Paid Time Off (PTO)

The company provides, as a benefit Paid Time Off (PTO) to all employees which begins to accrue at the start of employment but may not be taken until after 90 days of full-time employment.

Effective January 1, 2021, employee's accrue PTO at a rate of 2.27 hours for every 40 hours worked.


PTO is a combined pool of paid time away from work that can be used for, including but not exclusive of, vacation, personal time, illness, time off to care for dependents, medical/dental appointments, or emergencies. PTO provides each employee the flexibility to use time off to meet personal needs while recognizing individual responsibility to manage their time-off.

PTO used as Sick Time

When an employee is sick, they must call in and notify the owner or Project Coordinator at least 30 minutes prior to their time scheduled to work. If you are out sick more than 3 days consecutively you may be required to have a doctor's note to return to work.

Accrual

PTO should be used in the calendar year it is earned. This bank of hours can be accrued up to 180 hours. Management reserves the right to delay any PTO requests in the event of critical job schedules which require the presence of the employee.

Payroll

PTO can be taken in 4-hour increments, deducted from earned PTO hours in the employee's bank. Paid sick leave hours will be compensated at an employee’s regular rate of pay and will not count towards the calculation of overtime.

To request PTO, an employee must fill out a written PTO request at least 7 days prior to the date requested, (a 30-day notice is preferred for a multiple-day leave), using the online PTO Request form: https://thewarddesigngroup.com/pto/

PTO is granted on seniority and first come, first granted basis. Employees will be notified of their paid sick leave balances each pay period on their paystub.

Separation from Employment

If an employee separates from employment, there will not be a financial or other reimbursements to the employee for accrued, unused PTO at the time of separation.

Cash Value

Unused PTO is NOT available for cash value trade-in.

Leave Beyond Accrued PTO Bank

Team members who are out of work and are using PTO are allowed to use their total sick leave bank at full rate of pay. Once a team member completely exhausts their accrued bank of hours, they may be given more time off, but without pay. Team members are highly encouraged to have short-term-disability in place to handle such occurrences.

FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act)

The FMLA entitles eligible team members to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. Eligible employees are entitled to: Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for: The birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth; The placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement; To care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition; A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job.