Nashville council formalizes PPE and on‑call premium pay policies

The Town of Nashville council approved two personnel policies proposed by staff: a formal personal protective equipment (PPE) policy and an on‑call premium pay policy.

Trey presented the PPE policy to document and standardize existing internal practices for protective footwear and prescription protective safety eyewear, citing compliance with the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Act. The policy clarifies eligibility, vendor procedures, and a fiscal‑year reimbursement cadence for footwear; it allows prescription protective eyewear with caveats for damage or prescription change and includes a process for department head approval for exceptions. Council confirmed the program has been budgeted and that three employees currently use the eyewear benefit.

Trey then presented an on‑call premium pay policy that authorizes department heads to propose on‑call pay structures (monetary payment or comp time) for nonexempt employees. HR will review proposals for legal compliance and the town manager will approve them to ensure fiscal responsibility. Public works’ existing on‑call arrangement (a $150 weekly premium and pay for call‑out hours) was cited as an example; councils discussed budget impacts and operational fairness.

Both policies passed by voice vote. Council asked staff to clarify guardrails on eyewear replacement and implementation details for department‑level on‑call plans.

Next steps: HR and department heads will finalize proposed on‑call premiums where requested and return documentation to the town manager for approval; staff will publish the PPE policy language with the clarified replacement/eligibility guidelines.