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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - No. 2021-31RESOLUTION NO. 2021-31 A RESOLUTION OF THE LODI CITY COUNCIL RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S DECISION TO GRANT ADDITIONAL COVID-19 SPECIFIC LEAVE FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE MANDATED QUARANTINE PERIODS OR EXTENDED ABSENCES DUE TO COVID-19 RELATED ILLNESS WHEREAS, on April 15, 2020, Council ratified the City Manager's decision to grant a two-week COVID-19 specific leave bank to all employees (Resolution No. 2020-76), similar to what was required under the Families First Corona Virus Response Act (HR 6201), that provided emergency paid sick leave benefits for eligible employees and expanded the Family Medical Leave Act; and WHEREAS, the law expired on December 31, 2020; however, the Coronavirus Pandemic continues in 2021 and more employees are being impacted by the virus; and WHEREAS, many City employees have experienced multiple quarantine periods or have extended illnesses that have exhausted the two-week leave provided to them in April 2020; and WHEREAS, in order to avoid the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, it is essential for employees to continue to follow guidance from the Center for Disease Control, California Department of Public Health and San Joaquin County Department of Public Health Services and quarantine when they have been exposed to COVID-19 or if they are symptomatic; and WHEREAS, providing additional paid leave for COVID-19 related absences will ensure employees continue to follow mandated safety practices and will not suffer financial consequences for doing so; and WHEREAS, it is anticipated that additional leave will not exceed eighty (80) hours for impacted employees; however, on occasion it may exceed that amount; and WHEREAS, to date there have been six (6) employees who have received additional paid leave because they have been required to quarantine beyond the original eighty (80) hour leave bank and there are approximately ten (10) employees who exhausted their COVID-19 bank and used their personal leave accruals to stay in a paid status; and WHEREAS, no additional hours will be granted to employees who are not required to quarantine due to COVID-19 beyond the previously granted COVID-19 specific leave bank; and WHEREAS, the City Manager has granted additional paid leave to employees who have exhausted their COVID-19 leave and are required to be off work for additional quarantine periods or for COVID-19 illness, up to eighty (80) hours or an amount that covers the employee's absence due to confirmed COVID-19 exposure or illness. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Lodi City Council does hereby ratify the City Manager's decision to grant additional paid leave to employees who have exhausted their COVID-19 leave and are required to be off work for additional quarantine periods or for COVID-19 illness and to exchange personal leave used with additional COVID-19 leave for the ten employees that used their personal leave after exhausting their COVID-19 leave. Dated: February 3, 2021 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I hereby certify that Resolution No. 2021-31 was passed and adopted by the Lodi City Council in a regular meeting held February 3, 2021 by the following vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS — Chandler, Hothi, Khan, Kuehne, and Mayor Nakanishi NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS — None J NNIF CUSMIR City Clerk 2021-31