Personal Time Off (US employees)

Time off under this policy is not being provided in addition to any pre-existing vacation, personal time, or sick leave policy, which are now superseded by this policy.

Holidays

CivicActions is considered closed on the following holidays:

Holiday	Dates
New Year's Day	January 1st*
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.	Third Monday in January
Memorial Day	Last Monday in May
Juneteenth	June 19th*
Independence Day	July 4th*
Labor Day	First Monday in September
Veterans Day	November 11th*
Thanksgiving Day	Fourth Thursday in November
Day after Thanksgiving	The Friday after Thanksgiving
Christmas Day	December 25th*

*If a holiday falls on a weekend, the US office observes on the preceding Friday for Saturday holidays and the following Monday for Sunday holidays.

Employees are not encouraged to work on these holidays. If you feel it's necessary to work on a holiday, hourly, non-exempt employees will be compensated at their normal hourly rate, and will receive overtime where appropriate.

Exempt employees who voluntarily work on holidays will not receive additional compensation. Absent unique circumstances related to the needs of the business, you do NOT need to log entries when the office is closed for a holiday. All non-exempt employees must obtain approval from their manager prior to performing work on a holiday, and must record all hours worked, regardless of whether such prior approval was obtained.

Notice, scheduling, and approval of time off

You do not need to justify time off for traditional vacation or personal time, but it does need to be arranged in advance so the work will be covered. An exception to this rule is for unforeseeable events or emergencies.

For time off related to any sick leave that is foreseeable, employees should provide advance notice as soon as possible, preferably at least seven days in advance. If the need for sick leave is unforeseeable, employees shall provide notice as soon as practicable.

Employees should follow the following procedure for providing notice of, scheduling, and obtaining approval of paid time off:

If you are working on an active project (internal or external), discuss the impact of your absence with your project manager & team to get coverage and clarify project impact. This is especially important if there is flexibility in your dates. This is not necessary if the need is related to sick time that is unforeseeable.
For planned time off, put the request into Unanet (Time>Dashboard). Click Leave Request, enter your date range, and enter a comment to explain your plan for coverage as discussed with your PM & team. You can use the "Additional Email Notifications" field during submission to notify your project lead or others. If you are providing notice where the need is related to sick time and is unforeseeable, there's no need to explain further
You will receive communication through Unanet when your request is approved.
Go to your google calendar and create an "out of office" event for the days you have off. This will auto decline any meetings on those days with a note that you are out of office
Ensure that your team is reminded before your planned time off. This can happen in an email; slack message or during scrum. We want to avoid any surprises to the team even though you've planned the time off.
For the dates of your time-off, please update your slack status to indicate you are out of office. You can update your slack status by clicking your icon in the top right corner of the slack window, and typing in a new status in the "update your status" box.
If your time off is immediate, unplanned, and unforeseeable, the most important thing is that your team knows you are out. If you are able, please send a slack to notify the team and put the leave request in Unanet.You can use the "Additional Email Notifications" field during submission to notify your project lead or others. If Unanet is not accessible for you, please send an email to peopleops@civicactions.com and cc anyone else who needs to know. You don't need to give specific information around why you are out, just indicate that you will be out today and when we can expect you back. If you anticipate being out more than a day or two, please let us know in your email, and we will let you know if we need you to submit a request in Unanet.
Log your time in Unanet under the category of TIMEOFF, using sick, vacation, or technical issues. Remember that doctor's appointments for you and other family members are also billed as sick time.
The USER REPORTS on the Reports Dashboard shows you reports about YOURSELF and you can look at your timeoff there.
Screenshots and further help documentation can be seen on Unanet here - https://help.unanet.com/current/unanet_menu/time/leave_requests.htm

Sample messages to demonstrate how to request timeoff in Unanet:

Hello, I am out sick today. I've let my team know via slack not to expect me today.
Hello, I want to take Aug 1-7 off. I have coordinated coverage with my team and remind them again prior to my time off.
Hello, I am doing a prodev workshop on Feb 1. I have notified my team that I will be out that day.
Hello, I need tomorrow off for a last minute doctor appointment. I have notified those who need to know not to expect me tomorrow.

Exempt employees -- time off

The following applies to all United States-based, FLSA exempt employees. In recognition of the professional environment in which we work, exempt CivicActions employees do not accrue sick days, vacation days, or any other form of time off in any fixed amount. Rather, an eligible employee who is absent from work as a result of appropriately scheduled and approved vacation, personal, or sick time, including for any reason covered by applicable paid sick leave requirements, is eligible for time off with pay under this policy. Employees are encouraged to take a reasonable amount of time off as needed to feel balanced, productive, and healthy, subject to business needs. PTO is intended to ensure employees may take an appropriate amount of time for vacation and personal time to remain healthy and productive, in addition to necessary paid sick time, exempt employees should generally attempt to take three weeks of vacation or personal time per calendar year where consistent with their productivity requirements and business needs.

