A personnel policy provides the staff with a clear understanding of employee rights and benefits, as well as the rules and regulations set forth by the library system.  A personnel policy is formalized and adopted by the Board of Trustees.  This policy is a reflection of the philosophy and mission of the library system; it sets rules of conduct, service standards, supervision of the staff, employee benefits, and other issues that are related to the employment of individuals.

A well-written personnel policy will serve as a reference guide for the employer and the employee.  But most important of all, a personnel policy provides structure.  A clear direction is established; the staff knows what is expected of them and the repercussions that may occur if they fail to comply with procedures.  Whenever a policy is changed or added, it is vital to have all current employees review the changes and confirm that they understand them in writing.

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Components of a personnel policy may include:

• Introductory Materials
  • Statement of governance: who is responsible for creating and enforcing the policy
  • Organizational chart showing chain of command
• Employment Practices
  • Recruitment and selection process
  • Staff orientation
  • Staff development and training
  • Personnel actions:  promotions, demotions, and transfers; complaints and grievances; disciplinary actions; terminations from employment
  • Performance appraisal system
  • Personnel records

• Compensation Program
  • Wage and salary system
  • Payroll deductions
  • Payroll policies

• Conditions at Work
  • Attendance, work schedules, and absenteeism
  • Health, safety and security issues
  • Alcohol and substance abuse
  • Customer service and business ethics
  • Standards of acceptable employee conduct

•  Employee Benefits
  • Health and life insurance
  • Retirement
  • Government mandated benefits: Social Security, Workers’ Compensation, and unemployment insurance
  • Holidays
  • Leaves: personal leave, sick leave and leaves of absences

If a library employee becomes separated from a job for reasons beyond the employee’s control, that employee may be eligible for unemployment compensation. Claims of unemployment by library employees are covered under Mississippi Code 1972 Annotated §71-5-1 et seq.

Inquiries may be directed to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security or visit the web site at: http://www.mdes.ms.gov.

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Retirement

Public library employees that work 20 hours or more are in the state Public Employees Retirement System (PERS).   The library board has the authority to determine how many hours/days an employee receives for various leaves.  When determining the accumulated time of a public library employee pertaining to retirement, the State uses its own formula based on how much time a state employee can earn, accumulate, and apply toward retirement.

Holidays

There are Attorney General’s Opinions (AGO, Stroud, January 16, 1990; Keyes, May 24, 1991; Carter, May 28, 1991) stating that municipal, county, and public library employees receive the same ten (10) holidays as state employees (Mississippi Code 1972 Annotated §3-3-7). These opinions also say that while these employees may receive fewer days they cannot receive more than ten (10) days. There is also the option of substituting one qualified holiday for a day selected by the library board.