5.3. ERMUSR 09-09-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Question of Elk River Municipal Utilities Employees Use of Supplies and Equipment Current Policy: No Written Policy. By practice, employees on occasion use Elk River Municipal Utilities supplies and equipment for personal use. This includes welding equipment and supplies, vehicle wash bay, scaffolding, tree saws, etc. Personal use of vehicles or heavy equipment is prohibited. Any equipment damage is repaired or replaced by employee. This work practice has worked well with no abuses. Also copying equipment, fax and postage machines are being used, with postage money being paid by employees. Also in the past, employees have purchased items thru the company, taking advantage of the company discount, but always reimbursing the company for the price of the item. I stopped this policy approximately nine months ago when I discovered it was happening. City of Elk River's Policy Modified to Elk River Municipal Utilities Application: All Elk River Municipal Utilities property and equipment is publicly owned. Elk River Municipal Utilities owned equipment and facilities of significant value are not available for personal use by employees. Personal use of all Elk River Municipal Utilities vehicles, machinery, tools, and other equipment of significant value is strictly prohibited. Copy and fax machines are allowed to be used for personal use but usage should be kept to a minimum. Use of i~~~ the postage machine is allowed if postage money is repaid. Great River Energ_y's PolicXModified to Elk River Municipal Utilities Application: Ells River Municipal Utilities provides each employee with the facilities, equipment, and related training needed to perform his or her job effectively. In return, each employee is expected to treat all provided items with care and respect. This means that these materials are to be used solely to conduct Elk River Municipal Utilities business. Copy and fax machines are allowed to be used for personal use but usage should be kept to a minimum. In addition, you should report to your supervisor any damage or need for maintenance on equipment. Safety comes first at Elk River Municipal Utilities. Remember to review instructions and procedures and to receive the proper training before using company equipment. If you have questions about the safety of any job duty or piece of equipment, ask your supervisor for help before beginning the assignment. Commentary: Many of our employees feel strong in preserving the current policy for they view it as a negotiated benefit. Many companies offer employee discounts to their employees. Specialized hand tools or equipment is often made available to employees as long as they are trained to use it safely and are responsible to repair or replace. On the other hand, being a governmental entity is different than private enterprise.