(A) The city provides paid sick leave benefits to all eligible employees for periods of temporary absence due to illness or injuries. Regular full-time employees are eligible for this benefit.
(B) After the first 90 calendar days of full-time employment, employees in the Mayor’s Office, Clerk-Treasurer’s office, and Plan Department shall earn sick days at the rate of seven hours per two months employment.
(C) After the first 90 calendar days of full-time employment, full-time employees and employees in the Street Department, Water Department, and Sewer Department shall earn sick leave at the rate of eight hours per two months employment.
(D) After an employee earns his or her first seven or eight hours of sick leave, ail future sick leave hours earned shall be credited on the first day of the month in which it will be earned.
Example: A Street Department employee who is hired on January 24, 2009 will begin earning paid sick leave on April 24, 2009 (90 days of full-time employment.) Such employee will earn eight hours of sick leave on June 24, 2009. Future sick leave hours earned shall be credited on the first day of the month in which it will be earned; in this example the second set of sick leave hours would be credited on August 1st; the third set of sick hours credited on October 1st, etc.
(E) Employees in the Mayor’s Office, Clerk-Treasurer’s office, and Plan Department may carry over a maximum of 210 unused hours of sick leave from one calendar year to the next.
(F) Employees in the Street, Sanitation, Water, Wastewater, and Engineering departments may carry over a maximum of 240 unused hours of sick leave from one calendar year to the next.
(G) The following conditions and stipulations shall apply to sick leave:
(1) To be eligible for sick leave, an employee must report his or her absence to his or her supervisor at the commencement of business of the first day for which leave is sought. To be eligible for payment for sick leave, an employee may be required to submit to his or her supervisor a physician’s certificate certifying that the employee has been ill or injured and unable to perform his or her employment during the period of his or her absence.
(2) Employees who are unable to report to work due to illness or injury should notify their direct supervisor before the scheduled start of their workday if possible. The direct supervisor must also be contacted on each additional day of absence. After three consecutive days off, or when employees begin to accumulate a pattern of questionable absences, a physician’s verification of illness may be requested.
(3) If an employee is absent for five or more consecutive days due to illness or injury, a physician’s statement must be provided verifying the disability and its beginning and expected ending dates. Such verification may be requested for other sick leave absences as well and may be required as a condition of paying sick leave benefits.
(4) Before returning to work from a sick leave absence of 30 calendar days or more, an employee shall be required to provide a physician’s verification that he or she may safely return to work.
(5) Sick leave benefits are intended solely to provide income protection in the event of illness or injury, and may not be used for any other absence.
(6) Sick leave shall be taken in increments of half or whole shifts, except when used during FMLA which is one-hour increments. The Clerk-Treasurer must be provided a weekly report of employee sick days used each year from each city department.
(7) Sick leave benefits will be calculated based on the employee’s base pay rate (an employee’s hourly rate of compensation is determined by dividing the weekly rate of pay by his or her designated hours worked). Employees are eligible for payment of unused earned sick days only at the time of retirement. “RETIREMENT” is defined as an involuntary employment termination initiated by the employee meeting state and/or city retirement criteria, such as age and length of service. Such retirees shall receive compensation for up to 240 hours of unused earned sick leave. Proper documentation must be available upon employee retirement for an employee to be compensated for unused sick days.
(8) Employees who are terminated for disciplinary reasons shall not receive compensation for unused earned sick leave.
(9) Employees who voluntarily resign may be eligible for payment of unused earned sick days according to the following terms and conditions:
(a) After 15 years of continuous city employment, an employee is entitled to be compensated for up to 120 hours of unused earned sick leave.
(b) After 20 years of continuous city employment, an employee is entitled to be compensated for up to 240 hours of unused earned sick leave.
(10) This benefit is available provided the employee provides three months’ notice of resignation; except for emergencies whereby the Board of Works may waive this condition.
(Ord. 2018-16, passed 1-7-19)