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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2015.10.07 - 22036MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #15256 BY: Commissioner Helaine Zack, District #18 IN RE: BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS — OAKLAND COUNTY EMPLOYEES — FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME EMPLOYEES EARN PAID SICK LEAVE To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS the Michigan League for Public Policy reports more than 1.6 million Michigan workers, approximately 46% of private sector workers, are without paid sick leave when they are ill or care for a sick child or relative; and WHEREAS the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals the inadequacy of paid sick leave coverage: across the U.S. more than 59 million workers have no such leave and nearly 86 million do not have paid sick leave to care for sick children; and WHEREAS when employers provide paid sick leave, workers have the ability to regain their health, return to full productivity at work, and avoid the spreading of disease to their co-workers, reducing the employers' overall costs due to employee absenteeism; and WHEREAS paid sick leave allows parents to care for their sick children, resulting in a faster recovery for the child and a reduction in job turnover among working parents; and WHEREAS as of 2009, Michigan had more than 1,440,000 family caregivers, providing more than 1,380 million hours of unpaid care for adult or elderly family members, according to the Eldercare Workforce Alliance; and WHEREAS when workers utilize paid sick leave to care for adult and elderly family members with chronic and acute medical problems, employee loyalty and productivity increases, while job turnover is reduced; and WHEREAS the expansion of paid sick leave with the integration of family caregiving responsibilities would provide crucial assistance to working families and support the overall improvement of health conditions for workers, their families, and employers throughout Oakland County communities; and WHEREAS Senate Bill 101 and House Bill 4167 would require employers provide earned, paid sick leave to full-time and part-time employees when personal illness or incapacity prevents them from working or requires them to care for a child or elderly parent; and WHEREAS employers would offer one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours an employee works; paid sick leave accrues in 1-hour increments up to 40 hours per calendar year for small business; and 72 hours for all other employees; and WHEREAS specific conditions for accruing and using the paid sick leave are identified, without a cash payout required when an employee leaves employment; and WHEREAS it is proposed that Oakland County extend paid sick leave or comparable coverage to part- time non-eligible employees; and WHEREAS Oakland County's 1,090 part-time non-eligible employees would be eligible for the benefit of paid leave due to a personal illness or incapacity or care of family members; and WHEREAS Section IV, Subsection A of the Merit System Resolution requires that all changes in the rules and regulations of the Merit System shall be submitted to the Board of Commissioners at a regular meeting of the Board and shall become effective thirty (30) days after such meeting unless objection is received in writing by the Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners, in which case the objection shall become a matter of business at the next meeting of the Board; and WHEREAS amendments are required to Oakland County Merit Rule 22 - Eligibility for Employee Benefits and Merit Rule 24 - Personal Leave or other required Merit Rules and sub-sections, for the inclusion and eligibility of part-time non-eligible employees to be recognized as employees eligible for paid Personal Leave benefits; and WHEREAS extending paid sick leave as proposed in pending legislation ensures employees the right to care for themselves and their loved ones when sick, without the difficult decision of choosing between their personal or family health and a paycheck. NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby amend Oakland County Merit Rule 22 - Eligibility for Employee Benefits and Merit Rule 24 - Personal Leave or other required Merit Rules and sub-sections, for the inclusion and eligibility of part-time non-eligible employees to receive paid Personal Leave benefits when personal illness or incapacity or care of a family member is such that they are not able to work. C-41 Commissioner Helaine Zack District #18 Commissioner District # ZO Commissioner District # BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby approves an amendment to the paid personal leave policy for Oakland County's 1,090 part-time non-eligible employees to ensure all employees receive a minimum one hour of earned paid sick leave for every 30 hours an employee works, as proposed in Senate Bill 101 and House Bill 4167. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Human Resources Department is directed to prepare formal implementation language to incorporate this policy change in the Merit System Rules for consideration by the Board of Commissioners within 30 days of the passage of this resolution, Chairperson, I move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution. Cornmissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District # District # Commissioner Commissioner District* District* Commissioner Commissioner District District Resolution #15256 October 7, 2015 The Chairperson referred the resolution to the Human Resources Committee. There were no objections.