(A) Starting on the date of hire, all full-time regular employees will receive one personal time off (PTO) day for each month of employment for a maximum of ten days. Full-time firefighters will receive one-half PTO day for each month of employment for a maximum of five days.
(B) On January 2, following the full-time employee’s hire date, and every year of employment thereafter, he or she shall receive ten PTO days.
(C) On January 2, after the firefighter’s employment date and every year of employment thereafter, he or she shall receive five PTO days.
(D) Except as otherwise provided under division (D)(1) below, all full-time regular employees may utilize a maximum of 15 PTO days per year, as needed, without written documentation.
(1) Employees may utilize additional PTO days in excess of the 15 day maximum upon providing the employee’s department head with written documentation of the reason for such PTO usage. Acceptable reasons for exceeding the 15 day maximum include the following:
(a) A sick child, injured child, or hospitalized child;
(b) Employee illness, injury, or hospitalization;
(c) A sick spouse, injured spouse, or hospitalized spouse;
(d) A sick, injured, or hospitalized parent; or
(e) A court date or jury duty.
(2) For the purposes of this section, the following forms of written documentation are acceptable when an employee will be absent:
(a) Written documentation from a healthcare provider visit; or
(b) Written documentation from a child’s school concerning a student’s absence.
(E) As long as staffing permits, firefighters shall be permitted to take five additional PTO days per year as needed without written documentation. To use additional PTO days in excess of the five PTO day maximum, a firefighter will be required to provide the department head with written documentation for the reason of the PTO usage. Acceptable reasons for use of additional PTO days include the following reasons:
(1) Sick child, injured child, or hospitalized child;
(2) Employee is sick, injured, or hospitalized;
(3) Sick spouse, injured spouse, or hospitalized spouse;
(4) Sick parent, injured parent, or hospitalized parent; or
(5) A court date or jury duty.
(F) For the purposes of this section, the following forms of written documentation are acceptable:
(1) Written documentation of a healthcare provider visit; or
(2) Written documentation from a child’s school concerning student’s absence. (Reference Fire Department General Order 5.05.)
(G) To the greatest extent possible, prior notice of PTO leave should be given to the employee’s department head. When prior notice is not possible, the employee or someone on his or her behalf shall notify the department head as soon as possible prior to the scheduled hours of work. It is preferred that such notice is given at least one hour prior to the employee’s starting time. (Reference Fire Department General Order 5.05, § III.)
(H) At the end of each year, unused PTO days will be carried forward to each subsequent year; provided, however, the maximum number of PTO days for a regular employee is 100 PTO days, and the maximum number of days for a firefighter is 50 PTO days.
(1) For each day accumulated in excess 100 PTO days for regular employees, and for each day accumulated in excess of 50 PTO days for firefighters, the city will “buy-back” the excess PTO days at the employee’s then-current base rate of pay.
(2) The annual “buy-back” amount for PTO days in excess of the applicable limit will be calculated by the Clerk-Treasurer, approved by the Board of Public Works and Safety, and paid to the employee no later than February of the subsequent year.
(I) All employees must take PTO days in a minimum of half-day increments.
(J) Any employee who transfers from one department or office of the city to another shall be permitted to take his or her accumulated personal leave with him or her.
(K) There is hereby created a PTO Day Donation Program, which shall operate in accordance with the following procedures.
(1) Prior to being eligible for the PTO day donation program, an employee must first exhaust all of his or her personal benefit time, including PTO days, vacation days, and compensatory time.
(2) If an employee is utilizing FMLA leave and becomes aware that he or she will exhaust all personal benefit time prior to the end of such FMLA leave, then either the employee or the employee’s department head may request PTO day donations from fellow employees.
(3) When it appears that an employee will run out of benefit time, the Human Resources Department will notify the department head (during the employee’s last fully funded pay cycle) that the employee will exhaust all benefit days within the next pay cycle. The Human Resources Department will then suggest that the department head consider requesting PTO donations for the employee. Each year an employee may donate as many PTO days to fellow employees as he or she may desire; provided, however, no employee may donate more than five PTO days in one year to any individual employee.
(4) Employees who wish to donate PTO days to other employees will be required to complete a PTO day donation form.
(5) An employee may receive a maximum of 12 weeks of donated PTO days.
(6) Firefighters who work a 24-hour shift may only donate to other firefighters who work a 24-hour shift. Police officers who work a 12-hour shift may only donate to other police officers who work on a 12-hour shift.
(7) City employees who are not on a 12- or 24-hour shift schedule may only donate to other city employees who are not on a 12- or 24-hour shift schedule.
(L) Upon termination or resignation, unused PTO days will be forfeited.
(M) (1) Any employee who retires after a minimum of 20 years of employment with the city or is eligible for police/fire pension will receive one day of pay for every two days of PTO he or she has remaining upon retiring.
(2) Example: an employee has 50 PTO days remaining at retirement he or she will be paid for 25 of those days.