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THE BIG PICTURE
Time off, which you can plan, like vacations, requires advance approval. When possible, you should request planned time off at least two weeks before the requested day off, as this allows for better scheduling and operational continuity. If you have an unplanned need for time off, alert your supervisor and record your time in Paycom as soon as possible. You are responsible for managing and recording your planned time off to allow for unexpected events, like illness. If you exhaust your allotment of PTO for the year, further time off may be denied (unless granted as part of an approved reasonable accommodation for a disability or FMLA leave). If further time off is granted, it may be unpaid.
ATTENDANCE
Each employee must be present and on time to work as scheduled unless his/her supervisor has approved time off. Unapproved and/or excessive absences will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
PAID TIME OFF (PTO)
Paid Time Off, or PTO, is your all-in-one bank of leave hours that you can use for vacations, personal time, or when you're not feeling well. It's a flexible way to take time off from work.
The Association's policy is to award PTO to eligible full-time exempt and full-time non-exempt employees per the guidelines established below:
The established PTO year is the calendar year, January 1 through December 31 of each year.
PTO accrues based on an employee's length of service and is earned gradually throughout the year during continuous employment.
Paid Time Off (PTO) Accrual Chart Based on Years of Service
1st YEAR OF EMPLOYMENT
New full-time employees will begin accruing PTO immediately upon completion of their first day of employment
ADVANCED USAGE or BORROWING PTO
Employees can request and use PTO even if they have not earned enough PTO hours yet.
The maximum amount of advanced PTO that can be borrowed is 80 hours.
If an employee leaves the organization with an outstanding advanced PTO balance (negative PTO balance), the remaining amount will be deducted from their final paycheck. In cases where the final paycheck is insufficient to cover the advanced PTO debt, the employee will be responsible for repaying the balance.
CARRYOVER
Employees may carry over up to 40 hours of unused PTO at the end of the year.
The maximum number of carryover hours you may accumulate is 40. For example, on January 1, 2025, you have 10 hours left that you carried over from 2023; you will only be able to carry over 30 hours from 2024.
Any remaining hours beyond the 40-hour carryover limit may be transferred to an Extended Leave Bank. These hours can be used during approved FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) and Short Term/Long Term Disability. The maximum accumulation is 800 hours.
Unused days from 2023 will not be carried over. This plan begins January 1, 2024
PAYOUT AT TERMINATION
In the event of voluntary or involuntary termination, employees will receive a payout of 100% of any unused, accrued PTO hours.
This payout does not include any PTO hours banked from previous years or those banked in the extended leave bank.
If an employee leaves the organization with an outstanding advanced PTO balance (negative PTO balance), the remaining amount will be deducted from their final paycheck. In cases where the final paycheck is insufficient to cover the advanced PTO debt, the employee will be responsible for repaying the balance.
ADJUSTMENTS
At the discretion of the CEO and/or Association Board of Directors, individual adjustments can be made to the PTO plan based on specific situations.
YEARS OF SERVICE
The YMCA of Greater Birmingham honors the years of service from any YMCA association for a transferring new hire from another YMCA.
PTO USAGE PROCESS
Staff members may use PTO under the following conditions:
Staff may take PTO in a minimum of 4-hour increments.
Staff should request PTO through Paycom. Once requested, Managers should approve or deny the request as soon as possible.
PTO should be scheduled as early as possible. When possible, time off should be requested, scheduled, and approved by the supervisor at least two weeks in advance. The request will be reviewed based on a number of factors, including program and facility needs, staffing requirements, and number of requests. This is particularly important around commonly observed holidays. In the event of scheduling conflicts, the supervisor will grant time off based on department needs, consideration of when PTO was requested, and years of service. If the supervisor cannot approve the staff member’s request for leave, the staff member and supervisor will schedule another time.
Planned PTO of more than 80 hours (two consecutive weeks) must be requested at least 30 days in advance and requires the written approval of the supervisor and the COO.
