Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) Leave Policies

Overview of Absence From Work Policy

• This document establishes TFD's policy for managing employee absences in accordance with City, state, and federal law.
• It includes procedures for sick leave and PTU (Personal Time Off-Unplanned) reporting.
• This policy applies to all TFD Personnel.
• It replaces TFD Policy 1005, dated 03/2011.

Associated Forms

• PER 879: Application for Sick and/or Disability Benefits (for LEOFF I)
• FIR 139: Physician's Report on Tacoma Fire Department Employee (for LEOFF I)
• HRE 002: Supervisor's Report of Incident or Injury (for all employees)
• SIF-2: Self-Insurer Accident Report Form (for LEOFF II and Non-uniformed)
• Physician's Initial Report (for LEOFF II and Non-uniformed)
• MFR: Medical Fitness Report Return to Work Recommendations (for LEOFF II and Non-uniformed)

TFD Policies to Reference

• TFD vacation and holiday scheduling rules per the most current Special Order in effect
• TFD Policy 1001: Officer/Supervisor Duties
• TFD Policy 1002: Rules of Conduct
• TFD Policy 1003: EEO/Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination
• TFD Policy 1010: Counseling and Discipline
• TFD Policy 1014: Pregnancy
• TFD Policy 1015: Transitional Assignment
• TFD Policy 3505: Exposure Control Plan for Bloodborne Pathogens
• TFD Policy 5013: Reporting On-the-Job Injury or Illness
• TFD Policy 6603: Attendance and Payroll

Responsibilities of the Assigned Administrative Chief

• Carrying out duties in this document and referenced City policies
• Acting as a liaison with HR, TFD staff, and employees on Workers' Compensation, off-the-job injuries/illnesses, sick leave, PTO, PTU, FMLA, attendance issues, and the Tacoma Firefighters Disability and Pension Board
• Overseeing/monitoring sick leave, PTO, PTU, FMLA, disability leave time keeping, and attendance for all TFD personnel, including timely Medical Fitness Reports/Fitness for Duty examinations
• Monitoring the status of TFD leave cases
• Coordinating requested/approved eligibility for FMLA/attendance leave
• Coordinating requested/approved FMLA/attendance leave accommodations
• Coordinating with Chief Officers, Division Managers, and Supervisors on leave issues
• Maintaining this document

Responsibilities of TFD Bureau Chiefs

• Carrying out duties in this document
• Coordinating with the Deputy Chief of Administration regarding Workers' Compensation/off-the-job injuries and illnesses for employees in their bureaus
• Administering the operational aspects of sick leave, PTO, PTU, FMLA, disability, and attendance issues within their bureaus
• Ensuring accurate and efficient reporting system to track all work absences for personnel
• Recognizing/reporting staff disability accommodation needs
• Reporting personnel issues needing FMLA or attendance leave to the Deputy Chief of Administration
• Consulting with the Deputy Chief of Administration on individual cases

Responsibilities of All Division Chiefs and Managers

• Carrying out the duties in this document
• Coordinating with the Deputy Chief of Administration regarding Workers' Compensation and off-the-job injuries/illnesses
• Administering the operational aspects of sick leave, PTO, PTU, FMLA, and disability leave within their divisions, including timely Medical Fitness Reports and Fitness for Duty documentation
• Reporting personnel issues that may qualify for FMLA or other attendance related leave to the Deputy Chief of Administration

Responsibilities of All Battalion Chiefs

• Carrying out duties in this document
• Ensuring TFD sick line (KISS line) accuracy and efficiency
• Contacting employees sick/injured for over two shifts to determine status and expected return
• Ensuring timely completion/submission of OJI documentation by those under supervision
• Requiring employees need to provide timely Medical Fitness Reports and other documentation
• Reporting personnel issues that may qualify for FMLA or other attendance leave to the Deputy Chief of Administration

Responsibilities of All Company Officers and Paramedic Supervisors

• Carrying out duties in this document
• Reporting personnel issues need FMLA or other attendance leave to the Deputy Chief of Administration

