(a) All full-time employees shall be entitled to sick leave of one and one-half days per month, up to eighteen days per year. Employees may elect at the time of retirement from active service and with ten or more years of service with the Municipality of Groveport, to be paid in cash for one-fourth the value of accrued but unused sick leave credit. The payment shall be based upon the employee's rate of pay at the time of retirement and eliminates all sick leave accrued, but unused by the employee at the time payment is made.
(b) Sick leave shall normally be charged in one-fourth (1/4) hour increments. An employee shall be charged for sick leave only for days upon which he would otherwise have been scheduled to work. Sick leave payment shall not exceed the normal scheduled work day or work week earnings.
In cases of an extended illness, sick leave accrued must be used on a continuing basis until exhausted and not a day or two each period. No authorized leave without pay shall be approved until all sick leave is exhausted.
(c) Sick leave shall be granted upon approval of the responsible manager for the following reasons:
(1) Illness or injury of the employee. The exact nature of the illness or injury shall be explained by the employee.
(2) Illness or injury of a member of the employee's immediate family.
When sick leave is requested to care for members of the immediate family, the manager may require a physician's certificate to the effect that the presence of the employee is necessary to care for the ill member.
(3) Medical, dental or optical examination or treatment of an employee or a member of his/her immediate family, stating relationship if a member of the immediate family.
(4) If a member of the immediate family is afflicted with a contagious disease and requires the care and attendance of the employee, or when through exposure to a contagious disease, the presence on the job would jeopardize the health of others, sick leave may be used.
(5) Pre-induction medical examination required by the Armed Forces.
(6) Pregnancy and/or childbirth and other conditions related thereto. This benefit is limited to employee and spouse or significant other.
(d) Immediate Family. For purposes of this policy, "immediate family" is defined as the employee's: spouse, child (including step-child or legal ward), parent, step-parent, mother-in-law, or father-in-law, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent-in-law, legal guardian or a person who stands in place of a parent of the employee or employee's spouse.
(e) An employee who transfers from one public agency to another, or who is reappointed or reinstated, shall be credited with the unused balance of accumulated sick leave, provided that the time between separation and reappointment does not exceed ten years.
(1) "Public agency" includes the State, counties, municipalities and all Boards of Education within the State.
(2) The employee shall be informed that sick leave absence cannot be charged against restorable sick leave credit until the claim has been authenticated by the former employer and certified by Human Resources.
(f) Sick Leave Incentive:
(1) Twenty-five percent (25%) of unused sick leave may be converted to personal time after 480 hours have accrued to a maximum of four (4) additional personal days per year.
(2) This benefit should not allow the employee's sick leave accrual to drop below 480 hours.
(3) This benefit is eligible to those employees who achieve ten years of service with the Municipality of Groveport.
(g) Any employee who has medical documentation for a sick leave absence will be excused for said absence. There will be an allowance of three (3) unexcused sick leave absences per calendar year. An unexcused sick leave absence occurs when there is no medical documentation as required by the policy. Any unexcused sick leave taken after the third unexcused absence will be counted as an occurrence. More than three (3) occurrences will result in the employee's inability to receive the additional .5 rating on their performance evaluation in meeting the Municipality Goals and Objectives.
(Ord. 19-008. Passed 3-25-19.)