Classified civil service employees, probationary employees, and full-time unclassified civil service employees (with the exception of seasonal employees) earn 10 hours of sick leave for each fully completed calendar month of service. However, a new full-time employee (with the exception of seasonal employees) whose employment date is after the first of the month shall earn two-and-one-half hours of sick leave for each full week of service during the first month of employment not to exceed 10 hours. Thereafter, sick leave accrual shall be as stated above.
Part-time employees who have worked for the city for 24 continuous months will earn sick leave at a rate of five hours per month.
Sick leave will be credited on the first paycheck of each month for the prior month (e.g. first paycheck in June for the month of May).
Sick leave usage
Full-time and part-time employees may use accumulated sick leave in any increment when they are incapacitated due to illness or injury, when they are quarantined, and for doctor's appointments. They may also use accumulated sick leave as follows:
- Full-time employees may use up to three days of sick leave in the case of death in the employee’s immediate family, but only after bereavement leave is exhausted. The immediate family for this purpose shall be deemed to include the parents, spouse or qualified adult, spouse's or qualified adult’s parents, children or qualified adults, brothers, sisters, grandparents and grandchildren. They may also utilize sick leave in the event of serious illness of parents, spouses, qualified adults, children, grandparents, spouse's or qualified adult’s children, parents and grandparents, and any relative for whom employees are legally responsible, or relatives who are residing with and are under the care of employees during the relative's prolonged illness or incapacitation
- Part-time employees may utilize sick leave for a period not to exceed three days in the case of death in the employee's immediate family. The immediate family for this purpose shall be deemed to include their parents, spouse or qualified adult, spouse's or qualified adult’s parents, children or qualified adult’s children, brothers, sisters, grandparents and grandchildren. They may also utilize sick leave in the event of serious illness of parents, spouse or qualified adult or children.
If employees will be out of work due to illness, they are expected to call in and notify their supervisor as early as possible, but no later than the start of the workday. If the sick leave absence lasts more than three days, or an employee’s supervisor suspects abuse of sick leave, such as in the case of chronic absenteeism, the supervisor or director shall notify the employee of their rights and responsibilities under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as required by the Act. For employees without approved Family and Medical Leave, the supervisor or division director may require the employee to obtain written medical documentation periodically and again when the employee returns to work. Failure of the employee to comply with any such request shall authorize disallowance of sick leave compensation and may be deemed to be absent without leave (AWOL).
Sick leave carry forward
Full-time employees may carry over up to 600 hours of sick leave into the next calendar year. Part-time employees may carry over up to 40 hours of sick leave into the next calendar year.
Sick leave payout
Full-time employees will be compensated for all accumulated sick leave in a lump sum payment at their current hourly rate of pay under the following circumstances.
- Any sick leave hours accumulated in excess of 600 hours will be paid at the end of the calendar year.
- Upon service retirement.
- Upon resignation from city service for any reason, including disability retirement, after a minimum of 20 years of continuous service with the city.
- Upon retirement under social security after completion of five years of service with the city.
- Upon death.
Prior to their retirement date, or date of withdrawal from service (except termination), employees eligible to receive a lump sum payout may elect to pay into any deferred income account the value of the vacation, holiday, and sick leave payouts they are entitled to receive and pursuant to the rules, if any, of the deferred income accounts and the Internal Revenue Service. Employees shall notify accounting at least four weeks prior to the date of their retirement date or withdrawal from service if they wish to exercise this option. Additionally, employees who would like to defer and do not already have a deferred income account established will need to establish an account by meeting with a city benefits representative the calendar month prior to the employees’ retirement date.
Part-time employees will not be paid for any accumulated sick leave at the time of separation from government service.
Reference:
Code of Ordinances, Sec. 21-34. – Sick leave.
Code of Ordinances, Sec. 21-36. – Payment of accumulated sick leave upon retirement or death.
Code of Ordinances, Sec. 21-36.1. – Lump-sum payout.
Code of Ordinances, Sec. 22-59. – Benefits.