A leave of absence without pay may be granted for any good reason which does not meet the conditions for use of paid leave, or where paid leave balances then available are inadequate for the requested absence; provided, however, that leave without pay shall be granted only when it will not adversely affect the interests of the city service, as determined by the employee's department director.
Leaves of absence without pay are intended as a means of preserving an individual's employment status with the city during periods of absence from the workplace for personal reasons, thereby avoiding separation from city service.
Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, leave without pay may be granted for any good reason, including:
(a) 
Family and medical leave, once all available paid leave balances are exhausted;
(b) 
Disability leave;
(c) 
Personal or family illness or injury, once all available paid leave balances are exhausted;
(d) 
To pursue a course of study during working hours, except department-sponsored training, seminars, and conferences as provided in Article 7 hereof, once available annual leave and executive leave (if applicable) are exhausted;
(e) 
Personal reasons acceptable to the employee's department director.
A request for leave without pay must be made through an employee's immediate supervisor on a form approved for that purpose by the Personnel Director.
(a) 
Leave may be taken only with the approval of, and subject to, such terms and conditions as the appointing authority may require; provided, however, that leaves of absence of more than twelve (12) weeks duration must be approved by the City Manager on recommendation of the appointing authority.
(b) 
Failure to request and receive a grant of leave without pay shall cause an absence to be considered absence without leave.
(c) 
Failure of an employee to return to work at the expiration of approved leave shall be considered as absence without leave and grounds for dismissal.
(a) 
No annual leave will be earned by an employee for the time that he is on leave without pay.
(b) 
For purposes of future merit salary increases, anniversary dates shall be deferred by one month for each month or major portion thereof that an employee is on leave without pay.
(c) 
The city will continue to provide insurance benefits on the same contribution basis as it does to any active employee similarly situated, to any employee enrolled in a city-sponsored insurance program, and to his covered dependents, for a maximum period of two (2) months from the commencement of the approved leave without pay. Thereafter, all costs of the employee's coverage in a city-sponsored insurance program are the costs of the employee, until his return to active employment in city service.