§ 14-170. Vacations.  


Latest version.
  • (a)

    Full-time employees, excluding temporary employees in the classified and unclassified service shall be allowed vacation with pay in accordance with the employee's service time and the following schedule:

    Years 1 through 4 80 hours
    Year 5 120 hours
    Years 6 and 7 128 hours
    Years 8 and 9 136 hours
    Years 10 and 11 144 hours
    Year 12 152 hours
    Year 13 160 hours
    Year 14 168 hours
    Year 15 176 hours
    Year 16 184 hours
    Year 17 192 hours
    Year 18 and beyond 200 hours

     

    Service time for purposes of the foregoing accrual rates shall be based upon the employee's total eligible length of service with the city, and for a rehired employee credit shall be afforded for prior service time. Accruals shall be allocated on a fractional basis per pay period, with applicable service time adjustments commencing on the first pay period following the employee's service time anniversary date. Accruals during the first six months of service shall be subject to subsection (c) below.

    Accruals of vacation time shall be limited as follows:

    (1)

    Except as provided in item (2) below, accruals of vacation time shall be limited to a maximum of 360 unused hours.

    (2)

    Persons who are actually employed by the city on October 1, 2003, and who have a commencement date for vacation benefits purposes that is prior to January 1, 2000, shall be subject to an accrual limit of 720 unused hours for so long as they remain continuously employed by the city without a gap in service.

    Once the applicable maximum limit is reached, accruals shall be suspended and shall not recommence until the employee reduces the balance by use of benefits.

    (b)

    When vacation absence is requested and approved by the department director or designee, the absence during that period shall not be converted to any other type of authorized absence, such as absence with pay, without pay, or sick or injury leave, without approval of the commission.

    (c)

    No employee will accumulate any vacation leave until he has been in the city's service for a period of six months. If he continues in the city's service beyond said six months' period, such employee will be allowed such vacation leave as would have accrued during such six months' period of time.

    (d)

    Vacation leave may be accumulated to a total of 360 or 720 working hours, as applicable, subject to the following:

    (1)

    Each employee of the city shall, upon termination of employment, receive in a lump sum payment, the full amount of his salary for his unused accrued vacation leave. If the termination results from the death of the employee, then the amount shall be payable to the beneficiaries of the employee.

    (2)

    Each employee, upon leaving the employment of the city, shall be paid accumulated vacation in the amount to be determined by taking the average of the hourly base pay of the employee, plus the longevity rate he has attained and has received or been entitled to receive during his last 60 calendar days of employment; provided, however, that the employee has received, for at least another 60 calendar day period of time, a higher base pay than that which he was paid during his last 60 calendar days of employment, then the amount of such payment shall be determined by taking the average of the hourly base pay of the employee for the 60-day calendar period for which he was paid a greater hourly base pay, plus the longevity rate he has attained. The computation of the "hourly base rate of pay" shall be based upon the hourly equivalent for 80 hours of scheduled work (excluding overtime) per biweekly pay period, regardless of the actual work hours scheduled per day. For a rehired employee, all computations shall be based upon the employee's then current term of service.

    (e)

    Employees who take an extended leave of absence without pay for personal reasons, consisting of 80 or more hours of absence, shall not accumulate vacation allowances during such absences.

    (f)

    The provisions of this section are inapplicable to police officers and fire fighters serving in positions that are classified under Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code. Vacation leave benefits for employees so classified shall be as provided by applicable provisions of Chapter 34 of this Code, the aforesaid Chapter 143, and any applicable agreements established between the city and employee bargaining groups under Chapter 143.

( Ord. No. 2015-1300, § 2(Exh. A), 12-16-2015 )