Bereavement Leave

Regular or probationary full-time and benefited part-time employees may be granted paid bereavement leave due to a death in the employee's immediate family.

Immediate family members are defined as employee's spouse, child, stepchild, mother, father, sister, brother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, step-parent, step-parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, and former legal guardian, or a minor child or an adult for whom the employee is a legal guardian.

For full-time employees, an absence up to forty (40) work hours will be allowed for bereavement leave for funerals/memorial services.  Thirty (30) work hours will be paid as bereavement leave; however, the additional ten (10) hours, if taken, will be charged to sick or vacation leave. 

For benefited part-time employees, up to twenty (20) work hours will be allowed for bereavement leave for funerals/memorial services.  Fifteen (15) work hours will be paid as bereavement leave; however, the additional five (5) hours, if taken, will be charged to sick or vacation leave. 

Jury Duty

A full-time employee who is subpoenaed as a witness in the performance of their job or a member of a jury will be paid the difference between the employee's salary and any fee received for the days served.  The employee also retains any travel pay received.   

Benefited part-time employees are eligible for Jury Duty or Witness Leave for scheduled work hours only.

Military Leave

Employees are granted military leave for annual training for a period not to exceed thirty (30) eight (8) hour days in any two (2) consecutive years.  An employee who requests absence with pay on military leave pursuant to A.R.S. 26-168, 26-171 or 38-610 shall submit a copy of the orders for duty with the request for military leave.  For calculation purposes, the "year" begins October 1.  The City of Mesa will pay the employee’s full salary for the time absent due to authorized military active duty training pursuant to A.R.S. 26-168, 26-171 and 38-610.  The amount received from the armed services for active duty will be retained by the employee.  Employees returning from extended military service will be reinstated pursuant to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA).

FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)

Subject to the other provisions of the Human Resources Rules and in accordance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), City employees are eligible to take up to twelve (12) weeks of unpaid Family and Medical Leave in any consecutive twelve (12) month period [The twelve (12) month period is measured forward from the date the employee's FMLA leave begins] if the following conditions are met:

The employee has been employed by the City for at least twelve (12) months and has worked at least one thousand forty (1,040) hours in the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the commencement of leave.

Reasons For Taking Leave - The City shall grant leave to an eligible employee for one (1) or more of the following reasons:

For the birth of a child or the care of a child. Child means biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, or legal ward. Son or daughter also includes a child eighteen (18) years or older who is incapable of self-care due to mental or physical disability.

For the care of the employee's spouse, son, daughter, or parent who has a serious health condition.  A serious health condition means an illness, injury, impairment, or physical condition that involves any period of incapacity or treatment in connection with or subsequent to in-patient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical facility or any period of incapacity requiring absence from work, school, or other regular daily activities of more than three (3) calendar days that also involves continuing treatment by or under the supervision of a health care provider and for prenatal care. Leave may also be granted for a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform his/her job.

Paid and Unpaid Leave - At the employee's option, the employee may substitute accrued paid leave for unpaid Family and Medical Leave. If the FMLA leave is due to a serious health condition the employee must use accrued leave in the following order: sick leave first, followed by vacation and compensatory time. If the FMLA leave is not due to a serious health condition, the employee must use vacation leave or compensatory time first followed by unpaid leave.

The twelve (12) week period of Family and Medical Leave is measured forward from the date the employee is first off work and not whether the leave the employee chooses to use is paid or unpaid.

Advance Notice and Medical Certification - Employees must provide thirty (30) days advance notice to the Department Manager or designee and Human Resources Director when the need for Family and Medical Leave is foreseeable. The City will require medical certification to support a request because of a serious health condition. The medical certification will be made on a form provided by the City. The City also reserves the right to require medical certification if an employee is unable to return from leave because of a serious health condition.

Intermittent Leave or Reduced Work Schedule - In order to meet the needs of a seriously ill family member or themselves, an employee may take intermittent leave or may work a reduced schedule to limit the usual number of hours worked per day or week. Intermittent leave or reduced work schedules are subject to department approval unless proven to be medically necessary or part of an ongoing treatment program.

Position and Benefit Protection - Upon returning from Family and Medical Leave the employee shall be restored to his/her original or equivalent position at the same pay. There will be no benefit accrual during unpaid Family and Medical Leave. However, all benefits for which the employee is eligible will resume immediately upon his/her return from Family and Medical Leave. Absence due to Family and Medical Leave will not change an employee's benefit date.

Insurance Coverage - For the duration of Family and Medical Leave, the City will maintain the employee's medical insurance coverage. If the employee wishes to maintain benefit coverage while on unpaid leave, the employee must pay his/her normal share of the employee premium.

If an employee fails to make premium payments while on leave, the City will pay the employee's share of the premium, and deduct that amount from the employee's pay when the employee returns to work. If the employee does not wish to maintain insurance coverage while on Family and Medical Leave, the employee may elect to discontinue coverage for the duration of the leave on a form provided by the City.

Personal Day

The City Council has approved a total of two personal days to the leave schedule for fiscal year 2009-2010 for "Range and Step" employees (except sworn Fire employees - see below).  Only those full-time employees who were hired and working on June 30, 2009 will be eligible for the Personal Days benefit beginning July 1, 2009.  Part-time employees will be eligible if they had already passed their 6-month eligibility to participate in the benefit on or before June 30, 2009.  Benefited employees hired after July 1, 2009 will not receive the Personal Days benefit until the next fiscal year conditional upon budget approval.

The City Council has approved a total of three personal days to the leave schedule for fiscal year 2009-2010 for "Open Pay Range" employees.  Only those full-time employees who were hired and working on June 30, 2009 will be eligible for the Personal Days benefit beginning July 1, 2009.  Open Pay Range employees hired after July 1, 2009 will not receive the Personal Days benefit until the next fiscal year conditional upon budget approval.

In lieu of the personal days benefit for sworn Fire Department employees and to minimize staffing overtime costs, the City Council has approved for fiscal year 2009-2010 a Deferred Compensation contribution of $43.20 per pay period.  In addition, those sworn Fire Department employees who receive executive benefits get one personal day in addition to the Deferred Compensation contribution of $43.20 per pay period.  Only those full-time sworn Fire Department employees who were hired/promoted and working on June 30, 2009 will be eligible for the benefit beginning July 1, 2009.  Sworn Fire Department employees must also be enrolled in Deferred Compensation to receive this benefit.

Sick Leave

All regular and probationary full-time employees accrue eight (8) hours of sick leave per month and benefited part-time employees accrue four (4) hours per month.   Firefighters working twenty-four (24) hour shifts accrue eleven point two (11.2) hours per month . 

Full-time employees can accrue up to one thousand forty hours (1,040), benefited part-time employees can accrue up to five hundred twenty hours (520) and firefighters on twenty four (24) hour shifts up to one thousand four hundred fifty six hours (1,456). Once you reach the maximum hours, sick leave hours in excess of the maximum are converted to vacation leave on the basis of one (1) hour vacation leave for every one (1) hour of excess sick leave accrued. 

At retirement all full-time and benefited part-time employees receive 50% of the accumulated sick leave calculated on your current pay range and step.