Does your department "buy back" vacation or holidays?

[firemandougie]

My department is looking at a buyback program for holiday and vacations to help us improve staffing without incurring additional costs (very tight County Budget). A sister city just implemented a buyback program and is having good success. I posted another request earlier, but not many responses. Let's try this again in this forum.
Thanks for your input.

Doug Morgan
FF/PM


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[dgrant]

Our department does not do this, though I think its a great idea. In essence, it allows an employee to make a choice of what benefit he or she would rather have...time off, or more money. It also keeps the department from having to pay as much overtime to maintain minimum staffing levels.

I'd love to see our city/department offer this option...but new, progressive ideas seem to take forever to implement.

[FFBill]

My department will buy back around 60 hours per year and only for a "hardship"... Be careful on the buy back also, How can you justify (in later contract negotiations) the need for more vacation / sick leave when you aren't using what you have.

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Fight Fire Agressivly but Provide for Safety First!

Be Safe!

[F52 Westside]

Good point FFBill. Our union is looking at the vacation buy back this contract. We currently get paid at the end of the year for any compensatory time we build up.

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Eddie C. - a.k.a - PTFD21
Local 3008
"Doin' it for lives n' property"

[Old FireFighter]

In Omaha, they will buy back up to 72 hours of sick leave every year, which is bonus hours for not using any sick leave. Accumulation of these bonus hours are 6 hours per month. When you retire, they buy back all of your vacation time (max. of 360 hours) and for sick leave the city buys back 1 hour for every 6 hours.

[FFDBC1C]

IN MY DEPARTMENT, HOLIDAYS ARE PAID OVER THE 26 PAY PERIODS. WE DO NOT HAVE A BUY BACK FOR VACATION ON A YEARLY BASES. ONLY UPON TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT DUE YOU GET PAID FOR UNUSED VACATION.
MY BROTHERS FIRE DEPARTMENT, HAS A PROGRAM THAT BUYS BACK A PORTION OF UNUSED SICK LEAVE IN DECEMBER AS A BONUS.
BOTH DEPARTMENTS ARE UNION.