602: Paid Time Off (PTO) for Administrative Employees

Updated July 1, 2025
Supersedes Policy 602 dated December 1, 2022

As of July 1, 2025, Georgetown University will transition from accrued PTO to an annual allotment of PTO based on years of service and hours worked. Administrative staff who have a balance of accrued PTO as of this date, will retain it and draw down from this balance prior to using the annual allotment of PTO provided under this updated policy, as outlined below.

Overview & Purpose

The University recognizes the importance and value of paid leave so that employees may have paid absence from work for a variety of reasons.

Policy Statement & Scope

Georgetown University grants eligible administrative employees Paid Time Off (PTO) for rest, recreation and to attend to personal matters. This leave can also be used as additional sick leave for purposes outlined in HR Policy #605 in compliance with the D.C. Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act of 2008 (“Sick and Safe Act”) and other applicable state laws. This policy covers employees designated as “staff” or “academic and administrative professionals (AAP)”. Georgetown complies with all applicable local, state, and federal law regarding paid time off.

Procedures

Eligibility

PTO is available to all administrative employees (Staff and AAPs) as set forth below, unless superseded by applicable state or local law or a collective bargaining agreement.

Annual PTO Allotment

All eligible administrative employees receive an allotment of PTO according to the designated leave schedule based on position, length of service and number of hours worked. PTO hours are deposited in an employee’s PTO bank (GMS) at the start of each fiscal year. New employees will receive a prorated allotment based on the month in which their employment begins. Part-time employees receive a prorated allotment based on hours worked in the previous fiscal year.

Employees will not be permitted to request additional PTO after their bank has been exhausted.

PTO Allotment Schedule by Category of Employee

Category of Employee	PTO Allotment First Year	PTO Allotment After First Year
Full-time administrative employees (Staff and AAP) working at least 30 hours per week, including Senior Level Executives and Senior Level Professionals	21 days	22 days plus one additional day for each year of service thereafter, up to a maximum of 26 days (see chart below).
Part-time administrative employees who work at least 16 hours per week but less than 30 hours per week.	Prorated accrual based on hours worked and FTE in prior fiscal year.	Based on a prorated portion of the above
All other administrative employees not covered by one of the schedules above (working less than 16 hours per week) are covered under the Sick and Safe Policy.	Based on an accrual schedule of 1 hour of paid leave for every 30 hours of actual work	No Change

Annual PTO Allotment for Full-Time Administrative Employees

Years of Service	# PTO Days Per Year
Up to 1	21 (168 hours)
Up to 2	22 (176 hours)
Up to 3	23 (184 hours)
Up to 4	24 (192 hours)
Up to 5	25 (200 hours)
5+	26 (208 hours)

PTO Calculation

PTO is calculated according to the employee’s base rate and is exclusive of shift differential and overtime premiums.

Maximum Annual Leave Allotment

The maximum annual allotment of PTO will not exceed 208 hours and is based on hours worked as of June 30 in the prior fiscal year.

Use of PTO

Recordkeeping

Administrative employees will request and record all paid time off in the Georgetown Management System (GMS).

Scheduled PTO

Scheduled PTO is requested and approved in advance. Supervisors must schedule PTO according to the operating requirements of the department, with attention to length of service and other relevant factors and when possible, to accommodate the employee’s request.

Unscheduled PTO

Unscheduled leave is not approved in advance and is typically for a short period of time. For example, a personal emergency would require use of unscheduled PTO. To qualify for unscheduled PTO, an employee must follow the department’s established call-in procedure. Unscheduled PTO must be requested and recorded in GMS.

If an employee fails to follow the department’s established procedure, the absence may be treated as unauthorized and unpaid PTO. Department heads and supervisors will monitor unscheduled leave use to identify possible abuse of leave. Abusive use of unscheduled leave, whether paid or unpaid, may result in disciplinary action.

Monitoring PTO

In order to meet the business needs of the department, department heads may establish more specific regulations related to paid leave usage, as long as the regulations comply with applicable law.

Administrative employees may be required to present documentation for certain absences. For example, if an employee uses more than three consecutive days of PTO for medical reasons, the supervisor may request medical documentation – such as a provider’s note confirming the need for absence – without requiring any specific medical details or diagnosis. When medical documentation is required and the employee fails to provide it, the employee will not be paid for the absence. Appropriate documentation for absences due to other reasons may also be required.

Restrictions

To allow for proper orientation, a supervisor may restrict an employee’s use of PTO during the first 90 days in a new position, unless otherwise specified and agreed upon prior to hiring or during onboarding.
A department may not restrict an employee’s use of PTO when it is requested for a reason that is covered under the Sick and Safe Act, provided proper notice is given.
To ensure a smooth transition at the time of termination, it is not recommended that PTO be approved during the notice period (typically the final two weeks of employment). Unless an exception is approved in advance, supervisors may require that employees be present and working throughout their notice period.
An employee cannot be restricted in his/her use of PTO during unpaid Family and Medical Leave under Human Resources Policy 603, if applicable.
The University will abide by specific state law regulations regarding PTO accrual, usage, and payout where applicable.

Exceptions:

As of July 1, 2025, the following groups will continue to accrue PTO and will not receive an annual allotment:

Staff represented by 1199SEIU
Staff represented by SPFSA
Staff participating in the Special Voluntary Retirement Program (SVRP)
Staff at GU-Qatar
The limited number of staff working primarily in states such as California, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are subject to regulations that require PTO to be managed differently than under this allotment model. If you work primarily from one of these locations, please review your leave structure in the PTO Addendum or contact your HR Business Partner to understand how your state laws impact your PTO.

Payment of Leave

With Regular Earnings

PTO is paid with the employee’s regular earnings.

At Termination

PTO provided as an annual allotment will not be paid out to employees at termination of employment. Where required by state law, PTO will be paid out in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

For those administrative employees who had a balance of accrued PTO prior to July 1, 2025:

If employment is terminated prior to June 30, 2027, any unused leave from that accrued balance will be paid in a lump sum up to a maximum payment of $15,000; however, employees whose base salary is $200,000 or more annually are not eligible to receive any payment for unused accrued PTO.

At Transfer

Part-time and non-regularly scheduled employees who transfer to full-time positions in which they are regularly scheduled to work 30 hours per week (75% FTE) will receive an additional allotment of PTO based on the date of transfer.

Responsibility

Employees:

Prompt request of Scheduled and Unscheduled PTO in GMS.
Follow established department scheduling and call-in procedures for requesting Unscheduled PTO.

Supervisors/Managers:

Monitor use of unscheduled PTO and follow departmental call-in procedures.
Review balances in GMS to help employees plan their time off.
Encourage early planning for vacations and holiday coverage.
Prompt review and approval of PTO requests.

You can also find additional information on the following webpages:
Paid Time Off Updates for July 1, 2025
Questions & Answers
Former HR Policy 602 (PDF)