Employees shall be permitted to donate accrued but unused sick leave to a fellow employee who is otherwise eligible to accrue and use sick leave. The intent of the sick leave donation program is to allow employees to voluntarily provide assistance to their co-workers who are in critical need of leave due to the serious illness or injury of the employee.
(A) At the sole discretion of the Mayor or his or her designee, an employee may receive donated sick leave, up to the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work each pay period, if the employee who is to receive donated leave:
(1) Has a serious illness or injury as determined by the Mayor or his or her designee;
(2) Has no unused sick leave;
(3) Has exhausted or does not qualify for any other form of paid leave recognized by the City of Springdale; and
(4) Has not demonstrated a history of excessive sick leave occurrences.
(B) Employees may donate accrued but unused sick leave if the donating employee:
(1) Voluntarily elects to donate sick leave and does so with the understanding that donated sick leave may not be returned;
(2) Donates a minimum of 8 hours; and
(3) Retains a sick leave balance of at least 400 hours.
(C) The sick leave donation program shall be administered on a pay period by pay period basis. Employees using donated sick leave shall be considered in active pay status and shall accrue vacation and holiday hours and be entitled to any benefits to which they would otherwise be eligible (health insurance, life insurance, longevity pay, seniority). The employee shall not accrue sick leave while using donated sick leave. Donated sick leave shall not count toward the probationary period of an employee.
(D) Employees who wish to donate sick leave shall certify:
(1) The name of the employee for whom the donated sick leave is intended;
(2) The number of hours to be donated;
(3) That the employee will have a minimum sick leave balance of at least 400 hours; and
(4) That the sick leave is donated voluntarily, and the employee understands that the donated sick leave will not be returned, if used by the recipient. Any donated but unused sick leave will be returned to the donor upon the recipient returning to work full-time or his or her resignation/retirement.
(E) The City shall ensure that no employees are forced to donate sick leave. The City shall respect an employee's right to privacy; however, the City may, with the permission of the employee who is in need of sick leave or a member of the employee's immediate family, inform employees of their co-worker's critical need for sick leave. The City shall not directly solicit sick leave donations from employees. The donation of leave shall occur on a strictly voluntary basis.
(F) Once an employee has been approved to receive donated sick leave, all records of hours donated and hours used shall be recorded and maintained by the Finance Department. The names of all donors to an employee's account shall be held in confidence.
(Ord. 9-2007, passed 2-21-07; Am. Ord. 18-2007, passed 3-21-07)