Houston Fire Department - Scheduled Leaves And Absences PDF

HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: SCHEDULED LEAVES AND ABSENCES VOLUME NO. I ALL COMMANDS REFERENCE NO. I-22 (A) SECTIONS 1.00-6.09C2 / APPENDIX B 1.00 PU...

HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: SCHEDULED LEAVES AND ABSENCES VOLUME NO. I ALL COMMANDS REFERENCE NO. I-22 (A) SECTIONS 1.00-6.09C2 / APPENDIX B 1.00 PURPOSE 1.01 To provide information and guidelines concerning scheduled leaves and absences for Houston Fire Department employees. 1.02 To ensure compliance with Federal, State, and local laws as they relate to Military and Urban Search and Rescue Leave. 1.03 To provide general information and guidelines concerning scheduled vacation for all employees of the Houston Fire Department. 2.00 OBJECTIVES 2.01 To define and categorize the various types of scheduled leaves and absences available to all employees, and the notifications required for: A. Court Related Absence B. Holiday Leave C. Unpaid Leave of Absence D. Military Leave E. Personal Leave F. Training G. Vacation H. Voting I. Wellness 2.02 To establish a guideline regarding employees receiving military or urban search and rescue orders for active duty (federal or state), scheduled drills, or annual training with the Armed Forces or State or Federally authorized USAR teams. 2.03 To establish a fair and consistent procedure for District Chiefs to follow when scheduling accrued vacations. 3.00 DEFINITIONS 3.01 Assigned Shift/Workday: The normal time period or shift schedule to which an employee is assigned to perform his/her duties. 3.02 Benefit Year: The 12-month period beginning September 1st and ending August 31st. 3.03 Calendar Year: The period beginning on January 1st and ending December 31st of each year. 3.04 City Business: Job responsibilities that require an employee be excused from the performance of regular duties to perform other city-related duties. 3.05 Court Related Absences: Leave to appear in a legal proceeding in response to a subpoena or summons, not to be confused with jury duty. (See Section 6.13 of Administrative Procedure 3-11, Absence) I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 1 of 15 3.06 Employee: All individuals engaged in the performance of duties for, or on behalf of, the City of Houston, whether hired, appointed, full time, part time, temporary or permanent including classified as well as non-classified employees. 3.07 Fiscal Year: The period beginning July 1st and ending June 30th of the following year. 3.08 Floating Holiday: A paid holiday granted each calendar year by City Council that must be taken in a single day increment. The Floating Holiday must be used during the same calendar year awarded or it is forfeited. 3.09 Form 48: The HFD form used for health care provider verification of an employee’s bona fide non-occupational illness, disease, or injury or wellness care appointment. To be considered valid the Form 48 must: A. Have Sections 1 and 2 completed (if for employee’s family member’s condition), B. Have Sections 1, 2 and 3 completed (if for employee’s own condition), C. Cover all dates of absence, D. Be signed by a health care provider as defined in Appendix A, E. Be submitted within ten (10) calendar days (excluding the initial date of requested leave) and every thirty (30) calendar days thereafter for the duration of the bona fide non-occupational illness, disease, or injury. 3.10 Guaranteed Holiday: The ability to utilize an approved set number of accrued holidays per fiscal year when advance notice and approval is given. This benefit can be altered or suspended at any time by the Fire Chief. Prior notice will be provided before the program is altered or suspended. 3.11 Health Care Provider: A Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy who is authorized to practice medicine or surgery by the state in which the doctor practices, or any other person determined by the Secretary of Labor to be capable of providing health-care services. (See Appendix A) 3.12 Holiday: Benefit days off with pay granted annually by City Council to City employees, associated with commonly recognized holidays. All holidays, when used, will be referred to as a Deferred Holiday. 3.13 Jury Duty Leave: Paid leave granted to employees summoned to serve as a juror. 3.14 Military Benefit Year: The period beginning October 1st and ending September 30th of the following year. 3.15 Military Coordinator: A Human Resources employee who assists employees with Military or Urban Search and Rescue Leave paperwork relating to deployment, returning from active duty, or attending scheduled training. 3.16 Military or USAR Leave: Temporary or indefinite leave with or without pay to allow employees to either serve in the military or to attend, in a military capacity, certain required military functions. 3.17 Personal leave: Hours of leave with pay granted to eligible employees based on sick leave usage (SICK, SFAM, FMLS) during the previous benefit year. 3.18 Vacation Leave: An accrued benefit that allows an employee time off, with pay, with prior approval and authorization. 