Responsibilities of The TFD Timekeeper

• Identifying absences over four working days or two 24-hour shifts
• Reporting those absences to the Deputy Chief of Administration and City Risk Management personnel

Responsibilities of All TFD Personnel

• Carrying out duties in this document
• Using sick leave, PTO, PTU, FMLA, Workers' Compensation, and attendance leave appropriately, per the Tacoma Municipal Code and/or TFD policy
• Providing timely notification of absence as per the guidelines
• Completing/submitting paperwork truthfully, accurately, and promptly
• Ensuring HCP completes/submits absence-related forms as required
• Alerting their supervisor of any need for FMLA or other attendance leave
• Scheduling needed medical appointments according to guidelines
• Attending independent medical examinations (IME) and other appointments as directed
• Updating the Deputy Chief of Administration (or designee) and supervisor of their expected return after sick leave, PTO, PTU, FMLA, or approved unpaid leave
• Keeping contact information current per TFD Policy 1002
• Caring for themeselves and avoiding exacerbation of injury
• Reporting to the Deputy Chief of Administration when released for transitional assignment or full duty per TFD Policy 1015

Definitions

• Bureau Chief: Deputy Chief with oversight of one of TFD's Bureaus
• Chief Officer: Battalion Chief, Medical Services Officer, FCC Manager, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, or Fire Chief
• Division Chief/Manager: Chief Officer or non-uniformed supervisory personnel charged with oversight of a TFD Division
• FMLA: Family Medical Leave Act
• Health care providers (HCP): Doctors of medicine or osteopathy or state licensed podiatrist, dentist, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, optometrist, chiropractors, nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, Christian Science practitioners listed with the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston or other health care provider recognized by the employer's group health plan benefits manager
• IME: Independent medical examination
• KISS line: Call–taking device used by uniformed employees to report changes in their ability to work assigned shifts
• LEOFF employee: Divided into “LEOFF I members with prior rights” (employed under the old 41.18 pension act and actively employed on March 1, 1970), “LEOFF I members with no prior rights” (hired after March 1, 1970 and prior to October 1, 1977), and LEOFF II members (hired on or after October 1, 1977)
• MFR: Medical Fitness Report
• Non-uniformed employee: TFD employees hired into a position from an open list or appointed to a position by the Fire Chief
• OJI: On-the-job injury, illness, or disability
• Protected leave: Leave that is protected by City ordinance, state, or federal law
• PTO: Personal time off-Planned
• PTU: Personal time off-Unplanned
• Sick leave: Scheduled or unscheduled leave set forth in federal, state, and/or City law and/or this document
• Transitional assignment: A temporary assignment for an employee who cannot perform regular duties, but who is physically able to perform other functions necessary to department operations
• Unacceptable patterns of absence: Employees who go into “leave without pay" due to frequent/unexplained, unprotected absences or use sick leave or PTU immediately prior to, in between, or after an off shift period, vacation, holiday or a shift trade when no shift trade could be secured, when vacation/holiday time was requested but not available or when a shift falls on a debit day, holiday, or day before, during, or after a weekend Uniformed day shift personnel - TFD uniformed personnel assigned to 40-hour, day shift work schedules Uniformed field personnel - Uniformed TFD employees, working 24-hour shifts, assigned to Engine, ladder, squad, medic company and battalion units; includes rovers who regularly fill open positions on these companies and units and Fire Communications Center (FCC) regardless of his/her hourly shift assignment
• Unprotected leave: Leave that is not protected by City ordinance, state, or federal law
• Workers' Compensation: Industrial insurance required by state law that provides benefits, including medical treatment and partial wage replacement, for employees with a work related injury or illness that requires them to miss work

