Leave Policy
Term Definition
A Leave Policy is a set of rules, procedures and guidelines established by organizations in accordance with applicable federal and local laws, which govern the process, timeframes and reporting procedures for time taken off work.
Leave or time off policies determine the type and amount of time that can be taken off work, how such time will be reported and paid, and the process for requesting time off. Without a leave policy, it would be impossible for organizations to effectively manage their workforce and appropriately allocate resources.
Leave policies establish the policies that govern paid time off, unpaid time off, and time required by federal and local laws. A consistent and clearly communicated leave policy establishes the expectations of employers and employees. Employees will know how much sick time they have, how to handle time off in the event of family illness, whether or not they are paid for jury duty or military reserve training.
Annual leave is referred to as vacation time or in some companies Paid Time Off (PTO). A leave policy will address the number of hours employees accrue annually for this leave, the procedures for requesting the leave, whether unused time can be carried over to the next year and how unused leave is handled if the employee separates from the company.
In companies that separate paid time off into separate catergories, leave policies will also address sick leave. Sick leave is time taken for illness. The leave policy will also address short term and long term disability leave. The federal government established policies for family illness with the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). FMLA allows employees to take unpaid time off (up to 12 work weeks in a 12 month period) for a family member's illness without the threat of termination.
Other types of leave covered in leave policies are court leave (jury duty, or witness), adoption related leave, and military service leave.
Area of Application
Timesheet Policy
Workforce Management
Related Terms
Time Sheet
Web Based Time Sheet
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