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HomeMy WebLinkAbout008. Non-Union Leaves of Absence Policy. Updated 7.7.2025Section Name: Employee Relations Effective Date: July 7, 2025 Section Number: 400 Policy Number: 008 1.Purpose The purpose of this policy is to set forth the hours and procedures for leaves of absences for all non- bargaining unit City employees. 2.Definitions As used throughout, the term “employee” refers to a City employee who is not a member of a collective bargaining unit. 3.Statement of Policy a.Paid Time Off (PTO) i.Leave Amount – Full-Time Employees. Unless modified by an Employment Agreement and/or the written terms of appointment, full-time employees shall be credited with the following amounts of PTO on January 1 of each calendar year, based on the employees’ full years of service completed the previous year. New hires’ PTO time will be prorated based on their hire date. Level Years of Service Annual PTO Days A 0–2 years 20 B 3–4 years 22 C 5–6 years 24 D 7–8 years 26 E 9–10 years 28 F 11–12 years 30 G 13–15 years 32 H 16–19 years 33 I 20–23 years 34 J 24+ years 35 Leaves of Absence Policy for Non-Bargaining Unit Employees ii. Leave Amount – Other Employees. Part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees shall accrue PTO at the rate of one (1) hour for every thirty (30) hours worked. Newly hired part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees shall begin to accrue PTO upon their date of hire, but are required to work for one-hundred and twenty (120) calendar days before using PTO. iii. Use. As set forth below, employees may use PTO for sick leave, vacations, and personal leaves. Employees must explain the purpose of the PTO (i.e. whether it is being taken as sick leave, vacation time, or personal leave). 1. Sick Leave. Employees may use PTO for the purposes set forth in Michigan’s Earned Sick Time Act (“ESTA”), MCLS Section 408.961 et. seq. Employees may not use more than seventy-two (72) hours PTO in a given calendar year (defined as January 1 through December 31) for purposes set forth in ESTA. PTO used for sick leave must be used in increments of one (1) hour. When the need to use PTO for an ESTA purpose is foreseeable, employees must notify their supervisors seven (7) days in advance of the intended use of PTO. When such needs are not foreseeable, employers must provide their supervisors notice of the intent to use PTO as soon as practicable. The Employer may require employees to provide medical documentation of the purpose of the sick leave when an employee uses more than three (3) consecutive PTO days for ESTA purposes. 2. Vacations. Employees may use PTO for vacations in one (1) day increments. Employees must provide their supervisors fourteen (14) days notice of the intent to use PTO for a vacation. Department Heads maintain discretion to grant or deny the use of PTO for vacations. If multiple employees request to use PTO for a vacation on the same day(s), the Department Head may require the less senior employee(s), whose time was not previously approved, to make an alternate selection to minimize interference with the Employer’s operations. 3. Personal Leaves. Employees may use PTO for personal reasons in one (1) day increments. Employees must provide their supervisors twenty-four (24) hours notice of the intent to use PTO for a personal leave day. Department Heads maintain discretion to grant or deny the use of PTO for personal days. If multiple employees request to use PTO for paid personal leave on the same day, the Department Head may require the less senior employee(s), whose time was not previously approved, to make an alternate selection to minimize interference with the Employer’s operations. iv. Notice. Employees must provide notice of their intent to use PTO as set forth in subsection (iii)(1)-(3) above. Department Heads may establish, with notice to employees, different or additional notice requirements regarding the use of PTO for vacations or personal leaves. v. Carryover – Full-Time Employees. Full-time employees are permitted to carry over PTO from one calendar year to the next depending on their completed years of service and subject to the maximum PTO bank limits as set forth below: Level Years of Service Maximum Carryover A 0–2 years 40 B 3–4 years 44 C 5–6 years 48 D 7–8 years 52 E 9–10 years 56 F 11–12 years 60 G 13–15 years 64 H 16–19 years 66 I 20–23 years 68 J 24+ years 70 In January of each calendar year, full-time employees shall be compensated, at the employee’s regular rate of pay as of December 31 the preceding year, for up to a maximum of six (6) unused PTO days as a PTO Leave Bonus. Such unused days shall be deducted form the employee’s PTO bank as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year. Employees who have less than the maximum amount in their PTO bank (as set forth in the table above) may elect to have their unused PTO remain in their PTO bank. Employees shall inform the Finance Department of their election to receive the PTO Leave Bonus or have