(A) The Safety Service Director is hereby authorized to establish a voluntary leave donation program for city employees.
(B) The Safety Service Director shall establish a written policy consisting of the criteria to determine an employee's eligibility for donated leave, the circumstances under which donated leave may be granted, and all rules for administering the program. Such policy shall be subject to all of the following:
(1) The program benefits shall not exceed the leave donation benefits provided to eligible employees of the State of Ohio pursuant to the Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Administrative Code. It may, at the option of the Safety Service Director, be more restrictive.
(2) Participation in the program shall be strictly on a voluntary basis and no administrator, department head, employee, or elected official shall coerce, suggest, or encourage any city employee to participate in the program for the benefit of another employee.
(3) Eligible employees shall include all full- time employees of the city who are entitled to sick time benefits pursuant to Ohio law who were in the active service of the city on or after January 1, 2003. The term
ACTIVE SERVICE
as used in this section includes those employees who on January 1, 2003, were on scheduled vacation, sick leave, maternity leave, family medical leave, military leave, and/or authorized leave of absence, who are expected to return to employment. The term
ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE
does not include contract employees and elected officials. Employees and deputies of the several elected officials, including but not limited to: the City Clerk, the Parks and Recreation Director, the Deputy Auditor, and the Deputy Treasurers are eligible to receive donated leave as provided herein.
(4) The employee requesting the leave donation shall have no accrued and unused leave, shall demonstrate that he or she has a critical need for donated leave as a result of a serious illness or injury as determined by the Safety Service Director, or the employee's appointing authority, or has an immediate family member who is suffering from a serious illness or injury.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER
includes all of the following: an employee's spouse, parents, children, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,daughter-in-law, son-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law, stepparents, stepchildren, step-siblings, or a legal guardian or other person who stands in the place of a parent (in loco parentis). Under extraordinary circumstances, the Safety Service Director or the appointing authority of the employee may allow participation in the program for serious illness or injury to family members and other persons residing with the employee who are not members of the employee's immediate family.
(5) The Safety Service Director shall review all requests for donated leave for employees in all departments subject to his or her control. Approved requests shall be forwarded to the payroll officer for dissemination to all city departments. Employees requesting donated leave who are employed by or appointed by other officials of the city shall submit requests for donated leave to their appointing authority who shall review them. The Safety Service Director shall be provided copies of all approved requests and shall forward such requests to the payroll officer for dissemination as above.
(6) The program may not be used to provide donated leave to employees undergoing alcohol or drug rehabilitation.
(Ord. 2003-10, passed 1-21-03)