaves simultaneously.
PTO Payout
Employees may elect to receive a PTO payout of up to
48 hours of accrued PTO, provided the employee’s PTO
balance exceeds the minimum balance for PTO payout
shown on the table “PTO Accrual Schedule: Regular
Full-Time.” PTO payout election forms must be
completed a submitted to Human Resources on or
before December 15th of the prior calendar year for
processing and payout of accrued PTO the following
year.
An employee’s election is irrevocable and employees who
submitted a PTO election form must meet accrual
balance requirements no later than the last day of the
first pay period in the month of December to receive PTO
payout. Employees who submitted a PTO Payout election
form prior to December 15th of the previous year and
meet the required PTO accrual balance, will receive
payout no later than the Friday following the first pay day
in the month of December. Public Safety Employees shall
refer to balance requirements located in the table “PTO
Accrual Schedule: Public Safety Employee.”
See the Separation Policy for information
about paying out PTO upon termination of
employment.
Probationary Employees
Employees within their probationary period
may use no more than 24 hours of PTO during
the first six months of their one-year
probationary period, unless their need for PTO
is related to a disability, medical condition, or
safety as defined by the Women’s Economic
Security Act, or as approved by the Department
Head. This provision does
not apply to employees serving a
probationary period following a promotion,
transfer, or demotion.
Exempt Employees
Exempt employees that are absent from the
workplace for less than eight hours may do so
without using PTO leave.
Earned Sick And Safe Time (ESST)
Leave
Effective Jan 1, 2024, Earned Sick and Safe
Time (ESST) is a requirement for all
Minnesota employers with one or more
employees to
provide paid leave benefits as described below
to all eligible employees.
Time Away From
Work
76 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Eligibility
All non-benefit earning employees shall
accrue 1 hour of leave for each 30 hours
worked, up to 48 hours in a 12-month
period.
Regular full-time and regular part-time
benefit earning employees will continue to
accrue Sick/ Vacation or PTO and may use
up to 48 hours per calendar year of sick time
or PTO accrued time under the same
conditions as provided under this ESST
Leave policy.
Use Of ESST Leave
ESST leave may be used as it is accrued in
increments of 1/10th of an hour for the
following circumstances:
Time Away From
Work
72 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
• An employee’s own:
• mental or physical illness, injury, or
other health condition
• need for medical diagnosis, care, or
treatment of a mental or physical
illness, injury, or health condition
• need for preventative care
• closure of the employee’s place of
business due to weather or other public
emergency
• inability to work or telework because
the City prohibits it due to:
• health concerns related to the
potential transmission of a
communicable illness related to a
public emergency
• seeking or awaiting the results of
a diagnostic test, as requested by
the City, for the employee’s
exposure to a communicable
disease related to a public
emergency
• absence due to domestic abuse, sexual
assault, or stalking of the employee,
provided the absence is to seek or
obtain:
• medical attention related to physical
or psychological injury or disability
caused by domestic abuse, sexual
assault, or stalking
• help from a victim services
organization
• psychological or other counseling
• relocation or take steps to secure
an existing home due to domestic
abuse, sexual assault, or stalking
• legal advice or take legal action,
including preparing for or
participating in any civil or criminal
legal proceeding related to or
resulting from domestic abuse,
sexual assault, or stalking
• Care of a family member:
• with mental or physical illness, injury, or other
health condition
• who needs medical diagnosis, care, or treatment
of a mental or physical illness, injury, or other
health condition
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
73
• who needs preventative
medical or health care
• whose school or place of
care has been closed due
to weather or other
public emergency
• when it has been
determined by health
authority or a health care
professional that the
presence of the family
member of the employee in
the community would
jeopardize the health of
others because of the
exposure of the family
member of the employee to
a communicable disease,
whether or not the family
member has actually
contracted the
communicable disease
• for absence due to domestic
abuse, sexual assault, or
stalking of the employee’s
family member provided the
absence is to:
• seek medical attention
related to physical or
psychological injury or
disability caused by
domestic abuse, sexual
assault, or stalking
• obtain services from a
victim services
organization
• obtain
psychological or
other counseling
• seek relocation or take
steps to secure an
existing home due to
domestic abuse, sexual assault, or
stalking
• seek legal advice or take legal
action, including preparing for or
participating in any civil or criminal
legal proceeding related to or
resulting from domestic abuse,
sexual assault, or stalking
For Earned Sick and Safe Leave purposes, a family
member includes an employee’s:
• spouse or registered domestic partner
• child, foster child, adult child, legal
ward, child for whom the employee is
legal guardian, or child to whom the
employee stands or stood in loco
parentis
• sibling, step sibling or foster sibling
• biological, adoptive, or foster parent,
Time Away From
Work
74 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
stepparent, or a person who stood in
loco parentis when the employee was a
minor child
• grandchild, foster grandchild, or
step- grandchild
• grandparent or step-grandparent
• sibling’s child
• parent’s sibling
• child-in-law or sibling-in-
law A family member also
includes:
• any of the above family members of a
spouse or registered domestic partner
• any other individual related by blood or
whose close association with the employee
is the equivalent of a family relationship
• up to one individual annually designated
by the employee
Under this policy, all employees must use the
accrued ESST time available to them prior to
taking unpaid time off.
Employees who work multiple jobs for the
City shall accrue and use time at the hourly
rate of their scheduled shifts. In the event an
employee uses ESST and is scheduled for
multiple jobs in one day, the employee shall
be paid ESST for the duration of each shift at
the corresponding rate of pay.
Advance Notice For Use Of ESST Leave
If the need for sick and safe leave is
foreseeable, the City requires seven days’
advance notice.
However, if the need is unforeseeable,
employees must provide notice of the need
for ESST Leave as soon as practicable.
