Human resources staff presented proposed edits to the City of Northglenn 2025 employee handbook and described three substantive policy changes city leaders will return to for approval on Jan. 27.

Tamara Dixon, director of human resources and the city’s chief diversity officer, said most edits are clarifications to existing text, but the draft includes two new policies (dress code/uniforms and pets in the workplace) and a notable change to sworn-officer probation.

On sworn personnel probation, Dixon said the draft would reduce the probation period for post-certified hires (that is, officers who are already state-certified at hire) from 18 months to 12 months; officers who previously served the full probation period and return to Northglenn within a year would serve a six-month probationary period on rehire. Dixon explained the change is intended to speed the time that field-certified officers reach full independent status on patrol.

Other proposed edits include clearer emergency-conditions language (clarifying essential personnel), revised holiday and jury-duty language to state that holiday and jury hours do not count as hours worked for overtime calculations, and minor corrections to leave accrual rates. The draft also adds a pets-in-workplace policy that aims to balance accommodations for service animals and workplace safety/cleanliness and proposes updated smoking-and-vaping locations tied to the new civic campus and recreation center.

Dixon said the handbook will return to council on January 27 for formal approval; directors and department leaders will use department-level uniform and safety guidance where appropriate so the handbook remains flexible across functions such as public works, police and parks and recreation.

Ending — next steps

Staff will bring the revised employee handbook back on Jan. 27 for council action. The revisions are administrative policy changes; any implementation requiring budgeted uniform allowances or reimbursements would be addressed through existing department processes and the annual budget.