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Home My WebLink AboutIR 8618 i INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8618 TEb Date: July 20, 2004 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 1 of 3 C) SUBJECT: MILITARY STATUS OF CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES, fey% SUPPLEMENTAL LEAVE PROGRAM AND BENCHMARKING OF CURRENT PRACTICES PURPOSE On July 6, 2003, the City Council requested information on the number of city employees who have been called to active duty. The Council also requested information about the City's supplemental pay program and benchmark information from other cities. This report is a response to that Council request. In addition, information is provided about additional provisions added to Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Government Code during the 2003 regular Legislative Session relevant to police officers and fire fighters who are called to active duty. STATUS OF CITY RESERVISTS There are approximately 114 City employees who serve in the military reserves. Fifteen (15) of those employees are currently serving on active duty. An additional two (2) have been activated but have not yet mobilized. Since September 11, 2001, fifty-three (53) City employees have been activated. Below is a chart showing figures by department: #Who have been Department # Reservists # On Active Duty # On Stand By activated and returned Code 1 0 0 0 Compliance Engineering 1 0 0 0 Finance 1 0 0 0 Fire 26 2 0 4 Human 1 0 0 1 Relations Commission IT Solutions 3 1 0 0 Legal 1 0 0 1 Municipal Court 2 1 0 0 PACS 3 0 0 0 Police 58 9 1 25 T/PW 7 1 1 2 Water 10 1 0 3 TOTAL 114 15 2 36 UPDATE ON MILITARY LEAVE SUPPLEMENT AND MILITARY LEAVE FUND On January 22, 2002, Council approved M&C G-13837 authorizing the Military Pay Supplement Benefit and tary Leave Policy for reservists called to duty under Operations Enduring Freedom or Noble Eagle. With re-authorization of the Policy by Council on December 17, 2002 (M&C G-13837), and again on ISSUED BY "rHE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 86is � ►rEq�o Date: July 20, 2004 } To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 2 of 3 SUBJECT: MILITARY STATUS OF CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES, SUPPLEMENTAL LEAVE PROGRAM AND BENCHMARKING OF CURRENT PRACTICES November 11, 2003 (M&C G-1414$), the policy was expanded to include reservists called to duty under Operation Iraqi Freedom. This Policy must be renewed annually. Under the terms of the Policy, employees who are activated as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks receive 60 days of supplemental salary at 100% differential between their military pay and their base salary from the City. They receive an additional 60 days at 80% differential Since January 1, 2002, fourteen (14) employees have received supplemental pay under the terms of the Military Leave Supplement policy, for a total of$35,664.79. Funding for this supplemental pay is in each department's budget in the funding for employees' salaries. The Policy also provided for the establishment of a Military Leave Fund. City employee donated leave time to this fund in order to provide additional supplements to reservists for hardship cases. There have been 4,568 hours donated to the Military Leave Fund, for a total of$103,207.29 To date, one (1) employee has applied for and been granted $10,164 from this leave fund. ITIONAL PROVISIONS ADDED TO CHAPTER 143 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE During the 2003 regular legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed HB 2400, which made the following additions to Chapter 143 of the Local Government Code. 1. Cities that are governed under Chapter 143 shall maintain military leave time accounts for the fire and police departments and must maintain a separate military leave time account for each department. A fire fighter or police officer may donate any amount of accumulated vacation, holiday, sick or compensatory leave time to the military leave time account to help provide salary continuation for fire fighters or police officers under the following conditions: a. The activated employee must have served for a period of at least 12 continuous months. b. The activated employee must have exhausted the balance of the person's vacation, holiday and compensatory leave time accumulations. 2. The City must continue to maintain any health or dental benefits coverage that the fire fighter or police officer received through the municipality on the date the fire fighter or police officer receives written instructions from the fire fighter or police officer to change or discontinue the coverage. The City of Fort Worth requested an Attorney General opinion as to whether this provision meant that the City must pay the employee premium for the fire fighter or police officer. The opinion issued by the Attorney General's Office stated that the City did not have to pay any premiums normally paid by the employee. 3. A fire fighter or police officer may voluntarily substitute for a fire fighter or police officer that has been called to active federal military duty for a period expected to last 12 months or longer. This substitution will allow the activated employee to receive full salary continuation while serving in the military. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS tlU INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 8618 'Arm, TV Date: July 20, 2004 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council Page 3 of 3 SUBJECT: MILITARY STATUS OF CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES, fay$ SUPPLEMENTAL LEAVE PROGRAM AND BENCHMARKING OF CURRENT PRACTICES It should be noted that Provisions 1 and 3 provide for full salary continuation as opposed to the salary differential allotted under the City's policy. Under Provisions 1 and 3, a police officer or fire fighter would receive his or her full City salary in addition to his or her full military pay. BENCHMARK OF CURRENT PRACTICES Staff contacted eleven (11) Metroplex cities and county organizations to determine their current practice. Seven (7) of the organizations contacted provide salary supplement for activated employees at a 100% differential. For more information, please see the attached chart, "Military Supplemental Pay Policies of Other Metroplex Cities and Government Organizations" (Appendix 1). If you have questions or require additional information, please contact Karen Marshall, Director of the Human Resources Department. R pectfully submitted, ?a Zacks, City Manager ofp�l ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS JL APPENDIX I ILITARY SUPPLEMENTAL PAY POLICIES OF OTHER METROPLEX CITIES AND GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS C CITY PROVIDES PAY FOR HOW PAY DIFFERENTIAL1 BENEFIT NOTES REGARDING FOR ACTIVATED LONG? FULL SALARY/ CONTINUATION SUPPLEMENTAL PAY POLICY EMPLOYEES PERCENTAGE (beyond 15 days annual leave required by federal and state law) under COBRA rules Must be activated for a minimum (COBRA of 90 days. isextended to any Duration of employee upon employee's their termination for active an 18-month Arlington yes military time. 100% differential period.) Only after the employee has exhausted vacation and comp 12 time. Only in cases of consecutive "involuntary reserve activation".. Carrollton yes months 100% differential Does not apply to new enlistees. at employee's I a s no expense �W alas County no no Contains a provision to discontinue the supplement in the event the employee receives an injury while servingin the When military that renders him or her employee physically unable to perform returns from essential job functions or upon Garland yes active duty. 100%differential yes the death of the employee. Only for employees activated for at employee's September 11 related actions. Grand Prairie yes 180 days 100% differential expense Effective 9/1/02. Irving yes 12 months 100% differential 30 days Mesquite no no Continues medical and life insurance as required by Chapter 143 of the Texas Local Plano no Government Code. As long as Policy was established 1/9/02 necessary and made retroactive to 10/1/01. due to current world at employee's ichardson yes events. 100% differential expense pproved on 2/10/04. ` .arrant Count es 18 months 100% differential 1yes Retroactive to 9/1/02.