SECTION 3: Employee Benefits 3.1
PTO: Paid Time Off
The SPTHB recognizes the importance of paid time off in providing employees the opportunity for rest, recreation, and personal activities. Therefore, the SPTHB provides Paid Time Off or PTO for regular full‐ time and part‐time employees and encourages employees to take leave in the year earned. 1. The established vacation year is the calendar year, January 1 through December 31 of each year. PTO leave is accrued or earned based on the employee’s length of service. To maintain a required number of employees on the job, all PTO leave must be approved in advance. PTO leave will be approved in such a way to ensure work demands can be met. 2. PTO leave will accumulate from the date of employment for eligible employees on the following basis: 0 to 3 years of service earn = eight (8) hours per pay period 3 to 6 years of service earn = ten (10) hours per pay period 7 + years of service earn = twelve (12) hours per pay period 3. Part‐time employees accrue prorated PTO leave based on the number of hours worked. 4. A new employee earns PTO leave beginning with the pay period in which he or she is hired. PTO leave may not be taken during the initial review period or be used prior to accrual. 5. Employees are expected to take PTO leave in the fiscal year in which it is earned. Up to two hundred and forty (240) hours of PTO leave may be carried over to the following fiscal year. Up to 80 hours of unused, accrued PTO may be paid at the end of each calendar based on available funding. PTO not carried forward or paid out will be eliminated. 6. The last accrual day for PTO leave in all separations of employment is the actual separation date. The cash value of any unused PTO leave under 240 hours as of the separation date will be included in the employee’s final pay minus any outstand balances for unreturned property and provided the employee is not involuntarily terminated. 7. If a paid holiday falls within an employee’s PTO leave period, the holiday will be counted as a holiday, not as PTO leave. 8. Employees must give at least two weeks’ notice of any PTO leave requests that are five business days or more in duration. Employees must give at least one week’s notice of any PTO leave requests between two and four business days in duration. Employees are expected to make every effort to give as much advance notice as possible when requesting PTO leave less than two business days in duration. Requests for specific days will be granted by the supervisor based on work requirements of the organization.
Emergency PTO Cash Out Option: Employees needing to cash out accrued PTO may do so with their supervisor and the Executive Director’s approval based on available funding. Requests may be granted, 16
