Time Off
updated 2021.03
Scope
This policy applies to all of our partners who take leave for any reason.
Policy elements
Leave can fall into several categories, based on reason and length. Leave includes, but is not limited to:
Vacation: for leisure, including travel or time spent at home.
Sick days: to heal in the event of a short term illness or injury, or complications from a disability.
Federal or religious holidays: to observe a holiday, or any religious event.
Bereavement: to mourn the loss of a loved one.
Maternity/paternity leave: to birth or care for a newborn baby, or as a result of pregnancy and/or pregnancy disability.
Family and Medical Leave: to heal or help a family member in the event of a long-term illness or injury, or complications from a disability.
Legal: to appear in court, or fulfill any other legal obligation.
Length
The requirements for leave notification partially depend on length. If a partner plans to take a half-day to two work days off, they are requested to offer one week’s notice. Anything three days or longer requires two week’s notice. However, we encourage partners to offer as much notice as possible.
Sick Days, Bereavement, and Unforeseeable Events
Partners are required to notify the organization as soon as they are able to, in the event of a sudden illness or injury (including of a family member), death of a loved one, or any other emergency.
Vacation
Partners are required to give the organization at least two week’s notice before taking vacation time lasting three work days or longer. partners are expected to fulfill their work commitments (e.g. an employee should not plan a vacation during an event or deadline they previously committed to). At the start of each sprint, all partners should already be notified if anyone is taking vacation time during the course of the sprint, so they can plan accordingly. We encourage partners who work full-time to take four weeks of vacation time each year. PTO accrual for part-time employees is detailed below.
Federal and Religious Holidays
The organization observes the following holidays:
New Year's Day (January 1).
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January).
Memorial Day (Last Monday in May).
Independence Day (July 4).
Labor Day (First Monday in September).
Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Second Monday in October).
Veterans Day (November 11).
Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November).
Christmas Day (December 25).
If a holiday falls on a weekend, the nearest weekday is off (e.g. if it is on a Saturday, Friday is taken off).
Partners can observe any other religious holiday they see fit, but are required to provide one week’s notice, given that it does not conflict with a previously-made work commitment.
Other Reasons for Leave
Taking leave for three work days or longer, for any foreseeable reason, as it applies to family or child duties/care, personal leave, jury duty, probation, or leave to appear in court, which also may include time to prepare for such, requires two week’s notice. We understand that this is not always possible, and we prioritize the fulfillment of work commitments, even over adequate notice.
Procedure
When you plan to take leave, you need to:
Consider the commitments you’ve already made, particularly if they are time-sensitive.
Determine the nature and length of your leave.
Notify the organization in accordance with the nature and length of your leave, maximizing notice time when possible.
Plan a catch-up meeting and craft an agenda to ensure that you fulfill all obligations when you return from leave.
Paid Time Off for Part Time Employees
PTO Accrual
Hourly employees will earn 1 hour of PTO for every 15 hours worked.
PTO accrual will begin from the employee's date of hire or date of status change, such as a full-time employee transitioning to part-time work.
PTO Calculation
PTO will be calculated based on the actual hours worked by the employee.
For example, if an employee works 30 hours in a week, they will earn 2 hours of PTO for that week (30 hours / 15 hours = 2 hours of PTO).
PTO Usage
Employees can use accrued PTO for any reason, including vacation, sick days, or personal time off.
PTO usage must be scheduled in accordance with the company's time off policy as outlined in the handbook.
PTO Carryover and Limits
Accrued but unused PTO will carry over from one year to the next, subject to a maximum limit.
The maximum limit for storing up PTO will be 64 hours.
Once an employee reaches the maximum limit, they will stop accruing additional PTO until their balance falls below the limit.
PTO Payout
Upon separation from Pax Fauna, employees will be paid out for any unused and accrued PTO.
The payout will be based on the employee's hourly rate at the time of separation.
PTO Notification
The company will notify employees of upcoming PTO according to the time off policy outlined in the employee handbook.
Employees will receive advance notice of their scheduled PTO, allowing them to plan accordingly.
PTO Bank
PTO, holidays, sick days, and vacation will all be consolidated into a single PTO bank.
Employees will draw from this bank when taking time off.
Record-Keeping
Pax Fauna will maintain accurate records of PTO accrual, usage, and remaining balances for each employee.
Employees will have access to their current PTO balance upon request.
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