3.19 Veteran: A person who served in the active U. S. military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. 3.20 Wellness Leave: Up to eight (8) hours of time off authorized for annual physical examinations, health screenings, and other preventive health care appointments each benefit year as set forth in City of Houston Code of Ordinance, Chapter 14, Article III, Section 14-235. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 2 of 15  4.00 SCOPE 4.01 This policy applies to all full-time employees in the classified or unclassified service of the Houston Fire Department. 5.00 RESPONSIBILITIES 5.01 All responsibilities are outlined within the context of this guideline. 5.02 Areas that identify District Chief responsibilities or notification requirements shall also mean a supervisor of equivalent rank for an employee’s assigned work location where a District Chief is not assigned. 6.00 GUIDELINES 6.01 Court Related Absences: A. Supervisor Responsibilities: 1. Shall notify the employee’s District Chief and ensure all entries are documented (Form42, HFD Timesheets, etc.) when an employee submits court-related documents. 2. Place a copy of the official subpoena, summons or other court-related documents in employee’s personnel file. B. Member Responsibilities: 1. An employee subpoenaed or summoned for court appearances, directly or indirectly related to his/her job duties as an employee of the City of Houston shall: a. Notify his/her immediate supervisor as soon as possible to ensure proper staffing levels are maintained. b. Contact the HFD Professional Standards Office within 24 hours of service of the subpoena or summons and provide a copy of all court-related documents. c. Contact the EMS Division and review the EMS Record before appearing in court for a legal proceeding relating to an EMS event. d. Contact HFD Arson Division and review the Fire Record before appearing in court for a legal proceeding relating to a Fire event. 2. An employee summoned to appear in court for Jury Duty shall: a. Notify and provide his/her immediate supervisor with a copy of the official jury summons as soon as possible. b. Notify his/her immediate supervisor if selected to be seated on a jury panel or if required to return to court for additional proceedings. c. Return to his/her regular work location as soon as released by the court. Upon release, the employee shall request an official validated court slip from the court clerk and forward it to his/her immediate supervisor. 3. An employee subpoenaed or summoned to appear in court for non-City related business shall: a. Notify and provide his/her immediate supervisor with a copy of the official subpoena or summons as soon as possible. b. Notify immediate supervisor of additional time needed if required to return to court for additional proceedings. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 3 of 15  c. Return to his/her regular work location as soon as released by the court. Upon release, the employee shall request an official validated court slip from the court clerk and forward it to his/her immediate supervisor. C. An employee shall be placed on city business (code CBUS) when, as a result of his/her official duties with the Houston Fire Department, the employee is: 1. Subpoenaed or summoned on behalf of the city, county, state, or federal government. 2. Subpoenaed as a witness in criminal or civil cases between private litigants. 3. Called to offer testimony, act as a witness, give a deposition, attend consultations or interrogations, or otherwise appear before a board, commission, agency, committee or subcommittee, or other official body of the city, state, or federal government. D. Employees summoned or subpoenaed for jury duty or city related business shall be paid for the time spent in the court and thirty (30) minute travel time after release from the court, only when such time can be validated by an instrument of the court, such as a court attendance slip that has been signed by an officer of the court. E. An employee will not be entitled to city business, or any overtime, and shall utilize accrued holiday, vacation, or personal leave when a subpoena, summons, or other required court-related attendance is: 1. The result of outside employment job duties. 2. Related to personal matters. 3. To serve as a witness in criminal or civil cases between private litigants not resulting from the employee’s official duties with the Houston Fire Department. 4. To serve as a witness against the City. F. Upon review and approval of the Fire Chief or his/her designee, an employee subpoenaed as a witness on behalf of the city in Arbitration or a Step III Grievance hearing may be granted city business or overtime, as applicable. G. Classified and non-exempt municipal employees subpoenaed on behalf of the city to appear in city business related legal proceedings occurring outside the employee’s work schedule may receive overtime compensation. Such employees will not be eligible for mileage reimbursement. 