Exempt employees do not accrue or carry over time off from year-to-year. Thus, time off will not be paid out upon termination.

Non-Exempt employees -- time off

The following applies to all United States-based, FLSA non-exempt employees.

CivicActions believes employees should have opportunities to enjoy time away from work and recognizes that employees have diverse needs for time off from work. Non-exempt employees are responsible for managing their own paid time off to allow for adequate reserves for use when needed. This policy is designed so that non-exempt employees receive PTO at an accelerated pace so that non-exempt employees can have similar flexibility to exempt employees.

Non-exempt employees scheduled to work on average 30 hours or more per week will receive 40 hours of PTO per calendar month, effective the last calendar day of each month. Non-exempt employees scheduled to work on average 30 hours or more per week shall not be allocated a total amount of PTO in excess of 120 hours of PTO. Non-exempt employees scheduled to work on average 29 hours or less per week will receive 20 hours of PTO per calendar month, effective the last day of each month. Non-exempt employees scheduled to work on average 29 hours or less per week shall not be allocated a total amount of PTO in excess of 60 hours of PTO. Non-exempt employees who are regularly scheduled to work less than 10 hours a week or who have no regularly scheduled hours do not receive PTO. Non-exempt employees enrolled in the CivicActions Internship Program do not receive PTO. PTO under this policy is designed to be used by a non-exempt employee who is absent from work as a result of appropriately scheduled and approved vacation, personal, or sick time, including for any reason covered by applicable state or local paid sick leave requirements. Non-exempt employees who do not receive PTO, do accrue sick leave at the rate required by the applicable state or local paid sick leave requirements.

On the last day of each calendar month, non-exempt employees are eligible to use their allotment of PTO at any point, subject to the restrictions and guidelines contained in this policy. PTO is paid at the employee's base salary or hourly rate in effect on the day the PTO is taken, and does not include overtime or any special forms of compensation such as incentives, commissions, bonuses, or shift differentials. PTO is not considered as hours worked in calculating overtime compensation for non-exempt employees.

Unused PTO is not eligible for payout at the end of a calendar year. Unless contrary to applicable state or local law, employees are not entitled to payment for accrued, unused PTO upon termination.

Use of PTO – Exempt and non-exempt employees

Eligible employees may use paid time off under this policy beginning on their 90th day of employment. It can be used for traditional vacation purposes, personal time, or sick time, including sick time under any applicable paid sick leave law. This includes to:

attend appointments or receive care for the employee's own physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition, including conditions requiring home care, professional medical diagnosis or treatment, or preventive care; or
attend appointments or provide care for an eligible family member's physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition, including conditions requiring home care, professional medical diagnosis or care, or preventive care; or
address the psychological, physical, or legal effects of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking involving an employee or an eligible family member, or where applicable, a "household member" (including stepparents and stepchildren, grandchildren, current and former spouses and domestic partners, persons who have a child in common, adult persons related by blood or marriage, adult persons who have resided or are residing together, and persons 16 years of age or older who are or were residing together and who are or were in a dating relationship); or
take time off when an employee's place of business or a child's school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency or for other health-related reasons; or
for absences from work when an employee or an eligible family member has been the victim of a family offense matter, sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking; or
take time off when an employee or an eligible family member is quarantined by a public health authority or health care provider; or
take time off to attend a funeral, make arrangements for, or grieve following the death of an eligible family member, within 60 days of death; or
bond with a newborn, newly adopted or placed foster child under age 18 , or an adopted or foster child over age 18 if incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability, if completed within 12 months of birth or placement; or
take time off for bone marrow or organ donation by the employee or an eligible family member; or
take time off in connection with an employee's child to attend a school-related conference, meeting, or other event requested or required by a school administrator, teacher, or other professional staff member responsible for the child's education, or to attend a meeting regarding care provided to the child in connection with the child's health conditions or disability.

Written documentation of time off

If an employee uses PTO for sick leave, including sick leave under applicable state or local law, for more than three consecutive scheduled work days, CivicActions may require reasonable documentation of the purpose for such leave. If the reason for time off is due to an employee's or a family member's own medical condition, verification from a health care provider is appropriate, but should not explain the nature of the condition and should not result in an unreasonable burden or expense on the employee. If the reason for time off is due to an employee's need for leave related to domestic violence, verification may include a police report, court order or other evidence from the court or a prosecuting attorney, other documentation from a victim advocate, attorney, member of the clergy, a medical or other professional, or an employee's own written statement.

