§ 20-163. Sick leave.

(a)

County employees, except temporary and emergency employees, are eligible for sick leave benefits as earned from the date of employment. Sick leave shall accrue for full-time employees at the rate of one (1) day per month or its proportional equivalent (see section 20-165 for annual leave accrual rate) and an additional one-half day's sick leave or proportional equivalent thereof (see section 20-165 for annual accrual rate) will accrue on June 30 and December 31 of each year. Part-time employees shall accrue sick leave at the rate of one-half day a month and an additional one-quarter day's leave will accrue on June 30 and December 31 of each year. An employee who starts work before the sixteenth of a month shall earn sick leave for that month, but if the employee starts work on or later than the sixteenth of the month, sick leave accrual will be determined by the hours worked by the end of the month. No sick leave shall accrue for an employee under conditions as set forth in section 20-165, subsection (b). No accrual shall be permitted for an employee on leave without pay, workers' compensation or disability leave. When an employee shall have accumulated thirty (30) days of sick leave by the end of the last pay period in November, such employee may be paid in cash each year by December 25 for one-fourth of that year's unused sick leave accumulated beyond the thirty (30) days, and the other three-fourths beyond the thirty (30) days shall be added to the sick leave accumulation of such employee. Accrued but unused sick leave shall be cumulative for succeeding years.

(b)

Both probationary and permanent status employees who are eligible for sick leave with pay shall be granted this leave for the following reasons:

(1)

Personal illness or physical incapacity and doctor or dentist appointments of the employee, employee's spouse, children living in the same household, or serious illness of spouse, children or parents as defined in the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.

(2)

Enforced quarantine of the employee in accordance with community health regulations.

(c)

An employee on sick leave shall inform the employee's immediate supervisor of the fact and the reason therefor within the time established by the department head, and failure to do so may be cause for denial of sick leave with pay for the period of the absence.

(d)

A medical certificate signed by a licensed physician may be required by the department head to substantiate a request for sick leave for any of the following:

(1)

Any period of absence consisting of three (3) or more consecutive days.

(2)

Sick leave of any duration if absence from duty recurs frequently or habitually, provided the employee has been notified in writing that a certificate will be required.

(3)

To support the use of family and medical leave and unscheduled annual leave when sick leave has been exhausted.

(Code 1976, §§ 2-3123—2-3126; Ord. No. 94-26, § 1, 10-11-94)