CBA; Article 45 (section 6) Sick Leave Policies in Fire Rescue Operations

The agreement recognizes that excessive sick leave negatively impacts the day-to-day operations of Fire Rescue.

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue aims to encourage dependability and reduce sick leave use by implementing disincentives and incentives.

Employees can accumulate unused sick leave into a 'Reserve Vacation Bank' to use like vacation time, but it cannot be paid out upon leaving the County.

The Reserve Vacation Bank is subject to certain conditions and payment is only possible under specific circumstances like duty-related death.

Permanent employees working 24-hour shifts are allocated 120 hours of sick leave annually, starting on November 1st.

These sick leave hours are intended only for genuine medical reasons and not as a substitute for vacation time.

The agreement aims to minimize sick leave use by incorporating measures to discourage unnecessary absences and encourage responsible use.

This policy aims to balance the need for employee health with maintaining operational efficiency and public service provision.

The annual sick leave allotment for all employees starting November 2026 is 112.5 hours, and 105 hours for future allotments.

Employees not working 24-hour shifts receive 100 hours of sick leave if they work 40 hours a week, and 105 hours if they work 42 hours a week.

Employees on leave without pay have their sick leave allotment adjusted proportionally to the time they are entitled to.

Employees can use their sick leave at full pay (100%) as long as it's within their annual allotment.

Employees cannot receive sick leave pay beyond their annual allotment, but they can use their vacation time to cover short absences.

Using vacation time to supplement a short-term absence is allowed, unless the Fire Rescue chief decides otherwise.

Extended leave is defined as a single sick leave occurrence lasting longer than the employee's annual allotment.

During extended leave, employees are paid 100% of their remaining sick leave hours.

Special Risk employees receive 85% pay for the first three months of extended leave, and then 65% for the following nine months, with a maximum of 18 months total.

For all employees except Special Risk, extended leave pay is 85% for the first three months, and then 65% for the following six months, with a maximum of nine months total.

Employees on extended leave cannot work another job.

Employees can use vacation time to supplement any uncompensated portion of their extended leave.

Employees on extended leave when a new sick leave allotment begins must use a portion of their new allotment at full pay before returning to extended leave status.

Employees on extended leave with less than a full year's sick leave allotment deducted previously will have their new allotment used to reach a total of 168 hours, or 157.5 hours in Fiscal Year 2027 and 147 hours after, then pro-rated.

Special Risk employees have a maximum of 18 months of extended leave, Apparatus Technicians are limited to 12 months, and all other employees to 9 months.

Operational personnel who have five or more sick leave occurrences in any twelve-month period are subject to disincentives, starting with loss of early release privileges.

Communication Center shift personnel face disincentives after eight or more sick leave occurrences in a year, starting with loss of early release privileges.

Non-operational personnel (excluding Communication Center employees) are subject to disincentives after ten or more sick leave occurrences in a year, beginning with the loss of early release privileges.

These disincentives aim to reduce unnecessary sick leave usage, creating a more dependable workforce.

The number of occurrences for any employee is calculated over a continuous twelve-month period, regardless of fiscal or calendar year.

Any absence under this Article, except for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), is considered a sick leave occurrence.

An occurrence is defined as working less than half of the employee's normal shift or any combination of sick leave events that add up to half a shift.

Employees who take less than half their usual shift, regardless of reason, will have it counted against their occurrence total.

Employees who meet certain criteria can receive a bonus based on their unused sick leave, paid at their current hourly rate.

The cut-off date for calculating and paying out the unused sick leave bonus is November 1st each year.

Employees are required to notify the department at least 30 minutes before their shift starts if they are sick, using the approved staffing program or contacting the FOO.

Communication Division employees must give at least 90 minutes' notice before their shift if they are sick, using the approved staffing program or informing the on-duty Supervisor.

Sick leave is awarded on an hour-for-hour basis, in quarter-hour increments, for all employees.

Employees may return to work at any time after calling in sick, but can only return once during a shift and must inform the FOO before returning.

New employees are not eligible for extended leave compensation, meaning they can't be paid for time off due to injury or illness.

Employees must provide written assessments from their doctor detailing work restrictions and expected duration of limitations. This is crucial when requesting extended leave.

If an employee's restrictions are anticipated to last longer than 30 days, they must get regular updated assessments from their doctor.

The Fire Rescue Administration may request an employee to undergo a 'fitness for duty' examination by a department-selected physician, at any time during extended leave.

Misrepresenting conditions for obtaining extended leave can lead to leave cancellation and potential disciplinary action.

Sick leave can be used for various reasons, such as illness, injury, or caring for an immediate family member. But the reason must be non-job related.

Employees can take extended family care leave, but it's limited to six months in any 18-month period. They must be caring for an immediate family member residing with them.

Extended family care leave is taken at 65% of pay, following the use of half of the sick allotment. It can be supplemented with reserve, sick, or vacation time.

Employees using this type of leave are not allowed to have off-duty employment during the leave period.

Leave for hospitalization of a family member, if approved, is taken at 65% of pay and is limited to three months within any 15-month period.

Baby Bonding leave can be taken at 100% pay for the first six weeks or at 65% pay for up to three months, following the use of half of the sick leave allotment.

Employees using Baby Bonding leave are not permitted to have off-duty employment.

Employees experiencing a documented high-risk pregnancy can apply for extended leave, which terminates upon the birth of the baby and is followed by Baby Bonding leave.

Baby Bonding leave can be extended an additional three weeks if the employee uses vacation time or goes into out-of-pay status. It requires written request and approval from the Fire Rescue Administrator.