Workshop Item Cassandra Tabor, Director of Administration
Title
Title
Probationary Period Ordinance
e
Background
The City currently has a variety of personnel related policies and ordinances, which staff is in the process of reviewing and updating in 2021. Currently, the probationary period is an ordinance and the period timeline differs for staff depending on work unit:
|
Position |
Length of Probationary Period |
|
Police officer |
One year |
|
All other full-time positions |
Six months |
|
All other positions |
To be determined by the department head & approved by the city manager |
In 2020, to improve employee development in alignment with the strategic plan, a new annual performance evaluation process was implemented. To allow for equitability and consistency across all work units, the review process was designed around an update to the probationary period to reflect a one year probationary period for all employees. A one year unified probationary period policy will allow for a 6 month review, a one year probationary evaluation, and an annual evaluation thereafter.
The probationary length is currently an ordinance which requires a council vote for any changes as staff monitors and adjust the new evaluation process. Staff recommends Council to convert this ordinance to allow for best practice as recommended by the League of Minnesota Cities.
As staff continues to review all personnel policies in 2021, and adopts the League of Minnesota Cities policy manual template, additional ordinances that are personnel related will be brought to the Council for request for conversion to a policy for oversight by the City Manager. This the first request; the remainder of conversion requests will be brought as one unit as we near the end of 2021.
Staff Recommendation
Staff is asking the council to approve the removal of the probationary period ordinance and the conversion of this ordinance to policy for update and integration into the human resources personnel policy manual.
Attachment List
Existing Ordinance
DRAFT Proposed Policy Language