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PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT
ALIGNING THE COOK COUNTY SICK LEAVE ORDINANCE WITH THE CURRENT EMPLOYEE SICK LEAVE POLICY
BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Chapter 44, Human Resources, Article III Vacation and Sick Leave, Section 44-93 - Sick Leave is hereby amended as follows:
Sec. 44-93. - Sick leave.
(a) Eligible employees may use sick leave for illness, 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 (4) to six (6) 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.
(a) (b) Sick leave is granted by Cook the County because an employee is unable to perform his/her assigned duties, or because his/her presence at his place of 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 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, one hundred seventy-five (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.
(b) Subsequent to December 3, 1962, sick leave may be accumulated to equal but at no time to exceed 120 working days at the rate of 12 working days per year. Records of sick leave credit and use shall be maintained by each office, department, or institution. Severance of employment prior to the use of any part of such sick leave terminates all rights for compensation hereunder. Amount of leave accumulated at the time when any sick leave begins shall be available in full, and additional leave shall continue to accrue while an employee is using that already accumulated.
(c) Sick leave may be used for illness, disability, or injury of the employee; appointments with physicians, dentists, or other recognized practitioners; or for serious illness, disability, or injury, in the immediate family of the employee. After five consecutive sick days, employees shall submit to their department head a doctor's certificate as proof of sickness. Maternity leave shall not be considered as sick leave.
(d) If, in the opinion of the head of the executive head of the office, or department, or institution, the health of an employee warrants prolonged absence from duty, the employee will be permitted to combine to his/her sick leave, vacation, and sick leave and personal days, with the approval of from 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 Retirement Board.
(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.
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