Time Off The company recognises that sufficient time off to attend to personal matters and for recreation are important to the employee’s wellbeing, job satisfaction and overall productivity. Accordingly, time off may be taken with the consent of the Company, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. In considering the approval to have time off, the Parties will have regard to the current works programme and the urgency of the reason for time off. In the event that time off is to be taken, it will be the employee’s obligation to advise the Company in advance or as soon as practicable on the day of absence, recognising that unplanned absences can cause costly disruption to programmed works and are a major source of annoyance for the company, other employees and clients. The object of offering flexible working hours is that in return employees will take very seriously their obligation to turn up when they are expected. In view of the disruption caused by unplanned and or notified absenteeism, repeated failure to observe the protocol for time off would constitute misconduct.
Vacation Leave Maximum Employees may accumulate maximum vacation leave balances not to exceed two hundred and forty (240) hours. However, there are two (2) exceptions that allow vacation leave to accumulate above the maximum:
Paid Time Off (PTO) Executive shall earn and accrue paid-time-off covering vacation and sick time benefits at the rate of twenty (20) days per year for employment periods of up to five years of service. The PTO accrual rate shall automatically increase by five (5) additional days for each additional 5 years of service up to maximum of thirty (30) days per year after 10 years of service. For example, after five years of service, the annual PTO accrual rate shall increase to twenty-five (25) days. Unused PTO shall carry over to the next year, but Executive shall cease accruing further PTO at any time Executive has accrued two times his annual accrual rate. Unused PTO days which are not in excess of two-times the annual accrual rate shall be paid in a cash lump sum payment promptly after Executive’s termination of employment.
Vacation Buy Back Employees shall have the option of requesting pay in lieu of time off up to a maximum of 144 hours of vacation time each year, during each year of the contract in increments of eight (8) hrs. Such requests are subject to the approval of the department head and the availability of funds.
Sick Leave Incentive The City will institute a sick leave incentive based on the usage of the bargaining unit; further, the City will pay each person who qualifies during January of each year. The incentive will be calculated and monitored by the Personnel Department and will be based on the pay periods during a calendar year. The incentive shall be awarded only when the bargaining unit's average sick leave usage is less than the City average and the following conditions are met: When the bargaining unit's sick leave usage is greater than forty (40) hours but less than the City average, the City will pay each member using between zero (0) and sixteen (16) hours of sick leave, eight (8) hours pay and any member using more than sixteen (16) but equal to or less than twenty-four (24) hours, four (4) hours pay. When the bargaining unit's average sick leave usage is equal to or less than forty (40) hours, the City will pay each member who used between zero (0) and sixteen (16) hours, sixteen (16) hours of pay at their current hourly rate. Those members who used more than sixteen (16) but equal to or less than twenty-four (24) hours, will receive eight (8) hours of pay.