CivicActions also reserves the right to require documentation verifying an employee's need to use time off, if there are indications of a pattern of abuse, such as repeated use of unscheduled time off on or adjacent to weekends, holidays, or pay day, regardless whether the employee has used time off for more than three consecutive days.

Time off and other approved leave

Time off pursuant to this policy is not intended for long-term leave or as a long-term care solution. As such, exempt employees on leaves of absences for more than thirty days, including otherwise unpaid leaves of absences, will not be eligible for paid time off beyond the first thirty days. CivicActions will require non-exempt employees to exhaust accrued, unused PTO concurrently with extended leaves of absences, including under the Family and Medical Leave Act or comparable state laws, if applicable.

Employees who are eligible for any other paid leave under CivicActions policies will not receive paid time off under this policy while on such paid leave (for example, parental leave) in addition to other paid leave. Likewise, time off and any other paid leaves shall run concurrently such that the duration of any leave shall not extend beyond the longer of the available leave. For instance, an employee may be eligible for twelve weeks of paid parental leave under CivicActions' policy, but will not be eligible for additional time off after such leave.

Similarly, employees who are eligible for wage replacement benefits while on an approved leave (for example, an employee who is eligible for workers' compensation, short-term disability, or long-term disability) will not receive paid time off compensation except as provided below.

If an employee remains absent for seven or more calendar days due to his or her own illness or injury, the employee must apply for short-term disability benefits through the state-provided plan or, if applicable, a company-provided plan, by contacting People Ops Team at peopleops@civicactions.com to initiate a disability claim. Absences covered by short-term disability, including pregnancy-related disabilities, are not eligible for paid time off under this policy. However, CivicActions will bridge the otherwise unpaid short-term disability waiting period with paid time off. If the company becomes aware that an absence may qualify for short-term disability benefits, management or the People Ops Team will direct the employee to contact TriNet to apply for short-term disability benefits. Likewise, if an employee is absent for more than three consecutive work days due to a serious health condition or any other reason covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act or similar state laws ("FMLA"), the employee should contact the People Ops Team at peopleops@civicactions.com to apply for state and/or federal family medical leave ("FMLA leave"). For exempt employees, absences covered by FMLA leave are not eligible for compensation under this policy. However, CivicActions will bridge up to thirty days of otherwise unpaid FMLA leave with paid time off. Otherwise, if the exempt employee is approved for FMLA leave, any future leave taken for the same FMLA-qualifying serious health condition is exempt from time off compensation. Any future leave for the same FMLA-qualifying serious health condition, whether continuous or intermittent, shall also be designated as FMLA leave and counted against the employee's FMLA allotment, not time off. If the company becomes aware that an absence may be protected under the FMLA for reasons other than the employee's own serious health condition, management or the PeopleOps Team will direct the employee to contact TriNet to apply for FMLA leave.

For information or questions concerning this policy and the use of time off during otherwise unpaid leaves of absence, short-term disability, or FMLA leave, the employee should contact the PeopleOps Team for assistance.

Abuse of time off

Abuse of time off, including as legally-mandated paid sick leave, may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Disciplinary action may be taken if a pattern of potential abuse of time off develops, if an employee is failing to attain necessary goals for his or her position, or if an excessive number of absences occur that are beyond the scope of any approved FMLA leave, approved disability leave, or leave provided as a reasonable accommodation.

State and local paid sick leave laws

To the extent state or local laws mandate paid sick leave, this policy is intended to ensure that eligible employees who work in those jurisdictions accrue and receive paid sick leave in accordance with those requirements. CivicActions prohibits discrimination or retaliation against employees because of a request for time off for legally-protected paid sick leave purposes, or use of such time off. If you believe that you have been treated unfairly on account of your use of such time off, or request for such time off, please immediately report this concern to the PeopleOps Team (peopleops@civicactions.com) so that the matter may be reviewed and appropriate corrective action may be taken.

