All regular full-time employees of the City shall receive sick leave according to the following terms and conditions:
(a) Sick leave is defined as an absence from duty with pay necessitated by:
(1) Illness or injury to an employee claiming such sick leave.
(2) Exposure by an employee claiming sick leave to a contiguous disease communicable to other employees.
(3) The maternity confinement of an employee or spouse of an employee or for illness or injury to a person related to an employee in the first degree by consanguinity or affinity.
(b) All employees shall earn sick leave at the rate of four and six-tenths (4.6) hours per weekly pay period during which the employee actually worked or was absent by reason of leave granted elsewhere in this chapter with the exception of leave without pay. (Ord. 89-10. Passed 6-17-91.)
(c) Administrative and nonbargaining unit employees may accumulate sick leave to an unlimited amount and shall use such leave in segments of not less than one hour. Upon the retirement or death of any such employee who has not less than ten years of continuous employment with the City and who has qualified for retirement benefits from a State of Ohio Public Employee Retirement System, such employee shall be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to the employee’s hourly rate of pay at the time of retirement multiplied by one-half the total number of accumulated but unused sick hours earned by such employee, provided, however, that such resulting number of sick hours to be paid shall not exceed 1307 hours. In the case of a deceased employee, accumulated sick leave is payable as provided in Section 143.30. (Ord. 95-120. Passed 2-20-96; Ord. 08-38. Passed 6-2-08.)
(d) There will be no reduction of sick leave time when an employee is absent due to a job related injury or disease if such employee shall authorize the Industrial Commission of Ohio and/or the Bureau of Workers' Compensation to mail his/her warrants for compensation in care of the City in order that the City may be reimbursed to the extent of the advancements made to the employee or any portion thereof. Attendance and credit records shall be maintained by the Director of the employing department and submitted to the Department of Finance with each pay period.
(e) An employee, who, without resigning or retiring, transfers from one Department of the City to another Department of the City shall be credited with the unused balance of the employee's accumulated sick leave.
(f) The director of the employing department may require an employee to furnish a satisfactory written, signed statement to justify the use of sick leave. If medical attention is required, a certificate stating the nature of the illness from a licensed physician may be required to justify the use of sick leave. Falsification of either a written, signed statement or a physician's certificate shall be grounds for disciplinary action, including dismissal. No sick leave shall be granted an employee upon or after retirement or termination of employment.
(g) An employee from the State or any of its political subdivisions to the City shall be credited with the unused balance of accumulated sick leave up to the maximum permitted in this section provided proof of such sick leave credit is furnished in writing by the employee's former employer and further provided that there shall be no cash payment for such sick leave credit transferred upon termination of employment.
(h) Employees laid off for more than one (1) year will receive accumulated sick leave based upon the last day worked and paid in accordance to the provisions of this section after lapse of one (1) year if not recalled.
(i) Employees who are discharged for cause forfeit all rights to payment under this subsection.
(j) The department head shall require the employee to furnish a satisfactory written statement to the effect that the absence was caused by illness or injury.
(k) Employees who have been absent for three (3) days or more, due to illness or injury, shall be required to present a statement from a physician validating that they are physically able to resume their regular duties on a regular basis.
When an employee has been absent for less than three (3) days, the department head, at his/her discretion, may request a statement from the employee from his/her physician before the employee may return to work.
(l) In the event any employee has been off duty for a serious injury or disease or any employee has suffered loss of limb or sight or physical or mental disability or if any such employee is unable to perform the duties performed prior to disability, the director or Mayor, or the President of Council in the case of employees of Council, may deem it necessary to have the employee approved by the City physician before such employee returns to work.
(m) Sick leave shall not be used for retirement purposes, as for example, an early retirement.
(Ord. 89-10. Passed 6-17-91.)