Floating Holidays

njjel · October 2001

We need to develop a policy for a floating holiday. I'm interested to know what others use. i.e. You must be employed prior to such and such and month to be eligible or you earn 1/2 day as of such and such a date, etc.

neveradull · October 2001

Our new employees, beginning on date of hire earn one day of sick and annual leave(minutes per hour worked). However, they can not use this leave until they have been on the job for 90 days. They also receive one floating holiday per year (use it or lose it). This holiday can be taken at anytime with supervisor approval. Technically the next day if approved. To date this liberal policy hasn't been abused, but has been a great morale booster on the few occasions a new employee had to take a day off for whatever reason and would have otherwise been in LWOP.

Catherine · October 2001

Ours is very simple. It's yours from the day you start - no waiting time to accrue it or use it. It must be taken between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31 of the year, or it is lost.

njjel · October 2001

I appreciate the responses. I wanted to clear one point. They get the floating holiday regardless of when they start? In the second response for instance, if someone starts on October 1st they can still take the floating holiday as long as they take it prior to 10/31?

Catherine · October 2001

Yes, no matter when they start under our policy. Technically, I think they could start October 30, and take the 31st off, although their supervisor would probably not be terribly enthusiastic about it.

neveradull · October 2001

To further clarify an employee could be hired December 30, and use his/her floating holiday on the 31st. The employee would then receive a new floating holiday on January 1, and could take the 2nd off.

atherese · October 2001

We offer two floating holidays per calendar year. If they do not use, they lose. New employees are eligible to use their holidays anytime after they have completed their 90-day probationary period.

SandiF · October 2001

The day after Thanksgiving is our float holiday. Those who work that day have until the end of February to use it. There is no wait to be eligible for it. We also have a policy that allows an employee a certain number of days off per year without pay, (1-5 depending on length of employment - use it or lose it and no more than 2 days off at a time). All accrued vacation must be taken before the unpaid day(s)can be used. It cannot be taken during times we have designatated as "peak". Our vacation accrues from day one but cannot be used for six months, at which time the employee has a week. A new employee has one unpaid day the first year. This allows a new employee to take a day off prior to being eligible for vacation at six months.

gimper · October 2001

We give three floating holidays per year, depending on the start date.
If hired before Feb. 15th, employee gets three that year.
If hired between Feb 15th and June 15th, employee gets 2 that year.
If hired between June 15th and Oct. 15th, employee gets 1 that year.

There is no waiting time, just need to have supervisor's approval.
If they don't use them by payroll end in Dec., they lose them.

Amyl · March 2002

fyi, under california law, you can't "lose" an accrued floating holiday once it's accrued. It's considered the same as vacation. Your options to avoid this are (1) have a cap re an accrual amount; (2) assign the floating holiday to some date specific event, e.g., a birthday or anniversary date -- the employee must be required to take it w/in a reasonable time frame of that event taking place.

Floating Holidays

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