§ 52-24. Compassionate leave.

A. 

Any nonrepresented permanent, full-time or part-time employee may be granted upon the approval of the department head or, in the case of a department head, approval of the City Manager a leave of up to four workdays with pay on account of each death of a member of the employee's immediate family. The "immediate family" is defined as follows: grandparent, brother, sister, spouse, child, father or mother of the employee or of his spouse or any relative of the employee or his spouse living in the same dwelling with the employee.

B. 

In the event of critical or serious illness of a member of an employee's immediate family, leave with pay up to four consecutive working days may be granted upon certification by the employee's private physician or the City physician that the employee's presence at the bedside of the critically or seriously ill member of the immediate family was absolutely essential to the treatment, care and possible recovery of the ill person from a medical or therapeutic standpoint. Such certification may be approved by the employee's department head or, in the case of a department head, by the City Manager. Such period of leave with pay may be extended to a maximum of 10 working days, provided that any excess above four consecutive working days shall be charged either to accrued vacation or personal leave as the employee may request.