(A) Sick leave is provided so that an employee will not be seriously handicapped financially if he or she is unable to work because of illness. Sick leave abuse may be cause for dismissal.
(B) (1) All employees occupying full-time regular positions shall receive 8 hours of sick leave credit for each month of service. Exception: Ambulance employees shall receive 12 hours of sick leave credit for each month of service.
(2) Employees may utilize sick leave credit when they are unable to perform their duties because of sickness or injury or when they are quarantined, or when their absence from work is required due to sickness in the immediate family or for scheduled doctor’s appointment for spouse, child or parent (see Family and Medical Leave Act policy).
(3) All foreseeable leave for these purposes shall require specific prior written approval of the Department Head. In the event sick leave is taken for 3 consecutive 8-hour work days for any purpose, the Department Head or Personnel Officer shall require a certificate from a medical doctor. (Exception: Ambulance Department employees, after 2 consecutive 24-hour work shifts.) The Department Head or Personnel Administrator has the authority to request a medical statement if circumstances surrounding an absence of less time warrants further documentation.
(4) For accrual purposes, a new employee who reports for work on or before the fifteenth of the month shall accrue the full amount for that month; if employed on or after the sixteenth, a new employee shall begin accruing sick leave at the beginning of the following month.
(5) The county employees may accrue unlimited sick leave hours.
(6) Sick leave cannot be transferred to another employee.
(7) Additional information on the Family Leave Act may be obtained in the Judge/Executive’s office.
(8) Absence for a part of a day that is chargeable to sick leave shall be charged proportionately in an amount not smaller than 2 hours.
(9) The Department Head or his or her designee shall keep records of sick leave and forward sick leave records to the Personnel Officer.
(10) Absences due to sickness, injury or disability in excess of accumulated sick leave, at the request of the employee, and with the approval of the Department Head, may be charged to vacation leave credit.
(11) Employees who terminate employment shall not be paid for unused sick leave.
(12) Woodford County has adopted the Retirement Standard Sick Leave Program with the County Employees Retirement System. At retirement, employees shall receive service credit for unused sick leave to be used in determining the employee’s retirement benefit. Woodford County shall make the payment for accumulated sick leave up to the first 6 months (1,040 hours) of unused sick leave. If the employee has over 6 months of accumulated sick leave, the employee may pay the Retirement System for the remainder of accumulated sick leave to receive additional service credit.
(13) (a) Consistent with the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, pregnancy/childbirth shall be treated as a temporary disability, and is eligible for use of sick leave. The ability of the employee to return to work shall be determined by the employee’s physician, consistent with the individual medical needs of the employee. Before returning to work the employee must provide documentation from the physician indicating the employee may return to her job.
(b) Employees absent from work due to pregnancy/childbirth may utilize vacation leave after all sick leaves have been utilized. Leave beyond this amount shall be leave without pay. During leave due to pregnancy/childbirth, vacation days shall continue to accrue and shall be credited if the employee returns to work. Insurance benefits will continue to be paid for full-time employees who provide written certification of their intent to return to work following childbirth. An employee who is not planning to return to work following childbirth is requested to submit a timely resignation to allow the county’s staffing needs to be met.
(c) To the extent possible, an employee shall submit her written request for the leave in advance, indicating the approximate dates of absence from work, and her anticipated return to work.
(14) Returning to work after absence. All employees returning to work after more than 3 days off work due to illness, work-related injury or non-work-related injury must provide a statement from a physician certifying their fitness before they return to work. The statement must include any restrictions to the employee’s ability to perform their duties and the potential impact any prescribed or recommended medications may have on their ability to perform their duties. Based on the restrictions provided, the Personnel Administrator will recommend to the Judge/Executive whether the employee should be allowed to return to work with the documented restrictions. Determining factors may include duration of restrictions, safety of job site, etc.
(C) Attendance. Attendance is a critical component of an employee’s success in the workplace. In the event an employee exhausts the balance of available sick, holiday and vacation hours and is off work without pay, they may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. (Exceptions to this include absences eligible for and covered by Family and Medical Leave Act and Medical Leave of Absence policies of the Woodford County Fiscal Court.)
(Order 10, passed 5-27-1998; Am. Order 9, passed 1-11-2005; Am. Order 16, passed 9-12-2006)