The City Manager may grant a leave of absence without pay to any employee, upon recommendation of the department manager. The department manager may grant a leave of absence without pay for a maximum of five (5) continuous days. An employee desiring a leave of absence without pay for more than eighteen (18) consecutive hours shall file a written request therefore on forms provided by the Management Services Department. The request shall state the title of his or her position and the name of the employing department, the beginning and ending dates of the desired leave of absence, and a full statement of the reasons supporting the request. The department manager's approval of a leave of absence without pay for a continuous period up to a maximum of eighteen (18) hours may be reported by noting on the time report. Such leaves of absence as described in this section will not be unreasonably denied.