City of Clinton Employee Handbook

Approved by City Council 7-98
Revisions May 2002 - to date

2. ATTENDANCE AND BENEFITS

A.  ATTENDANCE AND TARDINESS:   The employee’s regular attendance on the job is important to our operation.  Frequent or unexplained absence from work, or tardiness in reporting for work will seriously impair the value of services to the City and will be considered sufficient cause for disciplinary action.  If the employee must be absent, however, because of illness, accident or other unavoidable cause, the employee must telephone or otherwise advise his/her Supervisor in advance of the employees’ regular shift. This notification is required for each day absent unless it is understood that the employee will be absent for a certain number of days.

 B. HOURS OF WORK:    The standard time card and pay period is Saturday through Friday for regular full-time employment of 40 hours per week in most city departments. The standard time card is Saturday through Friday.  For regular full-time employees the pay period is Sun – Sat and 40 hours per week. (Jan, 2008)  There may be some variation in the daily schedule depending on the department, however, the employee will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.  The employees immediate Supervisor will advise the employee of what time the employee is to take lunch and break periods.  The normal work week provision shall not be construed as a guarantee of a minimum or a maximum number of hours per week or year.

 There may be occasions when employees will be required to work overtime.  Depending on the circumstances necessitating the overtime, the employee will be given as much advance notice as possible and non-exempt employees will be compensated for overtime consistent with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

 Comp Time:  Comp time should be approved in advance by the department supervisor and will be used as soon as reasonably possible and always before Vacation leave is applied.  Comp time is paid at termination.  Established limit of accumulation of comp time as follows:

 All  Departments    40 hours

C.  HOLIDAYS:    At the Special Council meeting on 12-15-03 the City Council voted to observe the Oklahoma State holiday schedule beginning in 2004.  The holidays to be observed are as follows:

When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be observed as a holiday.  When the holiday falls on a Sunday, the subsequent Monday shall be observed as the holiday.  All holiday leave practices will be governed by departmental regulations as approved by the City Manager.  On any other day, or part of a day, during which the City shall be closed by special proclamation of the Mayor, with the approval of the City Council, employees shall be eligible for holiday pay.

All full time employees shall be eligible to receive eight (8) hours off or eight (8) hours compensation for the above listed holidays, providing the employee is not absent without authorized leave on the day preceding and/or following a holiday, in which case they shall not be eligible for holiday pay.

Note:  Birthday – As a Second Year Safety Award, an employee who has been accident free may take one day off when convenient, and with approval of supervisor  (1st yr doesn’t count)  Personal Day – As part of the Safety Award and Community Service Award programs, the City Manager may approve Personal Days off for qualifying employees.

 HOLIDAY PAY:    In those cases where an employee works an assigned shift and is unable to observe a City holiday, the following shall be used:

Those who work on a recognized holiday shall enter an hourly equivalent to the regular shift of eight (8) hours on the time sheet, in addition to the time actually worked.  Shift workers will be paid straight time, e.g. If City Hall  is closed 4 hours then Fire personnel on duty will receive 4 hours.  The Cemetery Attendant will receive time and one half for hours worked on a Holiday in addition to Holiday pay.

Those who are regularly assigned to be off on the recognized holiday shall be authorized to enter an hourly equivalent to a regular shift of eight (8) hours on the time sheet.  The time shall be counted as regular hours, NOT overtime hours, and shall not exceed eight (8) hours.  An employee off work due to a work related injury will be given the holiday at a later date (must be used in the same calendar year if feasible.)

