Common use of Annual Leave and Compensatory Time Off Clause in Contracts

Annual Leave and Compensatory Time Off. A. Appointing authorities are responsible for arranging scheduled annual leave for vacations so that adequate personnel are available to carry on necessary City work. B. Insofar as is practicable, employees should be permitted to schedule annual leave for vacations and compensatory time off at times most acceptable to the employee. Annual leave for vacations shall be selected by employees within each division, section, or unit, as is applicable, based upon their seniority by class within the Department. Employees who are transferred at their request, or promoted, may be required to modify their scheduled annual leave or comp time off for vacations. C. Employees should be encouraged to take regular annual leave vacations but they shall not be required to take annual leave vacations against their will. Employees may accumulate annual leave time in accordance with this agreement. Compensatory time shall be reduced to 45 hours as of June 30 each year unless an exception is granted by the City Manager’s Office. This time frame may be modified in exceptional circumstances. Compensatory time may be accumulated up to a maximum of 120 hours during the fiscal year as long as the above provisions are complied with. However, based on workload and operational considerations, Department Heads or their designees may set a lower midyear accumulation limit after meeting and discussing the proposed limit with Union. D. Any existing annual leave vacation scheduling method that is satisfactory with the employees shall remain in effect for the duration of the contract. This is in lieu of the above mentioned scheduling method. E. Effective June 30, 2011, the benefit of “Terminal Leave” will be eliminated for all current and future Lifeguards. F. Effective July 1, 1991, the maximum accumulation of annual leave for employees with 15 or more years of service is 700 hours. For employees hired after July 1, 1993, the maximum accumulation of annual leave is 350 hours. Employees are eligible to receive “payment-in-lieu” of annual leave regardless of the total number of annual leave hours the employee has accrued at the time of the request, up to a maximum payment of 125 hours per fiscal year. Cease to Accrue Provision: Employees who reach their maximum permitted accumulation of annual leave on their anniversary date shall cease to accrue additional annual leave. Employees who expect to be in this situation may submit a written plan by which to reduce excess leave which will include time off and pay-in-lieu up to 125 hours per fiscal year as necessary. If the Appointing Authority denies the specific time off requested and provides no alternative time off which is acceptable to the employee, this cease-to-accrue provision shall not apply until such time as the employee is granted and takes the time off. It is the City’s intent to accommodate employees’ requests to use annual leave and avoid any loss of this benefit. G. Leave provisions included under items H and I below will be accounted for separately. H. Pre-approved annual leave, sick leave, or compensatory time off properly used for personal, family or dependent illnesses should not be subject to disciplinary action. I. Approved unscheduled annual or sick leave properly used for family, dependent or significant other/co-tenant illnesses shall be considered as a separate category when reviewing employee performance with regard to attendance and/or absenteeism issues and shall not be subject to disciplinary action. Should the City, for good and sufficient reasons, determine that an employee is abusing this leave provision, the appointing authority may request a bona fide doctor’s statement from the employee to substantiate the leave request(s). Failure to provide documentation, by a mutually agreed upon date, to the appointing authority may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the City’s Personnel Regulations. J. Criteria to be considered in determining leave abuse shall not be limited to stated department/division numerical standards, and must include, but not be limited to, length of service, prior attendance record throughout City career, reason for absence, past performance reports, harm to the work unit, leave balances, past discipline, as well as job classification and working conditions. If disciplinary action for employee leave abuse under this article is proposed which deviates from these criteria, the appointing authority or designee must obtain prior approval from the Human Resources Director.

Annual Leave and Compensatory Time Off. A. 1. Appointing authorities are responsible for arranging scheduled annual leave for vacations so that adequate personnel are available to carry on necessary City work. B. 2. Insofar as is practicable, employees should be permitted to schedule annual leave for vacations and compensatory time off at times most acceptable to the employee. Annual leave for vacations shall be selected by employees within each division, section, or unit, as is applicable, based upon their seniority by class within the Department. Employees who are transferred at their request, or promoted, may be required to modify their scheduled annual leave or comp time off for vacations. C. 3. Employees should be encouraged to take regular annual leave vacations but they shall not be required to take annual leave vacations against their will. Employees may accumulate annual leave time in accordance with this agreement. Compensatory time shall be reduced to 45 hours as of June 30 each year unless an exception is granted by the City Manager’s Office. This time frame may be modified in exceptional circumstances. Compensatory time may be accumulated up to a maximum of 120 hours during the fiscal year as long as the above provisions are complied with. However, based on workload and operational considerations, Department Heads or their designees may set a lower midyear accumulation limit after meeting and discussing the proposed limit with UnionMEA. D. 4. Any existing annual leave vacation scheduling method that is satisfactory with the employees shall remain in effect for the duration of the contract. This is in lieu of the above mentioned scheduling method. E. Effective June 30, 2011, the benefit of “Terminal Leave” will be eliminated for all current and future Lifeguards. F. 5. Effective July 1, 1991, the maximum accumulation of annual leave for employees with 15 or more years of service is 700 hours. For employees hired after July 1, 1993, the maximum accumulation of annual leave is 350 hours. Employees are eligible to receive “payment-in-lieu” of annual leave regardless of the total number of annual leave hours the employee has accrued at the time of the request, up to a maximum payment of 125 hours per fiscal year. Cease to Accrue Provision: Employees who reach their maximum permitted accumulation of annual leave on their anniversary date shall cease to accrue additional annual leave. Employees who expect to be in this situation may submit a written plan by which to reduce excess leave which will include time off and pay-in-lieu up to 125 hours per fiscal year as necessary. If the Appointing Authority denies the specific time off requested and provides no alternative time off which is acceptable to the employee, this cease-to-accrue provision shall not apply until such time as the employee is granted and takes the time off. It is the City’s intent to accommodate employees’ requests to use annual leave and avoid any loss of this benefit. G. 6. Leave provisions included under items H 7 and I 8 below will be accounted for separately. H. 7. Pre-approved annual leave, sick leave, or compensatory time off properly used for personal, family or dependent illnesses should not be subject to disciplinary action. I. 8. Approved unscheduled annual or sick leave properly used for family, dependent or significant other/co-tenant illnesses shall be considered as a separate category when reviewing employee performance with regard to attendance and/or absenteeism issues and shall not be subject to disciplinary action. Should the City, for good and sufficient reasons, determine that an employee is abusing this leave provision, the appointing authority may request a bona fide doctor’s statement from the employee to substantiate the leave request(s). Failure to provide documentation, by a mutually agreed upon date, to the appointing authority may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the City’s Personnel Regulations. J. 9. Criteria to be considered in determining leave abuse shall not be limited to stated department/division numerical standards, and must include, but not be limited to, length of service, prior attendance record throughout City career, reason for absence, past performance reports, harm to the work unit, leave balances, past discipline, as well as job classification and working conditions. If disciplinary action for employee leave abuse under this article is proposed which deviates from these criteria, the appointing authority or designee must obtain prior approval from the Human Resources DirectorLabor Relations Manager.