When an employee uses ESST for more
than three consecutive days, the City may
require appropriate supporting
documentation (such as medical
documentation supporting medical
leave, or court records or related documentation
to support safety leave). However, if the
employee or employee’s family member did not
receive services from a health care professional,
or if documentation cannot be obtained from
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
75
a health care professional in a reasonable
time or without added expense, then
reasonable documentation may include a
written statement from the employee
indicating that the employee is using, or
used ESST Leave for a qualifying purpose.
The City will not require an employee to
disclose details related to domestic abuse,
sexual assault, or stalking or the details of
the employee’s or the employee’s family
member’s medical condition. In accordance
with state law, the City will not require an
employee using ESST Leave to find
a replacement worker to cover the hours the
employee will be absent.
All ESST documentation will be kept in
accordance to the City’s document retention
schedule and applicable laws. Per the
statute, employees may request the City to
destroy or return records under ESST Leave
that are older than three years prior to the
current calendar year.
Carry Over of ESST Leave
Employees are eligible to carry over accrued
but unused ESST into the following year, but
the total amount of accrued but unused ESST
carry-over hours shall not exceed 80 hours at
any time.
Benefits and Return to Work
Protections Employees using ESST
Leave will continue to receive the City’s
employer insurance
contribution as if they were working, and
the employee will be responsible for any
share of their insurance premiums.
Employees returning from time off using
accrued ESST Leave are entitled to return to
their City employment at the same rate of
pay received when their leave began, plus
any automatic pay adjustments that may
have occurred during
the employee’s time off. Seniority during ESST
Leave absences will continue to accrue as if the
employee has been continually employed.
When there is a separation from employment
with the City and the employee is rehired
again within 180 days of separation, previously
accrued ESST Leave that had not been used
will be
Time Away From
Work
76 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
reinstated. An employee is entitled to use and
accrue ESST Leave at the commencement of
reemployment.
Retaliation Prohibited
The City shall not discharge, discipline,
penalize, interfere with, or otherwise retaliate
or discriminate against an employee for
asserting ESST Leave rights, requesting an
ESST Leave absence, or pursuing remedies.
Further, use
of ESST Leave will not be factored into any
attendance point system the City may use.
Additionally, it is unlawful to report or
threaten to report a person or a family
member’s immigration status for exercising a
right under ESST Leave.
Leave Donation
With the express written consent of the City
Manager, employees having accrued regular
sick leave, vacation leave, or paid time off
(PTO) will be allowed to donate a portion of
leave to fellow employees experiencing a
major life event as defined by the Family
Medical Leave Act. The City may require a
physician’s statement to be eligible for FMLA
leave consideration. The employee must
initiate the request by submitting written
notice to Human Resources prior to the pay
period following the exhaustion of their
accrued leave.
Donors
• A full-time employee may donate no
more than 16 hours of sick leave,
vacation leave, or PTO to each
requesting employee per calendar year.
• A ½-time (.5 FTE) employee may donate
no more than eight hours to each
requesting employee per calendar year.
• An employee may donate leave only if
that employee will have a remaining
balance of at least 40 hours of vacation or
sick leave or PTO after the donation.
• Floating holidays may not be donated.
• An employee who surrenders any leave/ time-off
must read and sign a statement that
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
77
stipulates the employee
understands the nature of the
“gift” and that the surrendered
leave will be irrevocable.
Recipients
• Employees may only use
donated sick/ vacation leave
and/or PTO once all of their
own accrued leave is
exhausted, and then only up to
the time of eligibility for long-
term disability benefits (if
applicable), or for the
maximum number of days
allowed to be donated,
whichever occurs first.
• Full-time employees will be
allowed to receive a total of
up to 20 days (160 hours) of
donated sick/vacation leave
or PTO per calendar year.
• A ½-time (.5 FTE) employee will
be allowed to receive a total of
up to 10 days (80 hours) per
calendar year.
• The value of the donated sick
leave, vacation leave, and/or
PTO is computed according
to the salary or wages of the
recipient, regardless of the salary
or wage of the donor.
The City Manager may deny and/or
limit donation requests as deemed
necessary and in the best interests
of the City of Golden Valley.
Donated leave will not be paid out
to an employee on separation of
employment in the form of cash, or
used in any manner other than what
is stated in this policy.
Family Medical Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA
provides eligible employees up to 12 weeks of
unpaid, job-protected leave for the birth of a
child, adoption, foster care, and certain family,
military, and medical reasons.
Eligibility
Employees eligible for FMLA have been
employed by the City of Golden Valley for at
least one year and worked a minimum of
1,250 hours within the previous 12-month
period.
FMLA leave will be granted to eligible employees
Time Away From
Work
78 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
for any of the following:
• to care for their child (after birth, or
placement for adoption or foster
care)
• to care for their spouse, son or daughter,
or parent who has a serious health
condition
• for their own serious health condition
that makes them unable to perform
their job duties
A serious health condition is defined as any
illness, injury, impairment, or physical or
mental condition that requires:
• inpatient care (overnight stay) in a
hospital, hospice, or residential medical
care facility
• continuing treatment by a health care
provider for a condition that either
prevents employees from performing their
job functions or prevents the qualified
family member from participating in
school or other daily activities, including:
• a period of incapacity of more than
three consecutive calendar days
combined with at least two visits to a
health care provider within 30 days of
the date of incapacity, or one visit and
a regimen of continuing treatment
• incapacity due to pregnancy
• incapacity due to a chronic condition
which requires at least two visits per
year for treatment by a health care
provider
Length of Leave
The length of FMLA leave is not to exceed 12
weeks in any 12-month period. The leave year
is calculated based on a rolling backward
basis. The leave year will begin the first day the
employee is absent from work on FMLA leave.
The entitlement to FMLA leave for the birth or
placement of a child for adoption expires 12
months after the birth or placement of that child.
If an employee takes FMLA leave for a reason
unrelated to pregnancy, the employee is still
entitled to 12 weeks of leave for pregnancy-
related illness and parental leave under
Minnesota Pregnancy and Parental Leave.
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
79
Leave may be taken intermittently or on a
reduced schedule if medically necessary.
