Paid Time Off

A. PAID TIME OFF: Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) provides Paid Time Off (PTO) rather than vacation or sick leave. PTO is an all-purpose leave policy to be used for vacation, personal or family illness/doctor’s appointments, and personal business. Regular employment status and introductory employment status full-time and part-time employees working at least twenty (20) hours per week earn PTO hours according to the stated schedule with part-time employees earning one-half the amount of accrued hours. Part-time employees who are designated to work at least thirty (30) but fewer than forty (40) hours (excluding temporary or seasonal hours changes) accrue three-quarters the amount of PTO hours. Employees classified as temporary employees are not eligible to accrue PTO hours.

Rate changes take effect the pay period following the employee’s anniversary date.

PTO hours may be carried forward to the next calendar year at a maximum of 480 hours. Employees having more than 480 PTO hours as of the last pay period of the year will automatically have the excess hours moved to their Extended Illness Bank as defined in B.

Upon separation from employment, employees will be paid for unused PTO hours up to a maximum of 480 hours.

B. EXTENDED ILLNESS BANK

PTO hours accrued above 480 and up to 960 hours may be saved for extended illness, but there will be no payout of those hours upon separation from employment. These accrued hours will be known as the Extended Illness Bank. The extended illness of an employee or family member must be documented and approved by a supervisor, by a committee to be appointed by the Executive Director, and by Human Resources. Compensation at current rate of pay for some or all hours in the Extended Illness Bank may be paid out during a period of documented, approved extended illness, but if hours are not used, pay for those hours cannot be collected upon separation from employment. An employee must first use all hours of PTO before using any hours from an Extended Illness Bank.

PTO hours may be carried forward to the next calendar year at a maximum of 480 hours. Employees having more than 480 PTO hours as of the last pay period of the year will automatically have the excess hours moved to their Extended Illness Bank.

Upon termination of employment, employees will be paid for unused PTO hours up to a maximum of 480 hours.

PTO Accrual Schedule (part-time employees receive one-half or three quarters the stated amount depending upon the hours normally worked).