Definitions

For purposes of this paid time off policy, and where consistent with applicable law:

"Children" shall include biological, adopted, and foster children, stepchildren, or legal wards of an employee or an employee's spouse, or children for whom an employee or an employee's spouse stands "in loco parentis" or to whom the employee stood "in loco parentis" when the individual was a minor.
"Eligible family member" shall include an employee's: (1) spouse, (2) children, (3) parents, (4) grandparents, (5) grandchildren, (6) siblings, and, in limited jurisdictions (7) any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.
"Family offense matter" shall include an act or threat of an act that may constitute disorderly conduct, harassment, aggravated harassment, sexual misconduct, forcible touching, sexual abuse, stalking, criminal mischief, menacing, reckless endangerment, strangulation, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, assault, attempted assault, identity theft, grand larceny, coercion under applicable law between spouses or former spouses, or between parent and child or between members of the same family or household.
"Grandparents" and "grandchildren" include biological, adopted, foster, and step-relationships of the employee or the employee's spouse.
"Parents" shall include biological, adopted, and foster parents or stepparents of an employee or an employee's spouse, or a legal guardian or person who stood "in loco parentis" to an employee or an employee's spouse as a minor child.
"Siblings" shall include biological, adopted, and foster siblings, step-siblings, half-siblings, and their spouses.
"Spouse" shall include domestic partners, registered domestic partners, civil union partners, life partners, or a designated person of the employee's choice.

Eligible employees should contact the PeopleOps Team with questions concerning whether any of the above definitions apply in a particular jurisdiction.

Scheduling shifts

If you find yourself needing to adjust your schedule a certain day or week, it is best practice to follow a similar process as requesting time off. A schedule shift does not mean you are taking time off, but rather you have an interrupted or different schedule from your normal work week. An example could be your team is traveling for a project/sales meeting, you are attending a conference, or you need a Tuesday off but plan to make up the hours over the weekend.

You should first make sure you understand the impact of your schedule shift to your (project) team and get coverage or move meetings as appropriate.
Email the ca-schedule@civicactions.net list describing your schedule change and note that you've already worked out plans with your team for coverage, etc.
The schedule change will be acknowledged in an email reply.
The admin will add this schedule change to the OOO calendar so that it appears in Slack with other requests like time off.

Personal tech issues

At CivicActions, we understand that having occasional issues with your home network, power and personal equipment are a normal part of working from home.

Communication

When you have a technical issue with your home network, power and personal equipment that stops you from being able to work at all, communicate early and often:

Ping your team in Slack to let them know you aren't available.
Set a Slack status (if you can,) so people know you aren't available.
If you aren't able to access Slack, deputize your work contact to let your PM(s) and team know.
If the problem lasts longer than 2 hours, email ca-schedule@civicactions.net and log it in Unanet under Project TIMEOFF, using the task "Technical Issues".
If it's persistent, set an out of office message.

Slack channels

You can go to the following Slack channels for support: #windows #osx #gnu-linux

Personal Leave of Absence

Employees of CivicActions, including part-time employees, who have worked for at least one year may request a personal leave of absence. A leave of absence is for extended periods, typically four weeks or more, where an employee is fully or part-time away from work, for example taking courses/training, handling extended personal matters, completing a personal project, or world travel. Leaves will be discussed on a case by case basis and may be paid, partially paid or unpaid.

Parental leave

Welcoming a new child is an amazing time for a family and we want to support employees during this time to take the time to bond with their new child (by birth or adoption, or placement in foster care if the child is under the age of 18, or incapable of self-care because of a physical or mental disability) and acclimate to the new life ahead. Our policy is that expectant parents can take twelve weeks of leave fully paid after 9 months of employment. If an employee has been at the company for less than 9 months or if for any reason the expectant parent needs additional leave, we will review requests on a case-by-case basis. All Parental Leave described in this Policy shall be available for a 12-month period following the birth or adoption of a child.

Bereavement Leave

CivicActions is committed to supporting team members during difficult times of personal loss. Eligible team members are entitled to up to 14 days of paid bereavement leave per occurrence. Bereavement leave can be used for the death of an immediate family member, defined as a spouse or domestic partner, child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, sibling, grandparent, or grandchild. Additionally, team members may use up to 7 days of paid bereavement leave for the death of a close friend or significant other as determined by the PeopleOps department. For more details, view our Bereavement Policy.

Medical insurance

All full-time regular employees and part-time hourly employees who work at least thirty hours a week are entitled to benefits under CivicActions' medical, dental, vision, life insurance plans. CivicActions pays 100% of the premiums, unless you opt for benefit that is more expensive than the company-covered plans. Then you pay the difference. See your TriNet PassPort account for managing these benefits. New full-time employees joining CivicActions will be eligible for coverage on the first of the month after the date of employment. If, as a new employee, you do not want the coverage, you will need to tell admin in case it puts us out of compliance with the plan providers or the ACA.

Professional development stipend

Employees are encouraged to take education and training courses related to their profession. When appropriate, and with prior approval, CivicActions will pay for all or a portion of such courses.

This page was last updated on March 5, 2024.