Department:  All Departments

Policy:

1. Regular, full time, employees are eligible for vacation on the following schedule.  For hourly staff, actual vacation hours will be based on hours paid in the previous 52 week period (for vacation granted at 6 months, calculation will be based on the previous 26 week period)
   Years of service:                  Time off:
   After 6 months                    one week
   After one year              one additional week
   After two years                   two weeks
   After five years                  three weeks
   After ten years                    four weeks
2. Fair Labor Standards Act exempt staff (salaried):
   As of First Day of Work        10 days
   After one year                         15 days
   After five years                       20 days
3. Regular, hourly employees are eligible for vacation based on the following rates, times the hours paid in the previous 52 week period (for vacation granted at 6 months, calculation will be based on the previous 26 week period). For those with less than two years of service the rate is .01923, for those with two to four years of service .03846, for those with five to nine years of service .05769, and for those employees with ten years of service or more, .07692.

Procedure:

1. New hires receive vacation time after putting in six months of service at Schmitt Woodland Hills. The first two weeks of vacation granted (one week at 6 months and one additional week at one year) may be used during their first two years of employment.
2. For all hourly employees, vacations will be calculated at the end of the pay period containing the employee’s most recent anniversary/hire date and each successive date thereafter.
3. If an employee leaves employment and doesn’t return within 30 days, their vacation time must be re-earned starting from their most recent hire date.
4. Vacations are to be taken within one year from the date earned (with the exception of the vacation time from first 6 months; may roll over into second year). They may not be accumulated.  Unused vacation time will be paid out in a payroll close to the employee’s anniversary.
5. When requesting vacation time, time off of 2 days or less should be requested with at least 2 weeks notice. Time off of 3 days or more should be requested with at least 30 days notice. (Any exceptions must be approved by the department head.)
6. If a schedule has already been posted, staff must find their own replacements if they are wishing to use vacation time on days they are already scheduled to work.
7. No vacations are to be taken from December 15^th to the 31^st without the specific approval of the Department Manager.
8. If the schedule has been filled and previously approved vacation time is rescinded by an employee, time must still be used and paid out unless there are open shifts where the employee can work.
9. Best efforts will be made to honor vacation requests, however no request is guaranteed. Vacation time will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis if multiple employees are requesting time off for the same day. In the event time off requests are received simultaneously, working tenure may be used to determine to whom vacation is granted.
10. To receive vacation pay employees must:
    1. Complete a “Time Off Request Form” and submit it to the Department Manager for approval.
    2. Indicate “Vacation” on the appropriate days of their time card.
11. If a vacation falls on a holiday, the employee is paid for the holiday, not vacation.
12. When a regular employee leaves employment, unused available vacation benefits for the current year will be paid out if and only if the employee gives proper notice and does not have unexcused absences during their notice period. (Proper notice is considered 2 weeks for unlicensed staff and 4 weeks for licensed or salaried staff).
13. Once notice has been given, no vacation or personal time may be used during the notice period. Any sick time taken during notice period must be accompanied by a doctor’s note.
14. Should an employee have more than one rate of pay, vacation will be paid at the rate where the vacation is used.
15. Unused vacation time may be donated to other employees with the approval of the department head and the administrator.
16. If a staff member switches from a scheduled position to a per diem position, their unused vacation time will be paid out at the time of the switch.
17. If a staff member switches from a per diem position to a scheduled position, the date of the switch will be their effective “hire date” which will be used to calculate earned vacation time. Vacation time will not be earned until one year from the time of the switch to a scheduled position.
18. Staff are not allowed to request time off on their holiday to work or their weekend to work. If staff are scheduling a vacation and it involves their weekend to work then they must find their own replacement for the weekend or holiday portion of the vacation only.

This policy supersedes any and all other vacation policies.
November 2022