title
PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT
PRIORITIZING MENTAL WELLNESS IN COOK COUNTY
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Chapter 44 HUMAN RESOURCES, ARTICLE III. VACATION AND SICK LEAVE, SEC. 44-93 of the Cook County Code is hereby amended as Follows:
Sec. 44-93. - Sick and wellness leave.
(a) Eligible employees may use sick leave for physical illnesses, mental health, disability incidental to pregnancy or nonjob related injury to the employee; appointments with physicians, dentists, or other recognized practitioners; or for serious illness, disability, or injury, in the immediate family of the employee. Eligible employees on maternity or paternity leave may use sick leave during the first four to six weeks following childbirth, depending on the type of delivery. Use of sick leave during maternity or paternity leave may be extended upon the Leave Coordinator's receipt of a medical statement indicating that the employee is unable to return to work due to medical reasons.
(b) Sick leave is granted by Cook County because an employee is unable to perform his/her their assigned duties, or because his/her their presence at work would jeopardize the health of co-workers. Accordingly, sick leave shall not be used for any purpose other than to cover an absence related illness or wellness and shall not be used as additional vacation leave.
(c) All eligible employees shall be granted sick leave with pay at the rate of one working day for each month of service. A month of service is one in which an employee is in a pay status for at least 15 working days in a calendar month. All eligible employees on a part-time work schedule shall be granted sick leave with pay proportionate to the time worked per pay period. Sick leave may be accumulated to equal, but at no time to exceed, 175 working days. Records of sick leave credit and use shall be maintained by each office or department in the Cook County Time and Attendance System.
(d) If, in the opinion of the executive head of the office or department the health of an employee warrants prolonged absence from duty, the employee will be permitted to combine to his/her their sick leave, vacation, and personal days, with the approval of the Bureau Chief, Bureau of Human Resources.
(e) The employee may apply for disability under the rules and regulations established by the Cook County Annuity and Benefit Fund.
(f) Severance of employment prior to the use of any part of such sick leave terminates all rights to such sick leave accrual and compensation for such sick leave, except in the case of a reduction in force resulting in employees being laid off and recalled from layoff status. If an employee is recalled from layoff status into the same or a new position in the County Agency, and defined in Section Three of the Budget Resolution, from which the employee was laid off, the employee shall receive the full benefit of the sick leave accrual severed from the employee at the time of layoff.
Effective date: This ordinance shall be in effect immediately upon adoption.
end