6.02 Holiday Leave: A. The City of Houston observes Ten (10) traditional holidays every year. 1. New Year’s Day 2. Martin Luther King Day 3. Memorial Day 4. Independence Day 5. Labor Day 6. Veterans’ Day 7. Thanksgiving Day 8. The Day after Thanksgiving (Friday) 9. Christmas Eve 10. Christmas Day B. Employees assigned to a 46.7-hour averaged workweek schedule: 1. Whose regularly scheduled shift commences on a City approved holiday (listed in 6.02 A), will accrue two (2) eight (8) hour holidays for that day, provided the employee is physically on duty and completes the entire shift. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 4 of 15  2. Who are not regularly scheduled to work on a City approved holiday (listed in 6.02 A) but are prescheduled, called in, or held over to work on any of these days, shall accrue one (1) eight (8) hour holiday and receive overtime pay (time and one half pay rate) for each hour worked. C. All other classified employees will accrue one (1) eight (8) hour holiday. D. City approved holidays falling on a regularly scheduled day off shall be accrued as one (1) eight (8) hour holiday. Employees shall not temporarily alter their work schedule to accrue a holiday. E. Holidays accrue without limit and may be used in hourly increments. F. When a deferred holiday day is taken, eight (8) hours will be deducted; however, its usage value will be dependent upon the employee’s assigned shift. For each deferred holiday, an employee shall receive hours off as follows: 1. Classified employees assigned to a 46.7- hour averaged workweek will be granted 12 hours. 2. Classified employees in OEC assigned to a 42-hour workweek will be granted 12 hours. 3. Classified employees assigned to a ten-hour workday will be granted 10 hours. 4. Any other classified employee will be granted 8 hours. G. Holidays, in the form of a day-of or prescheduled holiday, may be granted to employees based on departmental staffing levels. 1. The Executive Assistant Chief of Emergency Response will determine when prescheduled holidays will be granted. 2. Shift Commanders will determine when day-of holidays will be granted and will notify the District Chief of how many have been authorized for their district. 3. District Chiefs will: a. Outline the procedure for establishing a day-of holiday list for employees under their command; b. Ensure all members in their district are aware of the procedure; c. Grant day-of holidays first to employees who are on the holiday list. If there are no employee names on the list, or after all names on the list have been granted a holiday, the District Chief should grant the holidays in a fair and consistent manner district-wide. H. Floating Holiday: 1. Is a holiday granted annually by City Council to full-time employees hired before July 1st of the same calendar year. Employees hired or reinstated on or after July 1st will not receive a floating holiday until the next calendar year. 2. Will be granted on January 1st and must be used, or will be forfeited without compensation, prior to December 31st of the same calendar year as follows: a. Shall not be used in hourly increments. b. Shall not be permitted in lieu of an unscheduled absence. c. When used, will be entered in HFD Timesheet using code FHOL. d. Employees assigned to the 46.7-hour averaged workweek may request the floating holiday be observed in lieu of a: i. Scheduled vacation. ii. “Guaranteed,” “Pre-scheduled,” or “Day-of” Holiday. e. Employees wanting to preschedule a floating holiday alone, or in conjunction with twelve (12) hours of other scheduled leave, shall submit their request, through the chain of command to the Shift Commander, for approval. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 5 of 15  f. A floating holiday used to create additional time off shall only be authorized by a Shift Commander or equivalent ranking supervisor. I. Guaranteed Holidays: 1. Classified employees assigned to a 46.7-hour averaged workweek or a 42-hour workweek in OEC shall be allowed to utilize the specified amount of guaranteed holidays (GH) each fiscal year, as identified by the Fire Chief or Designee, under the following conditions: 2. Once an employee has used the specified amount of GH allotment, the employee will be removed from the GH eligibility list. 3. The percentage of members allowed off on GH, per division and per shift, will be identified by the Fire Chief or Designee and subject to change depending on the staffing needs of the department. 4. GHs will be awarded based on seniority in the department. 