147.08   SICK LEAVE.
   Each regular full time non-aligned employee in the Department of Public Service shall be entitled to 4.6 hours of sick leave for every eighty hours of regularly scheduled employment. Unused sick leave shall be cumulative up to a total of 1,750 hours for employees working an eight-hour day, and up to 1,531 hours for employees working seven-hour days. Sick leave accrued under prior ordinances of the City shall remain in effect. Payment of sick leave shall be made only when approved by the Director of Public Service, who may require the employee to furnish a satisfactory, written, signed statement to justify the use of sick leave, and in the case of sick leave absence in excess of one day, shall require certification of the nature of the illness or injury from the employee's physician or the Police Surgeon. Absences due to service-connected injury will not be charged against an employee's accumulated sick leave so long as it does not exceed the employee's attending physician's and/or the Police Surgeon's prognosis as to the employee's ability to return to employment. Once an employee has returned to assume normal duties, following an absence due to a service-connected injury, subsequent absences, alleged as being due to a service-connected injury, will be charged against an employee's accumulated sick leave, unless excused by the employee's attending physician's and/or the Police Surgeon's certificate. In the case of disagreement between physicians, the certification of a third physician will be required.
   An employee may use a portion of his or her accumulated sick leave for funeral arrangements and services for his or her spouse, child, parents, mother-in-law, father-in- law, grandparents, grandparents-in-law, sister, brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandchildren, step-parent, step-sister, step-brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece and nephew. Funeral leave so utilized shall not be so charged as to reduce an employee's sick leave incentive.
   Department of Public Service employees shall be paid an incentive for conservation of annual sick leave allowances as follows:
Unused Sick Leave Hours
Incentive Payment Hours
120
30
112
28
104
26
96
24
88
22
80
20
72
18
64
16
56
14
48
12
10
10
Less than 40
-0-
 
   In the case of employees working seven-hour days:
Unused Sick Leave Hours
Incentive Payment Hours
105
30
98
28
91
26
84
24
77
22
70
20
63
18
56
16
49
14
42
12
35
10
Less than 35
-0-
 
   The equivalent hourly rate to be paid will be that in effect as of December 31 in the year in which the sick leave days are accumulated. Payment is to be made concurrent with the second payroll of February following the year in which sick leave days were accumulated. Such incentive payment will in no way diminish an employee's sick leave accumulation.
   At the time of retirement from active duty with the City or death of the employee, the employee, or the employee's estate, will be paid in cash for sixty percent of the value of his or her accrued, but unused, sick leave credit. Such payment shall be based on the employee's rate of pay at time of retirement or death. Payment for sick leave on this basis shall be considered to eliminate all sick leave credit accrued by the employee at that time. Such payment shall be made only once to any employee. The maximum payment which may be made shall be sixty percent of 1,200 hours for employees working eight-hour days and sixty percent of 1,050 hours for employees working seven-hour days. The formula for computation shall be:
   (a)   In the case of employees working eight-hour days:
      annual rate x (accumulated hours x.60)
       2,080
   (b)   In the case of employees working seven -hour days:
      annual rate x (accumulated hours x.60)
       1,820
   NOTE: Annual rate of pay used in above unused sick time payment calculations is based on the total of the base salary and longevity pay only.
(Ord. 1997-20. Passed 6-23-97; Ord. 2000-16. Passed 4-10-00; Ord. 2000-53. Passed 11-27-00; Ord. 2006-10. Passed 3-30-06; Ord. 2013-4. Passed 2-25-13.)