153.13 INJURY LEAVE.

   (a)    When a full-time employee is injured in the line of duty, while actually working for the Municipality, he or she shall be eligible for paid injury leave not to exceed ninety (90) calendar days which shall not be deducted from any other accumulated compensated absence time, provided such employee files for Workers' Compensation.

   (b)    Eligibility for injury leave must be approved by that employee's Department Head and the Director of Finance within ten (10) days of processing such employee's Workers' Compensation claim through the Department of Finance. Eligibility and approval of injury leave shall be based, in part, upon such employee's Workers' Compensation claim processed through the Department of Finance, and, if necessary, also based upon a physical examination by a physician appointed by the Municipality resulting in the physician's certification that the employee is unable to work due to the injury. The opinion of the designated physician shall govern whether employee is actually disabled or not, but shall not govern whether the injury was duty related. In the event that the employee seeking eligibility for injury is a Department Head, the procedure for determining eligibility shall be the same as set forth herein above except that approval must be made by the Director of Finance and the Mayor. If the Director of Finance seeks eligibility for injury leave then the procedure for determining eligibility shall be the same as outlined herein above except that approval must be made by the Mayor.

   (c)    Any limited assignments of duties shall be reviewed each seven (7) calendar days to determine if the employee is capable of resuming normal, unlimited duties and together with on the job injury time, shall not exceed ninety (90) days in duration.

   (d)    If at the end of the ninety (90) day period, the employee is still disabled, the injury leave may, at the Mayor's discretion, be extended for an additional ninety (90) calendar day period, or any portion thereof. Such decision shall be made at least ten (10) days prior to the end of such period. Said leave may be canceled at an earlier time as provided below:

      (1)     When an employee is released by his or her physician to return to work;

      (2)    At such time that the employee is declared capable of performing his or her normal duties by a physician appointed by the Municipality;

      (3)    If, prior to release for normal duties, it is determined by a physician that the employee is capable of performing limited work assignments, the employee shall immediately report for duty under the conditions set forth in the physician's certificate.

   (e)   When a permanent, part-time employee is injured in the line of duty, while actually working for the Municipality, he or she shall be eligible for paid injury leave not to exceed seven (7) calendar days. Injury leave paid during this seven (7) day period shall be for regularly scheduled work hours only.

(Ord. 2022-29. Passed 12-19-22.)