If not medically necessary, department
head and City Manager approval is
required. The City may require the
employee to transfer to an alternative
position of like status and pay while on
intermittent leave. Employees must make
reasonable efforts to schedule leave for
planned medical treatment so as not to
unduly disrupt the City’s operations. If leave
is taken intermittently, it will not affect the
status of an exempt employee under the
Fair labor Standards Act. All requests for
intermittent leave will be evaluated on a
case-by-case basis.
While on FMLA leave the employee must
use sick leave, vacation leave, comp time,
and/or paid time-off until all accrued leave
is depleted. The use of paid leave occurs
simultaneously with FMLA leave and does
not extend the length of FMLA leave.
Employees will not have access to City email,
networks, or phone while on FMLA leave.
Employees are expected to communicate
with Human resources via personal phone
and email.
Leave Request Process
The employee must give the City at least
30 days advance notice if the leave is
foreseeable.
Otherwise, the employee should give as
much notice as is practicable and must
comply with the normal call-in procedures.
When the City receives the employee’s
request, the City will inform the employee if
he or she is eligible for FMLA and any
additional information required as well as
the employees’ rights and responsibilities.
The employee must provide a medical
certification for FMLA leave. It is to be
completed by the health care professional
treating the employee or family member.
Employees may also be required to provide
periodic recertification supporting the need
for leave. A “Certification
of Health Care Provider” is not required for
pregnancy or the employee is on workers’
compensation. The City may require a second
or third medical opinion at the City’s expense.
Time Away From
Work
80 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Insurance Continuation
All employees on FMLA leave may choose to
continue existing health care benefits (health
and dental) and life insurance if they so
desire. These benefits will be maintained
under the same conditions, and at the same
level of City contribution, as before the
employee goes
on leave. If there are changes to the City’s
contribution levels and/or premium rates
while the employee is on leave, those changes
will take place as if the employee were still on
the job.
Employees will be required to continue
payment of the employee portion of the
health care
and/or other insurance coverage they
choose to continue. The employee may
choose not to retain health care or other
insurance coverage
during FMLA leave. When employees return
from leave, they will be reinstated on the
same terms as before taking leave, without
any qualifying period, physical examination,
exclusion of preexisting conditions, or other
requirement.
The employee will be required to reimburse
the City for any premiums paid during the
leave if the employee does not return to
work for a minimum of 30 calendar days,
unless the employee cannot return to work
due to the continuation of a serious health
condition of the child, spouse, parent, or
employee, or due to other circumstances
beyond the control of the employee.
Employees on intermittent leave who do not
return to work will be evaluated on
a case-by-case basis with regard to the
premium reimbursement requirement.
Employees will not accrue vacation leave, sick
leave, and/or paid time off while on unpaid
FMLA leave. Employees using a combination
of paid and unpaid leave, or intermittent
unpaid leave, will accrue vacation leave, sick
leave, and/or paid time off on a prorated basis.
Employees using paid leave will continue to accrue
benefits.
Return to Work
A key employee is defined as a salaried employee who is
compensated in the highest 10 percent
of all employees. Key employees may be denied
reinstatement to the same or an equivalent
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
81
position after a leave if the denial
is necessary to prevent substantial
economic injury to the City’s
operations. Employees who are not
key employees will be reinstated to
their same position or an
equivalent position upon return
from leave with equivalent pay,
benefits, and working conditions.
The employee may be required to
submit a fitness for duty report
before returning to work if the
FMLA leave was
for the employee’s own serious health
condition.
FMLA for Military
Members Service member
FMLA provides eligible
employees unpaid leave for
anyone, or a combination, of
the following reasons:
• a “qualifying exigency” arising
out of a covered family
member’s active duty or call to
active duty in the Armed Forces
in support of a contingency plan;
or
• to care for a covered family
member who has incurred an
injury or illness in the line of duty
while on active duty in the
Armed Forces, provided that
such injury or illness may render
the family member medically
unfit to perform duties of the
member’s office, grade, rank, or
rating
An eligible employee will be
granted up to 12 weeks of
FMLA leave for “any qualifying.
exigency” arising out of the fact
that an
employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or
parent is on active duty or has been notified of
an impending call to active duty status in the
National Guard or Reserves in support of a
contingency operation. Qualifying exigency
includes certain:
• short-notice deployment (seven days or less)
• military events and related activities
• childcare and school activities
• financial and legal arrangements
• counseling
• rest and recuperation
• certain post-deployment activities
• additional activities where the employer
and the employee agree to the leave
Time Away From
Work
82 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
An eligible employee who is the spouse, son,
daughter, parent, or next of kin (closest blood
relative) of a covered service member who
is recovering from a serious illness or injury
sustained in the line of duty while on active
duty is entitled to up to 26 weeks of leave in a
single 12-month period to care for the service
member. A covered service member is a
current member of the Armed Forces,
including a member of the National Guard or
Reserves. The service members must be
medically unfit to perform the duties for
which they are undergoing medical treatment,
recuperation, or therapy; be in outpatient
status; or be on the temporary disability
retired list.
The 12-month period will begin the first day
leave is used. An eligible employee may be
entitled to take more than one period of 26
workweeks of leave (in a subsequent 12-
month period) if the leave is to care for a
different covered service member or to care
for the same service member with a
subsequent serious injury or illness. In any
event, an employee’s FMLA leave may not
exceed 26 weeks for all FMLA leaves (military
and other) in a 12-month period. Active Duty
Leave and Caregiver Leave may be taken
intermittently or on a reduced schedule if
medically necessary.
Employees must provide a certification for
these FMLA military leaves. A “Certification
of
Qualifying Exigency” or a “Certification for
Serious Injury or Illness of Covered Service
Member” form must be completed for leave.
This form can be obtained from Human
Resources and completed by the employee.
Along with this form, the employee must
submit written documentation confirming the
active duty or call to active duty status.
The City will not retaliate against employees
for exercising their rights under this policy.
