Time-Off Policy

Annual Leave

• Entitlement: 15 days per calendar year.

• Notice Period:

  • For 2-3 days of time off: Request should be made at least 72 business hours in advance.

  • For more than 3 days: Request should be made at least 10 working days in advance.

National Holidays

• Entitlement: 15 days per calendar year, subject to annual updates.

• Floating Holidays: Some national holidays may be designated as floating holidays. Employees should consult the HR Manager for specific details.

• BambooHR Notification: To ensure BambooHR reflects your absence on a national holiday, you must request this holiday via BambooHR. Be sure to communicate this with any team members you work with remotely, especially those outside Lebanon.

Combining 2 National Holidays with 1 Annual leave in-between is not allowed (without managerial approval) as we want to ensure business continuity is maintained.

Death Leave

• Entitlement: 2 days for the death of immediate family members, including:

  1. Spouse

  2. Children

  3. Father or Mother

  4. Grandfather or Grandmother

  5. Grandchildren

• Procedure: Speak with your manager and request the leave immediately via BambooHR.

  2. • A proof document must be submitted to the HR department upon the employee's return to work.

Sick Leave

• Entitlement: Refer to HR to cross-check the years of service against eligibility requirements. 

• Documentation Required: A signed report from a licensed doctor confirming the illness. The HR department reserves the right to approve or deny the sick leave request.

• Procedure: If extended sick leave is required, overcommunicate with both your direct manager and the HR manager. Managers and HR are responsible for confidentiality and should not share details about the employee’s case without consent.

Maternity Leave

• Entitlement: 10 weeks (70 days).

• Procedure: Maternity leave, where possible, should be planned. The employee must communicate the expected delivery date and is responsible for handing over work, delegating projects, or training a replacement to fill in during their absence.

Paternity Leave

• Entitlement: 3 days for the employee.

• Procedure: Like maternity leave, paternity leave should be planned if possible. The employee must communicate the expected delivery date and manage any necessary handovers before taking leave.

Unpaid Leave

• Entitlement: 15 days per calendar year, subject to annual updates.

• Procedure: Unpaid leave is available if the employee has exhausted their leave balance or if urgent time off is required without meeting the notice period guidelines.

Employees begin accruing annual leave after successfully completing their probation period (3 months from the hire date). The accrual rate is 1.25 days per month, which adds up to 15 days per year.

Example:

• Employee Jane Doe joins Telecel on January 1st.

• Her probation period ends on April 1st.

• During the probation period, Jane is not eligible for annual leave.

• Starting April 2nd, Jane’s leave balance will reflect accrued days as follows:

3months*1.25days=3.75days

• Jane will then continue to accrue 1.25 days per month, meaning by the end of the year, she will have a total of 15 annual leave days.

Important Note
An employee cannot accrue more than 30 days in their annual leave balance. If the balance exceeds 30 days for more than two years, it will be automatically reset back to 30 days.

1. Requesting Time Off:

   • Log into BambooHR.

   • On your home page, select "Request Time Off".

   • Fill in the duration and type of leave.

   • Ensure your request adheres to the notice periods and guidelines outlined in this policy to avoid rejection.

   • Recommendation: Verbally inform your manager before submitting the request and include a comment in BambooHR such as:
     "Verbally requested by [Manager Name]."

2. Approval Workflow:

   • Direct Manager: Reviews and approves or denies the time off request in a timely manner.

   • HR Manager: Provides final approval, updates leave balances, and maintains records.

1. Employees:

   • Submit time off requests according to the guidelines and within the specified notice periods.

   • Where possible, verbally communicate with managers about intended time off.

2. Direct Managers:

   • Promptly review and approve or deny time off requests.

   • Ensure proper team coverage and workflow management during employee absences.

3. HR Manager:

   • Provide final approval for all time off requests.

   • Update and maintain accurate leave balances and records.

   • Address any discrepancies or issues related to time off requests.