The basis governing the paying of employees during sickness and vacation shall be governed by the following regulations unless otherwise provided by collective bargaining agreements:
A. Seniority: The amount of benefits shall be based on seniority. The following rules will be in effect: A workweek shall consist of the number of days' service that is being rendered for the compensation received. The Mayor, from time to time, will determine what will constitute a workweek as to hours and days worked and paid for in calculating vacation days and sick leave due and payable. (1988 Code §8.112)
B. Paid Leave and Sick Leave:
1. Sick Leave Accrual: Sick leave amounting to nine (9) days per year shall be allowed and permitted to accumulate from one fiscal year to the next until a maximum of one hundred twenty (120) days or nine hundred sixty (960) hours of unused leave has been accumulated.
If an employee exhausts all benefit time and has not returned to work, the employee will not continue to accrue sick time until he/she returns to work.
An employee hired prior to May 1, 2017, shall receive one hour’s pay for each unused hour of sick leave that is accumulated according to this subsection up to a maximum of one hundred twenty (120) days upon retirement.
An employee hired after May 1, 2017, shall receive pay as specified below for the balance of unused sick leave that is accumulated according to this subsection up to a maximum of one hundred twenty (120) days upon retirement.
a. Date of hire through five (5) years of continuous service: 10% of unused sick leave balance.
b. Beginning year six (6) through ten (10) years continuous service: 20% of unused sick leave balance.
c. Beginning year ten (10) through fifteen (15) years continuous service: 30% of unused sick leave balance.
d. Beginning year fifteen (15) through twenty (20) years continuous service: 40% of unused sick leave balance.
e. Beginning year twenty (20) of continuous service and thereafter: 50% of unused sick leave balance.
2. Death In The Family: Paid leave of three (3) days will be allowed in the case of death within the “immediate family” of a city employee (defined as a spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, or grandchild) with the approval of the department head.
C. Vacations: All full-time city employees shall be entitled to vacations based on the number of continuous complete years employed by the city to be computed as of the employee’s anniversary date of hire. For purposes of this section, employees shall receive the following, based on a seven (7) day calendar week, regardless of work schedule, starting any day of the week:
1. Date of hire through eight (8) years of continuous service: Two (2) weeks.
2. Beginning year nine (9) through fifteen (15) years continuous service: Three (3) weeks.
3. Beginning year sixteen (16) through twenty (20) years of continuous service: Four (4) weeks.
4. Beginning year twenty-one (21) through twenty-five (25) years of continuous service: Five (5) weeks.
5. Beginning year twenty-six (26) and thereafter: Six (6) weeks.
Employees in subsection C.1. of this section shall receive two (2) additional days; in subsection C.2. of this section, three (3) additional days; in subsection C.3. of this section, four (4) additional days; in subsection C.4. of this section, five (5) additional days; and in subsection C.5. of this section, six (6) additional days, to be taken when requested by reasonable notice, but at such times as approved by the department head and City Manager. Upon hire, department heads and directors may receive one week of vacation in addition to that specified above at the discretion of the City Manager. Other positions previously approved or offered as a condition of employment will continue to receive the additional week for the tenure of the current employee holding that position.
All personnel shall be entitled to no more than two (2) vacation periods during a fiscal year. When an employee is entitled to three (3) or more weeks of vacation, he or she has the option of receiving one week’s pay in lieu of one week’s vacation. Without prior consent from the City Manager, managers should not schedule vacation as to overlap with another manager in the same department. Additionally, any vacation longer than five (5) business days, needs city manager approval in advance.
Upon retirement or resignation in good standing, vacation time shall be prorated for the current year. (Ord. 2018.20, 4-15-2019; amd. Ord. 2019.55, 4-20-2020; Ord. 2020.31, 4-19-2021; Ord. 2021.12, 8-16-2021)