5-307: Wellness Program

Purpose

To define the policy and outline the procedures to be followed regarding the Sick Leave/Wellness Incentive Program.

Authority

​Board of Supervisor approval.

Scope

This applies to County employees. 

Policy

The County will recognize and award time off to eligible employees who maintain an excellent attendance record. 

Attendance will be monitored during designated twenty-six (26) week qualifying periods to determine eligibility. 

Employees who use less than the established allowable sick leave during the qualifying period will meet the requirements for the award. 

A certificate for paid time off will be awarded to employees meeting the requirements of the program. Employees have an absolute right to take the earned time off and departments are required to allow employees to take the earned time off within the period stipulated on the certificate. 

This program does not restrict the use of sick leave and should not affect employee evaluations. 

Designated Qualifying Periods

The two designated periods each year for earning and using incentive certificates are Pay Periods #1 through #13, and from Pay Periods #14 through #26. 

Eligible Employees

Represented full and part-time regular employees who regularly work forty or more hours per pay period and are expressly covered under labor agreements between the County and recognized employee organizations participating in the program. 

Full and part-time regular unrepresented non-management employees covered by Chapter 2.78, Section 2.78.758, of the Sacramento County Code. 

Full and part-time regular employees continuously on the County payroll and eligible to earn and use sick leave during the entire twenty-six (26) designated weeks qualifying period. 

Non-Eligible Employees

Management employees. 

Employees not regularly scheduled to work at least forty (40) hours per pay period. 

Employees covered by a labor agreement which has no provision for this program. 

Temporary (extra help) employees. 

Full-Time Regular Employees

Eligible full-time regular employees who use twelve (12) hours or less of sick leave in Pay Periods #1 through #13 of any year shall receive a certificate enabling them to take eight (8) hours off with pay during Pay Periods #14 through #26 of that same year. 

Eligible full-time regular employees who use twelve (12) hours or less of sick leave in Pay Periods #14 through #26 of any year shall receive a certificate enabling them to take eight (8) hours off with pay during Pay Periods #1 through #13 of the following year. 

Part-time Regular Employees

Eligible part-time regular employees shall abide by the same Pay Period eligibility rules above; however, the maximum amount of sick leave allowed for a part-time employee during the designated period shall be pro-rated. For a half-time employee, the maximum sick leave that may be used to qualify is six (6) hours; for a four-fifths employee, the maximum would be nine (9) hours. The amount of time off received by the qualifying part-time employee shall also be pro-rated. A half-time employee would receive a certificate for four (4) hours time off, and a four-fifths employee would receive a certificate for six (6) hours time off. 

Change in Part-time or Full-time Status

In the case of an employee changing from part-time to full-time, or vice versa, during the thirteen (13) pay periods, the employees eligibility and amount of time-off-earned will be based upon their time status (either full or part-time) at the end of the final pay period, either Pay Period #14 or Pay Period #26. For example: if the final pay period (#14 or #26) is parttime, the employee is entitled to a certificate for the pro-rata equivalent of eight hours; if the final pay period (#14 or #26) is full-time, the employee is entitled to a certificate for the full-time eight (8) hours off. 

Changing Representation Units

Upon changing to a job classification represented by a bargaining unit not covered by this policy, a participating employee will become ineligible and dropped from the program for that qualifying period. No pro-rated time off will be awarded to employees who become ineligible during the qualifying period. 

Employees who have received a certificate for time off for a preceding period and who move to a new bargaining unit, regardless of whether that unit is covered by the Sick Leave/Wellness Incentive Program, shall be allowed to take their earned time off within the specified time period. 

Disqualifications

Employees who are on a full day or more of non-paid leave of absence during a portion of the designated period are excluded for that period. 

Employees who receive pay pursuant to Labor Code Section 4850 or who receive SDI integration, or who select the disability leave option pursuant to any labor agreement or Personnel Ordinance Section 2.78.790(b)(2)(b) are excluded from participation for that time period. 

Employees who were employed on a temporary basis and subsequently appointed to a permanent position during the designated period are excluded from participation for that period. 

Employees not continuously on the County payroll or eligible to earn and use sick leave during the entire twenty-six (26) week period are excluded for that period. 

Is Participation Automatic? Yes. The employee is not required to sign-up prior to participation. 

Sick Leave Wellness Incentive Certificate

The Sick Leave/Wellness Incentive Certificate is awarded to employees by their departments after successful completion of the twenty-six (26) week qualifying period and upon verification that the employees qualified for their earned incentive time off. 

The Certificate shall be awarded not later than three weeks after the end of the designated period. 

Use of Certificates

Certificates cannot be transferred to other employees. 

Certificates must be used (time off scheduled and used) within the period designated for their use. 

Certificates not utilized prior to the end of the specific designated period for use shall become null and void. 

Employees may use the time earned on multiple dates of less than eight (8) hours prior to the end of the designated period. 

Unused Certificates will not be cashed out when employees terminate employment with the County, and become null and void on the date of termination. 

Scheduling Earned Incentive Time Off

Upon receipt of the Certificate, employees shall schedule their earned time off within the following designated period. Scheduled time off must be approved in advance by their immediate supervisors. 

County policies, departmental rules and/or the provisions of the applicable labor agreement governing the scheduling and use of accrued vacation time shall apply to any time off granted in accordance with this policy. 

Employee Responsibilities

Employees shall schedule the earned time off with their supervisor as early in the using time period as possible. Enter the time off on their time sheet.

Supervisor Responsibilities

Supervisors shall be responsible to do the following: 

Ensure that all Certificates are awarded promptly upon receipt, and that employees understand they must schedule the earned time off prior to the end of the appropriate time period. 

Establish an approved date to take the earned time off. 

Review, sign, and date the properly completed time sheets. (The time off shall be shown on the time sheet.) 

Department of Personnel Services Responsibilities

The Department of Personnel Services (DPS), Personnel Actions Section, will do the following: 

After Pay Periods #13 and #26, notify departments to run the report identifying employees who have used less than 12 hours sick leave or a pro-rata amount for part-time. (Pay Period #27 will not be considered for this purpose.) 

Department Responsibilities

Departments are responsible for the following: 

Upon notification by DPS, run and review the report for accuracy. Upon departmental verification of the accuracy of the report, submit certificates for department head signature. 

Issue certificates and submit them to the appropriate supervisors in a timely manner so that the certificate can be awarded to the employee not later than three weeks after the end of the designated period. 

Ensure that employees who have earned an Incentive Certificate during a designated qualifying period are allowed to take the time off during the following designated period. 

The time off taken shall be reflected as Z300 on the time sheet.