[Ord. No. 02-10 §§1 —
2, 7-23-2002]
A. Eligible
employees at the City of Albany are provided a wide range of benefits.
A number of the programs (such as Social Security, Workers' Compensation,
State disability and unemployment insurance) cover all employees in
the manner prescribed by law.
B. Benefits
eligibility is dependent upon a variety of factors, including employee
classification. Your supervisor can identify the programs for which
you are eligible. Details of many of these programs can be found elsewhere
in the employee handbook.
C. The
following benefit programs are available to eligible employees:
2. Deferred compensation plan (optional).
3. Dental insurance (optional).
10. Supplemental medical coverage (optional).
12. Vision care insurance (optional).
D. Some
benefit programs require contributions from the employee but most
are fully paid by City of Albany.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002; Ord. No. 17-17, 8-15-2017]
A. Vacation
time off with pay is available to eligible employees to provide opportunities
for rest, relaxation and personal pursuits. Regular full-time employees
are eligible to earn and use vacation time as described in this policy.
B. The
amount of paid vacation time employees receive each year increases
with the length of employment, beginning with a base of ten (10) vacation
days, as shown in the following schedule:
1. Upon hire or official start date, the employee shall receive a prorated
amount of vacation time at a rate of six and seven-tenths (6.7) hours
for every month remaining in the benefit year. The employee will then
receive a full ten (10) vacation days at the beginning of the next
benefit year.
2. At the completion of their tenth (10th) year of service and on the
anniversary date of their initial hire, the employee shall receive
a prorated amount of vacation time at a rate of three and four-tenths
(3.4) hours for every month remaining in the benefit year in addition
to their normal accrual of vacation leave. The employee will then
receive a full fifteen (15) vacation days at the beginning of the
next benefit year.
3. At the completion of their twentieth (20th) year of service and on
the anniversary date of their initial hire, the employee shall receive
a prorated amount of vacation time at a rate of three and four-tenths
(3.4) hours for every month remaining the benefit year in addition
to their normal accrual of vacation leave. The employee will then
receive a full twenty (20) vacation days at the beginning of the next
benefit year.
C. For
the purposes of this Section, the benefit year shall be designated
as beginning on January 1 and ending on December 31. Prorated vacation
time shall be calculated to include the entirety of the month in which
the hire date or anniversary date occurs. An employee's benefit year
may be extended for any significant leave of absence with the approval
of the City Administrator.
D. Paid
vacation time can be used in minimum increments of one-quarter (1/4)
hour. To take vacation, employees should make a written request in
advance to their respective department supervisor. Requests will be
reviewed based on a number of factors, including business needs and
staffing requirements. All requests will require final approval by
the City Administrator.
E. Vacation
time off is paid at the employee's base rate of pay at the time of
vacation. It does not include overtime or any special forms of compensation
such as incentives, commissions, bonuses or shift differentials. Once
an employee begins vacation leave, they may not substitute sick leave
during the period of vacation time already requested and approved.
F. As
stated above, employees are encouraged to use available paid vacation
time for rest, relaxation and personal pursuits. In the event that
available vacation is not used by the end of the benefit year, employees
will forfeit the unused time. In the extraordinary event that previously
approved vacation time was revoked due to business needs or staffing
requirements, the City Administrator may at their discretion extend
the employee's benefit year.
G. Upon
termination of employment, employees will be paid for unused vacation
time that has been earned through the last day of work. However, if
the City of Albany, in its sole discretion, terminates employment
for cause, forfeiture of unused vacation time may result.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. City
of Albany will grant holiday time off to all employees on the holidays
listed below:
1. New Year's Day (January first (1st)).
2. Presidents' Day (third (3rd) Monday in February).
3. Memorial Day (last Monday in May).
4. Independence Day (July fourth (4th)).
5. Labor Day (first (1st) Monday in September).
6. Thanksgiving (fourth (4th) Thursday in November).
7. Day after Thanksgiving (fourth (4th) Friday in November).
8. Christmas (December twenty-fifth (25th)).
9. Personal day (can be used at employee's discretion anytime during
course of the year).
B. The
Board of Aldermen have at their discretion the ability to issue additional
days to employees as they determine (i.e., Christmas Eve, New Year's
Eve, etc.)