5. Employees will not be allowed to use GH leave during: a. Spring Break (as recognized by H.I.S.D.), beginning the Saturday prior to Spring Break week through the Sunday afterward b. March 17th (if not included in Spring Break) c. Memorial Day Weekend (beginning the Saturday prior to Memorial Day through Memorial Day) d. July 3rd - July 5th e. Labor Day Weekend (beginning the Saturday prior to Labor Day through Labor Day) f. October 31st g. The Saturday before Thanksgiving through the Sunday after Thanksgiving h. December 15th - January 1st 6. Submitting GH requests: a. Shall only be completed online via the HFD Desktop>Overtime link>Member Login>Guaranteed Holiday Tab. b. Must be done prior to staffing projections being submitted for the tour of duty in which the requested GH will occur. c. Will be reviewed by the Staffing Office, which will begin approving GHs ten (10) days in advance. d. For an employee transferring to a different shift, GH requests may be submitted for the new shift only after the effective date of the transfer. e. The employee will get a notification e-mail that his/her holiday approval is “pending”. f. The GH will appear on the DC Worksheet as either “pending”, “approved”, or “declined.” 7. An employee may remove a GH request prior to its approval by the Staffing Office. a. Once approved by the Staffing Office, GHs cannot be moved or deleted; they can only be disapproved; therefore, if a GH is no longer needed, the employee must make a request that the date be disapproved through the chain of command to the Staffing Office at [email protected]. 8. Employees should keep track of the amount of GH leave they use. Employees applying for more than the allotted amount will be disapproved without explanation. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 6 of 15  9. All employees are to verify the approval status of the pending GH through the chain of command to the appropriate District Chief. Employees who fail to report for duty without proper authorization of approved leave will be coded AWOL and subject to disciplinary action. 6.03 Unpaid Leave of Absence: A. The Fire Chief may grant leaves of absence without pay for as many as fourteen (14) consecutive calendar days for full-time employees. B. Civil Service Commission approval of leave without pay extending for more than fourteen (14) calendar days shall be required before such leave shall be authorized. 1. The Commission, with the exception of known military leave, shall not approve of more than 90 consecutive calendar days of leave at any one time. 2. The Commission may subsequently approve extensions of a leave, as long as a total of 180 calendar days of leave without pay in one 12-month period is not exceeded. C. Leaves without pay extending for more than 180 calendar days shall be authorized only after the request for the same is approved by City Council. 6.04 Military Leave: A. When an employee requests Military Leave, the employee’s immediate supervisor shall refer the employee to the Military Coordinator for further instructions and to complete any necessary paperwork. B. Member Responsibilities: 1. Employees will notify their supervisor and the Military Coordinator upon receiving military or urban search and rescue orders for active duty (federal or state), scheduled drills, and/or annual training with the Armed Forces or State or Federally authorized USAR teams. a. Employees shall notify their immediate supervisor and request Military or USAR leave as soon as practicable upon receipt of verbal or written orders to assist with maintaining appropriate staffing levels. b. In the case of a verbal order, the employee will provide the supervisor with the current contact information of the employee’s assigned military unit, or urban search and rescue team, and the name of the Commanding Officer. c. Written orders shall be provided to the immediate supervisor as soon as they become available. 2. For temporary military or USAR leaves of absence, the employee will provide written orders and/or a timeline of the length of absence to the Military Coordinator to allow computation of the leave time required to cover the absence. C. In the event of an indefinite military leave of absence, the Military Coordinator will prepare the appropriate paperwork for the activated employee to complete and provide instructions for completing an out-processing packet. D. Employees who apply for Military Leave, or USAR Leave for scheduled USAR training, will receive pay for a maximum of fifteen (15) working days in any one military fiscal year, beginning October 1st and concluding on September 30th of the next calendar year. Absences exceeding fifteen (15) working days may be covered with accrued vacation leave, accrued holiday leave, or dock time using code OUT if vacation and holiday leave have been exhausted. E. An employee who is called to active duty status as a full-time member of the military forces during a state of war or a state of emergency, who is granted Military Leave, and whose military salary is less than his/her city salary, shall be entitled to I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 7 of 15  compensation for the difference. (Reference Chapter 14 of City of Houston Code of Ordinances.) F. If an employee is deployed for military service for a period of one (1) to thirty (30) days, the employee must report to work by the beginning of his or her first regularly scheduled work shift that begins on the next calendar day following completion of service, after allowance for safe travel home from the military