§ 52-21. Sick leave.

A. 

Sick leave allowance shall be 12 days a year computed at the rate of one day per month for each month of work performed by the employee diminished by any sick leave taken by any employee. The rate of sick leave allowance accrual for part-time employees shall be prorated in accordance with the actual work schedule of such part-time employees. Employees hired on a per diem, temporary or seasonal basis shall not be entitled to any sick leave allowance. The minimum charge against sick leave shall be 1/2 working day. Any regular sick leave allowance accrued at the end of any calendar year shall be carried over to the next year, but not in excess of 200 days.

B. 

Sick leave control and certification.

(1) 

The granting of sick leave with pay shall lie within the discretion of the employee's department head or, in case of a department head, in the discretion of the City Manager.

(2) 

Accumulated or unused sick leave shall not form the basis for granting extra pay or for extension of vacation periods. Such sick leave may be consumed only by absences from work caused by sickness or disability.

(3) 

Upon becoming ill or disabled, the employee or some person acting in his behalf shall give prompt notice at the beginning of the first day of absence to the employee's department head or, in the case of a department head, to the City Manager.

(4) 

Where employees are absent from work only infrequently and there is no record of unusual or recurring use of sick leave privilege, the department head may allow absences up to two consecutive working days without a doctor's certificate. An absence of three or more consecutive working days must be substantiated by a certificate either from the City physician or the employee's private physician attesting to the fact that the absence was necessitated by a legitimate sickness or disability. An absence commencing on the last working day of a week and continuing through the first working day of the following week shall require a certificate as described above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a department head who from the record feels that an employee is making improper, excessive or recurrent use of accrued sick time shall report such absence to the City physician who shall make such investigation of the alleged illness or disability, as he deems proper. The City physician shall promptly transmit to the employee's department head his finding as to whether or not the sick leave privilege is being abused. Employees whose absences require certification shall not be entitled to sick leave with pay without furnishing such certification either from the City physician or his private physician.

(5) 

A record of frequent absences shall be cause for investigation of each subsequent absence by the City physician at the request of the department head. The City physician shall report to the department head whether or not each such absence justifies the use of sick leave. Employees whose absences are found to be not certifiable as being caused by sickness or disability shall not be entitled to sick leave with pay.

C. 

Sick leave extension. Where an employee, because of sickness or disability, is required to remain away from his employment beyond the maximum normal sick leave entitlement accrued to his credit, such an employee may be granted additional sick leave extension at 1/2 pay up to but not in excess of 60 calendar days. Such sick leave extension may be granted upon certification by the City physician or the employee's private physician, specifying the additional time required by such employee at the request of the employee or any person on his behalf in writing. Such request for additional sick leave extension, together with the doctor's certification, shall be filed with the employee's department head and approved by the City Manager before such extension is granted. Prior to the use of sick leave granted by any extension, charge will be made against any vacation, personal or other leave balances credited to the individual. In no event shall the total sick leave with pay exceed 180 days in any one calendar year.