Page 106 - Employee Handbook 1-2015 rev9

A minimum payment of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) severance, regardless of years
of service or number of weeks of severance, will be provided to employees subject to a RIF.

The following employees will not be eligible for severance pay: any employee for whom
the City has arranged comparable employment with a non-City business or agency; any
employee who is in a time-limited/grant-funded position; and any employee who is separated
from City employment based on job misconduct or performance failure. Comparable
employment is defined as employment with a non-City business or agency doing similar work
tasks at a comparable pay rate. The City Manager or his designee is authorized to make a
determination of comparable employment on a case by case basis. All severance pay will be
disbursed in a lump sum payment and will not be governed by the Employment Retirement
Income Security Act. The City will withhold applicable State and Federal taxes from the lump
sum payment.

Re-employment. Employees laid off under this RIF policy who are re-employed by the
City within one (1) year of layoff shall retain their original seniority prior to layoff with respect
to vacation leave accrual. In addition, eligible employees who are re-employed within five (5)
years of layoff will have all unused sick leave that was accrued prior to layoff, reinstated. They
will not be eligible for reinstatement of any longevity pay eligibility. Reinstatement into the
Retirement System shall be governed by the rules of the North Carolina Local Governmental
Employees’ Retirement System.

Policy Clarifications. The City Manager is authorized to interpret and clarify any issues
related to this policy.

Pursuant to this provision:

● the City Manager has decided that a RIF employee who has elected not to be
considered for placement in a vacant city position under the RIF policy will be eligible
for severance pay,
● the City Manager’s Office has the authority to extend the aforementioned sixty (60)
day time period for extenuating circumstances.
● the City Manager has also determined that if the employment of a RIF employee, who
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is otherwise eligible for longevity, ceases before November 30 , he or she will not be
entitled to longevity payment unless the RIF employee retires from the City
simultaneously therewith. Payment of longevity to a retiring RIF employee is
dependent upon funds being available and the terms of the longevity pay plan as
determined by City Council.

An employee who meets the minimum qualifications of a vacant position(s), has a
performance rating above marginal and who, contemporaneous with said vacancy, is subject to
the City’s Reduction in Force policy and elects to be considered for placement, shall receive
consideration for said vacant position(s) prior to the posting or publishing of said vacancy. If the
employee, subject to the Reduction in Force policy, is selected to fill a vacant position, that
position shall be excluded from the City’s procedural and policy requirements regarding posting
or publishing of vacant positions.

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City of Winston-Salem Employee Handbook (January 2015 Revision)