BYLAW AMENDMENT / OBSERVANCE OF TOWN EMPLOYEE HOLIDAYS 

To see if the Town will vote to amend Title I, Article 6, Section 16 of the Town’s Bylaws to define and clarify the observance of employee holidays, including, but not limited to, when holidays fall upon a weekend day; or take any action related thereto. 

Inserted at the request of the Director of Human Resources

VOTE: Favorable Action (5-0)

COMMENT: The Select Board recommends favorable action on this Article which, if approved, would result in greater consistency across Town departments in the holiday observance credits provided to Town employees.  Where a holiday falls on a Saturday, the bylaw change would call for a Friday holiday, as opposed to allowing for another undefined work day.  Since Friday is a half-day for Town employees, the observance of the holiday on a Friday would also result in Town Hall closing at 4:00 on the preceding Thursday.  In addition to creating uniformity within departments, it would also provide for consistency with the practice seen in other communities and in federal and state offices that are closed on a Friday preceding a Saturday holiday.  

That the Town does hereby amends Title I, Article 6, Section 16 of the Town’s Bylaws, or take any action related thereto, so that the new provision of Title I reads:

Section 16. Holidays 
(ART. 44, ATM – 06/16/97) (ART.17, ATM – 05/30/07)
(ART. 12, ATM – 04/26/21)
In order to qualify for holiday credit, a regular employee shall have worked on the last regularly scheduled work day prior to, and the next regularly scheduled work day following such holiday, unless it is an absence for which compensation is payable as provided under this by-law.
 
The following days in each year shall be considered as holiday credits:
New Years Day

Martin Luther King Day

Washington's Birthday

Patriot's Day

Memorial Day

Juneteenth Independence Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Indigenous Peoples Day (known as the state and federal holiday “Columbus Day”)

Veterans’ Day

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas
Christmas Eve Day if same falls on a Monday through Friday

Whenever a holiday falls on Saturday, another working day off with pay shall be arranged at the discretion of the department head. the holiday shall be observed on the preceding Friday. Good Friday shall be considered as half day holiday credit. The day following Thanksgiving shall be treated as a holiday unless an employee is scheduled to work same by the department head in which event the employee will be granted another day off at the discretion of the department head.