Mequon adopts personnel code

Under the watchful eyes of about 50 employees, the Mequon City Council tonight approved changes to its personnel code that establish employment practices and guidelines for city jobs. Some of the changes were the result of Acts 10 and 32 that limited collective bargaining to wages only for union members; others were part of an effort to provide employees with a competitive wage and benefit package in a time of tights budgets.

Several employees addressed the council asking that holiday, sick time and vacations remain the same as part of the revisions.

After hearing the employees reasoning, the council agreed to cut sick days from the previous 12 to 8, rather than the three suggested. Employees will also be able to accrue up to 180 days of sick time, donate sick days to other employees, and use accrued sick time for the cost of up to 18 months of health insurance.

Going forward, employees will have only 9.5 instead of the current 12 holidays and the top tier of vacation allotment will be eliminated. In the past workers with more than 25 years of service had 30 work days off but that will change to 25 days.

The council asked city staff to present a plan for paid time off, a hybrid plan that provides employees with a set number of paid days off that may be used as personal, sick or vacation time.

Alderman John Wirth was frustrated because the Finance and Personnel Committee has asked for the plan since last August or September and has not yet received yet, but City Administrator Lee Szymborski said staff plans to present it to the committee at an upcoming meeting. The paid time off plan could become part of the personnel code at a later date, replacing sections approved tonight.