City Policies and Practices


Drug and Alcohol Policy
Progressive Discipline Policy
Right to Know Law
Sexual Harassment Policy
Smoking Policy
Employee Assistance Program
Employee Network Use Policy

FMLA
EEO


Drug and Alcohol Policy
The City of Waltham firmly believes that the use of illegal drugs and misuse of legal drugs, including alcohol, is a source of danger in the workplace and a threat to the City's goal of maintaining a productive and safe work environment. The City of Waltham discourages users of illegal drugs and mis-users of legal drugs, including alcohol, from seeking employment with the City and encourages very forcefully the rehabilitation of such persons already in its employ. Employees of the City of Waltham are visible and active members of the communities where they live and work. They are inescapably identified with the City and are expected to represent it in a responsible and creditable fashion. While the City of Waltham has no intention of intruding into the private lives of its employees, the City does expect employees to report for work in a condition to perform their duties. The City recognizes that employee off-the-job as well as on-the-job involvement with drugs and alcohol can have an impact on the workplace and on our ability to accomplish our goal of providing an alcohol and drug-free environment. Employees who engage in drug and/or alcohol abuse, either on or off the job, have the potential to adversely affect their own, as well as their co-workers job performance. This is proper cause for disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. For a complete copy of this policy, contact the Human Resources Department.
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Progressive Discipline Policy
It is the primary goal of the City of Waltham to provide effective and efficient service to the public. This can only be achieved by motivating employees and assuring them that they are the key to achieving this goal. To this end, it is the responsibility of all managers to attempt to improve employee effectiveness and prevent performance problems. The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines that will assist managers in the counseling and disciplining of their employees. It also outlines various techniques and methods to help managers prevent and handle performance problems by dealing with the situations fairly, consistently, progressively, and professionally. This policy does not waive, modify, or diminish any managerial rights, rights that the management or appointing authority has by law, and rights that the management or appointing authority has with respect to provisional appointees. This policy is applicable to all employees of the City of Waltham, with the exception of uniformed Police and Fire personnel. For a complete copy of this policy, contact the Human Resources Department.
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Right to Know Law
The purpose of the Law is to create a mechanism for the providing and the obtaining of information. This information concerns the identity and affects of toxic and hazardous chemicals in the workplace. It is designed to afford employees and community residents the opportunities to gain, through their employers and public officials, information regarding such chemicals. Further, it places a responsibility upon employers, to provide such information to employees. The statute covers both public and private employers who manufacture, use, process or store toxic or hazardous substances, and who have employees who are or may be exposed under normal working conditions or under foreseeable emergencies, to toxic or hazardous chemicals contained on the Massachusetts Substance List. There are no exclusions for employers based on number of employees or size or nature of operation. Research laboratories, as herein described, are exempt. Such exemption, however, does not extend to school laboratories. The law is two-fold. First, it places upon employers the responsibility of providing to all of its employees, information regarding the identity and effects of toxic and hazardous chemicals. In addition, it affords employees the right and opportunity to obtain such information from and through their employers. For a complete copy of this Law, contact the Human Resources Department.
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Sexual Harassment Policy
Conduct that constitutes prohibited sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances; requests for sexual favors; and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that constitutes sexual harassment when: Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term of condition of an individual's employment; or Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individuals work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. The City of Waltham, as an employer, has a goal of the elimination of sexual harassment from the workplace. Harassment is both morally and legally wrong. It is destructive to morale and teamwork and can lead to poor job performance. The Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151B and 151C and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 include sexual harassment as a form of unlawful sex discrimination. The City strongly disapproves of such conduct by or toward its employees. It shall be the City's policy that all employees of the City, at all levels, elected or appointed, must avoid offensive and/or inappropriate sexual and/or sexually harassing behavior at work and will be held responsible for insuring that the workplace is free of sexual harassment. For a complete copy of this policy, contact the Human Resources Department.
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Smoking Policy
The City of Waltham complies with the Smoke-Free Workplace Law. Smoking shall be prohibited in all workplaces. The law is intended to protect workers in enclosed spaces from secondhand smoke exposure. Smoking is prohibited in all public buildings, or in a vehicle or vessel owned, leased or operated by the City of Waltham.
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Employee Assistance Program
The City of Waltham offers an Employee Assistance Program to help employees who may be experiencing personal problems that effect their job performance. The purpose of the Employee Assistance Program is to help employees handle these problems before they effect their job performance. Employees may access the program by contacting an EAP Representative, their Department Head or the Human Resources Director.
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Employee Network Use Policy
The Employee Network Use Policy outlines the proper use of Internet access. This policy applies to all Municipal Employees using Waltham's Network. All Waltham data network access to the Internet is provided for CITY BUSINESS ONLY. All electronic data transferred, promoting, aiding, furthering or otherwise in support of illegal activities are prohibited. Attempts to gain unauthorized access to any computer or communications system on the Internet is also prohibited. The use of the Internet through your Waltham account is a privilege not a right and inappropriate use or vandalism of any kind will result in a cancellation of this privilege and disciplinary action. For security reasons, all Internet activity is logged and monitored at the Internet gateway computer. For a complete copy of this policy, contact the Human Resources Department.
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FMLA
Click here for more info
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EEO

  • Click here for more info on Equal Employment Opportunity law

  • Click here for EEO Employers Holding Federal Contracts or Subcontracts Section Revisions

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AttachmentSize
PDF icon FMLA505.35 KB
PDF icon EEO86.72 KB
PDF icon EEO2138.35 KB
PDF icon eeo_2022.pdf828.37 KB