When an employee is absent due to an off-duty injury or illness, the unit commander shall be notified as soon as possible and the following procedures shall apply:
Employee's Responsibility
An employee who sustains an off-duty injury/illness requiring an absence from their work assignment shall notify their supervisor as soon as possible;
During the recovery period, the employee shall remain at their residence for the time period that would normally constitute their regular tour of duty. Each exception must have the prior approval of the employee's unit commander/operations lieutenant;
If the injury or illness will require an extended recovery period (more than five consecutive workdays), the employee shall be placed on an "A" schedule (Monday through Friday) from 0830 to 1700 each day. Varying work schedules will require unit time accountants to accomplish the time schedule change as soon as feasible. The employee shall be advised of the schedule change and shall remain at their residence during these hours. A waiver from this policy for short periods of time for doctor appointments, therapy, etc., may be obtained with prior approval of the employee's unit commander or operations lieutenant;
The employee shall notify the unit commander as to the name, address, and telephone number of the attending physician at all times during the period of treatment;
An employee recovering from illness or injury without compensation is not required to remain at home, but they must provide their unit commander with an alternate telephone number when leaving their residence for extended periods;
When a deputy is off duty with a condition that has been diagnosed as pneumonia, tuberculosis, hernia, or heart trouble, they shall notify their supervisor as soon as possible, as Workers' Compensation may be involved and/or the illness may be considered work related and may be termed presumptive; and
Prior to return to duty, a supervisor may ask an employee for a written release from the attending physician or any health care provider as defined under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), indicating the employee's ability to return to work on the first subsequent day of absence during a calendar year where the employee has already exhausted their maximum Protected Sick Leave/Kin Care Leave time (see MPP section 3-02/040.18, Medical Certification or Doctor’s Note and MPP section 3-02/040.20, Kin Care).
Unit Commander's Responsibility
The responsibilities of the unit commander in an off-duty injury or illness shall be the same as in an industrial incident.
Disability Management and Compliance Unit's responsibility
Upon notification of a serious off-duty injury or illness, a member of the Disability Management and Compliance Unit shall:
Respond to the scene of the employee incident if time and distance permit; and
Offer assistance to the employee and family.