C. The
City of Albany will grant paid holiday time off to all eligible employees
immediately upon assignment to an eligible employment classification.
Holiday pay will be calculated based on the employee's straight-time
pay rate (as of the date of the holiday) times the number of hours
the employee would otherwise have worked on that day. Eligible employee
classification(s):
1. Regular full-time employees.
2. Regular part-time employees.
D. A recognized
holiday that falls on a Saturday will be observed on the preceding
Friday. A recognized holiday that falls on a Sunday will be observed
on the following Monday.
E. If
a recognized holiday falls during an eligible employee's paid absence
(such as vacation or sick leave), holiday pay will be provided instead
of the paid time off benefit that would otherwise have applied.
F. If
eligible non-exempt employees work on a recognized holiday, they will
receive holiday pay plus wages at one and one-half (1½) times
their straight-time rate for the hours worked on the holiday.
G. Paid
time off for holidays will be counted as hours worked for the purposes
of determining whether overtime pay is owed.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
City of Albany provides a comprehensive Workers' Compensation insurance
program at no cost to employees. This program covers any injury or
illness sustained in the course of employment that requires medical,
surgical or hospital treatment. Subject to applicable legal requirements,
Workers' Compensation insurance provides benefits after a short waiting
period or, if the employee is hospitalized, immediately.
B. Employees
who sustain work-related injuries or illnesses should inform their
supervisor immediately. No matter how minor an on-the-job injury may
appear, it is important that it be reported immediately. This will
enable an eligible employee to qualify for coverage as quickly as
possible.
C. Neither
the City of Albany nor the insurance carrier will be liable for the
payment of Workers' Compensation benefits for injuries that occur
during an employee's voluntary participation in any off-duty recreational,
social or athletic activity sponsored by the City of Albany.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
99-34 §1, 10-19-1999; Ord. No. 02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
City of Albany provides paid sick leave benefits to all eligible employees
for periods of temporary absence due to illnesses or injuries. Eligible
employee classification(s):
1. Regular full-time employees.
2. Regular part-time employees.
B. Eligible
employees will accrue sick leave benefits at the rate of twelve (12)
days per year (one (1) day for every full month of service). Sick
leave benefits are calculated on the basis of a "benefit year", the
twelve (12) month period that begins when the employee starts to earn
sick leave benefits.
C. Paid
sick leave can be used in minimum increments of one-half (½)
hour. Eligible employees may use sick leave benefits for an absence
due to their own illness or injury or that of an immediate family
member who resides in the employee's household (see definition of
"immediate family" under bereavement leave policy).
D. Employees
who are unable to report to work due to illness or injury should notify
their direct supervisor before the scheduled start of their workday
if possible. The direct supervisor must also be contacted on each
additional day of absence. Before returning to work from a sick leave
absence of five (5) calendar days or more, an employee must provide
a physician's verification that he/she may safely return to work.
E. Sick
leave benefits will be calculated based on the employee's base pay
rate at the time of absence and will not include any special forms
of compensation, such as incentives, commissions, bonuses or shift
differentials. As an additional condition of eligibility for sick
leave benefits, an employee on an extended absence must apply for
any other available compensation and benefits, such as Workers' Compensation.
Sick leave benefits will be used to supplement any payments that an
employee is eligible to receive from State disability insurance, Workers'
Compensation or the City of Albany-provided disability insurance programs.
The combination of any such disability payments and sick leave benefits
cannot exceed the employee's normal weekly earnings.
F. Unused
sick leave benefits will be allowed to accumulate until the employee
has accrued a total of ninety (90) calendar days (seven hundred twenty
(720) hours) worth of sick leave benefits. If the employee's benefits
reach this maximum, further accrual of sick leave benefits will be
suspended until the employee has reduced the balance below the limit.
G. Sick
leave benefits are intended solely to provide income protection in
the event of illness or injury and may not be used for any other absence.
At the time of voluntary termination or death, the surviving spouse
or estate would be paid for accumulated sick leave on the following
basis:
1. After working five (5) to nine (9) years — pay for five (5)
days of accumulated sick leave.
2. After working ten (10) to fifteen (15) years — pay for ten
(10) accumulated sick leave days.
