Vacation time off with pay is available to eligible employees to provide opportunities for rest, relaxation, and personal pursuits. Employees in the following employment classification(s) are eligible to earn and use vacation time as described in this policy:
(A) Regular full-time employees. The amount of paid vacation time employees earn each anniversary year increases with the length of then-employment as shown in the following schedule:
LENGTH OF EMPLOYMENT | NUMBER OF HOURS PER YEAR |
After 90 days of employment | 16 hours |
After one full year of employment | 40 hours |
After two full years of employment | 80 hours |
After five full years of employment | 120 hours |
After 10 full years of employment | 160 hours |
After 20 years of employment | 200 hours |
(B) Vacation benefits may be used in minimum increments of one hour. If possible, employees should request approval from their department head for 24 hours or more of vacation benefits at least two weeks in advance of the requested time off. No more than two consecutive weeks of vacation may be taken at any one time. Requests will be reviewed based on a number of factors, including business needs and staffing requirements and other extenuating circumstances. The department head, the Town Manager, and the Clerk-Treasurer have the authority to approve or deny vacation requests for their respective departments.
(C) Vacation benefits shall be utilized during the benefit year in which they are earned. Otherwise, earned but unused vacation benefits will be forfeited. If, however, in the opinion of his or her direct supervisor, the employee was unable to take his or her vacation benefits due to the workload of the town, at the discretion of his or her supervisor the employee may be allowed to extend and use his or her vacation benefits without penalty as soon as the workload slows down. In such cases, the employee must use the vacation benefits within 30 calendar days from that time and his or her supervisor must immediately notify the Clerk-Treasurer’s office of their approval to extend the employee’s vacation benefits. Payment for these unused vacation benefits will occur on the payroll period of the extension rather than during the payroll associated with the employee’s anniversary date.
(D) There will be no advances for vacation benefits granted. The town will pay any employee for earned but unused vacation benefits if the employee elects to receive pay rather than take time off of work. Payment will be made during the pay period in which the employment anniversary falls. The total amount of vacation benefits eligible for payment shall not exceed ten days.
(E) Upon voluntary termination of employment, employees shall be entitled to be paid for up to 80 hours of unused earned vacation benefits, provided the employee has been employed by the town at least one full year. Vacation benefits are “earned” upon reaching the employment anniversary date and not prorated during the year.
(F) Vacation benefits are paid at the employee’s base pay rate at the time of vacation and will be counted as hours worked for the purposes of determining overtime calculations.
(Ord. 2020-26, passed 1-12-21)