46-49 SOP

81 Questions

What is the maximum number of personnel allowed off per shift for the Firefighter, Engineer and Lieutenant ranks?

(1) personnel or 264 hours

Which of the following leave types is NOT included in the limit for Firefighter, Engineer and Lieutenant ranks?

Sick leave

Under what condition can the union time pool exceed the leave limit?

If approved by the Fire Rescue Chief or designee

What is the maximum number of personnel allowed off per shift for the Captain rank?

(2) personnel or 48 hours

How far in advance can leave requests be submitted?

Up to 2 years in advance

What will happen if an employee requests more leave than they will accumulate by the requested date?

The Battalion Chief will consult with the employee

When can new hire or rehired probationary employees take leave time on a scheduled holiday during their first year?

Only if approved by the Fire Rescue Chief

How are leave requests granted for employees unless specific conditions are met?

After a replacement is scheduled

What program should be used to submit leave requests in the Department?

Computer scheduling program

How is vacation earned for full-time employees working 24-hour shifts hired before January 1, 1997?

$180 per year for less than 10 years of service

What is the maximum vacation carryover for full-time employees working 24-hour shifts?

$360 hours

When do full-time employees become eligible to take vacation leave according to the text?

After 6 months of employment

How is vacation earned for full-time employees working 8-hour shifts hired after January 1, 1997?

$160 per year for 10 years or more of service

How many paid holidays are granted annually to twenty-four (24) hour shift employees?

8 holidays

What happens to non-exempt twenty-four (24) hour shift employees who work on a holiday according to the text?

$24 of regular pay per worked hour and $24 hours of holiday pay

How many paid holidays are eight (8) hour shift employees granted per year?

What rate are twenty-four (24) hour shift employees paid when working overtime on a scheduled holiday for any remaining hours after the first 8 hours?

1.5 times their salary

How many hours of sick leave can twenty-four (24) hour shift employees accumulate?

1560 hours

At what point can twenty-four (24) hour shift employees be paid for unused sick leave at the time of separation?

6 years of credible service

When are employees NOT considered on sick leave according to the text?

Until contacted by the Battalion Chief or his designee

What must an employee do if they cannot be contacted on two consecutive attempts while on sick leave?

Complete an Incident Report detailing the illness

What reasons may result in the waiver of daily contact with employees on sick leave?

Extended sick leave or substantial reasons

'An employee on sick leave must remain at home in a recuperative manner.' What does this mean?

An employee must rest and recover at home.

What rate are twenty-four (24) hour shift employees paid when working overtime on a scheduled holiday for the first 8 hours?

2.5 times their salary

What is the maximum number of hours of sick leave for which a twenty-four (24) hour shift employee can be paid upon separation?

300 hours

When is upgrade pay received by an employee?

When they assume a position for more than two hours

What are the two recognized types of out-of-position (OOP) in the current setup?

Department OOP and Battalion OOP

What is the main difference between Battalion OOP and Department OOP?

Whether the employee is identified in the computer scheduling program to work OOP

What are the three categories of qualifications for out-of-position (OOP) roles?

Fully Qualified (FQ), Waiting Qualified (WQ), and Partially Qualified (PQ)

Who should be considered first for out-of-position roles according to their qualifications?

Fully Qualified (FQ) employees

What has to happen for an employee to receive upgrade pay retroactively?

The employee must have assumed the position for more than two hours

What is the purpose of the Holdover List (HL) in the scheduling program?

To allow employees to select days they are available to work overtime

What is the consequence for an employee on the Holdover List who refuses to work a particular assignment?

They are suspended from the Holdover List for 6 months

How are employees who are assigned to Local, Regional, State, or Federal teams compensated if their deployment is approved by the Fire Chief?

They are paid straight pay for hours worked over their standard pay cycle

What is the minimum pay an employee receives for a deposition or court appearance as a result of their employment?

2 hours of pay

When is the employee's name removed from the Mandatory Overtime List (MOL)?

When the employee attends a Department class or training

What is the purpose of the Temporary Upgrading Out of Position Assignment policy?

To assure the orderly performance and continuity of services by temporarily upgrading employees to higher positions

How are employees compensated for overtime work related to late calls?

They must receive approval from the on-duty Battalion Chief before claiming overtime

What is the purpose of the Mandatory Overtime List (MOL)?

