(A) Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
BANK.
An account maintained by the Knox County Auditor containing hours donated by employees for emergency medical leave purposes.
EMPLOYEE.
A person considered a full time employee of Knox County, Indiana.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
A medical condition of an employee or family member that will require the prolonged absence of the employee from duty and will result in a substantial loss of income to the employee because the employee will have exhausted all paid leave available apart from the leave-sharing plan.
PAID TIME OFF (PTO).
Vacation days, sick days, and compensatory time earned. Paid holidays are not considered
PAID TIME OFF
for the purpose of this policy.
(B) Application.
(1) An employee requesting to use time from the bank must be experiencing a medical emergency.
(2) Employee requesting time from the bank must be a current employee in good standing of the county.
(3) Every employee requesting time from the bank shall complete an application for emergency medical leave. The application will be available from and turned in to the County Auditor. The County Commissioners or their designee will review the application as soon as possible and either allow or deny the application.
(4) Before an employee is eligible to receive time from the bank, the employee must have exhausted their PTO including any compensatory time.
(5) An employee may not receive time in excess of 70 hours for a single pay period.
(6) If the bank is empty, no application will be approved.
(7) Applicant’s identity will not be revealed unless requested by the applicant or by court order.
(C) Donations.
(1) Before an employee may donate hours to the bank, the employee must complete the medical emergency leave bank voluntary donation agreement which is available from the County Auditor.
(2) All donations must come from the paid time off of a current employee in good standing. No employee may donate any sick time within 30 days of that employee’s scheduled retirement or resignation date or at any time when the employee is suspended from work.
(3) No donation of sick time may be made for a period of less than one-half day. Donations in excess of one-half day must be made in one-half day increments.
(4) An employee may donate as many hours as they desire to the bank. The hours donated must have been actually earned by the donating employee. No employee may donate future hours to be accrued. An employee may donate as many times per year as they desire. Each donation must be accompanied by a sick leave bank voluntary donation agreement.
(5) Once hours have been donated, they will remain in the bank until used. In the event that the hours donated to a specific employee are not used by that employee, the donor may request that the hours be returned to the donor by completing the donation return application available with the County Auditor.
(6) Donor’s identity will not be revealed without written permission of the donor or a court order.
(7) If a recipient employee receives paid leave hours under the policy from a donor employee with a different pay rate, the leave time is converted based on the recipient employee’s pay rate, so that the dollar value of the surrendered leave remains the same but leave taken by the recipient employee is always paid at the recipient employee’s regular rate of pay. For example, if donor employee is regularly paid $15 per hour and surrenders eight hours paid leave to a recipient employee who is regularly paid $10 per hour, the recipient will receive 12 hours of paid leave, paid at $10 per hour (8 hours x 15 = 120 value, and 120 value at $10 per hour equals 12 hours).
(D) Voluntary programs. The county will not make known any employee’s eligibility for donated time. It is the responsibility of the potential donor rather than the recipient to initiate the donation process. Potential recipients and their friends are expected to use discretion in soliciting donations. No employee should feel pressured to donate time to a co-worker. Any employee who believes they are being pressured to donate time should immediately contact the County Auditor’s Office. All complaints received by the Auditor under this section will immediately be referred to the County Commissioners.
(E) Accrual of PTO time. Employee using donated time will not be eligible to accrue PTO. In all other respects, donated time will be the same as any other paid time off.
(Ord. 7-2013, passed 5-3-2013)