Fire chief asks council to extend mandatory‑holdover policy as staff review overtime treatment
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Summary
Fire & Medical Services staff reported mandatory holdover occurred 48 times last year involving 37 personnel; the policy pays time‑and‑a‑half, staff said, but council asked HR to clarify how prior sick or vacation leave affects overtime accrual and whether policy language should change.
Chief Jones described the department’s mandatory holdover policy, used when staffing shortages prevent meeting minimum required personnel: mandatory holdover was used 48 times over the past year and involved 37 different personnel, Chief Jones said. Personnel placed on mandatory holdover receive time‑and‑a‑half pay or compensatory time, and staff emphasized they will make "all efforts" to obtain off‑duty personnel before invoking mandatory holdover.
Council members pressed on how sick or vacation leave interacts with overtime eligibility and whether employees are effectively penalized for having taken leave earlier in the week. Chief Jones and city staff said leave treatment varies under current HR rules and that the city is reviewing policy language with HR to address semantics and equity concerns. Staff also explained interim pay and ad‑pay policies for employees who step into higher‑responsibility roles when filling vacancies.