3. After working fifteen (15) to twenty (20) years — pay for twenty
(20) accumulated sick leave days.
4. After working twenty (20) years — pay for thirty (30) accumulated
sick leave days.
H. Unused
sick leave benefits will not be paid to employees who are hired after
January 1, 1999, while they are employed or upon termination of employment.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
City of Albany encourages employees to fulfill their civic responsibilities
by participating in elections. Generally, employees are able to find
time to vote either before or after their regular work schedule. If
employees are unable to vote in an election during their non-working
hours, City of Albany will grant up to one (1) hour of unpaid time
off to vote.
B. Employees
should request time off to vote from their supervisor at least two
(2) working days prior to the election day. Advance notice is required
so that the necessary time off can be scheduled at the beginning or
end of the work shift, whichever provides the least disruption to
the normal work schedule.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. Employees
who wish to take time off due to the death of an immediate family
member should notify their supervisor immediately.
B. Up
to three (3) days of paid bereavement leave will be provided to eligible
employees in the following classification(s):
1. Regular full-time employees.
2. Regular part-time employees.
C. Bereavement
pay is calculated based on the base pay rate at the time of absence
and will not include any special forms of compensation, such as incentives,
commissions, bonuses or shift differentials.
D. Bereavement
leave will normally be granted unless there are unusual business needs
or staffing requirements. Employees may, with their supervisors' approval,
use any available paid leave for additional time off as necessary.
E. The
City of Albany defines "immediate family" as the
employee's spouse, parent, child, sibling; the employee's spouse's
parent, child or sibling; the employee's child's spouse; grandparents
or grandchildren. Special consideration will also be given to any
other person whose association with the employee was similar to any
of the above relationships.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
City of Albany encourages employees to fulfill their civic responsibilities
by serving jury duty when required. Employees in an eligible classification
may request up to two (2) weeks of paid jury duty leave over any one
(1) year period. Pay received from the court for such duty shall be
returned to the City of Albany. Expense reimbursements shall be kept
by the employee.
B. Jury
duty pay will be calculated on the employee's base pay rate times
the number of hours the employee would otherwise have worked on the
day of absence. Employee classifications that qualify for paid jury
duty leave are:
1. Regular full-time employees.
2. Regular part-time employees.
C. If
employees are required to serve jury duty beyond the period of paid
jury duty leave, they may use any available paid time off (for example,
vacation benefits) or may request an unpaid jury duty leave of absence.
D. Employees
must show the jury duty summons to their supervisor as soon as possible
so that the supervisor may make arrangements to accommodate their
absence. Of course, employees are expected to report for work whenever
the court schedule permits.
E. Either
the City of Albany or the employee may request an excuse from jury
duty if, in the City of Albany's judgment, the employee's absence
would create serious operational difficulties. The City of Albany
will continue to provide health insurance benefits for the full term
of the jury duty absence.
F. Vacation,
sick leave and holiday benefits will continue to accrue during unpaid
jury duty leave.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
City of Albany encourages employees to appear in court for witness
duty when subpoenaed to do so.
B. If
employees have been subpoenaed or otherwise requested to testify as
witnesses by City of Albany, they will receive paid time off for the
entire period of witness duty.
C. Employees
will be granted unpaid time off to appear in court as a witness when
requested by a party other than the City of Albany. Employees are
free to use any available paid leave benefit (such as vacation leave)
to receive compensation for the period of this absence.
D. The
subpoena should be shown to the employee's supervisor immediately
after it is received so that operating requirements can be adjusted,
where necessary, to accommodate the employee's absence. The employee
is expected to report for work whenever the court schedule permits.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
Federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives
employees and their qualified beneficiaries the opportunity to continue
health insurance coverage under the City of Albany's health plan when
a "qualifying event" would normally result in the loss of eligibility.
Some common qualifying events are resignation, termination of employment
or death of an employee; a reduction in an employee's hours or a leave
of absence; an employee's divorce or legal separation; and a dependent
child no longer meeting eligibility requirements.
