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RESEARCH TOOLS › SAMPLE DOCS › GOV DOCS › Military Financial Assistance Program Policy
 
City of Kirkland Military Financial Assistance Program Policy

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City of Kirkland
Military Financial Assistance Program Policy

Chapter 4
Policy 4-36
Effective Date: November 2001
Revised Date: 6/6/2002

A PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to provide financial assistance to employees who are called to active military duty as a result of the terrorist acts that occurred on September 11, 2001. The City of Kirkland recognizes that being called to military active duty may place a financial burden on the employee. The financial burden may include the costs associated with the wish to continue current health care benefits for the employee and dependents; and/or the desire to maintain the current income level to provide economic stability for an employee or the employee’s family. The City offers options addressing these issues and has established a policy and guidelines below.

B POLICY

The City Manager authorizes employee use of accrued sick leave and vacation hours by the active military duty employee to relieve financial burden caused by being called to active duty due to the terrorist acts of September 11, 2002. The affected employee may choose to supplement military earnings up to the amount of the employee’s current salary by using accrued vacation leave and/or shared leave as outlined in the procedures below. The affected employee who is willing and able, with the Supervisors approval, choose to work the number of hours required to cover the cost of the health insurance premium and taxes to continue current health care benefits without interruption.

C PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES

Eligibility
Any employee, military retired or military reservist, who is ordered to report for active military duty as a result of the terrorist acts that occurred on September 11, 2001 may be eligible to participate in this program. This may include an employee who is a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and their Reserves; the Army and Air National Guards; the Public Health Service commissioned corps; and other categories designated by the President in this time of emergency.

Supplementing City of Kirkland Wages

  1. An employee called to military active duty may choose to:
    1. Reserve up to 80 vacation hours for use following return from active military duty and to use any additional accrued vacation hours to supplement income during the military leave; or
    2. Use all (no reserve) of his/her accrued vacation hours allocated over bi-weekly City paychecks to supplement the military paycheck up to the current salary received from the City of Kirkland.
    3. Use accrued vacation hours to pay the employee’s portion of health care benefits providing continuation of coverage currently held by the employee.
    4. Request donated leave hours. To be eligible for donated leave hours the employee must have exhausted his or her own vacation hours above the reserved amount and after using the 15 work days paid leave provided for in RCW 38.40.060, KMC 3.80.120, and the city’s Administrative Policy Manual policy 4-19.
    5. Work the required number of hours to earn the employee’s portion of the health insurance premium and applicable taxes. This may work for some active duty personnel who may be stationed near Kirkland and are willing and able to work the necessary hours to cover the premium.
    6. Research, with the Human Resources Department, combinations of the above choices that may best serve the employee’s and City’s needs.

Limit on the Number of Donated Hours
The number of donated hours may be limited in the following ways:

  1. An employee may receive donated hours only to cover the period of time the employee is on active duty. Active duty will begin on the date an employee is ordered to report for duty and will end on the day orders indicate that the employee is released from duty or the sunset of this policy, whichever occurs first.
  2. An employee may only receive donated hours to supplement income received from the military. The total income the employee receives, including income from the military and income from donated hours, should be no greater than the wage the employee would have earned if he or she had continued to work at the City instead of reporting to military duty.
  3. As required by State law (RCW 38.40.060), the City’s Military Leave Policy (APM policy 4-19) and the Kirkland Municipal Code (KMC 3.80.120), the City pays up to 15 work days per calendar year for military leave. An eligible employee may receive and use donated hours after the 15 work days have been paid, and after exhausting all booked compensatory time, and after exhausting vacation hours in excess of 80 hours.

Request and Receipt of Donated Hours
An employee who receives orders to report for active military duty and who would like to receive donated hours should submit a written request to Human Resources. The request should include a copy of the orders indicating that the employee is required to report for duty. The employee will also be required to submit a copy of their pay-stub to verify the income he or she receives from the military. If the request is approved, a notice will be sent to all City employees informing them of the option to donate hours.

Hours are donated to a shared leave bank and distributed among eligible employees who are on active military duty and who have made a request for donated hours.

Unused Donated Hours
Any shared leave not used will be held in a City-wide residual shared leave bank for use by employees approved for medical shared leave.

Confidentiality
The names of donating employees will remain confidential unless the donating employee agrees that the City may release his or her name.

Continuation of Benefits
The City will continue to pay an employee’s health insurance premiums during months that an employee receives a full supplement check. A full supplement check is defined as receiving enough hours by implementing the employee’s chosen option(s) listed under “Supplementing City of Kirkland Wages” to receive the full amount of the supplement they are eligible for. Any partial supplement will result in a pro-rated benefit contribution.

Vacation hours and sick leave hours continue to accrue during periods of time that an employee is using donated hours. Additional information about continuation of benefits during military leave may be found by contacting Human Resources.

The military employee may exercise these options for a maximum of 6 months and in no case longer than December 19, 2002. See Human Resources Department for more information.

This policy does not affect an employee’s rights and obligations under the City’s Military Leave Policy or under the laws governing the military.

The City Manager is authorized, as per Ordinance 3813, to create and implement a military reservist shared leave program if other employees donate their leave for use while the reservist is on active duty in the military under orders issued to call-up reserve forces; provided that any program implemented pursuant to this ordinance shall not continue in effect beyond December 19, 2002.