A. 
Special leave without pay, for compelling personal reasons, may be granted to an employee for a period not in excess of 30 days in any one year.
B. 
If such leave is not to exceed three days, permission therefor may be granted by the employee's department head, or if such leave is to exceed three days, permission therefor shall be granted only by the City Manager who shall first have received the recommendation of the employee's department head respecting same, and in no event shall such permission be granted unless it is possible to do so without substantial detriment to the interests of the City.
[Amended 6-4-1980 by Ord. No. 80-29]
C. 
The department head of the employee (with respect to an absence not in excess of three days and the City Manager with respect to a longer absence) may require an employee to exhaust all vacation days for the year in which such absence is requested, and to which the employee is entitled for such year, before granting special leave pursuant to the provisions of this section.
[Amended 6-4-1980 by Ord. No. 80-29]
An employee who is subpoenaed as a witness in a civil or criminal case or an employee who is called and serves on a jury shall be granted paid leave for the period of time he or she is officially involved with the court in such capacity.
Paid leave for service with the National Guard and reserve units of the armed forces of the United States shall be granted to the extent and under the conditions required by the laws of the State of New Jersey.
[Amended 6-4-1980 by Ord. No. 80-29]
An employee may be granted professional improvement leave, with or without pay, for specific courses of study relating to the work of the City department in which her or she is employed or to attend conferences of professional and similar associations. Such leaves may be granted with full or part pay upon recommendation of the employee's department head and approval by the City Manager for a period not to exceed two months in any one calendar year.
Except in the event of an emergency, application for any type of special leave covered in this article shall be made by the employee, in advance, to his department head.
An employee who is to be absent from duty for reasons other than illness or injury shall, unless it is impossible to do so, report the reason therefor to his supervisor prior to the date of absence and, in no case, later than 24 hours before the time he would normally report for duty. All unauthorized and unreported absences shall be considered absence without leave and deduction of pay shall be made for such period of absence. Absence without leave for three or more days or parts thereof shall be grounds for immediate dismissal from City employment.
In any case where the laws of the State of New Jersey provide for special leave not contemplated in this article, such laws shall control the amount of leave granted in such instances.