Employee Handbook

Section 6 — Time Away from Work

The City observes the following nine holidays:

• New Year’s Day

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)

• Memorial Day (last Monday in May)

• Independence Day (July 4)

• Labor Day (first Monday in September)

• Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November)

• Friday after Thanksgiving

• Christmas Eve (December 24)

• Christmas Day (December 25)

For employees who work a Monday through Friday schedule, if a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Friday before the holiday will be observed. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday after the holiday will be observed. In those rare instances when back-to-back holidays fall on Friday and Saturday, then Thursday and Friday will be the designated days off; if back-to-back holidays fall on Sunday and Monday, then Monday and Tuesday will be the designated days off.

If a holiday falls on a day that is otherwise a non-scheduled work day, the affected employees will receive an alternate day off.  

Regular part-time employees designated as half-time and three-quarter time employees shall be paid as follows for each holiday:  

• Half-time: 4 hours

• Three-quarter time: 6 hours

Employees on paid leaves (such as vacation or sick leave) will receive the appropriate amount of holiday pay if a holiday occurs during the leave.  

Veterans Day

An employee who is a veteran, (as defined in Section 35.1 of the Code of Iowa), is entitled to take Veterans Day, November 11th, off. This will be an unpaid but excused day off from work. An employee may use accrued benefit time (vacation or personal time) in lieu of unpaid time. The Leave Request Form is to be submitted at least 30 calendar days in advance including a federal certificate of release or discharge from active duty, or such similar federal documentation, to verify Veterans status.

If the City is unable to provide time off for Veterans Day for all employees who request time off, the City may deny time off to the minimum number of employees needed by the department to protect public health and safety or to maintain minimum operational capacity.

Employees Assigned to a Non-Traditional Schedule

Full-time emergency medical services (EMS) employees assigned to the Pitman schedule shall be reimbursed for holidays separate from their base wages. Employees shall be paid 8 hours of holiday pay for each of the City-designated (nine) holidays (total of 72 hours per year). The pay shall be based on affected employees’ hourly wage rate.

Full-time fire lieutenants and deputy chiefs (Operation) assigned to 24-hour shift-based schedules shall be reimbursed for holidays separate from their base wages. Employees shall be paid twelve (12) hours of holiday pay for each of the City-designated (nine) holidays (total of 108 hours per year). The pay shall be based on the fire lieutenant’s or deputy chief’s hourly wage.

Full-time Westcom employees shall be reimbursed for holidays separate from their base wages. Employees shall be paid 8 hours of holiday pay for each of the City-designated (nine) holidays (total of 72 hours per year). The pay shall be based on affected employees' hourly wage rate.

Full-time Neighborhood Services Specialist employees who are scheduled to work a designated holiday as one of their regularly scheduled workdays shall observe the actual day of the holiday stated like a traditional scheduled employee. If a holiday falls on a designated day off employee shall receive (8) hours to be placed in their compensatory time bank.

Employees assigned to the above named positions will observe the actual day of the holiday stated above regardless of what day the holiday falls on. This means if a holiday falls on a Sunday, those that work on that day will be paid time and one half for working the holiday and will receive an alternative day off.

Employees of the Association of Fire Fighters Local 3586 or Teamsters Police Local 238, should refer to their current contracts for holiday and holiday pay information.

See also Section 5.3, Pay for Additional Time Worked.