Unplanned PTO for illness or other unpredictable situations should be reported to the supervisor immediately or as soon as possible. Staff members must advise the supervisor of the approximate length of absence and renew the notification if the absence exceeds the time stated.
ADDITIONAL LEAVE BENEFITS
RECOGNIZED HOLIDAY TIME
Full-time eligible employees are given a day off with pay for the following ten holidays each year:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January)
Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19)
Independence Day (July 4)
Labor Day (First Monday in September)
Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)
Day After Thanksgiving (Fourth Friday in November)
Christmas Eve (December 24)
Christmas Day (December 25)
If a holiday falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the preceding Friday. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, it is observed the following Monday.
The Birmingham YMCA observes Easter Sunday as an unpaid, mandatory, closed branch holiday.
Due to the nature of some of the Association's services, employees may be required to work on select paid holidays.
Exempt employees who are required to work on a paid holiday will receive 1 ½ days off at a later date, with the prior approval of their supervisor.
Non-exempt employees (full-time and part-time) are eligible for holiday pay at the rate of time and a half for hours worked on designated holidays
PAID FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE (PFMLA) POLICY
Eligibility:
Full-time employees who have completed 12 months of service and worked a minimum of 1,250 hours during the preceding 12-month period are eligible for full benefits under FMLA.
Employees with at least 6 months of service but not yet meeting the 12-month requirement are eligible for 6 weeks of paid leave under PFMLA.
Qualifying Events for PFMLA:
Serious health condition of the employee.
Birth or adoption of a child.
Serious health condition of the employee's spouse, child, or parent.
Circumstances arising from the covered active duty of the employee's spouse, child, or parent in the military.
Duration of Leave:
Eligible employees are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave during a 12-month period for qualifying events. The first 6 weeks are paid under PFMLA.
Employees with at least 6 months but less than 12 months of service are eligible for 6 weeks of paid leave under PFMLA.
Use of Paid Time Off (PTO) and Extended Leave Bank (ELB) After 6 Weeks:
After the initial 6 weeks of paid PFMLA leave, employees may use accrued PTO or hours from the ELB to extend their leave, subject to bank terms and conditions.
Requesting Leave:
Employees must provide written notice to their supervisor and the Human Resources department at least 30 days in advance of the anticipated leave start date. If unable to provide 30-day notice, employees should provide notice as soon as practicable.
Employees can request leave by utilizing the Leave Request in Paycom (Time Off Request- Leave Tracking) or by submitting the FMLA Employee Request Form to HR.
Medical certifications are required to support the leave request.
Submission of Documentation:
Employees should submit the completed FMLA Employee Request Form and medical certifications to the Human Resources department as soon as possible after requesting leave.
If the employee is unable to provide the required 30-day notice, the medical certification will be sent along with the Notice of Eligibility & Rights and Responsibilities by HR.
Notice of Eligibility & Rights and Responsibilities:
Upon receipt of the employee's request and supporting documentation, HR will provide the employee with the Notice of Eligibility & Rights and Responsibilities within five business days. This notice informs the employee of their eligibility for FMLA leave and outlines their rights and responsibilities under the law.
Certification Process:
Medical certifications provided by the employee's healthcare provider will be reviewed by HR to verify the need for FMLA leave based on the serious health condition of the employee or a family member.
Employees are responsible for ensuring timely submission of the completed certification forms to HR, typically within 15 calendar days.
Leave Approval/Denial:
HR will review the employee's request and supporting documentation, including medical certifications, to determine eligibility for FMLA leave.
Employees will be notified of the approval or denial of their FMLA leave request within five business days of receipt of all necessary documentation.
Leave Administration:
HR will coordinate with the employee and their supervisor to ensure smooth administration of approved FMLA leave.
During the leave period, employees are expected to adhere to any reporting requirements and maintain regular communication with HR regarding their status.
FMLA Forms:
Policy Review and Updates:
This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as needed. Any changes to the policy will be communicated to all employees.
