Owasso staff propose 3-week paid parental leave, 15% sick‑leave payout for civilians and higher sick‑bank incentive

Human Resources presented three proposed changes to employee leave benefits that would require city council approval: a paid parental-leave policy, extending a sick‑leave payout option to civilian employees at retirement, and increasing the maximum sick‑bank incentive.

HR presenter Michelle Dempster said the paid parental-leave proposal arose during recent police contract negotiations and staff proposals are intended to apply to all employees. Staff proposed offering "up to 3 consecutive weeks of paid parental leave for bonding with a new child and whether through birth or adoption and regardless of how much leave the employee has accrued." (Michelle Dempster) That paid time would overlap with the first three weeks of leave covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); employees could still use accrued leave for additional unpaid FMLA time or to maintain pay beyond the three weeks. Dempster told the council a three‑year average and current overtime rates suggest an estimated overtime cost of roughly $24,000 per year if overtime were required in every instance; staff noted these are estimates and actual cost depends on departmental staffing and how duties are reassigned when employees are out.

The second proposal would extend to civilian employees the 15% sick‑leave payout at retirement that currently appears in police and fire contracts. Staff said $20,000 was included in the current budget to fund that change, which is intended as an incentive for conservative sick‑leave usage and to align benefits across employee groups.

The third proposed change would increase the maximum annual sick‑bank incentive from $175 to $350, an adjustment staff calculated to cost about $6,600 based on recent participation levels. The sick bank is an optional program in which participating employees contribute small amounts of accrued sick time to a shared bank that can be drawn upon by participants with serious illness or injury who exhaust personal leave.

Staff circulated draft policy language and said it will return with formal policy proposals for council consideration at the Nov. 4 meeting. Council members asked clarifying questions about gender neutrality (the presenter confirmed the paid parental leave would be available to all parents), caps on sick‑leave accrual for civilians (presenter confirmed a civilian cap of 1,000 hours was on the books), and the mechanics and budgetary implications of the payouts and incentive plan.