Authorized Use of Sick Leave

SICK LEAVE

Sick leave is paid time away from work due to a bona fide illness or injury that prevents the employee from working, for visits to the doctor or dentist, or to care for certain family members who are ill or injured. Employees who are unable to work due to illness or injury or other situations covered by this policymust immediately notify the appropriate supervisor in accordance with the procedures adopted by their Department.

Eligibility. All full-time employees begin accruing paid sick leave [ when ]. Part-time, temporary and seasonal employees do not accrue sick leave. Full-time employees who are in their initial orientation period may use accrued sick leave only if approved by their supervisor and/or Department Director. An employee who is released for and offered modified duty by the City, but who elects not to accept such assignment, will generally be ineligible for paid sick leave benefits.

Accrual Rate. Sick leave for employees shall be computed on the basis of [fill in number] working days for each full month employed in a calendar year, so as to total [number] working days to a full-time employee’s credit each 12 months. Sick leave accrues only during pay periods in which the employee works or is otherwise on an approved paid leave status for 80 hours, and[fill in number] hours for firefighters working 24-hour shifts

Maximum Accrual.The maximum sick leave time which may be accumulated by any employee shall be [number]days ([number] hours).

Authorized Use of Sick Leave.

For the employee. Accrued sick leave may be used for absences due to the employee’s bona fide personal illness, accident, injury that prevents working, or birth of a child (if the employee physically gave birth; otherwise use of sick leave for child birth falls under the section below).

For the employee’s immediate family. Sick leave may also be used for absences when needed to care for a member of the employee’s immediate family who is ill or injured. An employee can initially use up to [number] hours ([number] hours for firefighters) of accrued sick leave to care for immediate family members. If additional time is needed, employees must first use all accrued compensatory time, accrued holiday leave and then accrued vacation leave before any remaining accrued sick leave can be used. For purposes of this policy, “immediate family” is defined as the employee's [select these that apply] parent, current spouse, and children/stepchildren. In the event of a life-threatening illness or injury of the employee’s family member who does not meet the definition of “immediate family,” the Department Director (and in the case of Department Directors, the City Manager) may allow the employee to use up to [number] hours of accrued sick leave ([number] hours for firefighters). Sick leave may also be used by employees for their own and /or their immediate family's scheduled doctor and dentist appointments.

Minimum Increments. Sick leave must be taken in minimum increments of one hour. Sick leave taken in increments of less than one hour should be made up within the same work week.

Failure to Report Absence/ Abuse of Sick Leave. Supervisors closely monitor use of sick leave. It is anticipated that employees using paid City sick time for their own illness/injury or that of a family member will use their sick leave time to recuperate or care for their family member. Trips to the doctor or hospital stays/visits, which take the employee away from the home, are acceptable, but other personal pursuits during paid sick leave will be considered an abuse of this policy. Abuse of sick leave, including use of sick leave for anything other than an illness, injury, or doctor/dentist appointment as provided for in this policy, may result in immediate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, and may also render the employee ineligible for paid sick leave benefits. Similarly, employees who fail to timely report an absence or tardiness due to illness, injury, or doctor/dentist appointment may be disqualified from using sick leave for their absence.

Other Employment During Sick Leave. Employees on sick leave, whether paid or unpaid, may not work a second job, including self-employment or participate in volunteer work, during the period of leave, even if they have written authorization from their Department Director to work a second job. Exceptions to this policy must be obtained in writing from the Department Director and the Director of Human Resources. See Outside Employment Policy.

Use of Other Leave. If approved by the Department Director (and in the case of Department Directors, by the City Manager), employees who have successfully completed their initial orientation period may useaccrued vacation leave, compensatory time, other accrued paid leave, or leave of absence without pay, but only if an employee has no accrued sick leave time. Official holidays observed by the City while an employee is on approved paid sick leave will be treated as a paid holiday, rather than a day of sick leave, if the employee is eligible for the paid holiday. Under certain circumstances and with the approval of the Department Director/supervisor, the employee may flex the work schedule (“flex time”) to attend to medical or dental appointments. This is acceptable provided that work time is accurately recorded on the time sheet for the week or work cycle in which flex time was approved. Under no circumstances can flex time to make up time missed extend beyond the affected workweek, or work.

Documentation. Employees requesting paid sick leave must complete a [name of form] and submit it to their supervisor for approval. Absence for illness/injury of 3 or more consecutive work days requires verificationof the illness/injury. An employee must provide verification of an absence any time requested by the City. An employee may also be required to present satisfactory proof of family relationship and/or satisfactory proof of a family member’s illness, injury, and/or doctor/dentist appointment if the employee wishes to use accrued sick leave to care for a family member. If the employee fails to present such proof in a timely manner, use of sick leave will not be permitted and no other paid leave may be used for the absence. Abuse of sick leave may result in discipline up to and including termination of employment.

[If applicable] Family and Medical Leave Act Leave. Anyabsence that qualifies for both Family and Medical Leave Act leave and sick leave will follow the guidelines set out in this policy, and will typically be counted as both.

Payment For Unused Sick Leave. No employee shall be entitled to payment in lieu of using sick leave time.

CIVIL SERVICE - Civil Service employees are eligible for payout of sick leave as provided by City Policy.

[If applicable] Full-time, regular City employees shall be eligible for sick leave incentive pay each fiscal year. This pay will be determined as of September 30th based on number of sick days used during the preceding twelve (12) months. All eligible employees start the fiscal year with a zero balance. At the end of each fiscal year, the personnel and finance departments will calculate the sick leave days used during the year. Payment will be included with first payroll check in December. Employees using zero sick leave days will be paid [$_____], one to three days, [$_____], four to six days, [$_____], and no payment for those that use more than six days. Employees must be actively employed at the beginning of the fiscal year and in December of the following fiscal year. Retirees need not be active in December; however, they must be active employees on September 30th.

Compensatory time and annual leave may not be substituted for sick leave at any time for purpose that may affect sick leave incentive payment. Any military leave will be reviewed for sick leave incentive pay eligibility on an individual basis by the City Manager.