GRANDPARENT LEAVE
Eligibility:
Full-time employees who have completed 6 consecutive months of service are eligible for Grandparent Leave upon the birth or adoption of a grandchild.
Duration of Grandparent Leave:
Eligible employees are entitled to 1 week of Grandparent Leave.
Use of Grandparent Leave:
Grandparent Leave can be used continuously within 4 weeks following the birth or adoption of a grandchild.
Requesting Grandparent Leave:
Employees must provide written notice to their supervisor and the Human Resources department. It is recommended that employees provide advance notice when requesting Grandparent Leave, ensuring that plans are made well in advance of the birth or adoption of a grandchild.
Documentation:
Employees may be required to provide documentation, such as a birth certificate or adoption papers, to verify the reason for their leave.
BEREAVEMENT LEAVE
Full-time employees will be granted a 1-week leave of absence following the death of a close family member, including but not limited to the employee's immediate family, such as:
Spouse or Domestic Partner.
Child, including biological, adopted, or stepchild.
Parents, including biological, adopted, or stepparent.
Grandparent.
Sibling.
Legal guardian.
JURY DUTY
Full-time employees serving as jurors will receive their regular pay, and there will be no reduction in their compensation for the duration of their jury service.
MILITARY LEAVE
MILITARY LEAVE ELIGIBILITY
A military leave of absence will be granted to any employee, excluding temporary employees, who serve a period of active duty ("AD"), active duty for training ("ADT"), active duty for special work ("ADSW"), full-time training duty ("FTTD"), annual training ("AT"), or inactive duty training ("IDT").
MILITARY LEAVE COMPENSATION
Non-exempt employees
Military leaves of absence for non-exempt employees are unpaid. However, non-exempt employees may use any accrued PTO during the absence.
Exempt employees
Exempt employees performing AT, ADT, ADSW, FTTD, or IDT during a portion of a workweek will receive their regular salaries for that workweek, prorated based on the time worked.
When an exempt employee performs no work during an entire workweek due to military leave, the employee will not receive a salary for that workweek.
In any event, the exempt employee may elect to use any accrued PTO during the absence.
Compensation Adjustment
When an employee's military base pay is less than the employee's Association wage or salary, the Association will pay the employee the difference between the employee's military base pay and the employee's wage or salary for three months while the employee is performing AD, ADT, ADSW, FTTD, or AT. To initiate this compensation adjustment, the employee must provide proof of their military pay, such as pay stubs or relevant documentation, to the HR department for verification.
MILITARY LEAVE HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS
Health insurance benefits will continue to be provided by the Association, under the same terms and conditions as they are provided to other employees, until the end of the 31st day after military leave begins. The employee may then elect continuation coverage by payment of the premium charged to the Association by its carrier plus a 2% administration fee charged by the carrier. When an employee returns from military leave, the Association will again provide benefits according to the applicable plans.
MILITARY LEAVE REEMPLOYMENT
An employee performing AT, ADT, ADSW, FTTD, or IDT for a period of fewer than 31 days is required to return to work on the first regular workday after the end of the training, allowing for reasonable travel time.
An employee called to AD, FTTD, or ADSW for 31 to 180 days must apply for reemployment within 14 days after completion of the military service.
An employee who serves more than 180 days must apply for reemployment within 90 days after completion of service.
An employee returning from military service will be re-employed and accorded seniority, status, benefits, and pay as provided by federal law.
MILITARY LEAVE CAREER PROGRESSION
Every reasonable effort will be made to restore an employee returning from military leave to the employee's previous position or a substantially equivalent position. The employee will be treated as though they were continuously employed to determine benefits based on length of service, such as the rate of PTO accrual.
Additional Considerations
Employees who are due step increases or raises during military leave receive these adjustments as scheduled.
Employees scheduled for yearly evaluations during military leave will have their evaluations and any resulting actions (e.g., promotions or salary adjustments) conducted without delay.
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