(a) Employees of the City of Toledo are engaged in the performance and delivery of vital services to our community. In order to ensure the efficient delivery of these services, good attendance on the part of the City's employees is necessary. Moreover, recurring and excessive absenteeism is disruptive to the City's operations, costly to the City and its residents, and detrimental to the morale and efforts of employees who maintain a good work record. Therefore, it is the intent of the parties: (1) to work toward programs and understandings that will reduce absenteeism; (2) to encourage and recognize good attendance on the part of employees; and (3) to cooperate in correcting excessive absenteeism on the part of employees.
(b) This provision in no way detracts from the City's right to investigate illnesses or to bring charges against any employee for abuse of sick leave or for single instances of unexcused absence.