(a) All Village employees shall be credited with thirty-five hours of sick leave (i.e. five seven-hour work days) on January 1 and July 1 of each year. Such sick leave shall be taken in accordance with the following:
(1) Any employee on sick leave shall take whatever steps are medically necessary to remedy his or her condition and shall not engage in social or commercial pursuits unless specifically authorized by his or her physician. Any employee who engages in commercial or social pursuits on a sick day shall provide, upon request, proof of compliance with this provision. In the event an employee fails to provide such proof of compliance with the foregoing provision, he or she shall not be entitled to any sick-leave benefit payments. Failure to provide proof of compliance shall be prima-facie evidence of a willful intent on behalf of the employee to violate departmental rules. Such willful violation shall subject such employee to disciplinary action.
(2) Any time an employee is absent from work for three or more paid consecutive days with a reported illness, such employee shall be required to submit a letter or report from a medical physician providing a written release to return to work.
(b) A physical examination by a medical physician may be ordered at any time by the Village for any employee who reports illness and uses the sick-time benefit when there is, as hereinafter defined, reasonable cause to believe that such person is abusing this benefit. The Village reserves the right to select the doctor. This examination will determine the eligibility of the person for sick leave. Any and all sick leave benefits shall be withheld pending the compliance by the employee and favorable report by the doctor. In the event the employee is determined fit to work by a physician's examination, he or she shall not be entitled to any sick-leave benefit payments, and such determination by such physician shall be prima-facie evidence of a willful intent on behalf of such employee to violate Village rules. Such willful violation shall subject the employee to disciplinary action.
"Reasonable cause," as used herein, shall be defined as follows:
(1) The employee is observed in a social, commercial or recreational pursuit when on sick leave and fails to provide any evidence, by way of medical certificate or otherwise, that his or her condition makes him or her unable to perform his or her duties for the Village.
(2) The employee, upon appropriate inquiry, fails to give any indication or explanation of the nature or extent of his or her illness or injury.
(c) Any sick leave used shall not be credited toward any overtime standards as established in this chapter.
(d) All earned unused sick leave accrued during the course of an employee's active employment with the Village shall be applicable toward retirement credit in accordance with all IMRF requirements.
(Ord. 1992-13. Passed 4-27-92.)