Vacation days will be given to all part-time regular employees
at the same rate as full-time personnel, however prorated based on
regularly scheduled weekly hours. They will accrue per week based
on the average weekly calculations from above. (Full-time employees
get two weeks after the first year and through the fourth year; from
five to 14 years get three weeks; and from 15 years or more get four
weeks.) All other provisions, including scheduling requirements, will
apply from the personnel rules and regulations on vacation leave.
Regular employees who are absent because of illness, accident,
or layoff due to lack of work may choose to use accrued vacation leave
by submitting a request in advance to the department head during any
portion of the absence until such leave is exhausted.
All full-time regular employees shall be entitled to sick leave
in accordance with the following:
A. Amount; accumulation of unused time.
(1) Each full-time regular employee shall have the equivalent of 96 hours'
sick time made available the first day of each fiscal year. Unused
sick time may be accumulated to a maximum of 480 hours.
(2) For rotating-shift personnel in the Fire Department who work a forty-two-hour
average workweek on an eight-week cycle, each full-time regular employee
shall have the equivalent of 101 hours' sick time made available
the first day of each fiscal year. Unused sick time may be accumulated
to a maximum of 505 hours.
B. Paid sick leave shall be granted for absence from duty for the following
reasons:
(2) Noncompensable bodily injury or disease.
(3) Exposure to contagious disease; quarantine.
(4) Attendance upon a member of the immediate family whose condition
requires the care of the employee, with prior approval by the department
head and the City Manager.
(5) Dental and doctor appointments, with prior notice and approval by
the supervisor.
(6) Up to three days for adoption or birth of a child.
C. If absence is caused by accident compensable under workers'
compensation, then the City shall pay the difference between workers'
compensation and the employee's regular pay during the employee's
sick leave eligibility. This shall be accomplished in the following
manner:
(1) The employee shall endorse the workers' compensation check to
be payable to the City of Franklin. Upon receipt of the endorsed check,
the City shall issue a check for the week in the amount of the employee's
normal weekly wage or salary.
(2) Normally, a delay of some weeks occurs between the illness/injury
and receipt of the first workers' compensation check. During
this period, employees must use accrued sick leave (and vacation leave,
if desired) to receive a paycheck from the City. Upon receiving the
endorsed retroactive workers' compensation checks (which the
employee is required to submit), the Finance Office will restore the
appropriate amount (equivalent to the amount of the checks) or sick
and/or vacation leave to the employee's accrued balances. New
Hampshire Retirement deductions will also be refunded in the following
paycheck as worker's compensation is not considered earnable
compensation.
(3) When employees have reduced their accrued leave balances to zero
yet remain absent from work and covered by workers' compensation,
the City will provide no further payments or subsidies, and employees
may cash their workers' compensation checks directly.
D. Upon termination of employment, any unused accumulated sick leave
balances are forfeited.
E. If absence is caused by injury covered by workers' compensation,
the employee may use sick time for a maximum of 40% of his or her
usual workweek.
F. Employees absent for any reason shall report to their department
head immediately, giving the reason for their absence. The City Manager
and/or department head may require, as a condition precedent to the
payment of sick leave, the certification of a qualified physician
certifying as to the condition of the employee or a member of his/her
family. Whenever sick leave is requested to be used in conjunction
with vacation leave, a physician's statement shall be required
in each instance. In all cases, a physician's certificate shall
be required if the absence is three days or more.
G. If the department head has reason to believe that an employee is
misusing sick leave in any way, including but not limited to calling
out sick falsely or calling out sick in a regular pattern, the department
head may require certification of a qualified physician certifying
as to the condition of the employee or a member of his/her family.
Any abuse may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including
termination.
H. Sick leave may be used in fifteen-minute increments.
I. Sick days will be given to all part-time regular employees on a prorated
basis. All other provisions of sick leave in the personnel rules and
regulations shall apply.
J. Upon approval of the City Manager, in an extreme emergency, employees
may request, in writing, a donation of accumulated, unused sick time
to another employee.