unused PTO days applied to their PTO bank by December 31 of each year. vi. Carryover – Other Employees. Part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees are permitted to carry over all unused but accrued PTO time from one year to the next. Part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees are not eligible for a PTO Leave Bonus. vii. FMLA. An employee who is taking FMLA leave because of the employee’s own serious health condition or the serious health condition of a family member must use all PTO concurrently with the FMLA leave. viii. Separation. If an employee’s employment is terminated through resignation, separation, reduction in force, or retirement; the employee has at least one (1) year of service with the City; and the employee provides two weeks’ notice of the termination (if voluntary), the employee will be paid out for all earned but unused PTO. Employees who voluntarily terminate their employment without providing two weeks’ notice forfeit payment of their unused PTO. If employees are rehired within one year of separation, their previous years of service shall be counted in determining the amount of PTO they receive. b. Unpaid Personal Leave i. Full-time employees who have completed six (6) months of service may also be granted an unpaid personal leave of absence for compelling reasons. These unpaid personal leaves must be approved by the Department Head and the City Manager, and may grant an initial leave period of up to thirty (30) days. Extensions may be approved for a maximum period of an additional thirty (30) days at the discretion of the Department Head and City Manager. Applications for unpaid personal leave shall be filed in writing with the Department Head, City Manager, and Human Resources Director, and shall provide a detailed explanation of the reason for the leave. Where possible, requests for unpaid personal leaves must be submitted not less than thirty (30) days prior to the desired commencement date of the leave, or any extensions of the leave. In all events, applications must be received prior to the commencement of the unpaid personal leave or the expiration of the original leave. ii. Employees granted an unpaid personal leave of absence shall be subjected to the following provisions: 1. The employee may be required to submit to a physical and/or mental examination at the conclusion of the leave. 2. The employee must keep their Department Head informed of any change in status or any change in the conditions which caused the request for the unpaid personal leave. 3. The employee must not engage in any gainful employment during such a leave. 4. The employee will not accrue sick or vacation leave time while on an unpaid personal leave of absence. c. Military Leave i. Employees who enter the armed forces of the United States of America while employed by the City, as well as City employees serving as members of the National Guard, shall be given all benefits accorded them by applicable state and federal law. d. Bereavement Leave i. Employees may be granted a paid bereavement leave for a death in the family, to be taken within a month of the date of death. ii. The maximum duration of such bereavement leave shall be five (5) days for the death of an employee’s spouse, child, stepchild, foster child; and three (3) days for the death of an employee’s brother, sister, parent, stepparent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandparent or grandchild; and one (1) day for the death of the spouse’s grandparent, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law. iii. Should a death in the family occur while an employee is on a scheduled vacation leave, the employee shall be eligible to use the bereavement leave described herein upon return from vacation. iv. Employees are permitted to use PTO in addition to the bereavement leave set forth herein to attend a funeral or make other arrangements. e. Jury Duty Leave i. If an employee is summoned and reports for jury duty, such employee shall be granted time off without loss of pay or benefits for the duration of their juror obligations. Any jury duty fee received by the employee shall be submitted to the City. f. Court Leave i. Employees subpoenaed as a witness to testify as a witness in connection with any matters arising out of their employment shall be granted time off for such testimony without loss of pay or benefits status. Any witness fees received by the employee resulting from this leave shall be submitted to the City. g. Duty Disability Leave i. Regular full-time employees and Appointed Officials who have completed one (1) year of service shall be eligible for duty disability. A “duty disability leave” shall mean a leave required as a result of the employee incurring an illness or injury while in the employ of the Employer that is compensable under the Michigan Workers’ Disability Compensation Act (“MWDCA”). ii. In order to be eligible for duty disability leave, an employee shall immediately report any illness or injury incurred while in the employ of the