Paid Time Off (PTO - SSM Health

Paid Time Off (PTO)

SSM Health offers paid time off to eligible employees for vacations, holidays, sick days, personal time and the elimination period for Short-Term Disability. PTO accrues with each hour paid and on low census hours, starting with the first day of employment. In addition, SSM Health provides paid time off for purposes of Jury Duty, Bereavement Leave and Parental Leave.

Who's Eligible?

Benefits-eligible employees, excluding executives, directors, and physicians are provided Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits under this policy.

To be benefits-eligible, employees must be classified as a regular employee and be regularly scheduled to work at least 40 hours or more per pay period. "Regularly scheduled" means the employee is on file with Human Resources as having a 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) or higher status.

Employees begin to accrue PTO upon date of hire. There is no waiting period.

How Do PTO Hours Accrue?

PTO is accrued each pay period based on the actual number of hours paid and on low census hours (up to a maximum of 80 hours per pay period).

The accrual rate depends on length of service with SSM Health.

Employees rehired within one year of their termination date will receive a PTO accrual based on their original date of hire. Employees rehired after a break in service greater than one year will receive a PTO accrual based on their rehire date (see Employee Rehire policy on Policy Tech).

Employees have accrual rates as reflected below:

Accrual Rate

Annual Max

(hours)

Staff PTO Schedule

Annual Max (days)

*based on 8 hour days

Overall Max

(hours)

Overall Max (days)

*based on 8 hour days

Fewer than 5 years of service

.0923 per hour paid 192

24

288

36

More than 5 but fewer than 10 years of service

.1077 per hour paid 224

28

336

42

More than 10 but fewer than 15 years of service

.1192 per hour paid 248

31

372

46.5

More than 15 but fewer than 20 years of service

.1269 per hour paid 264

33

396

49.5

More than 20 years of service

.1385 per hour paid 288

36

432

54

Management PTO Schedule

Fewer than 5 years of service

.1192 per hour paid 248

31

372

46.5

More than 5 but fewer than 10 years of service

.1269 per hour paid 264

33

396

49.5

More than 10 years of service

.1385 per hour paid 288

36

432

54

Note: Market-specific PTO programs apply to employees working a 7on/7off schedule. These schedules do not apply to executives, directors, and physicians. Physicians and Executives should refer to the applicable Benefits Booklet for information about Paid Time Off.

Directors: SSM Health utilizes an informal time off model for director-level positions. Under this approach, time off is taken as needed. There is no need to record the time away within the timekeeping system or monitor a PTO bank. It is expected that directors will be prudent under this approach, focusing appropriate attention to their role and leadership responsibilities. As a general guideline, it is expected that total time taken will not exceed six weeks per year, including holidays. Director-level PTO does not have cash value, is not eligible for the PTO Sell or PTO Donation programs and does not payout upon separation of employment.

New Hires will be provided with 8 hours of PTO (pro-rated for FTE) upon hire date in order to account for holiday time off that might be needed before the PTO time is accrued. As a result, the accrual rate for the first year of employment will be adjusted down to account for the frontloaded hours.

Employees will continue to accrue PTO on PTO hours taken while on a leave of absence. Hours paid by Short-Term Disability are not eligible for PTO accrual.

The annual maximum of PTO is based on 2080 paid hours per year (40 hours per week). Paid hours in excess of 80 hours per pay period will not be used to calculate accrual of PTO.

Unused PTO time carries over from year to year, but the overall maximum of PTO is 1.5 times the annual accrual amount. Employees who reach the PTO maximum will need to utilize PTO time in order to accrue additional hours.

Employees transitioning from a position with Management PTO accrual to a position with Staff PTO accrual and whose PTO balance is above the new PTO maximum, will have PTO hours paid down to 40 hours below the new maximum.

Using PTO

PTO hours are paid at the base rate of pay for the primary job held by the employee.

Employees have the flexibility to use accrued PTO hours in several ways: ? Vacations ? Holidays1 ? Sick days ? Personal time ? The 7-day elimination period for Short-Term Disability (STD), for an illness or injury that requires an extended time away from work.

1SSM Health observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day. When operations of a department or facility are closed in recognition of an observed holiday, employees scheduled to work that day must use PTO. For operations or facilities operating on a Monday - Friday schedule that close in recognition of an observed holiday. A holiday falling on Saturday will be recognized on Friday; a holiday falling on Sunday will be recognized on Monday.

If a holiday falls on a day of the week that you are regularly scheduled to work, you will use PTO to ensure your meet your hours worked for the week. If the holiday falls on a day of the week that you are not regularly scheduled to work (i.e. you will meet your hours worked for the week without using PTO), you will not use PTO for that holiday. You cannot choose to go unpaid for a holiday. In order to meet your hours requirement (based on your FTE status), you will need to use PTO. If you work on an observed holiday, you will receive your regular pay for those hours worked and will not use PTO. Your department leader is the best contact for discussing the department's needs and schedule regarding the holiday.

Because employees may need to use PTO unexpectedly for an illness or injury, it is recommended that employees reserve time in their PTO bank, whenever possible. It is an employee's responsibility to manage their PTO bank to ensure they have enough time to cover holidays, sick days and vacations.

