§ 2-146. Sick leave.

(a)

Employees shall earn sick leave for illness or injury for which they receive no compensation under Workmen's Compensation Statutes. Employees shall be eligible for twelve (12) sick days leave after one (1) year of employment and twelve (12) days for each working year thereafter.

(b)

Said employee shall accumulate sick leave to eighty (80) days. For those employees with anniversary dates prior to April 1, 2007, sick leave in excess of eighty (80) days accumulation will be paid to those employees prior to January 1st of each year, at a rate of pay equal to their regular rate of pay. This program has been suspended for this contract year. This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis at which time the department heads, the city administrator and the city council will determine if the policy is financially feasible to continue.

(c)

If an employee was hired after April 1, 2007 and quits his/her job with the city, accumulated sick leave will not be paid to that employee.

(d)

If an employee retires from his/her job with the city, the employee will be eligible for accumulated sick leave pay provided the following procedures are followed:

(1)

The employee must show proof that they have filed for and will begin drawing LAGERS retirement benefits within thirty (30) days of their last city issued payroll check.

(2)

Employees who plan on retiring and requesting their sick leave payout must submit in writing (using an absentee report) to their supervisor in January of the year they plan on retiring so that the payout can be budgeted accordingly, the date of their retirement must also be submitted.

(3)

Sick leave payouts will be paid with the employee's final paycheck upon retirement, sick leave payments will be paid based on the amount of sick leave in their bank on the employees last full working day. (Example: If an employee is planning on retiring in June, the employee must fill out an absentee report and submit to their supervisor no later than January 31st of that year included on the form should be the date of their retirement.)

(4)

Department heads then must immediately submit these forms to the city clerk.

(5)

Supervisors who are planning to retire must follow the same steps and submit their absentee forms to the city clerk.

(6)

Employees who fail to notify their supervisor in writing of their pending retirement by January 31st of their retirement year will not be eligible for the sick leave payout.

(7)

Employees who quit and/or are terminated from employment from the city are not eligible for sick leave payout.

(8)

If an employee has already banked eighty (80) days/six hundred forty (640) hours, they will still receive twelve (12) sick days per year but not be able to bank or get paid for those days not used. Those sick days not used will simply fall off at the end of the year and your bank will stay at eighty (80) days/six hundred forty (640) hours. Example: If an employee's sick leave bank is at eighty (80) days/six hundred forty (640) hours, and they use four (4) sick days during the year dropping their bank to six hundred eight hours (608), they will only receive four (4) days back the following year to the maximum of eighty (80) days/six hundred forty (640) hours.

Years of Employed Service	Accumulated Rate of Sick Leave
5—9 years	One-fourth (1/4)
10—14 years	One-half (1/2)
15—19 years	Three-fourths (3/4)
20 years and over	Full sick pay

 

(e)

Sick leave is for the use of the employee only and will not be granted for the employee if family members are ill. The only exception to this rule is if an employee is on Family Medical Leave Act.

(f)

Employees hired as of April 1, 2007, can only accumulate sick leave to a maximum of eighty (80) days and will not receive compensation for any sick leave in excess of eighty (80) days.

(g)

The City grants twelve (12) days of sick leave for all employees per calendar year after one (1) year of employment. Sick leave may be accumulated to a maximum of eighty (80) days. The sick leave policy for all employees is as follows:

(1)

The first six (6) days of sick leave taken will be excused.

(2)

The seventh day and each additional day after will require a doctor's statement. If a doctor's statement is not presented, the employee forfeits the day's pay and receives a verbal warning. For each additional day thereafter without a doctor's statement the employee shall receive a written warning, forfeit the day's pay and be subject to further disciplinary action including suspension and discharge.

Sick leave should not be used for personal days off or vacation; sick leave should be used only when an employee is sick or injured. Should an employee be found to be abusing the sick leave policy they shall be subject to disciplinary action including forfeiture of future sick leave time, vacation time, personal holidays and/or immediate discharge.

(h)

The city reserves the right, at any time, to request that an employee see a city appointed physician. The sick leave benefit is provided to employees to assist with their health and wellness and to prevent the spread of communicable illnesses to other employees. Any abuse of this policy will result in disciplinary action.

(Ord. No. 1764-2017, § I.D, 8-14-17)