To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Steve Potter, City Manager
Prepared By: Liz Habkirk, Deputy City Manager
TITLE:
Title
Employee Disaster Leave Program for calendar year 2020
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution Establishing a Disaster Leave Program to Assist Employees Impacted by Natural Disasters
Body
DISCUSSION:
Over the last several years the frequency and intensity of natural disasters in the Napa region have resulted in tremendous upheaval for community members, including City employees and their families. These negative impacts have included evacuations, damage, and loss of homes.
In response to these issues, the City and employee bargaining units have discussed potential opportunities for assisting employees in managing a personal impact to their home caused by a natural disaster. The City intends on continuing these discussions and ultimately to establish a voluntary leave donation bank that will allow employees to assist their fellow co-workers who may need additional time off of work to manage their response to a disaster that impacts them personally.
However, in lieu of such a program being established and in recognition of the recent “LNU Lightning Complex Fire” and “Glass Fire” which impacted employees, the City Council has directed the City Manager to establish a disaster leave program for the remainder of calendar year 2020.
Today’s resolution will approve the granting of administrative leave during a declared federal, state or local disaster for employees who may be under a mandatory evacuation order or who have experienced damage or loss of their personal residence. The program will be retroactively established on August 17, 2020 (the start of the LNU Lightning Complex Fire) and run through the end of the calendar year. Eligible employees will be granted up to 40 hours of administrative leave. Leave will be limited to time off taken, or the duration of a mandatory evacuation order, whichever is less. In no circumstance would more than 40 hours of leave be granted, and the leave may not be cashed out for monetary payment.
The City Manager’s Office, in conjunction with employee bargaining units, will continue to establish program requirements for a voluntary donation leave bank to assist employees in the future and anticipates bringing an item back for Council approval in January 2021.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
The granting of administrative leave does not generate a new financial impact the City.
CEQA:
The City Manager has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not subject to CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15060(c).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
NOTIFICATION:
None.