B. Under
COBRA, the employee or beneficiary pays the full cost of coverage
at the City of Albany's group rates plus an administration fee. The
City of Albany provides each eligible employee with a written notice
describing rights granted under COBRA when the employee becomes eligible
for coverage under City of Albany's health insurance plan. The notice
contains important information about the employee's rights and obligations.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
City of Albany recognizes that the skills and knowledge of its employees
are critical to the success of the organization. The educational assistance
program encourages personal development through formal education so
that employees can maintain and improve job-related skills or enhance
their ability to compete for reasonably attainable jobs within the
City of Albany.
B. The
City of Albany will provide educational assistance to all eligible
employees who have completed one hundred eighty (180) calendar days
of service in an eligible employment classification. To maintain eligibility
employees must remain on the active payroll and be performing their
job satisfactorily through completion of each course. Employees in
the following employee classification(s) are eligible for educational
assistance:
1. Regular full-time employees.
C. Individual
courses or courses that are part of a degree, licensing or certification
program must be related to the employee's current job duties or a
foreseeable-future position in the organization in order to be eligible
for educational assistance. The City of Albany has the sole discretion
to determine whether a course relates to an employee's current job
duties or a foreseeable-future position.
D. Employees,
with prior approval of the City Administrator, may enroll in courses
of instruction which will benefit the employee and his/her service
to the City. Tuition may be one hundred percent (100%) reimbursed
and requests for reimbursement must request tuition reimbursement
in writing to the City Administrator. Reimbursement costs included
those conducted by correspondence or by attendance in classes during
non-working hours. Tuition is the cost per credit hour including lab
fees and cost of books.
E. Employees
eligible for reimbursement of tuition costs must, upon completion
of the course, furnish the City Administrator with the copy of official
evidence of course completion and grades received must be a grade
of "C" or its equivalent.
F. While
educational assistance is expected to enhance employees performance
and professional abilities, the City of Albany cannot guarantee that
participation in formal education will entitle the employee to automatic
advancement, a different job assignment or pay increases.
G. The
City of Albany invests in educational assistance to employees with
the expectation that the investment be returned through enhanced job
performance. However, if an employee voluntarily separates from City
of Albany's employment within one (1) year of the last educational
assistance payment, the amount of the payment will be considered only
a loan. Accordingly, the employee will be required to repay up to
seventy-five percent (75%) of the original educational assistance
payment.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
City of Albany's health insurance plan provides employees and their
dependents access to medical insurance benefits. Employees in the
following employment classifications are eligible to participate in
the health insurance plan which is provided by MARCIT:
1. Regular full-time employees.
2. Regular part-time employees.
B. Eligible
employees may participate in the health insurance plan subject to
all terms and conditions of the agreement between City of Albany and
the insurance carrier.
C. A change
in employment classification that would result in loss of eligibility
to participate in the health insurance plan may qualify an employee
for benefits continuation under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act (COBRA). Refer to the Benefits Continuation (COBRA) policy for
more information.
D. Details
of the health insurance plan are described in the Summary Plan Description
(SPD). An SPD and information on cost of coverage will be provided
in advance of enrollment to eligible employees. Contact the City Clerk
for more information about health insurance benefits.
[Ord. No. 02-10 §§1 —
2, 7-23-2002]
A. Any
employee which has exhausted all available sick leave, compensatory
time and vacation due to an extended illness is eligible to receive
donated hours from other employees through the Leave Share Program.
B. Individual
employees who so desire may donate hours they have accrued in sick
leave, compensatory time or vacation to an individual they so designate.
Hours which are designated to be transferred should be done on the
request for absence form with the name of the employee to which the
hours are being transferred to noted on the form.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
Special leave may be granted at the discretion of the supervisor
with pay, not to exceed one-half (½) of one (1) day, for an
employee to serve as pallbearer.
[Ord. No. 98-43 §§1 —
2, 11-3-1998; Ord. No.
02-10 §§1 — 2, 7-23-2002]
A. The
City of Albany provides pension benefits through the Missouri Local
Government Employees Retirement System (LAGERS). Employees who work
thirty-two (32) hours or more hours per week are mandated to participate
in the program. Following the six (6) month probationary period, an
automatic deduction of four percent (4%) of gross salary will be made
from each paycheck. The City of Albany will contribute seven percent
(7%) of the employee's total gross salary.
B. Information
will be provided to employee at the time of membership or upon request
from the City Clerk.