(a) Special Leave. For eligible employees, as defined in Section 161.01(e), the City Administrator may authorize special leave of absence without pay for any period or periods not to exceed three (3) calendar months in any one calendar year in the City Administrator’s sole discretion. In addition, the City Administrator may require special leave be dual counted along with leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. While an employee is on special leave, they shall be responsible for the full cost of the employee’s benefit program and any other requirements set by the City, unless regulated by state or federal law or as required by the Family Medical Leave Act.
(b) Absence Without Leave. An employee who intends to be absent from duty shall report the reasons therefore to the employee's supervisor prior to the date of absence when practical and in no case later than noon of the first day of absence, if at all possible. All unauthorized and unreported absences shall be considered as absence without leave. For non-exempt employees, a reduction in pay shall automatically be made for the period of absence. For all employees, such unauthorized absence may be made the grounds for disciplinary action up to and including discharge.
(c) Military Leave. Employees who are members of the Ohio National Guard, the Ohio Defense Corps., the State and Federal Militia, or members of other reserve components of the Armed Forces of the United States are entitled to leaves of absence from their respective duties without loss of pay, and without any offset for receipt of military pay, for the time they are performing service in the uniformed services, as defined in Section 5903.01 of the Ohio Revised Code., for periods of up to one hundred seventy-six (176) hours within one (1) calendar year. Employees are required to submit to the City an Order or statement from the appropriate military commander as evidence of such duty. There is not a requirement that the service be in one (1) continuous period of time. The maximum number of hours for which payment will be made in anyone (1) calendar year under this provision is one hundred seventy-six (176) hours. Members of those components listed in this division (c) will be granted emergency leave for mob, riot, civil defense, or similar duties when so ordered by the Governor to assist Civil Authorities. Such emergency leave will be without pay if it exceeds authorized military leave for the year as indicated above. The leave will cover the official period of the emergency. Employees who are called or ordered to service by the President of the United States or an act of Congress for periods beyond one hundred seventy-six (176) hours within the calendar year are entitled to leaves of absence and to be paid in total the lesser of:
(1) The difference between the employee's gross monthly wage and the sum of the employee's gross uniformed pay and allowances for the month; or
(2) Five hundred (500) dollars.
No pay for such periods will be received if the employee's military pay exceeds the pay as a City employee. The leave will cover the official period of the emergency.
(Ord. C10-87. Passed 3-16-87; Ord. C47-01. Passed 8-6-01; Ord. C10-09. Passed 2-17-09; Ord. C40-22. Passed 6-20-22.)