157.10 LEAVE DONATION PROGRAM.

   (a)   Definitions. For the purposes of this section:

      (1)   “Eligible employee” means any person who is designated to be the recipient of donated leave who is a full-time or part-time employee, but not including seasonal employees of the City.

      (2)   “Leave” means accrued sick time.

      (3)   “Serious illness” means a terminal illness, or the like, where it is anticipated that the eligible employee will require an extended leave of absence.

      (4)   “Immediate family” means a spouse, parent, child, grandparent or any minor under the eligible employee’s legal guardianship.

   (b)   Eligibility Requirements for Recipient and Donor.

      (1)   With prior approval of the Mayor, an eligible employee may receive donated leave up to the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work each pay period, but in no event shall donated leave exceed four hundred eighty (480) hours within any twelve month period if:

         A.   The eligible employee who is to receive donated sick leave or a member of the eligible employee’s immediate family has a serious illness; and

         B.   Has no accrued leave or will exhaust all accrued leave during the pay period the leave is to be donated; and

         C.   Has not been approved to receive any other benefits; and

         D.   Has applied for, any paid leave, workers’ compensation or other benefits program (e.g., disability benefits) for which the employee is eligible. An eligible employee who has applied for these programs may use donated leave to satisfy the waiting period for such benefits, when applicable. After the waiting period, donated leave may be used up to an amount equal to the benefit for which the eligible employee applied, (e.g., seventy percent (70%) for disability leave benefits) while the eligible employee’s application is pending approval; and

         E.   Has submitted documentation from a licensed health care provider certifying the serious illness.

         F.   Has no active discipline regarding excessive use of sick leave, abuse of sick leave, unauthorized leave or a pattern of sick leave abuse.

      (2)   An employee may donate leave if the donating employee:

         A.   Voluntarily elects to donate leave and understands that donated leave will not be returned; and

         B.   Donates only in eight hours increments; and

         C.   Retains a sick leave balance of at least eighty hours; leave shall be donated in the same manner in which it would otherwise be used (i.e., sick leave donated for sick leave).

   (c)   Miscellaneous.

      (1)   Donated sick leave will be treated as sick leave.

      (2)   Eligible employees using donated leave will receive all benefits as if the eligible employee was in an active pay status such as accrual of leaves and/or longevity increases.

      (3)   Eligible employees using donated leave who are serving an original or promotional probationary period will not have his/her service credited towards the completion of his/her probationary period upon his/her return to work.

      (4)   Donated leave cannot be used to supplement a paid benefit program.

      (5)   Any employee donating leave cannot donate more than the number of hours usually worked during a pay period by the eligible employee receiving the leave MINUS the leave hours used by the eligible employee receiving the leave to reach a zero balance during the pay period, which is required for the eligible employee to receive the donated leave.

      (6)   Sick leave shall not be donated by an employee retiring or terminating their employment with the City.

   (d)   Donation Procedure.

      (1)   The timekeeper of the Department, on behalf of the employee desiring to donate leave, should call Human Resources to determine if the eligible employee meets the eligibility requirements set forth herein in subsection (b)(1).

      (2)   If the eligible employee meets the requirements of subsection (b)(1), the timekeeper should call Payroll to verify hours to be donated per subsection (c)(5) and verify if the employee desiring to donate leave qualifies per subsection (b)(2).

      (3)   Any employee desiring to donate leave must complete the City’s Donor Application Form, and certify that the leave is donated voluntarily, and understands that the donated leave will not be returned.

      (4)   The timekeeper of the Department should forward the Donor Application Form to Payroll. The Donor Application Form must be received no later than the second Monday of the pay period that the leave is to be used by the eligible employee.

      (5)   The eligible employee’s time card must be posted as “DL” for the number of hours donated and used each pay period.

         (Ord. 2011-47. Passed 11-22-11.)