§ 5-15. Paid Time Off

The City acknowledges how hard employees work and recognizes the importance of providing time for rest and relaxation. Employees are encouraged to get this rest by taking paid time off.

Leave Defined

Leave is any authorized absence, with or without pay, during regularly scheduled work hours, which is approved by the proper authority. Leave is an employee benefit and all leave shall be earned and granted to employees as set forth in the following rules.

General Leave Approval

Leave will be granted on the basis of the work requirement as a priority, but whenever possible on the personal wishes of the employee. Requests for leave will be approved, denied, and governed through the chain of command.

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Paid Time Off (PTO) is available to cover employees needs for time away from work for vacation, sickness, or to handle personal affairs.

PTO Accrual

Regular full-time employees earn PTO hours based on the multiplier used times the regular hours paid each pay period, excluding overtime and other hours that are in addition to the budgeted base position hours of 2080. The longer an employee remains with the City of Alamogordo, the larger the multiplier will be based on the following table:

Full Years of Service	Maximum PTO Hours Earned Per Year	Maximum PTO Days Earned Per Year	Multiplier
0-5 Years	172	21.50	0.082692308
6 Years	180	22.50	0.086538462
7 Years	188	23.50	0.090384615
8 Years	196	24.50	0.094230769
9 Years	204	25.50	0.098076923
10-15 Years	212	26.50	0.101923077
16 Years	220	27.50	0.105769231
17 Years	228	28.50	0.109615385
18 Years	236	29.50	0.113461538
19 Years	244	30.50	0.117307692
20 Years & Up	252	31.50	0.121153846

 

The multiplier will be increased to the next incremental rate effective the first full pay-period following the employee's eligible anniversary date.

PTO hours are calculated and updated each biweekly pay period through the payroll system. Employees whose positions are budgeted for 2080 hours per fiscal year may only earn PTO hours up to the maximum per year listed in the calculation table above. Employees may not borrow against future PTO accruals or carry a negative PTO balance.

PTO Requests

It is important that employees plan PTO use carefully so that appropriate replacements can be scheduled. Employees are responsible for requesting PTO in writing and submitting it to their supervisor for approval at least one (1) week in advance for all time off, except in those cases where advance notice is not possible i.e. hospitalization, family emergency, etc., or when otherwise agreed to by the supervisor. In the instance of an unplanned absence, the employee is responsible for making every effort to notify their supervisor at least one (1) hour before the beginning of their scheduled work period. If an employee has not notified the supervisor of their absence by mid shift, the employee may be subject to 4-19 Separation From Employment/Abandonment. Abandonment does not override the PTO request requirement.

If an employee calls in sick for three (3) or more consecutive days, the employee may be required to provide his or her supervisor with a doctor's note on the day the employee returns to work.

An absence shall be considered unauthorized whenever the employee's supervisor or designee has not been properly notified before the shift begins. Responsibility for excusing an unauthorized absence shall rest with the immediate supervisor. An unauthorized absence may be paid if PTO accruals are available and the supervisor has approved the unauthorized absence. An unauthorized absence may be recorded as leave without pay at the discretion of the supervisor.

While employees will begin earning PTO hours upon hire, they are not eligible to use PTO until they have successfully completed their initial probationary or extended probationary period. Employees serving an initial twelve (12) month probationary period shall be eligible to use their PTO hours upon successful completion of the first six (6) months of their probationary period. An exception will be granted and current hours made available if the employee provides documentation of illness signed by a licensed medical professional. Individual circumstances may also be considered and approved by the Department Director.

PTO & Injury on the Job

If an employee is injured on the job during their probationary period they will have access to their available PTO leave balance to cover lost time that they are not compensated for in any other manner for the first seven (7) calendar days. Should the leave balance not be sufficient to cover the time, leave-without-pay may be authorized.

PTO Maximum Roll Over

The maximum amount of earned PTO hours employees can roll over at any fiscal year end is 480 hours. Exceptions may be approved by the City Manager, only under extenuating circumstances which could not be planned or expected. Approved excess leave must be utilized by the employee within ninety (90) days, or by October 31 of the new fiscal year.

Up to July 1, 2003, any employee having a balance in excess of 480 hours will have their current PTO balance serve as their maximum PTO roll over balance until the employee either separates service or their balance falls below 480 hours. At such time their balance falls below 480 hours their maximum limit then becomes 480 hours.

Exhaustion of PTO

Only Department Directors or their designees, on a case-by-case basis, can grant time off without pay. PTO will not accrue during periods of leave without pay.

PTO & Separation of Employment

Employees will be paid up to 480 earned, unused hours of PTO upon their retirement date through PERA. Payment for unused PTO shall be paid at the employee's regular base rate of pay at the time of retirement. PTO in excess of 480 hours will be forfeited.

Employees will be paid up to 360 earned, unused hours of PTO upon separation of employment; not in conjunction with retirement through PERA. Payment for unused PTO shall be paid at the employee's regular base rate of pay at the time of separation. PTO in excess of 360 hours will be forfeited.

All accruals cease as of the date of separation.

PTO will not be paid out to employees who terminate during their first six (6) months of employment status.

PTO Conversion

Employees may convert a maximum of eighty (80) PTO hours per fiscal year for a cash payment at a rate of two (2) hours of pay for three (3) hours of leave. This conversion is only possible for PTO balances over 240 hours. The minimum amount of hours employees may convert per conversion is eight (8) hours. The maximum number of times an employee may convert leave to pay during the fiscal year is four (4). All requests to convert leave to pay must be submitted to the Human Resources Department at least seven (7) calendar days before the pay date the employee wishes to receive the payment.

Voluntary PTO Transfer

There are times when employees may face conditions which require an extended absence from duty and subsequently result in the exhaustion of their PTO. In such cases, after consultation with the Department Director, the City Manager may permit a regular full-time employee to receive PTO donations from other qualified employees under this subsection, under the following conditions:

The employee or an immediate family member suffers from an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition which is of an extraordinary or severe nature which has caused, or is likely to cause, the employee to go on leave without pay status or terminate City employment and:

• The employee's absence and the use of shared PTO are warranted;

• The employee has depleted or will shortly deplete his or her PTO reserves; and

• The employee has abided by all personnel rules regarding PTO use.

PTO donations under this provision may not exceed 480 hours per event, unless otherwise determined by the City Manager or designee.

Such leave shall be donated in one (1) hour increments, with a minimum donation of eight (8) hours per donor.

An employee who has accrued a PTO balance of more than 240 hours may request that the City Manager transfer a specified amount of PTO to another employee authorized to receive PTO under this section. In no event may the employee request a transfer of an amount of PTO that would result in his or her own PTO balance going below 240 hours. However, an employee separating from City service may donate PTO below the minimum balance of 240 hours, provided the recipient is currently on FMLA leave and/or has been approved by the City Manager to receive PTO donations.

The amount of PTO time transferred under this section which remains unused shall be returned to the employee or employees who transferred the leave when the City Manager finds that the leave is no longer needed or will not be needed at a future time in connection with the illness or injury for which the leave was transferred. The return of unused PTO will be pro-rated based on the number of hours the donator contributed to the total hours donated under the most recent reconciled balance.

Under no circumstances, including termination, can donated PTO hours be converted to cash.

(Ord. No. 1547 , 1-19-18)