D.   ANNUAL LEAVE (Vacation):     Employees may accrue annual leave days to a maximum of 240 hours; fire personnel maximum of 432 hours.  All such leave time shall accrue at a per bi-weekly pay period rate at a per month rate. All vacation hours over the maximum shall be lost and shall have no value.  No annual leave shall be accrued during a period of suspension without pay. Annual leave days shall be taken in whole hours only, with a minimum of two (2) hours taken at any one time and a maximum of 160 hours, or four weeks, is allowed.  New employees hired on or before the 15th day of the month will accrue annual leave for the month, those hired after the 15th will not.  A maximum of 160 annual leave days or four weeks, is allowed at one time.  New employees shall accrue annual leave in the bi-weekly pay period in which they are hired.  (January, 2008)

 Full time qualified employees shall accrue annual leave time at the following rate: 

 FIRE DEPARTMENT

Full time qualified employees shall accrue annual leave time at the following per bi-weekly pay period (pp) rate:

New Pay Period Method:

 FIRE DEPARTMENT

No annual leave shall be taken during the first one (1) year of employment except in those cases of extreme hardship as approved by the Department Head and City Manager.  Annual leave  time will be placed on the annual leave accrual schedule monthly.

 Accrual shall change as follows:

• Upon attainment of the fifth, tenth, and twenty-fifth anniversary date, the accrual rate shall increase.
• No payment will be made in lieu of taking vacation.
• If an employee voluntarily resigns or is discharged during the initial probationary period, no payment will be made for annual leave. (See also 20. D. Probationary Employees.)
• If an employee resigns in good standing after the probation period, he/she shall receive payment for all annual leave hours accrued as of the day of separation.  The bi-weekly accrual shall be made for the pay period including the termination date (Jan, 2008).  In cases of death, the compensation shall be paid to the their estate.  If the person works past the 15th of the month, the person accrues leave for the month.
• Request for annual leave shall be submitted on the appropriate form no less than 5 working days prior to the first day of leave or as approved by the Department Head.  No employee shall take his/her leave without prior permission of the Department Head.
• Request for annual leave by Department heads shall have the approval of the City Manager.
• Should a City recognized holiday fall on a vacation day, that day shall not be charged as annual leave.

E.    ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE:  This leave is personally approved by the City Manager and does not affect accrued leave in any way.

F.    LUNCH PERIOD: Scheduled lunch periods for employees are one (1) hour in length.  It is the responsibility of the Supervisor or Department Head to schedule lunch periods for their employees.  On-shift personnel shall have his/her lunch period combined within the eight hour work period.  Upon authorization of the City Manager, Department Heads may authorize suitable ‘flex-time’ schedules for their employees.  All such schedules shall assume that office hours are not shortened or altered.

G.     BREAK PERIOD:   All employees scheduled for and working an eight (8) hour work day are entitled to a fifteen (15) minute break in the first four (4) hour period, and a fifteen (15) minute rest break in the second four (4) hour period.  Break periods will be scheduled by the Supervisor at appropriate times not to interfere with City services.  Those employees who work a non-standard work period shall have their break and lunch period set by the Department Head.

 H.     INSURANCE PLAN:

a.  Group Health Plan: The City may provide for a group health plan for major medical, hospitalization, and dental.  This plan shall be provided for full time regular employees of the City.  Dependent coverage will be available for employees dependents.  If dependent coverage is elected, the cost of premiums will be the responsibility of the employee.

b.  Workers’ Compensation: The City shall provide workers’ compensation benefits for its employees as required by law.

c.  Commercial Fleet: The City shall maintain a commercial vehicle insurance plan.  This plan will cover the public liability of all City owned motor vehicles.  Department Heads shall notify the City Clerk when any vehicles are added or vehicles are deleted or when a city vehicle is involved in an accident.

d.  Comprehensive General Liability: The City will maintain comprehensive general public liability insurance to protect the City, its officials and employees from tort liability for bodily injuries and property damage on all of its properties and operations.

I.    RETIREMENT/PENSIONS:    The city may provide retirement and pensions to all full time employees as city finances allow and as required by state and federal law.  The following are available to employees at this time.

• OMRF  the city will pay 10% of the employees gross wages into the retirement plan.  The employee is required to pay in 5.25% of gross wages.  A voluntary contribution may also be made on top of this amount, from 2 to 10 %.  Also, a City Manager Plan may be available.

• ICMA a voluntary program for full time employees.

• Fire Pension and Police Pension as required by state law the city will place 13 %, and the employee will pay in 8%, of gross wages.