PURPOSE / SCOPE:
ICOM recognizes the need for employees to take time away from work to address their personal and family health needs, as well as to mourn the loss of their family member (bereavement). ICOM offers employees a Flex Time Off (FTO) option to address such needs.
POLICY AND PROCEDURE:
FTO is intended to provide available hours for an employee’s personal or immediate family member’s health needs. Immediate family typically includes individuals residing in the same household. FTO may be used for sick days, doctor’s appointments, hospital stays or for other health-related absences. Personal or family member illnesses requiring more than 3 days absent may require a doctor’s note. FTO may also be used for bereavement leave for immediate and extended family members. Personal Time (PTO), Holidays, Continuing Education, Jury & Civil Service and FMLA leaves are found in separate policies.
Eligibility and Accruals
All full-time employees are eligible to accrue FTO at a rate of 4 hours per pay period, which equates to 12 days per year if working 8-hour days. Accruals begin with an employee’s first pay period, there is no waiting period for the accrual nor for utilization. Employees on an unpaid leave of absence do not accrue FTO.
The maximum amount of FTO that may be accrued is 160 hours.
Using FTO
FTO may be used in increments as short as one hour for hourly (non-exempt) employees and no less than 1⁄2-day increments (typically 4 hours) for salaried (exempt) employees. FTO may not be used in advance of it being earned. Employees will submit a request through the HR/Payroll system, currently Paylocity, to request the time away as far in advance as possible to allow for adequate planning. Supervisors may require additional notification processes.
FTO is used to restore an employee to their regularly scheduled work week hours, it cannot be used to exceed the normally scheduled hours in a week. If FTO is exhausted, PTO will be used in its place. FTO cannot be used to extend an employee’s vacation.
Employees are required to use FTO (and PTO) while on leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). If the employee is eligible for disability benefits, FTO and then PTO will be used during the waiting period and to make up the remaining amount of an employee’s compensation not covered by the disability benefit. At no time shall an employee earn more than 100% of their income.
Donating Sick Time
ICOM does not permit the transfer of FTO hours from one employee to another.
Separation from Employment
At the time of separation, ICOM does not pay out any accrued, unused FTO balances.
PRIMARY POLICY OWNER:
VP of Human Resources & Organizational Development
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
BOARD APPROVAL: