By Greg Ellison

(Dec. 24, 2020) Ocean Pines updated its policies on use of vacation time and severance packages for association employees, while continuing to mull sick time limitations during the board of directors’ meeting on Saturday.

OPA Vice President Dr. Colette Horn said the proposals would become effective on Jan. 1.

Horn said one of the updates needed to the association’s human resource policies is establishing severance package guidelines.

“The OPA severance package provides for one week’s pay for each year of employment to a maximum of 13 weeks,” she said.

Horn said severance pay is available for terminations due to workforce reductions or position eliminations.

By contrast, severance packages are not provided for other reasons, including voluntary departures, retirements, termination for cause, temporary layoffs or expired medical leave.

Horn said one week of medical coverage for each year of employment for a maximum of 13 weeks is also included with severance packages.

Horn said if other employment is secured during the severance period, the medical coverage expires but the pay compensation continues for the maximum time permitted.

OPA severance packages are not offered to staff covered by individual employment contracts.

Horn said the updates are also intended to establish a policy for employee vacation time.

“Vacation can be used for a maximum of 40 consecutive work hours unless a department head approves more,” she said.

While in agreement with updates to severance and vacation options, the board held off on addressing sick time limits.

Horn said the recommended changes would limit carrying over all unused sick time from the year before to 48 hours and prohibit giving hours to other employees.

“Currently there is no sick time carryover limit,” she said.

Horn said the proposals were recommended by a recently formed Ocean Pines HR Policy work group and based on research into policies of neighboring communities and industry.

OPA President Larry Perrone suggested the sick time policy updates would likely require further study based on research into comparable entities.

“There’s a few more working pieces,” he said.

The board voted unanimously to remove the sick time changes to reconsider during the next board meeting in January, while also approving the severance package and vacation revisions.

“Hopefully in January we can have another motion about sick time policy,” he said.