Paid Time Off policy frequently asked questions

This applies to LLUMC, LLUCH, LLUMC-M, LLUBMC, LLUSS, LLUHC & LLU employees

We continue to receive questions about the Paid Time Off policy instituted at the beginning of 2022. Any change can be unsettling, particularly when employee benefits are the focus. This enhanced Paid Time Off program was designed based on employee feedback to better meet expressed needs.

We switched to this new approach with the first pay period of 2022, with the goal of giving you more flexibility in how you use time-off benefits. With the change, we also established more consistent Paid Time Off policies across LLUH.

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Why did we make this change?

Employees have for some time expressed frustration with some of the rules built into the previous paid leave and sick leave system. In response, we looked at how other large organizations handle this issue and believe we have introduced a more modern approach that supports your need for a better work-home balance. 

What changed?

Prior to this year, the employee paid leave accrual included vacation, holidays, short-term sick leave, and California Paid Sick Leave (CAPSL). The provisions of CAPSL are in accordance with the State of California guidelines. For some employees, a separate bank for long-term sick leave was available, but this bank could only be accessed subject to limitations, which frustrated some employees. This year, CAPSL hours for all employees accrue in a separate bank. The CAPSL benefit gives employees one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked. You may use up to three days of CAPSL sick time each year. All other leave, including vacation and holidays, accrue in the Paid Time Off bank. The accrued hours in both leave banks are immediately available for employees to use as needed.  

Why we are not able to use our sick bank hours until we reach 120 hours?

Under the new PTO policy, vacation, holidays, sick leave, or other personal leave have been consolidated in a single PTO bank that an employee can immediately access as hours accrue without restriction. Employees no longer accrue long-term sick leave. All of the long-term sick leave hours accrued prior to the implementation of the new PTO policy were preserved for employees to use under the terms of the policy that applied when these sick leave hours were accrued. Currently, COVID Sick Leave and accrued California Paid Sick Leave (CAPSL) are immediately available for employees to use for illness.  

Why do holidays come out of my PTO bank?

With the new policy, Paid Time Off was consolidated into a single bank for employees to use for vacation, holidays, sick leave, or other personal leave. Overall, the PTO accrual for hospital employees was increased and includes hours to cover nine holidays. PTO is now immediately available for employees to use at their discretion as hours accrue, without restriction.  

How many hours can I accrue?

You can accrue up to 500 hours of PTO in your bank, and you can use accrued time off for any necessary use — vacations, caring for a family member, personal illness, or other needs. And with the holiday time included in the PTO bank, employees who must work on a holiday can still have access to that time to use on a different day.

What about my paid leave before this changed in January?

Your existing accrued paid leave was rolled into your new PTO account at year-end 2021. Any long-term sick leave hours remained in your existing account for your continued use. 

What are accrual rates based on?

PTO accrual rates are based on hire date and length of service, but the percentages have been increased to include hours for the now nine approved holiday days off each year. New tiers were also added to accelerate the amount of PTO employees accrue at 3 and 10 years of service.

If you have specific questions regarding your PTO benefit, you can review the policy on PolicyTech. You may also direct any questions to humanresourcemgt@llu.edu or call 909-651-4001 or dial ext. 14001.