To fill mandatory overtime assignments

What is the purpose of the Holdover List (HL) in the scheduling program?

To allow employees to select days they are available to work overtime

How are employees compensated for depositions or court appearances as a result of their employment?

They are paid the overtime rate, with a minimum of 2 hours pay

What is the requirement for proof of medical treatment if an employee has six sick leave occurrences in the previous 12-month period?

Required for all future use of sick leave

How many hours of sick leave are allowed when an employee needs to arrange care for a minor or short-term illness/injury of an immediate family member?

12 hours

What is the maximum use of sick leave hours for a major emergency?

24 hours

How many hours is the participation limit for employees who are members of the sick leave pool and work forty (40) hour shifts?

200 hours

For which types of events is an employee entitled to a maximum combined total of twelve (12) weeks of leave in a twelve (12) month period?

Serious health condition, pregnancy, and other specific events

What is the employee eligibility requirement to use Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)?

Worked for the County for at least one (1) continuous year and 1,250 hours over the previous twelve (12) months

What action should be taken when an employee needs to use sick leave to care for a non-immediate family member?

Approval needed from both Battalion Chief’s office and appropriate Section Chief or Fire Rescue Chief

What is the process regarding utilizing Birthday Leave or Wellness Leave?

In accordance with CBA or County Administrative Code

How many total weeks of leave are employees entitled to in a twelve-month period for various reasons according to FMLA?

12 weeks

What is the employee responsible for regarding military leave?

Becoming familiar with military leave use requirements

What is the maximum number of hours an employee is authorized to work without interruption?

48 hours

What happens to an employee's name on the overtime roster if they refuse overtime when given less than 24 hours' notice?

Their name is maintained in the same position

What is the first attempt made by the Battalion Chief to fill an open position?

Reposition personnel in order to fill the vacancy

What happens if an employee on light-duty has a scheduled shift exchange?

They are responsible for immediate notification to cancel the exchange

What is the third attempt made by the Battalion Chief to fill an open position?

Have the employee requesting leave find their own position for position coverage

What happens if an employee abuses the shift exchange policy?

Their shift exchange privileges are suspended

Which of the following is NOT listed as a reason for a Battalion Chief to deny a shift exchange request?

The employee has already worked 48 consecutive hours

What happens if an employee calls in sick on a scheduled shift exchange?

They are charged a vacation day and may have shift exchange privileges suspended

Who has the authority to waive or change the penalty for calling in sick on a scheduled shift exchange?

The Operations Chief or designee

What is the responsibility of the employee if a shift exchange is not indicated on the schedule?

Check with the supervisor if the shift exchange is not indicated

What is the maximum number of banked/owed days allowed for shift exchange?

10 days or 240 hours

When should requests for shift exchange be submitted?

At least 20 hours before the shift exchange

What is a requirement for a shift exchange according to the procedure mentioned?

Only employees of equal rank and specialized training may work for another employee

What happens if an employee fails to report to duty as part of a scheduled shift exchange?

They are disciplined in the same manner as not reporting for regular duty

Under what conditions can an employee be placed on administrative leave?

When they are behaving disruptively

What is a leave of absence without pay?

An authorized extended absence from work without pay

What is the consequence if an employee does not return from a leave of absence on time?

Voluntary separation of employment

'Administrative Leave' is used primarily for which purpose?

To secure particularly sensitive information or resources

What is the role of the Fire Rescue Chief in approving leaves of absence without pay?

To determine if the leave is justified and not detrimental to department operations

How far in advance must employees notify the Department if they intend to return to work from a leave of absence without pay?

Seven (7) calendar days

What is the first step in filling a position when an employee is granted sick leave?

Utilize the Holdover List within the scheduling program

What is the purpose of the Mandatory Overtime List (MOL)?

To have a defined understanding of who will be subject to mandatory overtime daily

When is the Mandatory Overtime List (MOL) utilized?

After all other means to fill the leave vacancy have been exhausted

How is mandatory overtime assigned when filling a position?

Mandatory overtime is assigned based on the original vacancy of rank, not apparatus

What happens if a Battalion Chief calls in sick?

The off-duty Battalion Chiefs are contacted first to fill the position

Under what circumstances will an employee appear on the Mandatory Overtime List (MOL)?

