The Rutland Regional Planning Commission on Sept. 16 approved two minor changes to its employee handbook: removal of the phrase "for any reason" from termination language and an explicit statement that paid parental leave accrues vacation and sick time while unpaid leave does not.

Executive Director Devin Meri said the changes respond to a commissioner request and to advice from counsel. "The attorney said, ultimately, that employees are employed at the will of the RPC and subject to termination at any time," Meri said, and the removal of the words "for any reason" was adopted because counsel said it was unnecessary.

On parental leave, Meri explained that the handbook now explicitly aligns parental leave accrual with other paid-leave provisions: "Employees on paid leave continue to accrue vacation and sick time during the period of their paid absence." The change makes the new paid parental policy consistent with other paid-leave policies in the handbook.

Nut graf: The edits are technical and intended to align handbook language with counsel guidance and with internal accrual practices; the board approved the changes by voice vote.

The board considered the edits as recommended by the executive finance committee and approved them in a single motion. The motion to accept the additions was moved and seconded on the record and carried by voice vote.

Ending: Meri said the handbook will remain otherwise unchanged until the commission's usual annual review cycle in June.