On Monday night at Rochester’s Annual Town Meeting, residents voted to amend and approve a proposed personnel bylaw regarding town employees’ unused sick days.

The bylaw originally stated that employees of the town could accumulate up to 120 sick days, and, upon retirement or resignation from town employment, would be paid 50 percent of their last rate of pay for each unused sick day.

The proposed bylaw change eliminated that completely for non-union employees. Employees would still be able to accumulate up to 120 sick days, but would not be paid for them upon leaving town employment.

At Town Meeting, resident Harrison Harding, who is employed by the town, stated that the new bylaw was only going to affect about 16 people, all of whom he felt were not represented in the decision.

Harding is a member of the Personnel Board and said that the bylaw was "never discussed" with the board.

Selectmen Chair Naida Parker said the bylaw was, in fact, brought to the chair of the Personnel Board.

Harding moved to amend the bylaw to say that any new employees hired after July 1, 2016 would not be entitled to the 50 percent rate of pay for unused sick days upon retirement or resignation, and that these benefits for employees hired before that date would not be lost upon an internal change in position with the town.

The amendment was passed and the amended bylaw was approved.