duty location and an eight (8) hour rest period. G. If an employee is deployed for military service for a period of thirty-one (31) to one- hundred and eighty (180) days, the employee must notify the Military Coordinator no later than the fourteenth (14th) day after the completion of military service to report back to work. If the submission of timely notification is impossible or unreasonable through no fault of the employee, the Military Coordinator must be notified as soon as possible. If the 14th day falls on a day when the offices are not open, the time limit extends to the next business day that the notification becomes possible. H. If an employee is deployed for military service for a period of 181 days or more, the employee must notify the Military Coordinator no later than ninety (90) days after the completion of military service to report back to work. I. Once an employee notifies the Military Coordinator that he/she is returning from a temporary/indefinite military leave of absence, the employee must submit a signed copy of the completion of training orders or a DD-214 verifying that the requested military service was attended. 1. Any employee returning from an indefinite military leave of absence shall schedule a time to meet with the Military Coordinator to complete the appropriate paperwork for the returning employee and receive instructions for completing the in-processing procedures. 2. When an employee returns to work after an absence of more than thirty (30) calendar days, the employee must complete a Return-to-Work Drug Test prior to performing duties involving a safety impact position. 3. Any classified employee, who is absent from his/her field assignment in Operations for 180 days or longer for any reason, shall refer to I-47 Classified Training for the Re-Orientation Program (ROP) requirements. 6.05 Personal Leave: A. To utilize Personal Leave, employees must request and receive authorization from their District Chief: 1. Employees assigned to a 46.7-hour averaged workweek in Emergency Response or a 42-hour workweek in OEC must request Personal Leave prior to staffing projections being submitted for the tour of duty in which the leave will occur. B. Compensable Sick Leave plan members are eligible to receive Personal Leave hours in accordance with the following schedules: 1. A firefighter classified under Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code: Hours of Benefits Used in Preceding Benefit Year Personal Leave Hours Earned None 16 From one minute to eight hours 8 More than 8 hours None 2. Any other Compensable Sick Leave plan member (Non-Classified): Hours of Benefits Used in Preceding Benefit Year Personal Leave Hours Earned None 24 I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 8 of 15  From one minute to eight hours 16 From eight hours and one minute to 16 hours 8 More than 16 hours None C. Modified Sick Plan members shall be eligible to use up to 24 hours of the employee’s accrued Holiday or Vacation time in the form of personal guaranteed leave each benefit year based on the number of sick leave days/hour used in the prior benefit year. 1. MSP (Classified members): Hours of Benefits Used in Preceding Benefit Year Personal Leave Hours Earned None 24 From one minute to eight hours 16 From nine hours to 16 hours 8 More than 16 hours None D. In this section, the codes SICK, SFAM, and FMLS will be used to determine an employee’s eligibility for Personal Leave. E. Employees must be employed a full benefit year to be eligible for Personal Leave. F. Personal Leave hours must be used within the benefit year awarded and: 1. Are awarded the first full pay period in October of each succeeding benefit year. 2. The usage value will be dependent upon the employee’s shift at the time of usage. G. On August 31st of each benefit year, any unused Personal Leave will be forfeited without compensation. 6.06 Scheduled Training: A. Employees who require temporary training due to a recent job promotion or change in job description will be notified of the scheduled training through Memorandum or will receive a personnel transfer. 1. Members requiring longer duration training will receive a personnel transfer to the appropriate work location for the training. a. District Chiefs shall ensure the scheduled vacation days of an employee transferred for training are moved or removed for the duration of the training. 2. Members requiring short duration training will be notified of the scheduled training through Memorandum which will include reporting instructions, work schedule, and time balanced or owed through time calculations. a. District Chiefs will utilize code TRNG for the remainder of a duty shift when an employee is relieved prior to their regularly scheduled shift change, as identified in the Memorandum. If the member is not relieved at the time identified and remains on duty, no code will be entered. The District Chief shall enter and approve the employee’s overtime using code OTSTSH. The Shift Commander must approve this type of shift holdover. b. District Chiefs will enter code TRNG for the employee on each subsequent duty shift for the duration of the training covered by the Memorandum. c. If the employee owes time to balance the time calculation, the employee may elect to utilize benefit time in lieu of working (either DHOL or VACS), by notifying the District Chief of the request. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 9 of 15  B. All classified employees, who have been out of a field assignment in Operations for 180 days or longer for any reason, shall refer to I-47 Classified Training for the Re- Orientation Program (ROP) requirements. 6.07 Vacations: A. The vacation scheduling process will be announced via Memorandum. B. The Executive Assistant Chief of Emergency Response is responsible for approving vacations for the Shift Commanders. C. Shift Commanders Responsibilities: 1. Approve vacations for the District Chiefs on their respective shifts. 2. Schedule 1100 and Senior EMS Supervisors according to rank and seniority in rank. D. District Chiefs Responsibilities: 1. Approve and schedule vacations for all members assigned to their respective districts, except for Senior EMS Supervisors. 2. Enter their assigned members’ scheduled vacations into the DC Staffing Website prior to the deadline identified in the Memorandum. E. Members are responsible for timely submitting their vacation requests in writing to the assigned District Chief. F. Scheduling process for Emergency Response Personnel: 1. Vacations will be scheduled according to rank and seniority in rank. 2. No more than 50% of all rank should be on scheduled vacation on the same day. 3. Vacations will be offered one choice at a time. a. Every member will be offered a 1st choice vacation before a 2nd choice is offered. b. A “choice” is a continuous period of work days. c. During the months of June, July, and August, employees will be limited to a maximum of two (2) continuous tours of duty (a total of four (4) consecutive 24-hour duty shifts) and one (1) adjoining debit day, if applicable. G. Employees are not required to schedule all vacation days accrued each year, but once the district scheduling process has been completed, employees forfeit all rights to add scheduled vacation days. H. Employees should maintain a copy of their approved scheduled vacations for future reference. I. After scheduled vacations have been approved, employees transferring to other shifts or divisions will retain their originally approved scheduled vacations. 1. The system will automatically e-mail the incoming District Chief the employee’s approved vacation days. 2. Employees are required to verify that their vacation days have been moved accordingly. 3. Employees can only request to move their scheduled vacation days after the effective date of the transfer. 4. When transferring into a new district, an employee’s scheduled vacations may be moved one (1) tour of duty in either direction, regardless of the district’s allotment. a. Chiefs should use “move DC scheduled vacation” feature to facilitate any moves. b. Comments should reference a “transferred in” vacation in the Remarks section of the Daily Work Sheet. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 10 of 15  5. Employees transferring into a district from a non-suppression work schedule should submit a copy of the approved scheduled vacation days to the Staffing Office Chief prior to leaving their previous work assignment. a. The receiving District Chief may also forward the vacation request via e-mail to the Staffing Office Chief if the vacation days were not scheduled. b. Once the vacation days have been added, the receiving District Chief may adjust or move the employee’s vacation days, if the move is prior to the submittal of projections and will not exceed the district’s allotment. 6. If the incoming employee is transferring to the same shift, the only scheduled vacation days needing adjustment will be if the employee’s debit day is changed. 7. “Transferred in” vacations will become part of the new district’s maximum allotted number of vacations. a. If a “transferred in” vacation exceeds the district’s maximum, the additional vacation will be explained and indicated as “transferred in” in the Remarks section of the Daily Work Sheet. b. No additional vacations will be added to the district from which an employee transfers from. J. Special Operations (Airport, HAZMAT, and Rescue) will schedule their vacations through their respective Districts using the above criteria. K. Probationary Firefighters and Firefighter Trainees accrue vacation time but will not be permitted to schedule vacation during the probationary period. Vacation in lieu of sick leave will only be authorized for these employees when all of the following conditions are met: 1. The employee has been employed for a minimum of six (6) months, 2. All Sick Leave Benefits have been exhausted, 3. A valid Form 48 is provided. L. Moving Scheduled Vacations 1. Once vacations are scheduled, an employee may request to move those days to another date that has space available within the District allotment, as per II-01 Staffing Guideline. 2. While the District Chief has the responsibility to enter changes into the Online DC Staffing Website, employees will be held responsible for tracking their approved vacations and any revisions they make or request throughout the year. 3. Employees are responsible for reporting for duty as scheduled. 4. Employees may cancel vacations with the proper notification to the District Chief. Once an employee cancels a vacation, he/she gives up all rights to reschedule that vacation day later that calendar year. M. Vacation Accruals 1. An employee may accrue up to 720 hours (90 days) of vacation time. 2. Classified employees with at least six (6) months of service, who leave the City’s employment for any reason, will be paid for their accumulated vacation. N. The beneficiaries of a classified employee who loses his/her life or is forced to leave the City’s service resulting from a “line of duty” injury or illness, will be paid for all accumulated vacation leave. O. Employees who take an extended unpaid leave of absence, consisting of fourteen (14) calendar days or eighty (80) hours or more, shall not accrue vacation leave during such absences unless on approved FMLA. These members shall be coded OUT. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 11 of 15  P. Classified Employees vacation time is accrued bi-weekly at the rate of 1.25 days (10 hours) per month, for a total of fifteen (15) days per year. In addition, upon completing 15 years of service, employees shall receive one (1) additional day (8- hours) for that year and for each additional year of service thereafter, not to exceed seven (7) additional vacation days (56 additional hours). Vacation days are accrued on a bi-weekly rate as follows: Years of Service Hours (Days) Accrued Bi-Weekly Rate Hr/Min 1-15 120 hours (15 Days) 4.62 16 128 hours (16 Days) 4.92 17 136 hours (17 Days) 5.23 18 144 hours (18 Days) 5.54 19 152 hours (19 Days) 5.85 20 160 hours (20 Days) 6.15 21 168 hours (21 Days) 6.46 22 or more 176 hours (22 Days) 6.77 Q. When a vacation day is used, its value will be dependent upon the workweek held by the employee at the time the day is taken. 1. Classified employees assigned to an averaged 46.7-hour workweek shall receive twelve (12) hours off for each eight (8) hour vacation day used. 2. Classified employees assigned to a 42-hour workweek at OEC shall receive twelve (12) hours off for each 10.5-hour vacation day used. 3. All other classified employee schedules are charged on an hour-for-hour basis. 4. Employees whose absences on authorized vacation leave are for periods other than a full working day as defined herein shall be assessed vacation leave in proportion to the number of full working days or fractions thereof they are absent. R. Non-Classified employees shall accrue vacation biweekly at the rate of 0.84 days per month, for a total of ten (10) days per year. Upon completing four (4) years of service, employees shall receive additional days (8-hours) for additional years of service, not to exceed a maximum of fifteen (15) additional vacation days (120 hours): Years of Service Hours (Days) Accrued Bi-Weekly Rate Hr/Min 1-4 hours (10 Days) 3.08 5 hours (10 Days) 4.62 6-7 hours (16 Days) 4.92 8-9 hours (17 Days) 5.23 10-11 hours (18 Days) 5.54 12 hours (19 Days) 5.85 13 hours (20 Days) 6.15 14 hours (21 Days) 6.46 15 hours (22 Days) 6.77 16 hours (23 Days) 7.08 17 hours (24 Days) 7.38 18+ 200 hours (25 Days) 7.69 I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 12 of 15  S. Municipal employees accumulate vacation leave but are not permitted to use vacation time until they have completed a minimum of six (6) months of employment. Employees may take up to 90 days of vacation in a calendar year. 1. Employees who began working for the City before January 1, 2000, may accrue and carry forward from year to year a maximum of 840 vacation hours; and upon termination, shall be paid up to 720 accrued, unused hours. 2. Employees who began working for the City on or after January 1, 2000, may accrue and carry forward from year to year a maximum of 420 vacation hours; and upon termination, shall be paid up to 360 accrued, unused hours. 3. An employee may use all accrued vacation leave in one calendar year if approved by his/her Assistant Chief/Deputy Director. Employees must have prior supervisory approval before using vacation leave. T. Non-Classified employees absent without pay for any reason beyond fourteen (14) calendar days shall not accrue vacation leave for that period, unless on approved FMLA. U. Division or Section Heads shall establish a policy for scheduling vacations that is fair and consistently applied to all employees. The plan shall be reviewed by Human Resources and approved by the Assistant Chief/Deputy Director in the Division/Section’s chain of command. V. Emergency vacation may be granted to a municipal employee at the discretion of the employee’s immediate supervisor, but only in the event of a true personal emergency. 