As City of New Orleans employees are aware, CAO Policy Memo No. 143 went into effect on October 18, 2021. In short, CAO Policy Memo No. 143 requires employees to produce either proof of vaccination or one negative test per week.

Recently, I learned that there were a few NOPD employees who were carried leave without pay (LWOP) as a result of CAO Policy Memo No. 143.

If you, or anyone you know, were carried LWOP as a result of CAO Policy Memo No. 143, the vaccine mandate, please give me or one of the other FOP attorneys a call. Sending a permanent, classified employee of the New Orleans Police Department home without pay is a suspension without due process and needs to be appealed to Civil Service pursuant to New Orleans Civil Service Rule II, Sec. 4.1.

Pursuant to New Orleans Civil Service Rule II, Sec .4.3, appeals have to be filed within 30 days of notice of disciplinary action. Since being sent home LWOP is not a traditional discipline, there is no traditional notice. Keep whatever documentation that is provided. Ask for documentation (maybe a 105) if none is provided. One way or another, call your FOP attorney. We should be able to get the lost pay back.

If this happened to you or this happens to you in the future, pick up the phone and give me a call.