2023 - 2026 SCLEMA Memorandum of Understanding: Article 18: Court Leave
Article 18: Court Leave
A full-time or part-time employee is entitled to a leave of absence with pay at the employee’s base hourly rate to respond to an enforceable subpoena to appear in a court or administrative agency hearing in California other than as a litigant and for reasons other than those caused by the employee’s connivance or misconduct. An employee may retain such payment as may be allowed the employee for lodging, meals and travel, but as a condition for entitlement to this Court Leave, the employee shall make payable to the County of Sonoma any and all fees which the employee may receive as payment for the service as a witness. An employee on Court Leave will receive the base hourly rate of pay for those hours spent traveling to and from the court or administrative agency hearing and the hours spent attending to the employee’s obligation as a witness so long as those hours correspond to the employee’s assigned work schedule. Time spent as a witness or travel time which is outside the employee’s assigned work schedule shall not be paid. If an employee’s obligation as a witness expires on any work day with time remaining on the employee’s work schedule, the employee will be obligated to return to work. An employee ordered to appear and who does appear in court or administrative proceedings as a part of his or her assigned duties shall not be eligible for Court Leave. The employee shall be eligible for base hourly pay for all hours spent on such duties which conform to the employee’s assigned work schedule.