If they worked the shift prior to the vacancy and are not scheduled to be on leave the following shift

What happens if the hours worked by an employee would exceed 48 hours due to mandatory overtime?

The employee will be skipped on the Mandatory Overtime List

What happens if the system is unable to apply mandatory overtime to the needed position?

The list will move to the next acceptable level of rank

What is the feature 'unavailable for overtime' (UFO) in relation to the Mandatory Overtime List?

It is a feature that will not apply to the Mandatory Overtime List

If a Captain takes vacation leave and the vacancy is filled by a Lieutenant who then calls out sick, which Mandatory Overtime List is utilized?

The Lieutenant Mandatory Overtime List

Study Notes

Leave Requests

Leave requests must be submitted in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement for covered personnel.
Employees should request leave with as much notice as possible.

Leave Allowances

For Firefighter, Engineer, and Lieutenant ranks, up to 264 hours (11 personnel) per shift may be off for leave, including vacation, holiday, birthday, and union time pool.
For Captain rank, up to 48 hours (2 personnel) per shift may be off for leave.
At least one Battalion Chief must be on duty per shift, unless directed otherwise by the Fire Rescue Chief or designee.

Holidays

24-hour shift employees who are not assigned to work on a holiday will be credited with a holiday to be used within one year.
Holidays not used within one year are removed from use.
8-hour shift employees are granted a minimum of 12 paid holidays per year.

Sick Leave

Sick leave benefit is intended to allow employees to recuperate from injury or illness, and to deal with certain family emergencies.
24-hour shift employees earn sick leave at a rate of 12 hours per month of employment.
Maximum sick leave accumulation is 1560 hours, with payment for up to 300 hours at separation.
Sick leave taken during the first 6 months of employment is leave without pay.

Vacation

Vacation accumulation rates vary based on years of service and hire date.
Maximum vacation carryover is 360 hours for 24-hour shift employees and 240 hours for 8-hour shift employees.
Vacation is earned from the first day of employment, but employees are not eligible to take vacation leave until 6 months of employment.

Overtime

Mandatory overtime will be compensated according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Holdover List rules are used to fill vacancies, and employees must be aware of their ranking on the list.

Other Overtime

Other overtime, such as callback, is paid in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Time for depositions or court appearances is paid at the overtime rate for non-exempt employees.

Temporary Upgrading Out of Position

Temporary upgrading is used to fill open areas of the Department.
Compensation for temporary upgrading follows the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
There are two types of out-of-position assignments: Battalion OOP and Department OOP.

Family and Medical Leave

Employees are eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave if they have worked for the County for at least one year and 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months.
Employees are entitled to a maximum combined total of 12 weeks of leave in a 12-month period for a serious health condition, qualifying exigency, pregnancy, or leave for the birth or placement of a child.### Shift Exchange Policy
Employees may only pay back owed shift exchanges during the allowed time period.
Employees who call in sick on a scheduled shift exchange will be charged a vacation day and may have their shift exchange privileges suspended for up to 6 months.
Employees on light-duty assignments must notify their supervisor and the person scheduled to cancel the exchange.
Shift exchange privileges may be suspended if an abuse of the policy is determined.
Shift exchange requests may be denied by the Battalion Chief or designee for various reasons.

Overtime Policy

The Department will utilize a three-attempt procedure to fill open positions, including repositioning personnel, using the overtime roster, and requesting employees to find their own position for position coverage.
Overtime will be paid from the time personnel report to their duty station.
The maximum number of hours an employee can work without interruption is 48 hours, unless an emergent situation requires otherwise.

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence without pay must be approved by the Fire Rescue Chief and will follow the rules set forth in the County Administrative Code.
Employees on a leave of absence without pay must notify the Department of their intention to return to work at least 7 calendar days prior to their return date.

Administrative Leave

An employee may be placed on administrative leave at the discretion of the Fire Rescue Chief.
Administrative leave is used when an employee is temporarily relieved of their normal responsibilities, but continues to receive regular pay and benefits.

FMLA Leave

Refer to the County Administrative Code for full information and directions on FMLA leave.

Learn about the guidelines for submitting leave requests as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Understand the allowances for leave on shifts for different personnel ranks and the types of leaves included within the limit.

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