Salary Resolution No. 95-0926 Revised December 2018 Section 2: Applicability

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What’s on this Page

• 2.1 Services
• 2.2 Employee Units
• 2.3 Special Districts
• 2.4 Nepotism
• 2.5 Catastrophic Leave / Decedent's Benefit
• 2.6 Short-Term Disability - Payroll Deductions

Read Next: Section 3: Pay Periods

2.1 Services

The provisions of this Resolution shall apply to both classified and unclassified services of the County of Sonoma.

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2.2 Employee Units

Sections 7 through 31 of this Resolution apply only to Unrepresented Administrative Management positions, Department Heads (including elected Department Heads, except where specifically excluded in this document or by law), Unrepresented Confidential positions, and/or positions not represented by any recognized employee organization. "Unrepresented employees" shall mean those employees or positions which are neither Unrepresented Management nor Unrepresented Confidential and which are not represented by a recognized employee organization. When used in Sections 7 through 31 the term "employee" shall mean Unrepresented Administrative Management, Unrepresented Confidential, and Unrepresented employees.

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2.3 Special Districts

(Amended 1/11/12)

Whenever an employee changes employment from the County of Sonoma County, the Sonoma County Water Agency, the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District, the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, or the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, to another of those agencies without a break in pay status greater than two (2) working days, service with the first entity shall be deemed to be service with the second entity for purposes of accrual, accumulation and use of:

(i) paid vacation,
(ii) sick leave,
(iii) entitlement to salary step, and
(iv) retiree medical benefits. 

Such employee shall retain the same such benefits to which entitled immediately prior to reassignment. Upon each reassignment, the employee shall be paid for unused overtime credits in the same manner as provided by this Resolution upon separation, and such unused overtime credits shall not be transferred from one entity to another.

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2.4 Nepotism

No person shall be employed without written approval of the Director of Human Resources in any position in which the employee will directly or indirectly supervise, or in which the employee will be directly or indirectly supervised by, his or her husband, wife, registered domestic partner, parent, stepparent, brother, sister, child, stepchild, grandchild, grandparent, mother‑in‑law, father‑in‑law, daughter‑in‑law, son‑in‑law, or any person with whom the employee has a relationship in loco parentis.

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2.5 Catastrophic Leave / Decedent's Benefit

1. Definition
   1. Catastrophic Leave is a paid leave of absence due to verifiable, long‑term illness or injury such as, but not limited to, cancer and heart attack which clearly disables the individual.
   2. A Decedent's Benefit is the accumulation of vacation or compensatory leave hours donated by other County employees to the designated beneficiary or estate of a County employee who dies while an employee of the County.
2. Coverage
   All regular employees of the County of Sonoma, the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, the Sonoma County Water Agency, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, and the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District, who have successfully completed two-thousand eighty (2,080) hours (one year) in paid status shall be eligible for such leave due to their own serious illness or injury, or serious illness or injury to spouse, registered domestic partner or dependent minor child.  The designated beneficiary or estate of an employee who was employed by any of the above-mentioned entities and successfully completed two-thousand eighty (2,080) hours (one year) in paid status and met the criteria set forth at paragraph 2.5(a) (2) shall be eligible to receive any decedent's benefit.
3. Other Leaves
   The employee must first exhaust all accrued sick leave, vacation leave and compensatory time before qualifying for catastrophic leave.
4. Catastrophic Leave
   Catastrophic leave shall be additional paid leave available from vacation or compensatory leave hours donated by other County employees to a specific, qualified employee.
5. Decedent's Benefit
   A Decedent's Benefit shall be the accumulation of vacation or compensatory leave hours (up to a maximum of six-hundred eighty (680) hours) donated by other County employees to the designated beneficiary or estate of a County employee who dies while an employee of the County. The decedent's benefit shall be paid to the designated beneficiary or estate of the County employee in the same manner as payment to the designated beneficiary or estate of the County employee of the decedent's own vacation and compensatory leave hours.
6. Employees donating vacation or compensatory leave must donate in increments of whole hours. The donating employee must have a vacation leave balance of at least forty (40) hours after the donation of vacation time. Employees may donate all of their accrued compensatory time.
7. An employee or a decedent requesting catastrophic leave must receive the recommendation of his/her department head and the approval of the Director of Human Resources. Such leave may  initially be approved up to a maximum of three-hundred forty (340) hours donated hours. If the catastrophic illness or injury continues, up to an additional three-hundred forth (340) donated hours may be recommended and approved.
8. Employees donating vacation or compensatory leave to a decedent's benefit must donate their vacation or compensatory leave hours no later than thirty (30) days after the employee's death or within thirty (30) days of the enactment of this revised Decedent's Benefit Policy.
9. The Auditor‑Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector shall account for the donation and disbursement of catastrophic leave hours.  At the end of the thirty (30) day period allowed for donations for a Decedent's Benefit, the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector will process adjustments and then disburse to the designated beneficiary or estate all funds for leave time donated.
10. The decision of the Director of Human Resources to deny the recommended Catastrophic Leave shall be appealable to the Civil Service Commission within ten (10) calendar days of his/her decision. The decision by the Civil Service Commission shall be final.

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2.6 Short-Term Disability - Payroll Deductions

The County agrees that permanent Confidential employees may purchase Short-Term Disability Insurance coverage as may be offered by the SEIU Union Insurance Services, at their own expense, through bi-weekly payroll deductions. Each employee is responsible for submitting to SEIU Union Insurance Services his/her own application for Short-Term Disability Insurance and any subsequent material required by the insurance provider. The County is not responsible for deductions not taken or premiums unpaid while an employee is in an unpaid status.

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