If an employee is unable to report for duty, they are expected to notify their supervisor within a 1/2 hour after the time they are scheduled to begin work; however, employees should attempt to notify their supervisors as soon as possible that they will not be able to work their shift.
No sick leave shall be granted unless the employee reports to their supervisor the necessity for the absence no later than one-half hour after their regularly scheduled time to report for work, unless they can show to the satisfaction of the department head that the failure to report was excusable.
Any employee who has accumulated sick leave credits shall be granted leave with pay, for such period of time as the head of the department deems necessary in accordance with the collective bargaining contract. The department will not consider substituting vacation hours for persons without any sick leave, unless they actually have some vacation time accrued.
In no case shall such leave with pay be granted in anticipation of any future accumulation. An employee shall be paid under the provisions of this paragraph only for the number of days for which they would normally have been paid if they had not been on sick leave.
The word “sickness”, as it occurs in this section, shall be understood to mean bodily disease or affliction except as hereinafter stated, when such disease or affliction is in fact disabling and shall include any ailment or condition due to bodily injury, but shall not be construed to include any ailment or condition due in whole or in part to habitual or intemperate use of alcohol or narcotics. Alcoholic addiction may be recognized as sickness while the employee is under medical care and treatment for such addiction, provided that no employee shall be granted sick leave with pay for alcoholic addiction more than twice. Narcotic addiction resulting from the administering of narcotics by order of a physician in connection with an affliction or disability may be recognized as sickness while the employee is under medical care and treatment for such addiction. Mental affliction may be recognized as sickness when it takes a form as a disease by the medical profession and afflicted employee is under medical care and treatment for such affliction. Maternity leave will be granted in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.
An employee who does not return to work on the eighth calendar day, due to their own sickness or injury, must submit a sick certificate. A sample certificate is available from the police human resources, or it can be written on a doctor’s letterhead. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to see that this certificate/letterhead is completed and submitted to police human resources.
An employee who uses three or more sick days for a child, family or household member must submit a sick certificate. A sample certificate is available from police human resources, or it can be written on a doctor’s letterhead. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to see that this certificate/letterhead is completed and submitted to police human resources.
Effective August 1, 2013, the Minnesota Parenting Leave Act permits employees to use their employer-provided sick time for “an illness of or injury to the employee’s child…adult child, spouse, sibling, parent, grandparent, or stepparent.” Under the new law, employers may limit the use of an employee’s personal sick leave benefits for relatives to no less than 160 hours in any 12-month period. However, this limit does not apply to absences due to the sickness or injury of a minor child.
Effective May 12, 2014, the Women’s Economic Security Act permits employees to use their employer-provided sick time for an illness or injury to the employee’s mother-in-law, father-in-law, and grandchild. The City may limit the use of an employee’s personal sick leave benefits for relatives to no less than 160 hours in any 12-month period. However, this limit does not apply to absences due to the sickness or injury of a minor child.
Effective January 1, 2017, the City of Saint Paul implemented an Earned Sick and Safe leave policy. The first 48 hours that someone uses in a calendar year is considered earned safe and sick time, regardless of the reason why the sick time was used. After 48 hours are used, the rules revert back to regular sick time usage. Earned sick and safe time can be used for the following reasons:
- Care for oneself
- Care for a family member (family member is much broader than other policies; basically, it can be used for anyone in the family or anyone who is “close” like family)
- Domestic violence or personal safety issues
- Care for a family member whose school or place of care is closed by a public official due to toxins, hazards, etc
- Care for a family member whose school or place of care has been closed due to inclement weather (snow days) or other unexpected closure (day care provider is sick)
If an employee is unable to work because of sickness for a period of 30 or more calendar days, they may be required to submit a certificate from your physician attesting to your recovery and mental and physical ability to resume your duties before you may return to work.
A supervisor may require such a doctor’s certificate or at any time during an employee’s illness. All such certificates shall be forwarded to the Police Human Resources Unit.
Where an employee is unable to work because of a compensable injury arising out of and in the course of their employment with the city and has used all accumulated sick leave to which they are entitled and is still incapacitated as a result of such injury, the council may, by resolution, authorize additional leave of absence granted with pay for such disability and for such period of time as the council may determine, not to exceed 65 working days during any 12 month period.
Sick leave without pay may be granted for a period up to but not to exceed two years. A leave of absence form must be completed for approval by the chief of police.
Employees should confer with police human resources for coordination of their time and benefits for a leave that is anticipated to be longer than one week.
Revised May 22, 2019