Any person employed by the County of Los Angeles on a yearly, monthly, or daily position shall be considered eligible for sick leave and shall utilize such sick leave when compelled to be absent because of disability resulting from illness, injury, or pregnancy. However, hourly and/or less than one-half time positions shall not be eligible for sick leave benefits.
Accrual of Full-Pay Sick Leave
The eHR Human Resources Management Application reduces the leave benefit accrual for any unpaid scheduled hours.
The accumulation of sick leave hours included in the calendar year maximum begins January 1st of each year. At the beginning of each succeeding pay period, employees shall accrue sick leave hours based on the qualifying hours they have reported during the preceding pay period. Therefore, sick leave earned in one pay period is available for use in the next pay period.
The qualifying hours for leave accrual purposes include hours worked, full and part-pay leave taken, and industrial accident leave benefits. The qualifying hours do not include unpaid absence, overtime, or RDO’s. Therefore, for each qualifying hour recorded in the preceding pay period, a fraction of an hour of sick leave is accrued based on the appropriate sick leave accrual rate and is subject to sick leave maximum hours limitation each calendar year.
Full-Pay Sick Leave, Maximum Accrual Hours
The maximum sick leave hours that shall be earned and accrued during a calendar year is determined by the employee’s fringe benefits, appropriate MOU, and title/classification.
The maximum sick leave hours that shall be earned and accrued during a calendar year is 64 hours.
Pre >86 Sick Leave
On January 1, 1994, employees hired prior to June 16, 1986, received a one-time 64 or 96 hours sick leave benefit allotment, depending on their classification held, on January 1, 1994. This allotment is titled “Pre > 86 Sick Leave.” Those hours shall be available for use only after all other full pay sick leave has been exhausted except Pre >71 Sick Leave.
Sick Personal Leave
Effective January 1, 2007, employees shall use a maximum of 96 hours of their full-pay sick leave, within any calendar year, for any personal reason that does not interfere with the public-service mission of the Sheriff’s Department or the County of Los Angeles. Sick personal hours do not accumulate and are not carried over from year to year.
NOTE: If full-pay sick leave is not available, no sick personal leave may be used.
Reimbursement for Unused Sick Leave
The Los Angeles County Code provides that any employee who has held a permanent, full-time position for one full calendar year and who has not used sick leave (including sick personal) during a six-month period (January-June and July-December), may elect to buy back a maximum specified number of days of sick leave at the straight-time rate of pay in effect on the last day of the six-month period for which he/she is being reimbursed.
Employees who elect to buy back unused sick leave shall submit a completed "Certification for Cash Reimbursement for Unused Sick Leave" form to Pay, Leaves, and Records (PLR) Unit, via their unit time accountant, for verification within one month following the date the employee qualifies for such payment. PLR shall enter the necessary adjustments into eHR.
Sick Leave – Part-Pay/Percentage (65% & 50%)
Depending on length of service, employees are allocated a specified number of sick leave hours at 65% pay and at 50% pay. Part-pay/percentage sick leave applies to a specific calendar year and may only be used after all full-pay sick leave is exhausted.
With the implementation of eHR, the “five-day waiting period” before part-pay sick leave may be used was eliminated. Employees are no longer required to use another full-pay leave benefit such as vacation leave, or be reported as sick without pay (SWOP), before using part-pay sick leave benefits.
Payout for Sick Leave Benefits
Upon termination from County service, an employee who holds a monthly permanent position, and who has at least five years of continuous service, shall receive payment for accumulated sick leave at full pay to a maximum of 720 working hours. Such payment shall be computed at the workday hourly rate of pay in effect on the employee’s final day of County service and shall be equal to the total time which results from the sum of: