§ 2-417. Sick leave.

A.

Sick leave accrual: All full time regular employees shall accumulate paid sick leave at the rate of eight (8) hours per month.

B.

Elected officials: Elected officials are not eligible for sick leave.

C.

Sick leave accumulated cap: Unused sick leave can be accumulated up to a maximum of nine hundred sixty (960) hours. Employees whose sick leave accrual as of January 1, 2002 was in excess of nine hundred sixty (960) hours may retain such excess sick leave, but shall not further accrue sick leave until such time as their accumulations are less than nine hundred sixty (960) hours.

D.

Sick leave increment: Sick leave may be taken by the employee in hourly or daily increments. The minimum sick leave increment shall be one (1) hour.

E.

Sick leave pay, if separated: Sick leave earned but not taken shall be paid to the employee upon leaving the employ of the City. Separating employees shall be paid for fifty percent (50%) of all accumulated sick leave at his or her regular rate of pay.

F.

Eligible sick leave request: An employee may request sick leave upon proper notice to his/her department head or other designated individual. Sick leave may be requested for the following:

1.

Illness or injury of the employee or illness or injury of a member of the employee's immediate family when personal attention on the part of the employee is necessary;

2.

Exposure of the employee or a member of his/her immediate family to a contagious disease which would have the potential of jeopardizing the health of the employee or the health of others;

3.

Death of a member of the employee's family;

4.

Pregnancy, childbirth, and/or related medical conditions.

For the purpose of this policy "immediate family" shall be defined as spouse, child, stepchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, parent, stepparent, and parent-in-law.

G.

Departmental procedures, required: Due to the diverse nature of City operations, each department head will establish his/her own procedure and requirements regarding an employee reporting off from work due to illness or injury. Said procedure and requirements shall be placed in writing within the department rules and regulations.

H.

Medical documentation, required: A physician's certificate stating the nature of the illness from a licensed medical practitioner shall be required to justify the use of sick leave if an employee is absent from employment for three (3) or more consecutive days, in the case of a reported illness or injury. Said certificate shall be provided at the employee's expense. The City maintains the right to investigate an employee's absence, including the right to request that an employee obtain an absence excuse from a licensed medical practitioner. Altering or falsifying a written, signed excuse shall be grounds for corrective action up to and including termination.

I.

Vacation leave substitution, eligible: Vacation leave may be used for sick leave purposes, at the employee's request and with the approval of the department head, after sick leave is exhausted. Employees who have exhausted all sick leave and vacation leave credits may, at the discretion of the City Administrator, be granted a personal leave of absence without pay for a period not to exceed six (6) months.

J.

Sick leave records: The Finance Division shall keep written records of sick leave accrued or credited, sick leave taken, and the balance of sick leave for each employee. The Finance Division will notify the department head if an employee does not have enough sick leave to cover a period of absence.

K.

Donation of accrued sick leave: Any regular full-time employee may voluntarily donate a portion of his or her earned and accumulated sick leave to another sick leave eligible employee, who has expended all of their personally accrued and earned sick leave under the following conditions:

1.

Any such request to donate sick leave must be in writing on the donation form. Said form shall be submitted to the City Administrator not less than seven (7) working days prior to the next scheduled payday.

2.

Any donation of sick leave shall be made in increments of whole hours only.

3.

To donate sick leave, such leave must already have been earned and accrued to the benefit of the donating employee at the time the request for the authority to donate (donation form) is submitted.

4.

An employee shall not donate more than forty (40) hours to another employee without prior approval of the City Administrator.

5.

The sick leave recipient shall not be entitled to receive, accept, and have credited to his or her benefit more than the employee's maximum accumulated sick leave allowance, as established within, this policy.

6.

Any and all sick leave donated shall be permanent and shall not under any circumstances be returned to the donating employee.

7.

In the event of the employee's death or termination of employment with the City of Effingham, the donated sick leave balance shall cease to exist, and no payment based thereon will be made to the employee or his or her estate.

8.

Under applicable law, the utilization of donated sick leave shall be considered as income received by the employee at the recipient's rate of pay.

9.

Under applicable law, the donation of sick leave shall be considered as sick leave used by the donating employee.

(Ord. No. 106-2018 , § IV, 12-4-2018)

Editor's note

Ord. No. 106-2018 , § I, adopted Dec. 4, 2018, repealed the former § 2-417, and § IV of the ordinance enacted a new section as set out herein. The former § 2-417 pertained to similar subject matter and derived from Ord. No. 72-2011, § I(Exh. A), adopted Dec. 20, 2011; and Ord. No. 77-2014, § I, adopted Dec. 2, 2014.