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Date: January 1, 2020 Updated February 2023

Following notice of resignation, employees may not use PTO to extend the termination date. Employees that terminate employment or move to a status that is not eligible for accrued PTO (PRN, Director, etc.) will receive payment for any remaining PTO hours at the base rate of the employee's primary position that was held prior to the date of the status change. This payment will occur as soon as administratively possible. Any amounts owed to SSM Health for benefit premiums that are in arrears or other obligations will be deducted from the PTO payment.

Requesting Time Off

Hourly, non-exempt employees may request and report time off in 15-minute increments. Salaried, exempt employees may request and report time off in 4 hour, ? day increments.

Unless staffing needs require an employee to pick up additional shift(s) in a week in which PTO has already been scheduled, employees may only request and report PTO up to their FTE status. Employees are not allowed to voluntarily report PTO above their FTE.

Employees may not request or use unpaid time off if they have PTO in their bank, unless a shift is cancelled by SSM Health due to low census.

Picking up Shifts and Low Census Hours

Hourly, non-exempt employees who have an extra shift cancelled by SSM Health due to low census, have the option to use PTO for those cancelled hours. Employees who choose to cancel their availability for an extra shift are not able to utilize PTO for those cancelled hours.

When requesting scheduled time off for vacations, holidays, or other personal time, PTO must be scheduled in advance and approved by the employee's supervisor. Supervisors should give as much consideration as possible to the employee requests and preferences but must always prioritize the staffing needs of the department. A suggested guideline for advanced scheduling of PTO is:

Guidelines for Advance Notification of Scheduled Time Off

Amount of PTO Requested One day or less

Minimum Advance Notification One scheduled work day

Two to five days

Five scheduled work days

More than five days

Ten scheduled work days

In certain situations, employees may be paid for time absent from work without using PTO. These situations are:

? Absences due to Jury Duty ? Absences covered by the Bereavement Leave benefit ? Absences because of an on-the-job injury ? Absences due to suspension (only when suspended with pay approved by HR)

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Date: January 1, 2020 Updated February 2023

PTO Sell

Employees who accrue PTO may elect to cash out a portion of their PTO balance at any time during the year, up to two times a calendar year, through the PTO Sell option. Employees may not sell more than a total of 80 hours in a calendar year (January 1 ? December 31), and they must retain at least 40 hours in their PTO bank following each PTO Sell Request.

PTO hours sold will be paid at 85% of the employee's base rate for the primary job held by the employee and are taxed at the supplemental rate. PTO hours will be paid on the next regularly scheduled paycheck that includes the pay period in which the PTO Sell request was submitted.

PTO Donation/PTO Emergency

Employees who accrue PTO may donate PTO to a medical emergency leave bank maintained by employer and they are not taxed on the donation. Employees may not donate more than 80 hours in a calendar year (January 1 ? December 31), and they must have at least 40 hours in their bank following the donation. Hours donated to the bank will be converted to dollars based on the donor's hourly rate (base rate of pay for the primary job).

The employee may "recommend" the recipient but may not make the donation contingent on the time going to the desired recipient. The bank will be maintained at the ministry level.

The recipient will need to file an application for approval and the leave will need to meet the IRS criteria for a medical leave sharing program. The recipient may be awarded hours based on need. The maximum number of hours that may be provided to a recipient is 160 hours in a calendar year (January 1 ? December 31). For this purpose, the hours given to the recipient will be based on the recipient's rate of pay, and the recipient will be taxed on the PTO value when the time is taken.

When the President of the United States declares an emergency as a result of a natural disaster, employees may donate PTO to employees directly affected by the disaster without tax consequences. Under the program considered by the IRS, a medical emergency is defined as a medical condition of the employee (or family member of the employee) that would require the prolonged absence of the employee from duty and would result in a substantial loss of income to the employee because the employee would have exhausted all paid leave available.

PTO Hardship

Employees who accrue PTO and suffer a serious financial hardship may request a pay-out from their bank. The pay-out is limited to the amount of the hardship or half their PTO balance at the time of the request (whichever is lower) up to a maximum of 80 hours per calendar year and will be paid at 85% of full value. PTO hours are paid at the base rate for the primary job held by the employee.

The hardship must meet one of the following IRS eligible reasons:

? Certain unreimbursed medical expenses incurred by the employee, their spouse or their dependents;

? The purchase of the employee's principal residence (excludes mortgage payments);

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Date: January 1, 2020 Updated February 2023

? Payment of tuition and related educational fees for the next 12 months of post-secondary education for the employee, their spouse or any dependents;

? The need to prevent the employee's eviction from their principal residence or foreclosure on the mortgage of their principal residence;

? Funeral expenses; ? Uninsured damage to the employee's principal residence.

The PTO Hardship Request must be completed and include proof of hardship. The pay-out will take place on the next regularly scheduled paycheck that includes the pay period in which the PTO Hardship request was approved.

Questions about the Paid Time Off benefit?

Contact People Services at 1-844-776-6947

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Date: January 1, 2020 Updated February 2023

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