Fiscal Note
This proposed ordinance authorizes non-seasonal hourly employees to carryover up to 3 sick days per year. A sick leave balance in excess of three sick days at the end of a calendar year will result in a payment of 50% of the value of all days in excess of three days. The remaining amount in excess of three days will lapse.
Sick leave days were first granted to hourly employees in 2009. Under the current ordinance, up to three sick leave days are granted each year based on the number of hours worked. At the end of the year, employees are paid for 50% of sick leave balances and the remaining 50% lapses. In 2012, the total cost of the program was $73,531. Of that amount, $41,531 was used and $32,057 was paid out. Based on the distribution of the year-end payout, these costs are incurred by the following agencies / funds and in the following proportions -- Library -- 44%; General Fund -- 32%; Monona Terrace -- 10%; Housing -- 8%; and Parking -- 6%. In 2012, the estimated cost to payout 50% of unused sick leave days for non-seasonal hourly employees was $19,000.
The proposed ordinance will increase the maximum number of eligible sick leave days for non-seasonal hourly employees in any one year from 3 to 6 (the three days granted during the year and up to 3 days carried over from the previous year). In the first year of this change, this will reduce the sick leave payout by an estimated $19,000 (all unused sick leave will be less than 3 days per non-seasonal hourly employee and will automatically carryover). However, it will increase the liability for compensated absences by an estimated $38,000 (twice the current payout for 50% of 3 days), beginning in the first full year of implementation.
The carryover provision will also increase salary costs by adding three additional sick leave days that can be used in any one year compared with current law. Under the proposed ordinance, the up to 1.5 days that currently lapse at the end of each year (...
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