General Rules

• TFD has a responsibility to ensure the availability of adequate staffing to provide Fire Department services
• Regular and consistent attendance at work is a requirement for all TFD employees, except as otherwise allowed by law and City leave rules
• TFD will grant all sick leave and PTO entitlements provided by City, state, and federal law for valid absences; unscheduled PTO leave shall be recorded as PTU
• Unique shift schedules of TFD uniformed field and FCC personnel may require special interpretation of certain rules and regulations for sick leave, PTO and PTU
• TFD uniformed day shift personnel and non-uniformed employees will schedule medical appointments in a manner that is least disruptive to department operations
• TFD uniformed field personnel schedule medical appointments on days that they aren't scheduled to work
• TFD employees who have suffered an OJI or an off-the-job injury, illness or disability, including pregnancy, and for whom the likelihood exists that the they will return to their full-time employment within an identifiable period of time, may be placed, if eligible and approved by an HCP, on transitional assignment in accordance with TFD Policy 1015
• All TFD employees will be eligible for bereavement leave in accordance with TMC 1.12.230

Guidelines for Sick Leave, PTO, and PTU

• State law, as administered by the Pension Board, governs the illnesses and injuries, including work-related injuries, suffered by uniformed firefighters enrolled in the LEOFF I Retirement System; questions regarding procedures, forms, rights, and benefits shall be addressed to the Board Coordinator in the City's Human Resources Department
• Treatment of the illnesses and injuries suffered by uniformed firefighters enrolled in the LEOFF II Retirement System and TFD non-uniformed employees is governed by city sick leave/PTO ordinance and policies
• Work-related injuries and illnesses are governed by Workers' Compensation rules administered by the Workers' Compensation Division of the City's Human Resources Department
• The following TFD employees are members of the PTO (Personal Time Off) plan rather than the vacation/sick leave plans: All unrepresented employees hired after June 1, 1998 and/or Represented employees authorized in a collective bargaining agreement and/or unrepresented employees hired before June 1, 1998, who elected to transfer from the vacation/sick leave plans to the PTO plan and/or represented employees who elected to join the PTO plan while in an appointive position who have returned to represented status and have not opted to return to the vacation/sick leave plan authorized in their collective bargaining agreement
• Uniformed field personnel assigned to 24-hour shifts shall follow the TFD vacation and holiday scheduling rules when using PTO
• Battalion Chiefs shall not approve or allow shift trades for uniformed field personnel during any period of OJI, FMLA, sick leave, or PTU
• TFD employees shall report their need to be absent from work to their appropriate department/division supervisor and provide the general reason - personnel becoming ill/injured AFTER being approved for a trade shall attempt to find a replacement to cover the shift
• MFR is required from HCP stating reason for absecne and signed for all TFD employees who are absent from work for more than four working days or two 24-hour shifts All TFD employees who are absent from work for an average of 10 scheduled working days or five 24-hour shifts or more per year during any 60 consecutive months shall be subject to review and may be directed to report for a required medical examination

Sick usage

• Absence from work is exclusive of state and federally protected leave
• Misrepresentation of any material facts in connection with paid sick leave or PTU shall constitute grounds for discipline, up to and including termination
• There is no "minimum leave balance" trigger, but an employee may have to satisfactorally complete medical examination to be fit for the job
• A statement by the attending HCP attesting to the nature and seriousness of an injury or illness shall be required
• Earned in bi-weekly increments
• Used for injury or illnes of eployee, medical and dental care of an employee
• PTO can be used as PTU in accordance with TMC 1.12.248.3,

Leave types and administration for employees

Submit PER 879 for LEOFF 1 or request via chief for others 24 hour shift personnel debited sick leave at a ratio of 16hrs for each 24 off FCC is charged hour for hour Supervisors to monitor leave patterns FMLA leave for yourself or immediate families Supervisors need to initiate FMLA and provide 30 days notice Employee must exhause and take medical

• TFD personnel should report OJIs in accordance with TFD Policy 5013

Guidelines for Leaves of Absence Without Pay

• Employees can submit written requests
• Leave could be for periods of 15 days or 1 year

Relieving Employees from Duty

• Supervisors relieve underperfoming uniforms immediately
• Employee needs to notify supervisor before leaving

This lesson covers Tacoma Fire Department (TFD) policies on staffing responsibilities, attendance requirements, and leave procedures. It includes guidelines for recording unscheduled PTO, understanding 'unprotected leave,' and Workers’ Compensation. It also addresses scheduling medical appointments and transitional assignments.