(1) Employees unable to work due to illness, injury, disabilities, or pregnancy are entitled to take sick leave. All employees earn one day of paid sick leave for every four weeks they are on the payroll and can carry over an unlimited amount of accumulated sick leave from one year to the next. In order to qualify for sick leave pay, the employee must comply with the following conditions:
(a) Employees unable to report to work due to illness must promptly notify their supervisor.
(b) Employees shall keep their superintendent or chief informed of the extent of their illness and anticipated day of return.
(c) An employee receiving Workman's Compensation Benefits shall not be required to use up his or her sick days.
(d) No employee will be paid for unused sick leave upon separation from city service including but not limited to retirement, resignation, or involuntary termination.
(e) Sick leave can be used for physician's and dentist's appointments, provided the employee gives at least two days' advance notice.
(f) All absences must be approved by the superintendent or chief.
(g) Supervisors may require workers who exhibit a pattern of absences or are absent for three consecutive days to provide a doctor's statement or other acceptable proof of illness, in order to use accumulated sick leave.
(2) The Board of Public Works and Safety may grant a new employee who is transferring to the city from another governmental agency to transfer their verifiable unused sick leave from their previous employer to their current employment on the basis of five days upon hiring in, and an additional five days upon their anniversary date each year until the entire amount of unused sick leave is credited to that employee.
(1) The city recognized the need for providing paid vacation leave for its full-time employees. All employees hired during or after the year 2006 shall qualify for vacations as follows:
(a) First year of service - three days - except for Fire Department employees who shall qualify for one day due to 24 hour shifts.
(b) After completion of the first year to the completion of the fifth year - one week.
(c) From the completion of the fifth year to the completion of the tenth year - two weeks.
(d) From the completion of the tenth year to the completion of the fifteenth year - three weeks.
(e) From the completion of the fifteenth year to the completion of the twentieth year - four weeks.
(f) From the completion of the twentieth year and thereafter - five weeks.
(g) Each week vacation shall consist of seven consecutive calendar days, except for Police and Fire Departments.
1. Police Department - seven working days will equal one week.
2. Fire Department - three working days shall constitute one week.
(h) Vacation leave is computed from the initial date of employment, provided the employment relationship has been uninterrupted. If an interruption of employment has occurred, vacation leave credit shall be earned from the most recent date of hiring.
(i) Employees may not use vacation leave credit while on disciplinary probation.
(j) Employees must request vacation leave in advance of its use so that department heads and chiefs may properly schedule available staff during peak vacation period.
(k) Vacation leave requests must be in writing and must be approved by the superintendent or chief.
(l) Only permanent full-time personnel are eligible for vacation leave.
(2) An employee separating from city service prior to the completion of 12 months employment will not be eligible to receive payment for accrued vacation leave. Upon separation from city service, in good standing, an employee shall be paid for unused vacation for a maximum of five weeks. For an employee to leave in "good standing," he/she must give two weeks written notice. Under unusual circumstances and upon the Board of Public Works and Safety's approval, less time may be considered sufficient, permitting the employee to leave the service in good standing. Payment for unused vacation leave, not to exceed five weeks, shall be paid to the beneficiaries of decreased employee. An employee dismissed from city service forfeits all accrued vacation leave.
(3) The Board of Public Works and Safety may grant a new employee who is transferring to the city from another governmental agency to carry forward their date of service for the purpose of longevity in calculating vacation pay benefits. This would allow the new employee to receive increased vacation benefits without starting from year zero, thus allowing that employee to continue to get additional vacation leave and not suffer the loss of that benefit because of the transfer of employment.
(C) Court leave. An employee who is legally required to report for jury duty, or to serve as a witness, by subpoena, before any body or agency having subpoena powers, shall be granted leave of absence from his/her position during the required absence for such duty. Persons voluntarily serving as a witness in lawsuits (i.e. Divorce) must use accrued leave time for such purposes. When such leave of absence is granted for jury duty or to serve as a witness in matters relating to employment with the city, the employee shall receive that portion of their regular salary from the city which will, together with compensation for such court service, equal their total regular salary for the same period. A copy of the subpoena or the letter directing the employee to report for jury duty must be furnished to the supervisor and placed in the employee's personnel file. An off-duty employee who is legally required to serve as a witness in matters relating to employment with the city, shall be granted a minimum of three hours of compensation based a rate of one and one-half hours times the number of hours spent in court.
(1) An employee shall receive leave with pay, not to exceed six consecutive calendar days in the event of the death of a specified relative. The employee must notify his/her supervisor in the event of the death of the specified relative, including the length of time for the funeral leave.
(2) Specified relatives include: husband, wife, father, step-father, mother, step-mother, son, step-son, daughter, step-daughter, brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, grandparent, grandchild, or a person living in the same household with the employee. For a married employee, these members of the spouse's family are included.
