Personnel

The following list will give you some guidance on handling personnel issues. This list is useful no matter which option you choose when it comes to personnel and payroll. Even a district that has contracted with the city or county needs to adopt a personnel policy that has guidelines for hiring, disciplining, and terminating employees. If you have contracted with the city or county you will either need to adopt their policy or get their approval of the personnel policy you have adopted. Please be aware of whether or not your employees are part of a bargaining unit. If so, the policy will have to conform to that agreement and might even have to be reviewed by the local bargaining unit before it governs members of that bargaining unit.

Adopt a personnel policy. This should be a high priority for the library board. There is so much to do at the beginning of this process that the board may wish to adopt an interim personnel policy. The board and director can work on this policy throughout the year, but there needs to be some sort of policy in place. If you currently don't have a personnel policy review the city or county's policies. In many cases local government policies will work well as an interim document. Personnel policies should cover things like:

Hiring employees

Disciplining employees - including termination

Vacation, sick leave, and comp time policies

Non-exempt versus exempt employee status - this determines whether or not someone earns time and a half during overtime

Holiday pay

Grievance procedures

Break and lunch time information

Wages - board members should discuss a process for raises as well as considering things like offering a living wage for employees. Library employees are often motivated, caring individuals, but they need a decent wage to survive. Paying employees a living wage will improve the work environment which generally leads to a more productive work force.

Adopt interim job descriptions unless you have new positions. If you are a completely new system then you will need to develop basic job descriptions for your employees. Contact other libraries for sample descriptions. You can also search the Internet to find several examples. If you are an existing system it's probably best to adopt your current descriptions until you have time to develop new ones. If you have contracted with the city or county you will probably have to adopt their format and ask them to review your job descriptions. Please be aware of whether or not your employees are part of a bargaining unit. If so, the job description will have to conform to that agreement and might even have to be reviewed by the local bargaining unit before it governs members of that bargaining unit.

Complete I-9 forms to meet the requirements for the Department of Homeland Security's Citizenship and Immigration Services office.

Transfer staff and benefits to the new district. If you are NOT contracting with the city or county make sure you have a Memorandum of Understanding/Agreement with the city or county to transfer all staff and their benefits. Remember the new district board has to assume the costs of this transfer. This means budgeting money to pay for vacation and sick leave as well as budgeting money to pay employees severance pay if they quit or retire.

Acquire worker's compensation insurance. You can do this locally through a nearby insurance agent or you can visit the State of Montana's Department of Labor and Industry website for more information. If you have volunteers don't forget to add them to your insurance policy.

Complete the paperwork for health insurance. Health insurance is challenging for small organizations, but it is an important benefit for many employees. Changes in the law and creating a positive work environment make it a good idea for library boards to offer health insurance. If you are going to provide health insurance for your employees investigate your options and complete any necessary paperwork to obtain quotes and/or the insurance itself. Possible options include:

Becoming a member of the Chamber of Commerce and taking advantage of their health insurance, Chamber Choices. Find out more at https://www.montanachamber.com/membership/membership-programs/chamber-choices/

Offer money to your employees in order for them to purchase their own health insurance. This often involves setting up what is called a health reimbursement arrangement. To learn more review IRS "Publication 969: Health Savings Accounts and other Tax-Favored Plans."

Investigate insurance options through companies like Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

Complete paperwork for PERS if offering retirement benefits. PERS is the retirement system for government employees. It is managed by MPERA - Montana Public Employee Retirement Association. Visit their website for contact information and access to important information and forms.

Complete paperwork for unemployment insurance. This is a cost of doing business. Visit the Department of Labor and Industry's Website for information about unemployment insurance.

Create timesheets and any other necessary paperwork that employees need to complete - such as leave requests, FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) requests, or accident reports. Talking to your city or county human resources department can be helpful. You can probably use city or county forms as a guide. If you have contracted with the city or county you will probably have to adopt their format and ask them to review your forms.

Develop a relationship with someone in the city, county and/or state who handles human resource questions. This is a tricky area and a knowledgeable person can help the director and board navigate hiring, evaluation, discipline and even termination questions. If you have contracted with the city or county you will probably have to include their human resources department in all personnel matters. If your employees are part of a bargaining unit, personnel issues might also involve the local bargaining unit's representative and/or legal advisors.