Employees are entitled to return to work in an
equivalent position and at the same rate of
pay they were receiving before
commencement of the leave.
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
83
Pregnancy and Parenting Leave
Paid leave may be taken within 12 months
following the birth or adoption of a child.
Eligible employees must use paid parental
leave in the following increments unless
there are extenuating circumstances, in
which case City Manager approval will be
required.
• Full-time employees must use paid
parental leave in eight-hour
increments.
• Three-quarter-time employees must use
paid parental leave in six-hour
increments.
• Part-time/regular employees must use
paid parental leave in four-hour
increments.
The paid parental leave will run
concurrently with all other leaves available
to the employee, including FMLA and
Short-Term Disability, and any other leaves
available under existing federal and state
laws.
The paid parental leave must be requested
and used within 12 months of the qualifying
event, or the opportunity to request and/or
use the leave will be forfeited. In the case
where the child must remain in the hospital
longer than the mother, the leave must
begin within 12 months after the child
leaves the hospital.
Adoptive parents will be given the same
opportunities for leave as biological parents.
As required by state law, the leave must be
for the purpose of arranging the child’s
placement or caring for the child after
placement. Such leave must be requested
and used before or within 12 months of the
child’s placement in the adoptive home.
Employees should provide at least 30 days’
notice of this leave, when possible, and as
much notice as practicable, if not.
After the 120 hours of paid parental leave (or
prorated equivalent), employees will be
required to first use any accrued leave i.e.,
paid time-off, sick leave, vacation leave, etc.),
before using unpaid leave, at which time the
employee may
Time Away From
Work
84 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
be eligible for leave under the leave donation
policy.
Group insurance coverage will remain available
while the employee is on leave pursuant to
the Pregnancy and Parenting Leave Act, but
the employee will be responsible for the
entire premium except where leave is also
FMLA qualifying.
For employees on an FMLA absence, employer
contributions toward insurance benefits will
continue during the FMLA leave absence.
The City will not retaliate against
employees for exercising their rights
under this policy. The employee is entitled
to return to work in an equivalent position
and at the same rate of pay the employee
was receiving before commencement of
the leave.
Jury Duty/Witness Duty
Employees required to serve as jurors or
under subpoena as witnesses in court shall
first use their personal vacation leave or paid
time off (PTO) for the time served on a jury.
Once the employee turns over compensation
received for jury or witness duty to the
Finance Department, the employee’s vacation
or PTO used for jury duty will be reinstated. If
the employee also received parking and
mileage for jury/witness duty, the City will
reimburse the employee for that portion of
the jury duty check.
Employees summoned to serve on a jury
or as a witness are to notify their
supervisor immediately in order to provide
time to make work assignments to cover
their duties. When
employees are excused from jury/witness duty
during their regular working hours, they are
expected to return to work if practicable.
Disclaimer: This policy applies only to jury
and/or witness duty that arises outside of an
employee’s official job responsibilities. For example, this
policy does not apply to patrol officers who must
appear in court as a representative of the City of Golden
Valley.
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
85
Funeral Leave
Funeral Leave allows employees time
off to deal with the emotional impact
that occurs when a family member
dies.
• Up to five days of sick leave
may be used for the death of a
spouse or child (including
stepchildren).
• Up to three days of sick leave
may be used for the death in
the immediate family.
Immediate family includes any
person having the following
relationship to an employee
or a living or deceased
spouse:
• parent
• mother-in-law/father-in-law
• sister/brother
• Vacation leave, comp time,
and/or PTO must be used for
funerals of kindred having the
following relationship to an
employee or
a living or deceased spouse:
uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, or
cousin and non- family members.
• Employees may use any accrued
vacation, comp time, or PTO
hours for additional time off, with
the approval of their supervisor
and/or department head.
Employees who experience the death
of an immediately family member as
a result the family member’s active
military service should also review
page 66.
Military-Related Leave
Military leaves of absence and
reemployment rights of
employees returning from active service
with the armed forces shall be subject to
applicable federal and state legislation.
Employees are entitled to a leave of absence
without loss of pay, seniority status, annual
leave, or other benefits when engaged in
training activities ordered or authorized by the
proper authority pursuant to law, whether for
state or federal purposes, but not exceeding a
total of 15 days in any calendar year. City
compensation is in addition to military pay.
Time Away From
Work
86 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
The leave of absence is only in the event the
employee returns to employment with the
City as required upon being relieved from
service, is prevented from returning by
physical or mental disability or other cause
not the fault of the employee, or is required
by the proper authority to continue in
military or naval service beyond the 15-day
paid leave of absence.
Employees on extended unpaid military leave
will receive 15 days paid leave of absence in
each calendar year, not to exceed five years.
For employees on active duty, as long as
they uses their accrued leave time, they will
continue to accrue vacation, sick leave,
holiday pay, PTO, and the City’s contribution
toward the cost of the employee’s health
insurance. If any of the duty time is taken
unpaid, the City will cease its
monthly insurance contribution. Employees
may continue medical coverage at their own
expense in accordance with state and federal
law.
Employees returning from military service will
be reemployed in the job they would have
attained had they not been absent for
military service and with the same seniority,
status, and pay, as well as other rights and
benefits determined by
seniority. Unpaid military leave will be
considered hours worked for the purpose of
vacation leave, sick leave, and paid time-off
accruals.
Leave For Send-Off Or Homecoming
Ceremony And For Family Members
Of Injured Or Killed Soldiers
Employees are entitled to an unpaid leave of
absence, limited to actual time necessary, to
attend a send-off or homecoming ceremony
for an immediate family member serving in
active military service. The time off shall not
to exceed one day in any calendar year.
