Personnel Board approves two policy updates, tables retaliation revision

WAYLAND — January 17, 2024 — Wayland Personnel Board updates two anti-discrimination policies and re-elects Maryanne Peabody as chair. Meeting remotely Wednesday, the board voted 5-0 to amend the town's Equal Employment Opportunity policy — adding ancestry, clarifying that "genetic information" is protected, and inserting a catch-all for "any other protected class or category as defined by federal or state law" — and 5-0 to revise and rename the Americans with Disabilities policy as "Employees with Disabilities." A third update, to the Protection from Retaliation policy, was tabled until members review the state Whistleblower Act. The board also discussed warrant articles to rewrite Chapter 43 of the personnel bylaw, fund a town-wide wage and classification study estimated at $60,000 to $100,000, and study Fire Department staffing. HR Director Kate told members the town "aren't" competitive on pay, citing DPW turnover. December minutes were approved 4-0 with member Jill Zukerman abstaining.