K. After completing 30 days' service, full-time regular employees
will be covered by the City's current short/long-term disability
plan on the first day of the following month. Coverage is at the City's
expense for full-time regular employees, subject to the availability
of approved funding. Because of delays in receiving disability checks
from the insurance company, employees may use available sick and vacation
time to continue receiving weekly paychecks. Insurance checks will
be signed over to the City, and the employee's leave balances
up to the amount of the disability check will be restored. At no time
will paid accrued leave balances and paid disability total more than
the employee's weekly pay based on the employee's regularly
scheduled weekly hours.
Any employee not actively working and still in the employ of
the City of Franklin is considered on leave of absence. Most leaves
are paid by the employee's accrued leave time, i.e., vacation,
sick, etc., worker's compensation, or disability. However, the
City of Franklin recognizes that due to personal circumstances, it
may be necessary for an employee to request more time off than is
provided under our policies.
A. Paid leave of absence. These leaves of absence are paid by the employee's
accrued leave time, i.e., vacation, sick, etc., worker's compensation,
or disability, depending on the circumstances of the leave and definitions
of leave usage per applicable leave policies. These leaves are generally
approved by the applicable department head unless otherwise noted.
B. Unpaid leave of absence of 30 days or less. Leave of absence of 30
days or less during a calendar year:
(1) Non-FMLA leave of absence of 30 days or less during one calendar
year will be considered.
(2) Health and dental insurance payments will be made by the City. Necessary
deductions from the employee to complete a month's premium, if
one or more deductions have been made, will be taken from the employee's
last paycheck before leave takes effect.
(3) Short/long-term disability and life insurance payments will be made
by the City.
(4) Sick leave will continue to accumulate.
(5) Holidays occurring during leave of absence will be paid.
(6) Seniority will continue during leave of absence.
(7) Accrued vacation leave will be taken prior to the granting of leave
of absence. Vacation leave will not accrue during leave of absence.
C. Unpaid leave of absence of greater than 30 days. Leave of absence
of over 30 days:
(1) Health and dental insurance payments by the City will cease at the
end of the month during which leave commences. The employee may elect,
for the first 90 days of leave, to continue in the group plan by making
a monthly payment to the Finance Officer for the amount billed for
his/her particular membership. Membership will terminate if payment
is not received by the last working day of the month. For leave in
excess of 90 days, arrangement for the continuation of Blue Cross/Blue
Shield and Delta Dental nongroup coverage is the responsibility of
the employee.
(2) Short/long-term disability and life insurance payments by the City
will terminate at the end of the month during which the leave of absence
begins.
(3) Sick leave will not accumulate during leave of absence.
(4) Holidays will not be paid during leave of absence.
(5) Seniority will not be lost during leave of absence. Seniority will
not accrue during leave but will remain frozen at the time leave is
granted.
(6) All accrued sick leave earned prior to the taking of a leave of absence
will be available to the employee upon his return to employment by
the City, if applicable.
D. Leaves of absence of longer duration than one year, other than for
military duty will not be granted except by vote of the City Council.
E. All requests for unpaid leave of absence will be considered on a
case-by-case basis, taking into account the City's staffing needs
and other factors.
F. All requests for unpaid leave of absence must be submitted in writing
and authorized by the department head and City Manager.
G. Probationary employees shall have their probationary periods extended
by the amount of time of the leave of absence.
H. All applicable leave time must be used prior to granting an unpaid
leave of absence.
I. Any employee accepting employment or conducting a business during
an unpaid leave of absence shall be deemed a voluntary quit. Any employee
who fails to return on the agreed-upon date shall be terminated by
reason of having abandoned his or her job.
J. Any employee who becomes disabled while in the employ of the City may make application for a leave of absence up to six months. Accrued sick, vacation, and other leaves must be exhausted before leave without pay commences. The provisions of Subsection
C above will be applicable. Upon completion of the leave of absence, the City Manager will determine if the disability conditions warrant continuation of the leave or termination of the employee.
Rules and regulations governing vacations and sick leave shall
apply as of the date of employment.