Explanation
In order to address a portion of the projected 2009 $13 million deficit, this ordinance authorizes five (5) unpaid days to be taken by all employees of the Management Compensation Plan, Police Management Compensation Plan, and Fire Management Compensation Plan. The fiscal savings would be $920,000.
Emergency action is proposed in order to provide City agencies the opportunity to schedule the unpaid days.
Title
To authorize five (5) unpaid days for employees covered by Management Compensation Plan (MCP) Ordinance No. 1150-2007; Police MCP Ordinance No. 0676-2006; and Fire MCP Ordinance No. 0664-2006; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is in a fiscal emergency and financial savings must be realized to the extent possible; and
WHEREAS, the MCP Ordinance No. 1150-2007 provides for a forty (40) hour workweek for employees covered by the ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the Police MCP Ordinance No. 0676-2006 provides for a forty (40) hour workweek for employees covered by the ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the Fire MCP Ordinance No. 0664-2006 provides for a forty (40) hour workweek for employees covered by the ordinance; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes each employee covered by the named ordinances to forfeit forty (40) hours of pay in 2009 and authorizes Appointing Authorities to waive the forty (40) workweek in weeks where unpaid days will be observed; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City in that it is immediately necessary to authorize unpaid days for employees covered by the various management compensation plans, thereby preserving the public health, peace, property, welfare, and safety; Now, Therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That each Appointing Authority is authorized to waive the forty (40) hour workweek in weeks where unpaid days will be observed and to schedule forty (40) hours of unpaid time for each full-time employee covered by the herein named management compensation plans in order to help alleviate some of the financial burden on the City by choosing from the following options:
(A) The following holidays will be observed, but not paid: Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Thanksgiving Day; or
(B) The following days will not be considered workdays, and will be unpaid: Friday, May 22; Thursday, July 2; Friday, September 4; Friday, November 27; and Thursday, December 24, 2009; or
(C) Appointing Authorities may also select and schedule alternate dates based on operational need, which dates must be taken on or before December 26, 2009.
Section 2. Part-time employees will be required to forfeit normally scheduled hours on the days scheduled as unpaid days.
Section 3. No paid leave, i.e., sick leave, vacation, etc. may be taken for any unpaid day.
Section 4. Unpaid days will not result in a break in continuous service.
Section 5. All existing benefits will continue uninterrupted as if employees remained in paid status.
Section 6. All Appointing Authorities are required to report selected unpaid days off to the Director of Human Resources no later than Monday, May 18, 2009.
Section 7. The City Auditor will make periodic financial reports regarding the savings of instituting unpaid days.
Section 8. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this Ordinance is declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten (10) days after its passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.