Vacation & Sick Policies

Paid vacation time

Associates who take time off are well-adjusted, happy, and more willing to go the extra mile for our customers. That’s why we give associates plenty of time for getaways, staycations, or whatever it is you choose to do with your time off. Plus, we offer extra days off for things like wellness, community involvement, and other occasions. 

Lower on this page, you’ll find tables breaking down accrual of hours for each segment of associates (part-time, full-time, etc.). But first, let’s get into some of the nuts and bolts of our vacation policy:

• How accruals work. Full-time and eligible part-time associates are offered paid vacation time via an accrual-based system; temporary and on-call associates are not eligible for vacation benefits. For new associates, accrual of paid vacation begins at the completion of your first pay period.
• Please use your time! We encourage associates to use your vacation time during the current calendar year — it’s crucial to your overall health and well-being! Ideally, those who are scheduled to work 40 hours per week are encouraged to take off five consecutive days once per year, if possible.

Associate vacation accruals schedule 

(Time is expressed in hours and minutes.)

Full time: 40 hours per week

Part time: 36–39 hours per week

Part time: 30–35 hours per week

Part time: 26–29 hours per week

Part time: 20–25 hours per week

*Maximum depends on hire date

Officer vacation accrual schedule

Full time: 40 hours per week

Part time: 32 hours per week

Part time: 30 hours per week

Part time: 20 hours per week

*Maximum depends on hire date

Sick leave

*Officers have unlimited sick leave

We completely understand that there are times when preventive care appointments, physical or mental illness, disability, or injury make it necessary to miss a scheduled workday. That’s why we offer our full-time and eligible part-time associates up to 80 hours of paid sick time each year. (Temporary and on-call associates are not eligible.) Below, you’ll find a table that goes over the accrual rates for sick time; but first, let’s talk specifics:

• Your care is covered. When you’re tending to a physical or mental illness, we encourage you to use your sick time to rest and recuperate. You’re also welcome to use your sick time to attend preventive care appointments, such as annual physical exams, dental/eye exams, and other health screenings, or to receive professional care for physical or mental illnesses, which can include appointments with your primary care provider, sessions with a therapist or counselor, or appointments with specialists.
• Your family matters, too. You may also use your sick time to attend appointments with or provide care for an immediate family member. Immediate family members include mother/father, spouse, sister/brother, your kids or grandkids, grandparents, or a person who raised or was raised by you. (Note: This includes in-laws and step-relatives in these same categories.)
• Stay safe in inclement weather. Full-time associates are permitted to use up to three days (24 hours) of sick time in situations where traveling to work would be unsafe or impossible — say, during a snowpocalypse that dumps 20 inches of snow on the roads. Department managers may also permit you to use these hours for weather-related childcare emergencies based on your department’s practices. 
• Caring for newborns. With prior supervisor approval, you can use up to five days of your sick (or supplemental sick) time to care for your newborn child or grandchild during the mother’s disability period immediately following the birth, giving mom some extra help and you some extra bonding time.
• Using unaccrued time. Illnesses don’t always give you the courtesy of checking to see how much sick time you have before they strike, but fear not: If you need it, sick time may be taken before it’s accrued. Simply check with your supervisor or manager for notification guidelines before an absence, and they’ll work with you to figure it out.
• What about unused time? Sick time that is accrued but not used in a calendar year is carried forward in a supplemental sick time bucket for both full- and part-time associates (excluding officers). This supplemental sick time can be used in conjunction with catastrophic or debilitating events or those that qualify for Family and Medical Leave Act time. 

• Employment Type	Accrual Rate	Annual Maximum
  Full Time: 40+ hours/week	3:10/pay period	80 hours
  Part Time: 30-39 hours/week	1:15/pay period	30 hours
  Part Time: 20-29 hours/week	0.23/pay period	10 hours