5-830: Management Leave

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish management (administrative) leave provisions for Department Heads, Executive Management, and  Unrepresented Senior Management.

For the purpose of this policy Executive Management is defined as Department Head level or higher, and Senior Management is defined as Unrepresented Senior Managers at the Chief level (or equivalent) or higher and who are not Executive Management.

Authority

• Sacramento County Code, Chapter 2.100 - Management Compensation

Scope

This policy applies to current Unrepresented Senior Management, County Department Heads, Executive Management, and new appointees to these positions.

Background

In order for the County to be competitive in the recruitment and retention of the most qualified Senior and Executive Managers, this policy establishes the provision for a Management Leave Program to afford experienced public sector managers competitive leave offerings when entering or maintaining employment with the County. Many of the most qualified candidates for Senior and Executive Management positions are employed at similar public sector agencies that have robust leave accruals and management leave programs which may be a barrier to considering or accepting an appointment with the County as a Senior Manager, Department Head, or Executive Manager. Similarly, well qualified incumbent Senior Managers, Department Heads and Executive Managers in the County may be more likely to consider opportunities outside the County with similar public sector employers who offer equal or greater leave accrual rates and a management leave program.​

Policy

In order to ensure the County successfully recruits and retains the most qualified and competitive Senior Managers, Department Heads, and Executive Managers, and recognizing the demands and responsibilities of these positions routinely requires work in excess of the normal 40-hour work week without additional compensation, Unrepresented Senior Management, Department Heads, and Executive Management who  are exempt from FLSA regulations shall receive a Management Leave benefit. 

The above-referenced full-time regular employees who are in paid status on the effective date shall be granted eighty (80) hours of Management Leave effective January 1st of each year. Any above referenced full-time regular employees who are not in paid status on the effective date shall be eligible for a pro-rata number of Management Leave hours based on the number of full pay periods remaining in the calendar year.

Each calendar year, employees newly entering an eligible position after January 1st shall receive a prorated number of hours based upon the remaining number of full pay periods in the calendar year following their appointment date.

Use of Management Leave is subject to the approval of the immediate supervisor.

Management Leave for Executive Management and Department Heads may not be carried forward to the next calendar year. Executive Management and Department Heads will have any unused portion of the Management Leave hours cashed out and paid to the employee in the paycheck that includes the last day of the calendar year, or at the time of separation or transfer to an ineligible position, whichever is earlier. 

Eligible Unrepresented Senior Management will be granted, each January 1, up to 80 hours of Management Leave, however at no time shall any Unrepresented Senior Management accumulate more than 80 hours of Management Leave. Any unused leave for Unrepresented Senior Management shall only be cashed out and paid upon separation from the County.

If an employee is appointed to both an eligible Senior Management and Executive Management position in the same calendar year, in no case shall the employee be granted more than a total of 80 hours of Management Leave or the pro-rata amount of Management Leave, if appointed to the earliest eligible position after January 1st of the calendar year.

Recognizing that unused Management Leave will be cashed out for Executive Management Department Heads each calendar year, it is strongly recommended that this leave be used prior to use of vacation or other accrued leave in order to mitigate costs to the County.