[click to enlarge]The Peru Selectmen voted on Monday evening to adopt a revised personnel policy. The major changes are a new section on "social media" and a provision for paid sick leave for Town employees. Full-time employees are eligible for up to five sick days annually; unused sick days can be carried over to subsequent years and may accumulate to a maximum of 30 days. The policy states clearly that sick leave is intended only for illness or disability suffered by the employee or a member of the employee's family and is not to be otherwise used for "personal" days at the employee's discretion.
The entire six-page policy can be viewed here.
Later in the same meeting the Selectmen reviewed the cost of health insurance for Town employees. It is expected that for Fiscal Year 2012 five employees will be getting health coverage, compared to just two as recently as two years ago. Peru Concerned Citizens has suggested that, in the face of sky-rocketing premiums (of which the Town pays 100%--see Article XIV), the Selectmen look at downgrading from the "Cadillac" coverage now offered to a slightly less robust plan that would save the Town almost $1,200 per employee per year. Since the renewal date is January 1, the Selectmen need to act soon if they wish to change plans.
Peru Concerned Citizens has also asked that the costs of health coverage, which are now embedded in the budget line "Miscellaneous," be properly allocated to the departments in which the expenses are incurred. The recently purchased accounting software approved by the voters on November 2 will facilitate this change in the Chart of Accounts.