a.The City Manager may grant an employee in the Classified or Exempt Service a leave of absence without pay for a definite period not to exceed three months, and may grant leaves of longer duration on approval of the City Council. Such leaves shall be without pay and shall not provide for the accumulation of seniority or benefit credits as provided below in Section e. Except as provided in Section e, an employee who is on leave without pay for a full calendar month shall not receive a City contribution towards medical, dental, optical and life insurance.

b.The request for leave, exact dates, and the reasons therefor, shall be submitted in writing to the department head who shall forward it to the Human Resources Director (Ord 3385; 02/07) with the department head’s recommendation. The Human Resources Director (Ord 3385; 02/07) shall forward the request to the City Manager with the Human Resources Director (Ord 3385; 02/07)’s recommendation. The City Manager’s approval or denial of such request shall be in writing with a copy to be provided the Human Resources Director (Ord 3385; 02/07) and department head.

c.On expiration of the approved leave, the employee shall be reinstated to the former position or to a comparable vacant position if the former position is abolished during the period of leave and the employee otherwise would not have been laid off. The City Manager may recall the employee from leave prior to its expiration should unforeseeable changes in operating requirements occur.

d.Failure on the employee’s part to return to work on the date originally scheduled or subsequently modified by mutual agreement shall be considered as a resignation.

e.Except as provided under State law for employees on military leaves of absence or federal law under the Family Medical Leave Act, employees on leaves of absence without pay shall not accrue service or leave credits, nor shall the City maintain contributions toward group insurance coverage. During the period of such leaves, all service and leave credits shall be retained at the levels existing as of the effective date of the leave.