602: Paid Time Off (PTO) for Administrative Employees
Statement
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 includes employees designated as “staff” or “academic and administrative professionals (AAP)”. Prior to July 1, 2022, the University maintained separate PTO policies for Staff and AAPs; this revised policy includes enhancements and applies to both employee groups.
Philosophy
The University recognizes the importance and value of paid leave so that employees may have paid absence from work for a variety of reasons. Georgetown complies with all applicable local and federal law regarding paid time off.
Procedures
Eligibility
PTO is available to all administrative employees (Staff and AAPs) as set forth below.
Accrual and Accrual Rate
All eligible administrative employees accrue PTO according to the designated leave schedule based on position, length of service and number of hours worked.
Employees who are paid on a biweekly basis also accrue time off on a biweekly basis; employees who are paid on a monthly basis also accrue time off on a monthly basis.
PTO Accrual Schedule by Category of Employee
Category of Employee | PTO Days Earned First Year | Days Earned 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 | 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). | Based on an accrual schedule of 1 hour of paid leave for every 30 hours of actual work | No Change |
PTO Accrual Rates for Full-Time Administrative Employees
Years of Service | # Days Earned Per Year | # Paid Leave Hours Accrued Bi-Weekly | # Paid Leave Hours Accrued Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 21 (168 hours) | 6.46 | 14.00 |
2 | 22 (176 hours) | 6.77 | 14.67 |
3 | 23 (184 hours) | 7.08 | 15.33 |
4 | 24 (192 hours) | 7.38 | 16.00 |
5 | 25 (200 hours) | 7.69 | 16.67 |
6 | 26 (208 hours) | 8.00 | 17.33 |
PTO Calculation
PTO is calculated according to the employee’s base rate and is exclusive of shift differential and overtime premiums.
PTO Use Before Accrual
Supervisors have the option of allowing administrative employees to take up to 5 days PTO before it is accrued, subject to the restrictions described below. In the event an employee has a negative leave balance when their employment terminates from the University, an adjustment will be made in the employee’s final paycheck in the department he/she is leaving.
Maximum Leave Accrual
The maximum accrual level of PTO is 288 hours for employees who are regularly scheduled to work at least 16 hours per week. The maximum accrual level of paid leave is 112 hours for non-regularly scheduled employees. If an employee reaches the maximum accrual, accrual ceases until the employee uses PTO hours and the accrual drops below the maximum limit.
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 is 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 the employee uses more than three consecutive days of PTO related to medical reasons, then the supervisor may require the employee to present a physician’s certificate. When a physician’s certificate is required and the employee fails to provide the certificate, the employee will not be paid for the absence. Appropriate documentation for absences due to other reasons may also be required.
Restrictions
- PTO will not accrue during any full pay period for which an employee is not paid.
- PTO will not accrue when an employee is receiving University Short-Term or Long-Term Disability benefits.
- Advance of future PTO cannot be requested while an employee has a negative PTO balance.
- To allow for proper orientation, a department may restrict an employee’s use of PTO during the first 90 days of employment. However, 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. Departments may not restrict an employee’s use of PTO following the transfer to another department.
- An employee can not be restricted in his/her election to substitute paid leave for unpaid Family and Medical Leave under Human Resources Policy 603, if applicable.
Payment of Leave
With Regular Earnings
PTO is paid with the employee’s regular earnings.
At Termination
Upon termination of employment, leave that has been accrued under this policy and that remains unused 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.
Prior to June 30, 2015, upon termination of employment, accrued but unused PTO was paid to an employee in a lump sum.
At Transfer
Non-regularly scheduled employees who transfer to an employment category in which they are regularly scheduled will carry over their PTO balance. Employees with a designation as regularly-scheduled who transfer to a non-regularly scheduled designation will carry over up to 56 hours of accrued paid leave, and will be paid in a lump sum for any accrued, but unused, PTO in excess of 56 hours.
Responsibility
Employees are responsible for following established department scheduling and call-in procedures for requesting PTO in GMS.
Department heads are responsible for ensuring proper administration and scheduling of PTO.
Resources
Contact your Client Service Partner, found here, in the Department of Human Resources if you have questions or if you would like more information about this policy.