On December 13th, the Tallahassee City Commission will consider approving a leave buy-back option for general employees.
Historically, the City has periodically provided employees the option to buy-back limited amounts of their accrued personal leave. According to staff, the buy-back option benefits the City as well as its employees. It allows employees to be compensated for benefits they have earned and could lose if they are not used, and it also allows the City to get rid of its accrued liability.
The item states that employees have responded enthusiastically about the opportunity to convert accrued leave into additional pay. Noting that employees have enjoyed participating in the buyback option in recent years and have inquired about the status of a leave buy-back option this year and moving forward.
Previously, the personal leave buy-back was approved on an annual basis and allowed employees to buy back up to 80 hours of personal leave in 10-hour increments. Employees had to maintain a personal leave balance of at least 80 hours following the buy back. Staff recommends that the same parameters be offered to employees for the 2024 Fiscal Year.
The item explains that in response to success of the program in recent years along with employees’ requests, staff is recommending the City’s personnel policies be revised to include a personal leave buy-back program that is an option on an annual basis.
The cost of the leave buyback for general employees, on average has been $1,847,000. The cost of the leave buy-back for employees covered by collective bargaining units on average has been $172,940 for Police and $58,400 for Fire in Fiscal Year 2023.
Additionally, the item notes the buy-back policy would align with modern employment practices and states, “A leave buy-back policy serves as a strategic retention tool, contributing to our ability to attract and retain top talent within the workforce. The leave buy-back policy demonstrates our commitment to investing in employees excellence and adapts to the evolving needs of our workforce.”
City Commission to Consider Leave Buy-Back Option added by Tristyn Leigh on
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Thank you John.
@ John = I have about 1000 Hours of Annual Leave built up and over 600 Hours of Sick Leave.
The State did this once but limited it to just 40 Hours, I couldn’t tell I received the Money because they Taxed it as a Bonus.
It’s not really costing the City Money because they are still Paying the Employee’s when they DO use their Time so stop acting like it is EXTRA Money being spent.
Snidely @ Snidely;
Actually The Citizens deserve a full accounting of all LWOP, if the COT could find it in it’s heart to provide The Citizens an accurate accounting of LWOP.
However we all know that will never happen.
But it would be nice to provide that to The Citizens.
Maybe a bold conservative leader of our communitty will find it in their heart to submit an official Public Records Request to the COT and report back to The Citizens at a later time.
Thanks Steve and Staff at Tallasassee Reports for all you do.
The leave buy-back plan will only be available to the few dedicated, hard working, conservative employees on COT payroll. So I recomend we allow the COT to go forward with their plan with a minimum of 8itching and moaning from the peanut gallary.
Typically the “society owes me” liberals at COT burn up their leave faster than they accrue it and as a result are less productive and actually many of these slackers are deep into LWOP (leave without pay).
So yes I endorse this program as a way to honor the hard working, conservative, mostly Christian COT workers who carry all the slacker employees on their strong and stalwart backs and put their nose to the grindstone getting’ er done for the COT.
NO – Here’s a few reasons Why:
For mental health reasons, etc. Employees should be encouraged to take annual leave…
Annual Leave should not be encouraged as a way for employees to have additional cash…
Employees would be compensated at existing pay level while some time accrued was probably at lesser pay level…
Encourages more abuse of Annual Leave via not accurately reporting Leave used, etc. so Employees can maintain higher level of Annual Leave balances…
Employees getting compensated with Annual Leave for overtime. etc. Will work slower…
If this is allowed, it should only be for the truly working horly-paid staff; not overpaid already Managers, Supervisors or Sr. Level staff.