Paid time off start date set May 23 for 150 Little Rock city employees

LITTLE ROCK — The city will direct about 150 nonessential full-time employees of the city to use paid time off and vacation time beginning May 23, Mayor Frank Scott Jr. told the city board Tuesday.

Scott said the city “could no longer financially sustain” paying those employees’ salaries during the covid-19 public health emergency. Those employees have not been working because of reduced operations during the pandemic, although they have continued to receive paychecks.

Finance Director Sara Lenehan said the situation is fluid and that the number of employees will be less than 150 because some of the employees who have not been working already have been called back.

That includes code enforcement officers who were called back this week. It also will include court cashiers and other court employees once courts reopen. The city announced Tuesday that traffic court would begin handling as many cases as possible virtually.

Lenehan said many of the employees have sufficient leave balances, and if they run out of leave they are eligible to claim unemployment because of the reduction in regular pay.

Employees still will receive health care benefits from the city. Scott said many of those employees will receive more money from unemployment than their regular paycheck.

The city furloughed 196 nonessential part-time workers when city directors approved a budget cut in early April.

Of those workers, 170 worked in parks, golf facilities, the Jim Dailey Fitness and Aquatic Center or the zoo, all of which closed in mid-March because of the pandemic.

The city recently reopened its golf and tennis facilities with limitations.

Lenehan said the city does not have plans for more furloughs. Little Rock has more than 2,000 employees.