HB 1600

Abstract

Leave for volunteer firefighters and emergencymedical services providers. Requires private employers to allowvolunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical services providersto take leaves of absence from their employment at times when the employee leaves work, or is late for work, due to the employee'sproviding emergency services as a volunteer firefighter or volunteeremergency medical services provider for or on behalf of, and withinthe scope of his duties with, his volunteer fire department, or isreturning from providing such emergency services. This provisiondoes not apply if the absence of employees from the place of employmentreduces the number of employees remaining on the job or at work atsuch place of employment by 50 percent or more. The bill allows employersto treat such leaves of absence as unpaid leave. Employers are prohibitedfrom requiring such employee to exhaust any other leave to whichhe is entitled prior to such leaves of absence. The bill providesthat if such an employee fails to provide the employer, upon request,with verification from the chief or deputy chief of the employee'svolunteer fire department that the employee was providing such services,or returning from providing them, during the time that the employeetook a leave of absence, the employee shall not thereafter be entitledto take such leave.