Employer to their immediate supervisor and take such first-aid treatment as may be recommended, or waive such first-aid treatment in writing. iii. Employees on duty disability leave shall accrue all fringe benefits in the same manner as other employees for the first twelve (12) months of duty disability leave. Benefits will not be accrued or continued after the first twelve (12) months. Employees may elect to continue insurance coverage at their own expense on an individual basis after twelve (12) months, subject to the provisions of the respective insurance contracts and, if applicable, COBRA. The Human Resources Department shall establish the policy for the collection of employee payments. iv. Employees who are unable to work as a result of an illness or injury sustained in the course of employment with the Employer shall receive their regular pay for the working days falling within the first seven (7) calendar days of disability. Employees need not use sick leave for these days. After seven (7) calendar days, payment shall be governed by the regulations of the MWDCA. (Note: After fourteen (14) days continuous absence, MWDCA will reimburse the employee at the standard workers’ compensation rate for the first week’s absence previously paid by the Employer. The employee shall immediately reimburse the Employer upon receipt of such payment.) v. In addition, for the first twelve (12) months of duty disability leave, an employee shall be paid bi-weekly the difference between the payment received under the MWDCA and the employee’s normal bi-weekly pay. Thereafter, if the employee has sufficient accrued sick leave, the employee will be paid biweekly the difference between the payment received under the MWDCA and the employee’s normal bi-weekly pay. Such supplemental payment shall not exceed the employee’s accrued sick leave benefits. vi. An employee who is continuing to work and being treated for a duty disability injury may be treated for such injury during regular working hours and will be compensated at the employee’s regular rate of pay. The employee shall report promptly to work once the appointment is completed and shall provide the Employer notice of such absence. vii. If the Employer offers “favored work” to an individual on duty disability leave which the employee is capable of performing, the employee shall report as directed or forfeit all supplemental compensation and benefits as provided by the Employer under this Section and such other benefits as may be terminated in accordance with the provisions of the MWDCA. h. Long Term Disability Benefits i. The City shall provide and maintain group long-term disability benefits for full-time employees commencing on the employee’s ninetieth (90th) day of regular employment. Benefits shall begin on the later of the 181st calendar day of disability or the number of accumulated sick leave days. Benefits shall be in an amount equal to 66 2/3% of the employee’s regular monthly earnings, up to a maximum of $7,000 per month. The termination date for receiving benefits shall be the date the employee becomes eligible for Social Security Normal Age Retirement Benefits. ii. Disability benefits are subject to reduction by any of the following other income benefits for which the employee may be eligible: Workers’ Compensation Disability Benefits; Pension Disability Benefits; Disability Benefits under any “no fault” automobile reparation insurance law; indemnity pay. iii. To qualify for long-term disability benefits as described above, each employee must individually enroll and make proper application for such benefits with the Human Resources Department. iv. Except as otherwise provided above, an employee’s long-term disability benefits plan shall terminate on the date that the employee retires, is terminated, is laid off, or goes on an unpaid leave of absence, or if the disability benefits plan terminates. v. The benefits provided above shall be subject in all respects to the terms, conditions, exclusions, limitations, and other provisions of the group insurance policy between the City and its carrier. i. FMLA Leave i. The Employer agrees that it shall maintain a policy providing for employee family and medical leaves under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Employees shall be governed by the provisions of that policy; however, to the extent the Employer’s policy provides less benefits than those provided by the FMLA, the FMLA shall control. 4. Application This policy shall apply to all non-bargaining unit City employees and appointed officials of the City of Monroe, unless modified by an employment agreement and/or the written terms of appointment. 5. Responsibility The Human Resources Director shall have the responsibility of implementing and overseeing this policy. Department managers have the responsibility of administering the policy. 6. Administrative Procedure 7. Legislative history of Authority for Creation or Revision Adopted pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council, dated July 7, 2025.