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Employee Development & Training (GA-39, Rev. 13) °'t. CITY OF DELRAY BEACH 0 = ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES V l,Pg /P DEPARTMENT: Human Resources POLICY NUMBER: GA-39 SUBJECT: Employee Development and SUPERSEDES: GA-39 Rev. 12 Training REVISION: 1 EFFECTIVE DATE: ///5/1e//Z� APPROVED BY: l� Terrence Moore, City Manager PURPOSE In order to continually improve the level of service rendered to the public, it is the City's policy to foster and promote education and skill development for employees through internal and outside training opportunities and programs. POLICY A. In House Seminars The City offers seminars on topics such as benefits, pensions, health and wellness, safety, customer service, policies and procedures. Some of these sessions are mandatory, others are optional. These seminars are conducted on-site during regular working hours. Employees are encouraged to take advantage of the optional workshops that are applicable to their positions. Permission to attend must be secured from the employee's supervisor and/or department head. B. Outside Training, Certificates of Completion, Self-Directed Online Training Employees may attend outside programs that provide certifications or specialized skills. Attendance at these classes may be during or outside of regular work hours and are dependent upon management approval and availability of funds. Self-directed online training can only be taken from approved vendors such as those partnered with the Florida League of Cities or other reputable organizations. During normal work hours, self-directed online training will be conducted only during times approved by the supervisor or department head. No overtime will be paid to take online training off-site or at home. If classes are at the college or university level they must be provided through an accredited educational facility and the employee must follow the guidelines in Section E of this Policy. If the cost (including tuition, mileage, any travel expenses) of any skills training is $2,000 or more within a calendar year, the employee is obligated to remain employed with the City for a minimum of one year after completion of the training program. A passing grade must be obtained to be eligible to obtain any reimbursements. If the employee voluntarily leaves their employment with the City, for whatever reason, before this one year stipulation, he or she will be obligated to repay the City for any reimbursements, including expenses Employee Development and Training GA-39 Rev.13 Page 2 of 4 received by the employee or costs paid directly to educational facilities for the course work. This repayment will be deducted from wages unless other arrangements are made. C. Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Training Newly hired or newly promoted employees who do not possess a CDL and are offered a position that requires a CDL are given six months to obtain the license. The City will arrange for the employee to attend a driving school of the City's choosing and will pay for the classes and the cost of the license. The employee will be required to attend the classes on their own time unless a variance is granted by the Department Head in writing. D. Supervisors Training Program The Supervisors Training Program is designed to ensure our supervisors have the skills needed to provide the best leadership possible. The in-house program, Supervisory Skills, is a program designed to provide core competencies for current and future supervisors. Newly hired or newly promoted supervisors are required to complete the series of Supervisory Skills classes within twelve (12) months of hire or promotion. In addition, outside classes are available at various locations such as Palm Beach State College, FAU Institute of Government, Alliance for Innovation, and others. The manager will select the most appropriate classes based on needs of the employee and available funds. E. Tuition Reimbursement Program The Tuition Reimbursement Program is designed to provide assistance to employees who desire to take college or university level classes or are pursuing a master's, bachelor's or associate degree that pertains directly to their present position or a position that they are potentially qualified to be promoted to. Course work must be provided at an accredited educational facility, including courses taken on-line from out-of- state colleges and universities. Full time employees who have completed their initial one year probationary period and have an overall performance rating of"meets standards" or "satisfactory" are eligible to apply. Employees who are in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) are not eligible for tuition reimbursement unless approved by the City Manager. Reimbursement applies to tuition, books and fees charged by the institution. These costs will be reimbursed for grades of C or above for undergraduate degree courses and grades of B or above for master's degree courses. If courses are graded by pass/fail criteria the employee must obtain a passing grade. Travel costs are not covered, nor are fees covered that are associated with the admission process such as application fee, entrance exams such as SATs or GREs, or inoculations. Reimbursement will not be allowed for employees whose educational expenses are totally paid through other programs, organizations, individuals, agencies, G.I.Bill allowances, grants or stipends. As part of the reimbursement request, employees who receive financial assistance must indicate how much support they are receiving and for what specific time periods. Reimbursement is normally limited to 12 credit hours per fiscal year (October 1 through September 30). With the approval of the Department Head and City Manager, up to 24 credits can be allowed when (a) completing the degree is an objective of the City or(b)the employee is enrolled in an approved accelerated degree program. Reimbursement is subject to availability of funds from the employee's department. Reimbursement is based on state college tuition rates that are in effect at Palm Beach State College and Florida Atlantic University. These rates will be updated annually. Under no circumstances will reimbursement exceed these rates. Employee Development and Training GA-39 Rev.13 Page 3 of 4 Classes will be attended on the employee's own time and employees receiving reimbursement under this program are obligated to remain employed with the City for a minimum of one (1) full year after their graduation or their last class. Employees who do not fulfill this requirement and voluntarily leave their employment with the City, or who are terminated for gross misconduct or criminal activity as determined by the City Manager will be obligated to repay the City for reimbursements received. This repayment will be deducted from wages unless other arrangements are made. Under current Internal Revenue Service tax guidelines, education expenses and associated reimbursements are tax exempt up to $5,250 per calendar year. The reimbursement payment process is the responsibility of the payroll department. The City will report the first $5,250 on the employee's W2 in Box 14 Other. This is for information purposes only and is not taxable. If the employee exceeds the $5,250, then the difference is reported as wages in Box 1. The taxable status of educational assistance is controlled by the U.S. Congress and is, therefore, subject to change. The Finance Department will keep departments informed of these changes. PROCEDURE — TUITION REIMBURSMENT 1. During the budgeting process for the upcoming fiscal year, the employee will follow departmental procedures to obtain management permission to participate in the Tuition Reimbursement Program. Tuition reimbursement will not be approved for degrees or majors that do not apply to current or future positions within the City. The Human Resources Director will have final approval. 2. Employees will complete the top portion of the Tuition Reimbursement Application and submit it to their department head or designee for approval. Signed applications are then forwarded to Human Resources for approval prior to the start of class. 3. Human Resources will verify available funds with the Budget Officer and return the approved application to the employee. Approval is not final until the employee receives the completed, signed application prior to the start of class. 4. Upon completion of classes, the employee will complete the bottom portion of the original application with grades and reimbursable amounts, attach the grade report and all receipts, and submit it to their department head or designee for approval. Reimbursement must be requested within 30 days of the end of the term unless prior permission has been granted by the department head or designee. 5. The department will prepare a check request, attach it to the packet and submit it to Human Resources. Upon review and approval, Human Resources will forward the packet to Payroll for reimbursement. All departments must adhere to end-of-fiscal year deadlines for submitting check requests.