Annual Leave and Compensatory Time Off. A. 1. Appointing authorities are responsible for arranging scheduled annual leave for vacations so that adequate personnel are available to carry on necessary City work. B. 2. Insofar as is practicable, employees should be permitted to schedule annual leave for vacations and compensatory time off at times most acceptable to the employee. Annual leave for vacations shall be selected by employees within each division, section, or unit, as is applicable, based upon their seniority by class within the Department. Employees who are transferred at their request, or promoted, may be required to modify their scheduled annual leave or comp time off for vacations. C. 3. Employees should be encouraged to take regular annual leave vacations but they shall not be required to take annual leave vacations against their will. Employees may accumulate annual leave time in accordance with this agreement. Compensatory time shall be reduced to 45 hours as of June 30 each year unless an exception is granted by the City Manager’s Office. This time frame may be modified in exceptional circumstances. Compensatory time may be accumulated up to a maximum of 120 hours during the fiscal year as long as the above provisions are complied with. However, based on workload and operational considerations, Department Heads or their designees may set a lower midyear accumulation limit after meeting and discussing the proposed limit with UnionMEA. D. 4. Any existing annual leave vacation scheduling method that is satisfactory with the employees shall remain in effect for the duration of the contract. This is in lieu of the above mentioned scheduling method. E. Effective June 30, 2011, the benefit of “Terminal Leave” will be eliminated for all current and future Lifeguards. F. 5. Effective July 1, 1991, the maximum accumulation of annual leave for employees with 15 or more years of service is 700 hours. For employees hired after July 1, 1993, the maximum accumulation of annual leave is 350 hours. Employees are eligible to receive “payment-in-lieu” of annual leave regardless of the total number of annual leave hours the employee has accrued at the time of the request, up to a maximum payment of 125 hours per fiscal year. Cease to Accrue Provision: Employees who reach their maximum permitted accumulation of annual leave on their anniversary date shall cease to accrue additional annual leave. Employees who expect to be in this situation may submit a written plan by which to reduce excess leave which will include time off and pay-in-lieu up to 125 hours per fiscal year as necessary. If the Appointing Authority denies the specific time off requested and provides no alternative time off which is acceptable to the employee, this cease-to-accrue provision shall not apply until such time as the employee is granted and takes the time off. It is the City’s intent to accommodate employees’ requests to use annual leave and avoid any loss of this benefit. G. 6. Leave provisions included under items H 7 and I 8 below will be accounted for separately. H. 7. Pre-approved annual leave, sick leave, or compensatory time off properly used for personal, family or dependent illnesses should not be subject to disciplinary action. I. 8. Approved unscheduled annual or sick leave properly used for family, dependent or significant other/co-tenant illnesses shall be considered as a separate category when reviewing employee performance with regard to attendance and/or absenteeism issues and shall not be subject to disciplinary action. Should the City, for good and sufficient reasons, determine that an employee is abusing this leave provision, the appointing authority may request a bona fide doctor’s statement from the employee to substantiate the leave request(s). Failure to provide documentation, by a mutually agreed upon date, to the appointing authority may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the City’s Personnel Regulations. J. 9. Criteria to be considered in determining leave abuse shall not be limited to stated department/division numerical standards, and must include, but not be limited to, length of service, prior attendance record throughout City career, reason for absence, past performance reports, harm to the work unit, leave balances, past discipline, as well as job classification and working conditions. If disciplinary action for employee leave abuse under this article is proposed which deviates from these this criteria, the appointing authority or designee must obtain prior approval from the Human Resources DirectorLabor Relations Manager.