Note: Some city employees may have different work leave benefits than those listed. If this is the case, refer to your department's collective bargaining agreement.

Personal Days

Employees are entitled to two personal leave days per year, if 6 sick leave days or less are used in the previous full calendar year, except as otherwise provided in Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Sick Days

Employees are eligible for sick leave as defined by City Ordinances or Collective Bargaining Agreements.

The sick leave accrual rate is fifteen days per year with a maximum rate established at 120 days for all employees, except as otherwise specified by applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Any employee eligible for sick leave with pay may use sick leave, upon approval of his or her department or office head, in certain circumstances pursuant to City Ordinance or the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement.  Such circumstances may include absence due to his or her illness or injury; the illness or injury of a spouse, child or other blood relative or ward residing in your household; or for exposure to a contagious disease.

If you wish to use sick leave you must inform your immediate supervisor of the fact and reason as soon as possible. Failure to do so, within a reasonable time, may be cause for denial of pay for the period of absence.

Your department head shall require a doctor’s certificate before approving sick leave with pay for a period of more than three workdays, and for shorter periods if there is an appearance of misuse of the sick leave or other reasons.  In the case of a pandemic, a doctor's certificate may not be required for a period or periods of more than three work days.

Upon death (while employed by the City) or paid retirement, employees may be paid up to 80 days of accrued sick leave. On separation from service under satisfactory conditions and 15 years of continuous service, non-affiliated employees are paid up to 60 days of accrued sick leave. Affiliated employees should refer to their Collective Bargaining Agreements for details surrounding accrued sick leave payouts upon separation.

Vacation

Use of vacation leave must be approved by your supervisor and should be requested well in advance of the scheduled leave date. Vacation leave is not earned during a period of unpaid leave. Vacation leave credits are accrued on a monthly basis for affiliated employees pursuant to the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Vacation leave credits are accrued on a weekly basis for non-affiliated employees as follows:

Effective January 1, 2023:

• First nine years: 2.31 hours per week for each completed week of service continuing at such rate until the completion of nine years of continuous service.
• Ten to fourteen years: 3.08 hours per week for each completed week of service after the completion of 9 years of continuous service and thereafter continuing at such rate until the completion of 14 years of continuous service.
• Fifteen through nineteen years: 3.85 hours per week for each completed week of service after the completion of 14 years of continuous service and thereafter continuing at such rate until the completion of 19 years of continuous service.
• Twenty or more years: 4.62 hours per week for each completed week of service after the completion of 19 years of continuous service and thereafter.

Vacation leave is available to regular, part-time employees who work more than twenty hours a week and are not seasonal or temporary on a prorated basis, according to work schedules and with the approval of their department head. No vacation shall accrue on hours in excess of 40 hours per week.