City leaders are pushing forward with new policies to tackle employees who decide not to show up for work regularly.
With a growing trend of city workers simply not showing up for work, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen have drafted a new policy to deter such practices.
The city council accepted a new substitute worker policy during its open meeting Monday.
“This was particularly drafted for the street department, but it will also work for the police and fire departments,” said Sarah O’Reilly-Evans, board attorney. “It gives your department heads and supervisors the authority to substitute someone when a person fails to show up for work.”
O-Reilly-Evans said it’s not a suspension without pay model.
“If you do not show up or failed to report, you may be substituted by another employee,” she said. “If that occurred, when you do show up, it is up to the department director as to whether you can continue to stay.”
Mayor Diane Delaware said the old way of doing business is over. She urges the citizens to be patient as the city council approaches the matter with a new approach.
Delaware said Alderman Aubry Brent Jr. oftens tells the remaining board members that “in tough times people need their jobs.”
“It is true,” Delaware agrees. “And we need them to do their jobs.There is not job in Yazoo City, Miss. that allows you to say you are not going to do it. We don’t get to walk out on our jobs...”
For example, Delaware said if you are hired as a “hopper,” then you “hop.”
“You don’t get to say, ‘I am a hopper, but I don’t feel like hopping today,’” she continued. “We hired you as a hopper. That is the job you will do. We are not creating jobs for you.”
Delaware said it is important for city workers to remember that they work on tax payer’s dollars.
“We are not a private industry that creates new jobs,” she said. “The jobs we have are the jobs you do.”
Delaware said the city council will no longer accept employees trying to “utilize the system.”
“We have been very fair, but you do have to do your jobs,” she said. “You can’t manipulate the system, and this board will not allow it. We believe our employees have tough jobs. We are going to try to make it better. Get busy doing your job.”
