Staff Report
City Council
Item No. {{section.number}}.C
Meeting Date: October 9, 2024
From: Eugenia Torres, Human Resources Manager
Title: Amendment to the Personnel Rules
RECOMMENDATION:
To adopt the amended Personnel Rules as presented and authorize the City Manager to implement the updated Personnel Rules and make minor administrative adjustments as needed.
BACKGROUND:
Cathedral City Municipal Code Chapter 2.40 establishes an equitable and uniform system for personnel matters and ensures compliance with applicable laws. The City Manager is responsible for administering the city personnel system, including preparing and recommending personnel rules and amendments to the City Council as necessary (Municipal Code Chapter
2.40.030).
Key historical points:
•July 1, 1987: Initial Personnel Rules established
•September 2022: Personnel Rules updated to create a unified document clarifying procedures and providing guidance for personnel administration. •Present: Ongoing review and improvement of Personnel Rules.
DISCUSSION:
The 2024 amendments to Cathedral City’s Personnel Rules reflect the city’s ongoing commitment to maintaining an effective, legally compliant, and modern personnel management system. The amendments build upon the substantial progress made during the 2022 revision, which was a significant milestone in unifying and clarifying personnel policies. However, as personnel management practices evolve and new legal standards emerge, periodic updates are necessary to ensure the city’s policies remain relevant and effective.
To develop these amendments, city staff has collected feedback on the current Personnel Rules, consulted with legal counsel to ensure compliance with applicable laws, reviewed best practices from comparable municipalities, and drafted proposed amendments for review and discussion.
The following are the key amendments in the 2024 update:
Enhanced Equal Employment and Anti-Discrimination Policies:
While the 2022 rules established strong protections against discrimination and harassment, the 2024 amendments expand upon these policies, particularly in areas of workplace harassment, bullying, and retaliation. These additions are designed to provide greater protections for employees, ensuring a respectful and safe work environment. The more detailed complaint procedures and definitions within these amendments aim to prevent workplace misconduct and offer clear recourse for employees who experience or witness inappropriate behavior.
Leave Policies:
The 2024 revisions include a more detailed and structured approach to leave policies, especially concerning family and medical leave. Clarifying the duration and eligibility for FMLA/CFRA ensures compliance with state and federal laws while providing employees with a transparent process for requesting leave. This not only protects employees but also helps the city manage staffing during absences in a way that minimizes disruption to operations.
Work Schedules and Overtime:
To further strengthen the city's ability to manage employee work hours and overtime, the 2024 rules include stricter guidelines for overtime approval and time reporting. These amendments aim to address potential abuses of remote work and unauthorized absences, ensuring that all time worked is properly documented and authorized. By streamlining these processes, the city ensures better accountability and cost control.
In addition to the key amendments, clean-up language was added to reflect the current practices that have been implemented based on new technology and terminology.
Adopting the amended Personnel Rules will ensure Cathedral City continues to have modern, comprehensive, and easily accessible Personnel Rules reflecting current best practices and legal requirements. Upon adoption, the amended rules will be distributed to staff to familiarize them with the amendments. The City Manager will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the rules and recommend future amendments as necessary.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
None
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Personnel Rules