Employees are entitled to an unpaid leave of
absence of up to 10 days when an immediate
family member is injured or killed while serving
in active military service. Immediate family
includes any person having the following
Time Away From
Work
employee
HANDBOOK
87
relationship to an employee or a living or
deceased spouse:
• parent
• mother-in-law/father-in-law
• sister/brother
• sister-in-law/brother-in-law
• son-in-law/daughter-in-law
• grandparents
• grandparents-in-Law
• grandchildren
• stepparents and/or legal guardians
Other Leaves
School Conferences
Employees are entitled to unpaid leave to
attend the special education, pre-
school/school conferences, or school-
related activities of their children or foster
children if those conferences or activities
cannot be scheduled during non- work
hours. School Conference Leave is limited
to a maximum of 16 hours per 12-month
period. An employee may use vacation
leave or PTO to receive compensation for
any part of the School Conference Leave.
Election Day
Employees are encouraged to vote before or
after work to minimize disruption. Employees
who are eligible to vote may take time off
without loss of pay to vote in a regularly
scheduled state primary or general election,
an election to fill the vacancy in the office of
United States Senator, United States
Representative, State Senator or State
Representative, or a presidential primary.
Employees may serve as election judges
without loss of pay. Employees will be paid
the difference between their pay as an
election judge and
their normal rate of pay. Employees must
notify their supervisor at least 20 days in
advance
and provide a certification from the appointing
Time Away From
Work
88 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
authority. The certification must state the
hours the employee will work and the
hourly
compensation the employee will be paid for
their services.
Bone Marrow Donation
Regular employees who seek to undergo a
medical procedure to donate bone marrow
are eligible for a maximum of 40 hours of paid
leave. Time off is not charged against accrued
leave such as sick leave, paid time off, or
vacation.
Employees must provide a medical
verification by a physician as to the purpose
and length of each leave requested. If it is
determined that the employee does not
qualify as a bone marrow donor, paid leave
granted before the medical determination is
not forfeited.
Organ Donation
Regular employees who seek to undergo a
medical procedure to donate an organ are
eligible for a maximum of 40 hours of paid
leave. Time off is not charged against accrued
leave such as sick leave, paid time off, or
vacation.
Employees must provide a medical verification
by a physician as to the purpose and length of
each leave requested. If it is determined the
employee does not qualify as an organ donor,
paid leave granted before the medical
determination is not forfeited.
Any Other Leave
The City will follow federal and state laws
regarding leaves of absence. Employees
who believe they are entitled to a leave of
absence or other time away from work
should contact Human Resources.
Other Unpaid Leave
The City of Golden Valley may grant an
unpaid leave of absence for a period up to 90
continuous calendar days to an employee
upon written request. Before requesting a
leave under this section, an employee must
first exhaust all available paid leave. An unpaid
leave of absence requires the approval of the
City Manager. The City Manager has
discretion to grant an unpaid leave of absence
of more than 90 days.
Benefits including holidays, sick leave,
vacation leave, paid time off, holidays, or
other forms of indirect compensation will
not accrue during an unpaid leave of
absence, except as set forth in specific
instances in this handbook. Step increases
and probationary periods will be extended
by the length of the unpaid leave.
The employee may continue to be
covered by group health, dental, and life
insurance,
under applicable state and federal law, but
will be responsible for paying 100 percent of
the premium costs. Employees on an unpaid
leave of absence due to FMLA-qualifying
event or illness may be eligible for a
continuation of the
employer provided monthly benefit contribution.
employee
HANDBOOK
81
SECTION 15.0
safety
Reporting Accidents And Illnesses............................................................................................................................... 82
Compensation And Insurance Continuation ............................................................................................................. 82
Return To Work....................................................................................................................................................................83
Workplace Violence ........................................................................................................................................................... 83
Possession Of Weapons ................................................................................................................................................... 83
Reporting Workplace Violence ...................................................................................................................................... 84
Workplace Emergency Situations ................................................................................................................................. 84
82 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Safet
y
The personal safety and health of each City
of Golden Valley employee and the
prevention of occupationally induced
injuries and illnesses is of primary
importance. To the greatest
degree possible, management will maintain an
environment free from unnecessary hazards
and will establish safety policies and
procedures for each department. Adherence
to these policies
is the responsibility of each employee. The
City Emergency and Safety Management
protocols, (including severe weather) are
found in the Golden Valley Solution Center
under HR links. Employees should familiarize
themselves with all emergency protocols.
Safety Equipment: Where safety
equipment is required by federal, state, or
local rules and
regulations, it is a condition of employment
that such equipment be worn by the
employee.
Hazardous Materials/Employee Right To
Know: The Employee Right-to-Know Act, part
of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard,
guarantees that employees have access to
information about the chemical hazards with
which they work.
Employees have access to Material Safety Data
Sheets with information.
Job-Specific Safety Training: Certain jobs,
departments, and/or divisions have specific
health and safety policies and procedures, as
well as required job trainings relevant to the
position/ department and are required to
perform the work duties.
Reporting Accidents And Illnesses
Workers’ compensation insurance provides
wage replacement and medical payment
benefits
to City employees who become ill or
injured as a result of their job with the
City. Workers’
compensation benefits will be paid in accordance with
Minnesota law. All on-the-job injuries and illnesses
must be reported as soon as possible
by employees, or on behalf of the injured or ill
employees, to their supervisor.
employee
HANDBOOK
83
Upon Injury
1. Report any injury or work-
related illness to supervisor
immediately, or as soon as
practically possible.
• Employee must complete
the City employee First
Report of Injury Report
(FROI) form within 24
hours of the injury.
• Supervisors must complete
the Supervisor’s First Report
of Injury (FROI) form within
24 hours of being informed
of the injury.
2. If the injury requires
immediate attention at an
emergency room, an
employee may go to any clinic.
3. Beyond immediate attention, an
employee must work with the
City’s managed
care company to schedule
additional appointments
and/or treatments.
4. Human Resources will
complete the First Report of
Injury (FROI) and forward it to
the appropriate entity. The
employee will also be
provided a copy of the FROI
and other necessary Worker’s
Compensation documents.
5. Employees must keep
supervisors and the City
informed about their
medical condition and
ability to work.
