While offering paid vacation to employees is not compulsory, most employers provide a certain amount of paid leaves. According to the statistic, around 90% of the employees in the US have paid leaves at work. However, there are conditions like being a full-time employee, working for a private company, etc.
As the employers are not obliged by any rule or law to give paid leaves, they have a lot of legal liberty in determining who gets the paid leave and who does not. Moreover, they can also add more policies like when can you take a paid vacation, not giving a fixed word for it, and so on.
Nevertheless, you can constantly challenge your company’s rules with the help of an employment lawyer from Sattiraju & Tharney, who will explain your rights as an employee. Moreover, they will also guide you on the necessary actions you can take without risking your job.
So, here are some essential points to remember, as they will come in handy if you ever face injustice at your workplace.
What kind of employees is eligible for a paid vacation, and for how long?
Due to the absence of a law for paid leaves, employers can decide which employee must get a paid vacation and for how long. The period of this paid vacation can be anywhere from days to weeks to even months. In most cases, employers determine the paid leave and its period according to the field of work and the standard maintained by the industry.
Employers also have the power to reserve the paid vacation for only selected employees if they have a legal permit. For example, some employers only have paid leaves or breaks for full-time employees. According to the Bureau of Labor, about 91% of the employees working full time have paid vacation at their jobs in private industries, and only 34% of the part-time workers are permitted a paid leave.
As long as the employers do not violate legal terms like discrimination based on race, caste, or religion in offering paid leaves to their employees, they can decide each criterion per their convenience.
Rules of using your paid vacation
Private companies are free to determine when employees can use their paid vacation and when not. For example, if an employee wants to take a paid leave in their busy season, the employer has every right to deny the request and postpone it for later.
