Vacation and Time-Off Policies in Companies

 An MBA graduate of George Washington University, Chandra “Chandi” Krohl is a human resources professional with experience directing corporate talent acquisition and management efforts. She formerly served as director of talent and culture at Clarabridge. Chandi Krohl has also coached and counseled executives on employee relations and corporate policies.

Vacation and time-off policies are integral parts of HR policy and usually are included in the employee benefits portion of HR policy. Some employers, however, develop a separate policy on time off.

Vacation and time-off policies typically include circumstances or events that justify an employee's absence from work. These policies include sick days, maternity leave, holidays, and vacation. Policies also specify whether an employee will be paid during a leave of absence. The acceptable durations and frequency of leaves also are communicated in policies.

Time-off policies necessitate procedures. For example, a female employee about to become a nursing mother is entitled to maternity leave, but these employees need to know how to request time off. The procedure may involve writing a request or filling out an online form. Employees also may need to know the appropriate time to submit the request.