PARIS — Selectmen intend to hold a January workshop to go over changes to the town’s extended sick-leave policy suggested by the Policy and Procedures Committee. 

The changes, drafted by committee Chairman Jack Richardson, add nearly five pages to the town’s personnel policy.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Board of Selectmen Chairman Bob Kirchherr said selectmen asked the Policy and Procedures Committee to draft a version of the extended leave policy several months ago.

Earlier this year, selectmen approved a policy, drafted by Town Manager Amy Bernard, that allows employees to donate their unused paid vacation or personal time to another part- or full-time town employee who has exhausted their own paid time off due to extended illness or disability.

Donations are entirely voluntary and must be made in eight-hour increments, according to the policy. Employees must be absent from work due to catastrophic illness or injury to themselves or a close family member and must have exhausted all of their own time off to qualify for the program.

On Thursday, Town Clerk Elizabeth Knox said no employees have used the policy since it was implemented. 

The committee’s proposed changes include three different ways to implement the program, a leave bank that can be donated to and used by any employee who is a member, a direct sharing system between employees or a program that allows the town manager to distribute forms that provide information about the policy and solicit leave donations for qualified employees.

Other sections of the proposed policy include disclaimers about the program, privacy stipulations, restrictions, eligibility requirements and rules governing membership, a possible leave bank and how donated time is to be used.

In a memo to selectmen, Richardson said the committee’s voluntary leave sharing program was derived from the current policy, as well as similar policies used by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Postal Service.

At the meeting Tuesday, Richardson said he thought a joint meeting between selectmen and the committee to discuss the policy was unnecessary. If selectmen had any suggestions or questions about the proposed changes, the committee would be willing to implement them in a future draft, he said.

Selectmen intend to meet at 7 p.m. on Jan. 7 in the town office to discuss the committee’s suggestions.

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