Compensation And
Insurance Continuation
An employee will be compensated
for time spent seeking medical
attention on the date of the injury. If an
employee chooses to go home (without
seeking medical attention), he or she will
need to use appropriate leave.
If the City’s Worker’s Compensation
administrator determines the injury is payable
under applicable laws, benefit checks are made
payable to
the employee and are sent by the insurance
company directly to the City, who in turns
gives the checks to the employee.
84 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Safet
y
Safety
Employees may supplement their workers’
compensation payments with accrued sick,
vacation, or PTO hours to make up the 1/3 pay
that workers’ compensation does not cover, up
to the State law weekly maximum.
If the leave is designated as Family Medical
Leave Act (FMLA) leave, federal law preempts
the employee from augmenting worker’s
compensation payment with additional leave.
(Hours used by the employee to supplement
worker’s compensation payment are not
reinstated when an employee turns over
worker’s compensation payments.)
Employees who supplement their workers’
compensation payments with paid leave will
earn prorated sick and vacation leave and
holiday pay. Reminder: An employee must use
paid leave on the day before and the day after
a holiday to receive holiday pay.
Employees on workers’ compensation leave
due to an injury while employed at the City of
Golden Valley will continue to have the City
portion of their insurance premiums paid by
the City for a maximum of six months. These
benefits will be maintained under the same
conditions, and at the same level of City
contribution, as before
the employee was injured and unable to work.
If there are changes to the City’s contribution
levels and/or premium rates while the
employee is on workers’ compensation leave,
those changes will take place as if the
employee were still on the job.
Employees on workers’ compensation leave
are required to continue payment of the
employee portion of the health care and/or
other insurance coverage they choose to
continue. Insurance continuation will not be
paid by the City for employees who fail to
comply with required procedures for
reporting work-related injuries. If the leave
qualifies as FMLA leave, the provisions of the
FMLA policy will apply and the City will pay its
share of the premiums as provided under the
Act. FMLA leave will run concurrently with this
provision. If the employee is supplementing
workers’ compensation payments with accrued
sick, vacation, or PTO leave, premiums will be
employee
HANDBOOK
85
prorated based on the amount of paid
leave used.
Return To Work
When an employee has missed work due
to an occupational injury or illness, the
City may
require the employee to submit a Fitness for
Duty Report before returning to work. If the
employee must be absent from work due to
medical appointments related to injuries
sustained on the job, the employee is
responsible for any time he/ she is absent from
work and should use accrued sick, vacation,
and PTO leave.
Workplace Violence
The City of Golden Valley is committed to
creating and maintaining a workplace free
from threats and acts of violence for all
employees and visitors. It is the
responsibility of every employee to treat
others with respect and dignity and to
promote a safe and healthy workplace. The
City will not tolerate any form of violence on
City property or facilities, or while on City
business.
Workplace violence can include, but is not
limited to: physical force; verbal or written
communications of a threatening,
intimidating, or coercive nature; causing
physical injury
to oneself or another person; deliberately
endangering the safety of others;
committing acts motivated by
discrimination and harassment; and
intentional destruction of City property, or
the property of others.
Employees found to be in violation of this
policy will be subject to disciplinary action
up to and including termination of
employment. Any unlawful act of violence
committed by employees or members of the
public while on City property, or while using
City facilities or property, will be prosecuted
as appropriate.
Possession of Weapons
The employee’s supervisor or department
head will approve whether it is necessary for
employees to carry any tools or instruments
Safet
y
84 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
on their person to properly perform the
duties of their job and whether certain tools
will be provided by the City to complete
work-related tasks.
With the exception of sworn law enforcement
officers performing in the line of duty,
employees are prohibited from possessing,
carrying, or using a firearm and ammunition,
or other dangerous weapons as defined, while:
• working on City property or in any
location on behalf of the City
• working or driving on City business or
riding as a passenger on City business
• performing emergency or on-call work
after hours on behalf of the City
• attending training or conferences on
behalf of the City
Exceptions to the possession of firearms policy
include:
• an employee who is showing or
transferring the weapon or firearm to law
enforcement officers as part of an
investigation
• in City-owned parking areas, if the
employee holds a valid permit to carry a
pistol (providing one is required) and if
the firearm is secured within an attended
personal vehicle or concealed from view
within a locked, unattended personal
vehicle in accordance with MN Statute
97B.045
Reporting Workplace Violence
All employees shall be responsible for
promptly reporting incidents of violence in the
workplace or potentially dangerous situations
to their supervisor, department head, Human
Resources, the City Manager, and where
appropriate, to
law enforcement authorities. A supervisor
or department head receiving a report of
an incident from an employee should promptly
notify Human Resources or the City Manager for further
assistance.
employee
HANDBOOK
85
Upon receiving a report of a
workplace violence incident,
Human Resources and/or the City
Manager will initiate an
investigation. Consistent with the
necessity of prevention and
investigation of violence in the
workplace, personal information
obtained in the course of an
investigation under this policy will
be
considered confidential and not
subject to public disclosure except as
may be necessary as part of the
disciplinary process or as otherwise
provided by law.
The City will not tolerate any form
of retaliation against an employee
who makes a complaint or
participates in a workplace
violence
investigation. Employees who believe
they have been subject to such
retaliation/harassment should
promptly bring it to the attention of
their department head, supervisor,
and/or Human Resources.
Workplace Emergency Situations
The City has implemented a GV
Emergency notification system that
allows it to push mass notifications
to employees in the case of an
emergency. This may include fires,
severe weather/natural disasters,
utility emergencies, intruders,
bomb threats, active shooters, etc.
Employees must provide an
accurate primary phone number
and permission to the City to send
notifications in cases of emergency,
as deemed by the City Safety
Officer.