6.08 Voting: A. It is the intent of the Houston Fire Department to encourage employees to participate in the electoral process by exercising their right to vote in city, county, state, and national elections in which they are eligible to vote. 1. Employees are encouraged to vote absentee if scheduled to work on Election Day. 2. If an employee 's schedule does not permit adequate time to vote, the District Chief may grant up to two (2) hours to vote if requested in advance, code VOTE. 3. A member working overtime will not be compensated for time off to vote. 6.09 Wellness Leave: A. Employees must request and receive authorization from their District Chief before utilizing Wellness Leave, code WELL. 1. Employees assigned to an averaged 46.7-hour workweek or a 42-hour workweek in OEC must request Wellness Leave prior to staffing projections being submitted for the tour of duty in which the leave will occur. 2. Modified Sick Plan employees may utilize up to eight (8) hours per benefit year of their accrued benefit days for wellness leave. 3. Employees may request and use Wellness Leave in hourly increments. B. Employees shall provide a valid Form 48 for verification of a Wellness visit. 1. If an employee fails to submit a valid Form 48, the employee’s leave will be uncompensated, and the employee shall be coded as AWOL. C. Wellness Leave is separate from Sick Leave and must be used within the benefit year it is awarded. 1. On August 31st of each benefit year, any unused Wellness Leave will be forfeited without compensation. 2. Wellness Leave will not count against City or department attendance award programs. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 13 of 15  APPENDIX A 1.00 Health Care Provider 1.01 The Family and Medical Leave Act defines “Health Care Provider” as: A. A Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy who is authorized to practice medicine or surgery (as appropriate) by the State in which the doctor practices; or B. Any other person determined by the Secretary of Labor to be capable of providing health care services. 1.02 Others “capable of providing health care services” include only: A. Podiatrists, dentists, clinical psychologists, optometrists, and chiropractors (limited to treatment consisting of manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation as demonstrated by X-ray to exist) authorized to practice in the State and performing within the scope of their practice as defined under State law; B. Nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, clinical social workers and physician assistants who are authorized to practice under State law and who are performing within the scope of their practice as defined under State law; C. Christian Science Practitioners listed with the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, Massachusetts. Where an employee or family member is receiving treatment from a Christian Science practitioner, an employee may not object to any requirement from an employer that the employee or family member submit to examination (though not treatment) to obtain a second or third certification from a health care provider other than a Christian Science practitioner except as otherwise provided under applicable State or local law or collective bargaining agreement. D. Any health care provider from whom an employer or the employer’s group health plan’s benefits manager will accept the certification of the existence of a serious health condition to substantiate a claim for benefits; and E. Health care provider listed above who practices in a country other than the United States, who is authorized to practice in accordance with the law of that country, and who is performing within the scope of his or her practice as defined under such law. 1.03 The phrase “authorized to practice in the State” as used in this section means that the provider must be authorized to diagnose and treat physical or mental health conditions. I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 14 of 15  APPENDIX B Exception Codes Scheduled Leave Codes CBUS City Business DHOL Deferred Holiday DOHOL Day-of Holiday FHOL Floating Holiday GHOL Guaranteed Holiday JURY Jury Duty Requested MILT Military Leave Requested PERS Personal Leave Hours (CSL only) PLH Personal Leave - Holiday hours charged (MSP only) PLV Personal Leave - Vacation hours charged (MSP only) SC Shift Change TRNG Training VACS Vacation Hours Requested VOTE Paid time off to vote – (maximum of 2 hours) WELL Wellness Exception Codes Unscheduled Leave Codes AWOL Dock hours reduction DFAM Death in Family DSCK Donated Sick time FMLA FMLA leave for employee or covered dependent HLIEU Holiday in lieu of Sick OUT Out of leave time; pay will be docked RDOP Relieved of Duty without pay RDWP Relieved of Duty with pay SFAM Sick Leave taken for a family member SICK Sick Leave VACU Unscheduled Vacation/Emergency Vacation VLIEU Vacation in lieu of Sick WC Injured on Duty – Workers’ Comp related leave WCD Workers’ Comp doctor time while on duty I-22 (A) Scheduled Leaves and Absences REVISED 12/30/2019 REVIEWED 06/22/23 Page 15 of 15