What are the different kinds of paid time off?
More than 70% of workers are able to take paid time off for vacation or illness. You can offer employees more paid time off from work than just sick and vacation days, though these are the most popular paid time off policies. Discover more about the various forms of paid time off by reading on.
You are not compelled by federal law to provide paid time off. However, taking time off from work is essential for workers to manage their personal lives. Offering paid time off can boost employee morale, engagement, and productivity.
Certain companies decide to provide their workers with a fixed number of days off from work. Some companies provide a set number of days for each kind of leave. Time and attendance software allows you to handle both paid time off and time off requests. Contact our employer attorney for legal advice on paid time off.
Make sure your employee handbook has information about your paid time off policy. Make sure to include the following info:
- which employees are entitled to what kinds of paid time off
- how much time they get
- if they get paid at their regular rate while on leave
- when they can utilize their paid time off
- what happens to any time that is left over at the end of the year
Think about including the following kinds in your paid time off policy:
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Days for vacation
One example of paid time off for travel, socializing with loved ones, or taking a break from work is known as vacation pay. Seventy-seven percent of workers are entitled to paid time off.
Businesses vary in how many vacation days they offer. A standard vacation policy should outline guidelines for when and how workers are permitted to take paid time off. For instance, you might mandate that staff members notify you well in advance of taking vacation time.
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Sick time
Another example of paid time off is sick leave. When an employee is ill or hurt, they can take time off with paid sick leave. By encouraging sick workers to stay at home, sick pay can help your small business prevent the spread of infections.
You may be required to provide sick pay based on the location of your company. Consult your state’s requirements and abide by any regulations requiring sick leave.
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Personal Time
Personal leave is another example of paid time off. Workers can utilize their personal paid time off for any non-vacation or sick leave-related activities, such as doctor’s visits, auto maintenance, and gatherings like parent-teacher conferences.
It’s not necessary to use personal time for any particular purpose. Employees may use personal time without depleting their vacation days.
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Holidays
Holidays are an example of paid time off. Employees who take paid time off during holidays are compensated with holiday pay. Employees who receive holiday pay are entitled to eight paid holidays annually on average.
You could choose to base your employee’s days off on the federal holiday timetable. Federal holidays include, for instance, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Memorial Day.
Employees can also be offered floating holidays, which are paid days off that they can spend whenever they choose during the year.
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Bereavement
Employees who lose a friend or family member are entitled to paid bereavement leave. Workers who experience bereavement might use it to process their loss, make plans, and go to funerals.
The length of bereavement leave granted by certain companies varies based on the employee’s relationship to the deceased. Be explicit when creating your mourning paid time off policy. Additionally, you might ask staff members to produce documentation, such as a funeral program or obituary.
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Leave for parents
Employees who are eligible for paid parental leave can use it for adoption, paternity leave, or maternity leave.
Depending on the size of your company, you may be obligated by federal law to provide unpaid parental leave. Furthermore, parental leave regulations in your state may be more stringent.
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Jury service
You may choose to compensate your staff member for their jury duty time if they are called to serve on a jury. If your state has legislation requiring jury duty compensation, you must provide paid jury duty.
A written summons for jury service will be sent to your employee by a federal, state, or municipal court. Before you give an employee paid jury duty, you may ask them to present you with their jury duty summons letter.
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Time to vote
Employees who receive paid time off can use it to cast ballots in municipal and presidential elections. Paid voting time is typically restricted because employees can vote in a few hours.
A SHRM study indicates that 44% of companies provide paid time off for voting to their staff members. It may be required by your state for you to provide paid or unpaid time off for voting.
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Leave for military service
Employees may also be eligible for paid military leave for active duty, inactive duty, or active-duty training.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) must be adhered to by all businesses. Employees in the military must be eligible for an unpaid leave of absence under USERRA for a maximum of five years in a row.
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Compensatory time
Paid time off that employees receive in place of overtime compensation is known as comp time. However, providing compensating time is frequently prohibited by law.
If you are a private, non-governmental business owner, you are not allowed to grant comp time to nonexempt employees. Don’t break FLSA requirements by adhering to the guidelines of compensatory time off.