Paid time off is the leave policy available to an employee under which a company sanctions a pool of leaves to its employees. It covers various subjects like sickness, marriage, vacation, etc. Employees are free to avail themselves at any time as and when required.
It is one of the primary benefits offered by a company to the employees. Time off policies attracts great talents as they are a significant plus point. Offering a good time off approach to the employees boosts their morale to improve productivity.

Types of Paid Time Off

There are many reasons for employees taking time off work. Time offs can often be categorized for various reasons like sickness, vacation, maternity, marriage, etc. If a company gives 180 days for maternity leave, it can be classified as maternity leave. Leave categories to nullify the chance of discrepancies and confusion while employees apply for time off and are in the tracking process. The common types of PTOs are Sick leave, emergency leave, personal leave, vacation leave, etc.

Personal Leave

Personal leaves are the ones taken by employees to deal with matters like family emergencies, responsibilities, or other personal reasons that may require the employee’s support. These reasons are not covered by other leave options such as vacation leave, maternity leave, etc.

Sick Leave

Sick leave is the standard form of leaves provided to employees when they are sick. Employees can attach their medical certificates or documents with this type of leave as it might require a medical certificate. Workers can use this type of leave to stay at home without losing pay.

Maternity/Paternity Leave

Paternity or maternity leaves ensure that the mother or father of the newborn creates a healthy relationship with each other. It is taken to provide parenting support to the newborn child who is entirely dependent on their parents. It is exclusively granted to the mother to take care of herself and the child post-pregnancy. Paternity leaves are provided to the father to take care of both the wife and the child. It is granted 15 days before or within six months of childbirth in India.

Vacation Leave

Vacation leave is provided to the employees to take a break from the rigid working schedule of work. Employees take this leave to travel, relax, and rest. Companies offer vacation leave to promote a healthy work-life balance for their employees. Taking vacation reduces stress among employees, and upon their return, they tend to contribute company’s productivity.

Bereavement Leave

Bereavement leave is the brief time off provided to the employees on the death of a relative or a friend. It is also called compassionate leave and is offered for 2-5 days. Employees can take this leave on the death of a spouse, mother, father, children, or any other relative. It can be used at any time in combination within the three months following the death.

How does Paid Time Off Work

Paid time off is a company’s policy that combines sick, vacation, bereavement, personal, etc., types of leave offered to an employee as paid time off from work. The company grants its employees a pool of these leaves. The average number of leaves granted to an employee is dependent on the company. If the total number of leaves offered by the company is 30, then 10 is the vacation leave, 10 is the casual leave, 8 is the sick leave, and 2 is the personal leave—paid time off grants all the leaves under one category – Time off. Every company uses these leaves differently. Some sanction these leaves at once; some split into 7 for every quarter. The others divide it into 15 days every six months—the PTO policy of each company how this PTO is used.

Pros and Cons of Paid Time Off

The pros are:

• Employees feel that the company trusts them, making them more responsible while using their PTOs.
• Employees who come to work after PTOs are more active and productive.
• It improves employee-employer relationships and makes the employee trust the organization more.
• The employer does not need to cash out the PTO when an employee quits the organization.
• PTO attracts candidates while hiring

The cons are:

• Paid time off creates fear in employees as they are scared of being judged based on the time off.
• Overlapped time offs among other employees can often leave the work pending.
• Without a proper system in place, tracking the time offs and leave frequency might be difficult.
• If transparency is not maintained, PTO can cause conflicts between employers and employees.

Does Paid Time Off Count as Absenteeism

Paid time off is the leaves granted by the company to every employer each year. Unlike the paid time offs that are informed and categorized under different sections, absenteeism is an uninformed absence for a shorter or longer duration of time from the company. Paid time offs are considered absenteeism when the employee is absent beyond what would be considered reasonable and customary.

How does Paid Time Off Affect an Operative Workforce

Paid time off motivates the workforce and benefits them by destressing them from their work. It helps in retaining the employees by encouraging work-life balance for the employees. Employees who are happy with their job are less likely to quit. Time off from work also improves work quality and increases productivity.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)