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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for Personnel Policies

Keeping the Faith: Undue Hardship as Applied to Religious Accommodation Requests

December 8, 2025  by  Harry Boesche
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Personnel Policies

When reviewing religious-based accommodation requests in the workplace, the courts have applied two principles: whether the request is supported by a bona fide religious belief, and whether the request will pose an undue hardship for the employer. 

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Keeping the Faith: Religious Accommodation and the Public Agency Employer

December 1, 2025  by  Harry Boesche
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Personnel Policies

Employers are required by both state and federal law to offer religious accommodations to employees who request them based on a bona fide religious belief. What type of accommodations might an employer offer and must they approve all employee requests? 

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2025 Personnel Legislation Round-Up

September 8, 2025  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Civil Service ,  Leave Policies ,  Personnel Policies ,  Recruitment and Hiring ,  New Legislation and Regulations ,  Special Districts

The 2025 legislative session resulted in a number of bills that impact hiring/personnel issues, including amendments to the state's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act,  the Fair Chance Act, and expanded protections for pregnant and post-partum women.

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Beyond Salaries: Alternatives for Engaging Local Government Workers

August 20, 2025  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Compensation ,  Personnel Policies

Across sectors in the United States, employee engagement remains low. This blog explores non-monetary strategies for local governments to boost workforce motivation, productivity, and commitment.

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Benefits and Challenges of Non-Traditional Work Schedules in Local Government

April 9, 2025  by  Alicia Bones
Category:  Compensation ,  Personnel Policies ,  Recruitment and Hiring

Government agencies, including San Juan County, which instituted a reduced 32-hour workweek for staff in 2023, are exploring innovative approaches to workforce management. What has been the outcome and can these early adopters offer tips on what to do and what to avoid?

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Lending a Hand: Offering Public Employees Paid Time Off to Volunteer

February 10, 2025  by  Flannary Collins
Category:  Gift of Public Funds ,  Leave Policies ,  Personnel Policies

While good benefits can attract people to your agency, so can intangible perks, such as providing paid time off to volunteer (VTO). In order to offer paid VTO, agencies must craft a policy that clearly identifies those volunteer opportunities that qualify for the paid leave.

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One employee clocks in while talking to another

Maximizing Retention: Engagement Strategies for Local Government Shift and Low-Wage Workers

December 10, 2024  by  Alicia Bones
Category:  Compensation ,  Personnel Policies

A local government should rethink its approach to engaging and retaining shift and low-wage workers, even if a wage increase is off the table. Some strategies to consider include consistent scheduling and providing workers with greater control over their hours. 

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Using "Why" to Keep Your Policies and Procedures Relevant

April 9, 2024  by  Cheryl Grant
Category:  Purchasing and Contracting ,  Finance Policies ,  Operating Policies ,  Personnel Policies

Policies and procedures can become outdated, irrelevant, or incorrect. By asking "why," local government staff and elected officials can help keep policies relevant through regular cycles of review and updating.  

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Key and keychain

Prioritizing Personnel Safety: Reducing the Risk of Distracted Driving in Your Agency

April 1, 2024  by  Janine Koffel
Category:  Guest Author ,  Personnel Policies

Public employers can actively protect their workforce from serious car-related injuries or death by developing a focused driving policy as a component of a strong workplace safety culture that also emphasizes traffic safety. 

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4 smiling young professionals standing arm in arm

To Support Employee Mental Health, Local Governments Think Creatively

January 8, 2024  by  Alicia Bones
Category:  Personnel Policies

Local governments are using out-of-the-box thinking to help employees feel safe, supported, and secure at work, but also to ensure that that their work is meaningful and thier efforts are recognized. 

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Smartphone on wooden table shows a whistleblower alert from an anonymous caller

Personnel Issues of Note from the 2023 Legislative Session

August 28, 2023  by  Michael Incorvaia
Category:  Guest Author ,  Compensation ,  Personnel Policies ,  New Legislation and Regulations

New state personnel laws establish protections for certain whistleblowers, amend the statutory definition of employment, modify procedures for reviewing and approving requests for partial wage replacement for unemployed workers, and update hospital staffing standards.

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A dog laying on the floor while several people are working in desks nearby

Pets in the Workplace — “Stay” or “Go to your Crate?”

June 5, 2023  by  Steve Gross
Category:  Personnel Policies

Unlike the requirement to accommodate service animals (and sometimes support animals), local government agencies do not have to allow pets in the office. Some people love the idea, others loathe it. Whether you allow them or not, you should have a clear pet policy.

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Supreme Court Issues First Opinions on Federal COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements

January 18, 2022  by  Steve Gross
Category:  COVID-19 ,  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Operating Policies ,  Personnel Policies

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily stopped the implementation and enforcement of a federal rule calling for large U.S. employers to require employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. Following the decision, OSHA withdrew the proposed rule.

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COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements in the Local Government Workplace

August 11, 2021  by  Flannary Collins
Category:  COVID-19 ,  Personnel Policies

This blog post looks at the legal authority for government employers to require employees to be vaccinated, as well as the main issues to consider before establishing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination program.

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An Overview of New Personnel-Related Bills Adopted in the 2021 Regular Legislative Session

July 12, 2021  by  Flannary Collins
Category:  Personnel Policies ,  New Legislation and Regulations

This blog provides an overview of leave-related bills as well as a new state holiday passed during the 2021 regular legislative session. 

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Troublesome Behavior: Defending Against Harassment of Public Officials and Employees

March 18, 2021  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  County Officials ,  Personnel Policies ,  City and Town Officials ,  Elected and Appointed Officials

This blog explores strategies for dealing with members of the public who cross the line into harassing elected officials or local government staff.

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Lessons Learned from Snowmaggedon

March 14, 2019  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Emergency Management ,  Personnel Policies

This blog post will address a few of the frequently asked questions MRSC received during “Snowmageddon” this past February.

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Is Your Organization Prepared for the #MeToo Movement?

February 26, 2018  by  Sebris Busto James
Category:  Guest Author ,  Personnel Policies

The consequences of failing to prevent or ignoring sexual harassment are significant for an organization, including millions of dollars in litigation and settlements, low employee morale, high turnover, and low productivity. This post looks at recent EEOC activity in this area and offers basic advice to organizations seeking to create a workplace free of any type of harassment. 

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