The Office of the President approved implementation of a pilot benefit program -- the Paid Time Off (PTO) Program. The PTO Program became effective July 1, 2002, for eligible bi-weekly and monthly paid employees. The Office of the President is reviewing PTO programs at our location and others and we expect to receive feedback from them in January 2008. The PTO Program promotes and enhances work-life objectives of the university and was developed by the health system’s “At Your Service” Committee. This committee is charged with reviewing opportunities to improve the work environment for health system employees.

The purpose of the PTO Program is to establish a benefit program that provides employees greater flexibility in the use of time-off with pay and conveys the advantage of annually cashing out unused PTO hours accrued over three hundred (300). Providing greater flexibility also assists the university in recruitment and retention, serving both employee and employer. Additionally, PTO benefit programs serve as a standard of practice in area hospitals and are viewed positively.

Eligible participants include those employees guided by Personnel Policies for Staff Members (staff and MSP employees). School of Medicine employees, employees covered by labor agreements, and those employees with split-funded appointments/dual appointments (funded with School of Medicine and Hospital accounts) or dual appointments (where one position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement) are not eligible to participate at the present time. However, the At Your Service Committee has established a different benefit program for eligible, unrepresented School of Medicine staff – The Excellent Attendance Program.

Under the PTO benefit program, vacation and sick leave accruals will continue at eligible rates pursuant to university vacation and sick leave policies:

• Two banks of accruals will be created for each eligible employee: a PTO bank and an Extended Sick Leave (ESL) bank.
  
  
• Upon program implementation, an employee’s current vacation leave balance was transferred to the PTO bank and current sick leave balance was transferred to the ESL bank.
  
  
• The PTO bank will be credited each month with leave equivalent to the vacation accrual rate and one half (1/2) of the sick leave accrual rate.
  
  
• The ESL bank will be credited with the remaining one half (1/2) of the sick leave accrual rate.
  
  
• PTO accrual balances in excess of three hundred (300) hours will be paid once each year, at the employee’s current rate of pay.

• For monthly paid employees, the PTO measurement date was set up to add June accruals, but not to subtract June usage (as usage is not officially recorded until mid-July).
  
  
• The first two (2) days of absence (if appointed at 50 through 75 percent time) or three (3) days of absence (if appointed at greater than 75 percent time) will be charged to the PTO bank, regardless of the reason for the absence (illness or vacation) except as noted below for leaves of absence.
  
  
• Beginning with the 3rd or 4th day of absence, dependent on eligibility, the PTO bank will be charged if the purpose of the absence is for personal reasons. If the absence is due to illness, the ESL bank will be charged.
  
  
• Absences designated as Family and Medical Leave (granted for an employee's own/spouse/child/parent's serious health condition), pregnancy disability leave, or bereavement leave will be charged in their entirety to the ESL bank.
  
  
• Employees who are on shifts other than a standard eight-hour shift must indicate the number of non-worked hours, consistent with their scheduled shift. (For example, a full-time employee who regularly works 12-hour shifts takes two days off work for personal reasons. The employee must reflect 24 hours of  "PTOP" on their time card.)
  
  
• PTO and ESL accrual balances will be transferred to vacation and sick leave balances upon reassignment, promotion, or demotion to an eligible position not covered by this program.
  
  
• Upon resignation, release, termination, or other separation action, PTO accrual balances will be paid pursuant to university policy and applicable laws.

• Leave credits in the ESL bank will convert to UCRP service credit at retirement.
  
  
• The PTO benefit program does not conflict with UCRP Retirement Plan regulations.