Hanging onto sick days year after year has been replaced with a new limit for employees of the Town of Bashaw.
CAO Theresa Fuller explained town staff took an unprecedented 132 days away from work in 2018 — through a combination of sick time, short term disability and unpaid leave. In addition, some staff have accumulated the maximum number of sick days — 119 — allowed in the policy with a few sitting at that number for several years.
This major change to the personnel policy, where employees will now be held to 12 annual sick days and not able to carry forward any unused days to future years, was approved during council’s meeting Dec. 20.
“From the statistics, the increased usage of absenteeism is not providing the benefit intended,” she said.
“The continued accumulation of sick days could be detrimental to organizational function due to unplanned absenteeism. If you have staff taking periodic days throughout the month, it doesn’t provide the town the opportunity to replace that staff, but you have to run a shorter staff and on accumulative basis can put us behind on work.”
Fuller added it appears the original intend of accumulating sick days was for staff to use it instead of accessing short-term disability. However, when the policy was changed in 2013 so staff could use just five sick days before short-term disability would kick in, it made continuing to store sick days a benefit many would never use.
“The advantages of the change is staff are allowed time off for illness, out of town appointments and caring for sick family for short periods, but the disadvantage is the perception that staff are losing a benefit,” she stated.
Coun. Lynn Schultz felt 12 days is sufficient and far better than allowing 119, while Coun. Rosella Peterman noted, “If staff took their sick time accumulated over say the last 10 years, they are taking it at a higher wage too.”
One other change approved by council was the removal of a provision that allowed for managers to obtain an interest-free loan through the town, one that had been accessed in the past according to some long-term staffers explained Fuller.
What wasn’t addressed is what will happen to the current accumulated sick days.
Cannabis bylaw
Council approved the second and third readings for the new cannabis bylaw that bans all public consumption as well as any consumption that is likely to disturb the peace of others.
A municipal fine of $250 will be issued for a first offence while a second or subsequent ticket would cost $500. Should an individual not pay the fine or choose to fight the issue in court, the maximum penalty upon a conviction is $10,000.
RCMP as well as any peace officer has the authority to write a ticket under this bylaw.
Another bylaw also garnered approval at council, this one sees Bashaw partner with Camrose County, Rosalind, Hay Lakes, Ferintosh, Edberg, Bawlf and Bittern Lake on delivering an intermunicipal subdivision appeal board.
Rather than have to come up with its own development appeal board, the new regional set up will make it easier to find members to sit at a hearing while also making the process more cost efficient for all of the municipalities.
In addition, council approved an interim budget of around $1.72 million to allow it to continue operating until the new budget is approved later this spring as well as set the price of $2.50 per cubic metre for non-potable water available at the bulk station located on 48 Street.