Frankfort Fire District Updates Sick Leave Policy for Non-Union Employees

Article Summary: The Frankfort Fire Protection District has approved updates to its administrative sick leave policy, aligning the benefits for non-union staff with those in the firefighters’ collective bargaining agreement. The new policy formalizes the process for administrative and mechanical staff to cash out or exchange sick hours through a 457 retirement plan buy-back.

Administrative Sick Leave Policy Key Points:

• The board unanimously approved updates to the sick leave policy for non-covered employees.

• The policy applies to administrative staff and mechanics who are not part of the firefighters’ union.

• The updates formalize a “457” Plan buy-back option for sick hours, making it consistent with the union contract.

FRANKFORT — The Frankfort Fire Protection District Board of Trustees has unanimously approved updates to its sick leave policy for non-union employees, ensuring their benefits are consistent with their union counterparts.

During the board’s June 17 meeting, Interim Fire Chief Paul Kinsella explained that the policy changes outline how non-covered employees, specifically administrative staff and mechanics, can cash out or exchange sick hours. The mechanism for this is a buy-back into the employees’ “457” deferred-compensation retirement plan.

Kinsella stated that the updates are “in-line” with the provisions already established in the district’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with its firefighters.

Trustee and President Nicholas Spano made a motion to approve the policy updates, which was seconded by Trustee James McGeever, Jr. In a roll call vote, the measure was approved unanimously by the four trustees present: Spano, McGeever, Robert Boll, and Patricia Field. Trustee Justin Lohrens was absent from the meeting.

The policy change formalizes an important financial and retirement benefit for the district’s administrative support staff.