Safet
y
86 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
SECTION 16.0
separation
Benefits After Termination Of Employment ............................................................................................................... 86
Paying Out Vacation Time And/Or PTO At Termination Of Employment ...................................................... 86
Discharge ............................................................................................................................................................................... 86
Resignation ........................................................................................................................................................................... 87
Retirement ............................................................................................................................................................................. 87
Layoff ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 87
References ............................................................................................................................................................................. 87
Separatio
n
86 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
An employee who leaves the City as the result
of an involuntary discharge, voluntary
resignation, retirement, or layoff is considered
terminated from employment. The employee’s
last day will be the last regularly scheduled
shift worked.
Employees may not use sick time/vacation or
paid time-off to extend termination date
beyond the last day worked.
Benefits After Termination Of
Employment
Employees whose employment has been
terminated may be eligible for
continuation of benefits. Employees with
questions about this policy should contact
the City’s COBRA administrator.
Paying Out Vacation Time
And/Or PTO At Termination Of
Employment
Voluntary Termination Of
Employment In order for the City to pay
out accrued but unused PTO or vacation time,
employees
who voluntarily terminate their employment
(including resignation and retirement) must
follow specific rules:
• Regular employees: Provide at least two
weeks’ written notice to their supervisor
and/ or Human Resources and plan to
work that two-week notice period.
• Department heads: Provide at least
four weeks’ written working notice to
the City Manager and/or Human
Resources.
• All employees: Return all City property,
including keys, passwords, documents,
and technology, on or before the last day
of work.
• All employees: Cooperate with the
City’s transition efforts. This includes completing
records and data transfer or other similar
processes.
• All employees: Provide Human Resources and/or
Payroll with a forwarding address and e-mail
address.
Separatio
n
employee
HANDBOOK
87
Employees who meet these
requirements and leave voluntarily
will be deem to have left in good
standing.
Furthermore, regular full-time or
regular part- time employees with
five or more years of employment
who terminate their employment in
good standing or due to disability or
permanent layoff will be paid one-
third of their unused
sick leave plus any hours exceeding
800 at their current hourly rate of
pay. Retiring employees will receive
100 percent of their accrued vacation
leave or paid time off as severance
payment.
In addition, after 10 years of
continuous service, employees who
meet the above requirements will
receive one day’s pay for each full
year of service to the City. For cases
where part-time hours have
fluctuated, prorated payment will be
based on the employee’s status for
the majority of the anniversary year.
Terminating employees will receive
their accrued vacation time beyond
the severance plan at the discretion
of the City Manager.
If the employee is part of an
employee group with an approved
Post-Employment Health Care
Savings Plan (HCSP), severance may
be used to fund this benefit unless
prohibited by the plan (contact
Human Resources for more
information regarding the HCSP).
The City will pay out PTO or vacation
time within two weeks after the final
regular payroll.
Involuntary Termination Of
Employment
The City has the discretion to pay out
accrued but unused PTO or vacation time to
employees whose employment the City
terminated involuntarily, and there is no
right to such a payout.
Discharge
The City may dismiss any at-will employee
at any time for poor performance,
misconduct, inefficiency, incompetence,
violation of work
Separatio
n
88 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
rules, or for any other reason not
prohibited by law. Employees whose
employment is involuntarily terminated will
be paid through their termination date.
Employees will be paid for wages earned
within 24 hours of their termination, if
requested in writing by the employee.
Resignation
Resignations are deemed effective upon
receipt by the immediate supervisor and/or
Department Head. Resignation notices may be
rescinded only before the final working day
and only with the approval of the City
Manager.
If an employee fails to submit a letter of
resignation two weeks before the
employee’s actual last day of work, it may
result in a loss of “good standing” with the
City and influence
future employment opportunities with the
City. If an employee quits, but refuses to
submit a letter of resignation, the supervisor
must contact Human Resources.
Unauthorized absences from work for a period
of three consecutive workdays may be
considered a resignation without proper notice.
Retirement
Retirement benefits are provided to
employees who separate from City
employment and are eligible for an annuity
from the Public Employee’s Retirement
Association (PERA) based on age and/or years
of service. Retirement benefits
are provided to City employees who
terminate employment and are eligible to
draw pensions under City retirement
programs.
The City awards retirement gifts to employees
who retire under one the following criteria:
• the employee is eligible to receive a
retirement annuity from a Minnesota
Public Pension Plan (other than a
volunteer firefighter plan)
Separatio
n
employee
HANDBOOK
89
• the employee is eligible to receive a
disability benefit from a Minnesota Public
Pension Plan (other than a volunteer
firefighter plan)
• the employee has met the age and
service requirements necessary to
receive an annuity from a Minnesota
Public Pension Plan (other than a
volunteer firefighter plan)
When an employee reaches one of these
retirement milestones, the City will award
retirement gifts according to the schedule
approved in the Public Purpose Expenditure
Policy.
Layoff
Layoffs may occur due to a work
shortage, lack of funds, the elimination
of a position, a material change in the
duties of a position, a
material change in the organization, or for
other related reasons that are outside the
employee’s control and do not reflect on the
employee’s performance.
An employee may be laid off at the
discretion of the City Manager. The duties
performed by any laid-off employee may
be reassigned to other employees. Job-
relevant qualifications are the primary basis
for determining layoffs. When job- relevant
qualifications of employees are equal,
length of continuous service within a given
job classification and total length of
continuous service will be considered.
In the event the laid-off employee is a
veteran, the City will follow applicable state
and federal laws.
References
The City of Golden Valley provides
reference information on former
employees as allowed by state law. If former
employees would like to
authorize someone to have access to their private
data, they must complete an authorization form
indicating informed consent.
88 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
SECTION 17.0
definitions
Unless otherwise indicated, the following words
and terms have meanings indicated below:
Anniversary Date: The month and day of
initial hiring or promotion to full-time status of
an employee.
Appointing Authority: The City Manager or
other City employee to whom the Manager has
delegated authority to appoint personnel.
Appointment: A regular assignment to a paid
position in the City service.
Benefits: Items of indirect compensation
outside of regular wages or salary and any
privileges granted to employees.
City: The City of Golden Valley.
City Council: The elected body
composed of members who serve on the
City of Golden Valley’s City Council.