(3) An employee shall receive leave with pay, not to exceed three consecutive calendar days in the event of the death of an employee's aunt, uncle, niece or nephew. For a married employee, these members of the spouse's family are included. The employee must notify his/her supervisor in the event of the death of the specified relative, including the length of time for the funeral leave.
(4) An employee shall receive leave with pay, not to exceed four hours, to attend a funeral if he/she is a pallbearer.
(1) All employees, with the exception of the Police and Fire Departments, will be granted all legal state holidays with pay.
(2) If any of these holidays fall on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be observed holiday, and if any of these holidays fall on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be the observed holiday.
(3) Any employee absent without authorization on the day preceding and/or following the holiday will not receive regular compensation for the holiday.
(4) Due to the work schedules of the Police and Fire Departments, they are excluded from holiday leave with pay. In lieu of, each member of the Police and Fire Departments shall receive one holiday pay each four months as specified in the Mayor's Salary Ordinance as adopted annually.
(F) Worker's compensation.
(1) All employees will be covered by Worker's Compensation.
(2) Any employee injured on the job must contact his or her superintendent or chief at the earliest possible time, no later than 24 hours, and must complete all necessary forms.
(3) The superintendent will inform the Mayor within 24 hours when an employee is injured on the job.
(G) Reimbursement policy. Employees will be reimbursed for on-the-job expenses and out-of-town expenses, such as official telephone calls, parking, use of personal car and mileage (mileage to be same as State's) and the like, subject to the conditions established by the budgets of the City and by the policies of the funding source. A City employee is entitled to one fifteen minute long distance telephone call home while out of town overnight on approved City business.
(1) All employees using a personal car for City business must carry liability coverage must be filed annually with the Clerk-Treasurer.
(1) Maternity leave may be changed.
(a) Sick leave - until expended.
(b) Vacation leave - until expended.
(c) If additional time is required, a leave of absence without pay, must be requested. Employee shall pay all fringe benefits.
(2) Leave status will end six weeks after the end of the pregnancy.
(3) If the employee does not return after the six week period, or provide medical certification that additional leave is needed, it will be presumed that the employee does not wish to return to work and will be terminated.
(1) To be eligible for military leave, a regular employee must present written official orders requiring the employee's attendance for training, in the:
(2) An employee is eligible for military leave for no more than 31 calendar days each year.
(3) Military leave pay is full pay, less military pay.
(4) Military leave pay must be endorsed to the City if employee wants to receive full pay.
(J) Compensatory time. Department heads are entitled to compensatory time off for extraordinary work performed above and beyond normal work hours. Any such compensatory leave must be documented and must be approved by the Mayor or controlling board.
(K) Leave of absence. Employees can request an unpaid, extended leave of absence for personal reasons. The Board of Public Works and Safety may grant such request, at its discretion, for good cause.
(L) Personal leave. Personal leave shall accrue to full-time employees at the rate of one day for every 16 weeks they are on the payroll. No employee may accrue a personal leave balance in excess of three days. If an employee is otherwise eligible to accrue personal leave, but the accrual thereof would increase his/her account balance beyond the three day limit, the personal leave days shall be credited to the employee's accrued sick leave balance. Unless approved by the department head, personal leave shall not create an overtime situation.
(M) Job-related medical leave.
(1) Any employee unable to work because of a job-related disabling condition shall be entitled to absence at his/her regular rate of pay for the duration of the time for which he/she is medically certified as unable to work. Not to exceed 365 calendar days per job related disabling condition.
(2) During such leave of absence, the employer will maintain regular payments into medical and pension plans to ensure continued coverage for the employee and any dependents. Employees will continue to accrue vacation leave benefits and pension credit during job-related medical leave, thus allowing that employee to continue to get additional vacation leave and pension credit and not suffer the loss of that benefit because of a job-related medical condition.
(N) Community service leave.
(1) Each full-time city employee is allowed leave with pay from the employee's regular assigned duties, not to exceed a combined total of eight hours each calendar year to voluntarily participate in activities for the benefit of another governmental entity or an organization that is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The voluntary activities must not promote religion or attempt to influence legislation, governmental policy, or elections to public office.
(2) To be eligible for leave with pay under this program, the employee must provide written documentation, that, prior to the date(s) for which the employee has requested this leave, the employee has donated an equivalent amount of the employee's own time to a governmental entity or tax-exempt organization.
(3) It shall be the responsibility of the employee to request the leave at least seven calendar days in advance, unless the request is to provide services in an emergency situation.
(Ord. 30-94, passed 11-29-94; Am. Ord. 41-96, passed 12-9-96; Am. Ord. 51-98, passed 12-14-98; Am. Ord. 2-2004, passed 11-22-04; Am. Ord. 16-2005, passed 11-28-05; Am. Ord. 17-2005, passed 11-28-05)
