Wendell Selectboard votes to provide health insurance to probationary employee, may reconsider policy – Athol Daily News

Published: 1/28/2022 2:16:54 PM

Modified: 1/28/2022 2:15:37 PM

WENDELL — The Selectboard voted unanimously Wednesday to make an exception to the town’s personnel policy and provide retroactive health insurance coverage to a rehired Highway Department employee still in his probationary period, when insurance is typically not provided.

The instance also sparked a conversation among board members about revising the personnel policy altogether.

In this case, the Highway Department employee started on the job on Jan. 13, following a one-year absence after having worked for the department for a decade. A probationary period is meant to allow the town to let someone go without cause within the employee’s first 90 days of work.

But Phil Delorey, of the Wendell Road Commission, told the Selectboard the man contracted COVID-19 two days into his re-employment and his health insurance wasn’t set to kick in for another 90 days.

“He’s running up some serious hospital bills, presently,” Delorey said.

Wendell Treasurer Carolyn Manley told the Greenfield Recorder on Thursday that the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust, established in Northampton by a state statute for the joint purchase of insurance, agreed to accept the Selectboard’s vote and cover the rehired employee after he provides all necessary information.

Delorey said the state has a fund that covered the employee’s pay while he was out sick.

“I don’t mean to harp on it, but I just feel like it’s a really unfortunate policy, this whole probationary thing, when it affects them financially, unnecessarily,” he said. “To hire someone and then not give them health insurance seems, I don’t know, irresponsible.”

The situation troubled Selectboard members and sparked a conversation about revising the personnel policy to provide health insurance to employees as soon as they start employment.

“I think we’re responsible for it, myself,” said former Interim Town Coordinator Doug Tanner, who is helping to train replacement Glenn Johnson-Mussad, who was also in attendance at Wednesday’s virtual meeting.

Tanner added he believes a returning employee shouldn’t have a probationary period “if they have established seniority in the past and it’s someone we want. I think that makes it harder for us to get people back that we want.”

“It’d be tragic if he has to pay this himself, one way or another, and I think the town really should step up and cover this, cover him, even if we have to pay the bills until he’s covered by insurance, and cover him immediately,” Tanner continued.

Selectboard member Laurie DiDonato suggested a public hearing next week to discuss changing the personnel policy to provide health insurance to all employees, regardless of a probationary period, and Chair Dan Keller agreed.

“I wasn’t aware that the health insurance was related to the probationary period. I missed it completely and I think it is irresponsible, and people should get health care on Day 1,” Keller said, with fellow Selectboard member Gillian Budine agreeing.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.