Class: A position or group of positions
similar in respect to their duties and
responsibilities so that the same title can
reasonably be used and the same salary
schedule may be applied to the position.
Compensatory Time: Earned by non-exempt
employees, this is time off from work
computed at one and one-half times the
number of overtime hours worked in a week.
Accrual of compensatory time may be subject
to limitations.
Days: A day is one eight-hour period, unless
otherwise specified.
Demotion: The placement of an
employee in a position having a lower
pay and/or less
responsibility than the position previously
held. This could involve a reduction in salary due to
lack of performance, inefficiency, or misconduct.
Separatio
n
employee
HANDBOOK
89
Department Head: Those who are
responsible for management of a
department as determined by the
City Manager or ordinance.
Elected Official: Members of the City Council.
Employee: A non-elected person
holding a paid position in the City
service.
Exempt Employee: An employee
who is exempt from the overtime
provisions of the Fair Labor Standards
Act (FLSA) and Minnesota Wage and
Hour Laws.
Federal Insurance Contribution
Act (FICA): FICA is the federal
requirement that a certain amount
be automatically withheld from
employees’ earnings. Specifically,
FICA requires an employee
contribution of 6.2 percent for
Social Security and 1.45 percent for
Medicare. The City contributes a
matching 7.65 percent on behalf of
each employee. Certain employees
are exempt or partially exempt
from these
withholdings (eg, police officers).
These amounts may change if
required by law.
Full Time Equivalents (FTE): A
measurement equal to one staff
person working a full-time work
schedule for one year. If the
employee’s normal work week equals
40 hours, one FTE would be equal to
an employee who works 2,080 hours
annually. When defining the work
week as 40 hours, an employee
working 20 hours a week would be
considered as a 0.5 FTE. An
employee working 30 hours per week
would be considered as a 0.75 FTE.
Grievance: A dispute or disagreement
regarding the interpretation or application of
the specific terms and conditions of a labor
agreement or City policy.
90 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Good Standing: Employees are considered
to have resigned or retired in good standing if
they:
• provide at least a two-week working
written notice (four weeks’ notice for
department heads)
• return all City property
• cooperate with City’s transition efforts
• provide appropriate forwarding address
and email address
Retiring/resigning in good standing
allows employees to be paid out their
accrued but unused paid time
off/vacation time.
Immediate Family: The spouse, children,
siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles,
nephews, nieces, in-laws, grandchildren, step-
parents, step-children, or step-grandchildren
of an employee.
Intern: A non-benefit earning employee
who is enrolled in a public, non-profit, or
private educational institution or who has just
completed such course work. Interns may
work on a part-time or full-time basis or both
for a maximum of six months unless extended
by the City manager for an additional limited
duration. The extension must be approved
prior to the expiration of the internship.
Interns may be paid or unpaid.
Lay-Off: The temporary dismissal from
employment of an employee for an
unspecified length of time. During a period of
lay-off, employees do not accrue benefits and
are not credited with service.
Non-Exempt Employee: An employee who
is not exempt from the overtime provisions of
the Fair Labor Standards Act and Minnesota
Wage and Hour Laws.
Overtime: All hours actually worked at the
express authorization of the employer in
excess of 40 by a regular non-exempt employee
in
a workweek consisting of seven consecutive
days (168 hours). This definition may exclude
employees in certain public safety positions.
employee
HANDBOOK
91
Definition
s
Position: Employment calling for the
performance of specified tasks that
constitute the total work assignment of a
single employee.
Probationary Employee: One who has
been assigned to a regular full-time or
regular part- time position but who has
not completed the probationary period.
Probationary Period: The period after
original appointment of any regular full-
time or
regular part-time employee or following
a job reclassification.
Promotion: The placement of an
employee in a position having a higher pay
range and/or more responsibility than the
position previously held.
Public Employee Retirement
Association (PERA): Statewide pension
program in which all City employees
meeting program requirements must
participate in accordance with Minnesota
law. The City and the employee each
contribute to the employee’s retirement
account.
Reclassification: A change in
classification of an individual position by
raising it to a higher job class or
reducing it to a lower job class as
approved by the City Manager.
Regular Employee: A non-temporary
employee who earns benefits in
accordance with the Personnel Policies or
applicable union contract and serves in a
position that is provided in the approved
City budget.
Safety Sensitive Functions: Tasks
performed by CDL drivers that are
applicable to prohibited conduct, testing,
and consequences under the FMCSA
alcohol and drug testing regulations.
Safety Sensitive Positions: Positions,
including any supervisory or management
position, in which an impairment caused by
drug or alcohol usage would threaten the
health or safety of any person.
Seasonal Employee: Employees who work
only part of the year (100 days or less) to
92 CITY OF GOLDEN
VALLEY
Definitions
conduct seasonal work. Seasonal employees
may be assigned to work a full-time or part-
time schedule. Seasonal employees do not
earn benefits or credit for seniority.
Service Credit: The specified period of time
required for an employee to be eligible for
benefits.
Temporary Employee: A person hired for a
specific period of time and for a specific job.
Temporary status will be identified at time of
hire or when status changes occur. This
individual
is paid only for hours worked and receives no
benefits or paid time off.
Termination: The separation of an employee
from municipal service as a result of discharge,
resignation, retirement, or death.
Transfer: Movement to a position within the
same class as the position previously held by
an employee. A transfer does not result in a
change in pay range.
Variable Hour Employee: An employee who is
hired to work part-time but inconsistent hours
(meaning works a different number of hours from
week to week).
Veteran: A person entitled to veteran’s
preference pursuant to Minnesota and United
States statutes.
Workday: Eight hours, to be used for full-
time calculation of benefits, leave etc,
unless otherwise specified.
Workweek: A period of seven consecutive
days (168 hours) beginning at 12:01 am each
Monday (unless otherwise specified and
approved by the Department Head and the
City Manager).
employee
HANDBOOK
91
TOGETHER * ACCOUNTABLE * BETTER