Vacation Policy

3.13 Vacation

A. Full-Time Employees (New Employees through Three Years)
A new full-time employee is eligible to take paid vacation benefits after completing six months of employment. The vacation benefit for new employees through the second full year of employment is equal to ten days per calendar year. The benefit is prorated for the first year of employment using a fraction where the numerate equals the number of months the employee has worked for the Firm and the denominator is 12. The employee will receive credit for a full month of work if the employee began working on or before the 15th day of the first month of his or her employment.

B. Full Time Employees Who Have Completed Three Years of Employment
A full-time employee receives an additional vacation day during the calendar year in which the employee’s third anniversary of employment occurs, and an additional day of vacation each calendar year thereafter up to a maximum number of 20 vacation days per calendar year.

C. All Part-Time Employees
Part-time employees earn one hour of vacation time for each twenty-six hours worked. Vacation may not be taken until the part-time employee has completed six months of employment with the Firm.

D. Carry Over of Vacation Days
A maximum of five days of earned vacation time may be carried over from one calendar year to the next calendar year by non-exempt employees who have completed up to two years of employment. After three years of employment, up to 10 days of earned vacation time may be carried over from one calendar year to the next calendar year. At the end of each calendar year, any unused earned accrued vacation time is forfeited unless qualified for carry-over under this policy.

Non-attorneys who have completed at least six months of employment with the Firm will be paid upon termination of employment for any earned vacation time that has not been taken or forfeited. An employee whose employment is terminated before completing six months of employment will receive no vacation pay in his or her final paycheck.

A non-attorney employee’s vacation time must be pre-approved by the Office Administrator and the employee’s immediate supervisor(s). A request for vacation time must be made at least two weeks before the proposed vacation days.

If the vacation time is being used as a paid benefit for an absence that qualifies under the Family and Medical Leave Policy, that employee is required to inform the Office Administrator in writing. Notification forms may be obtained from the Office Administrator.

Vacation leave may not be used for absences caused by illness or injury, except when the leave is qualified under the Family and Medical Leave Policy. Non-exempt employees must use vacation leave in half-day increments unless otherwise approved by the Office Administrator, or when vacation leave is used for a qualifying reason under the Family and Medical Leave Policy. Exempt employees must use vacation leave in whole day increments, except when it is used for a qualifying reason under the Family and Medical Leave Policy.

E. Attorneys
Attorneys may take additional vacation time provided they meet their annual billable hours requirements. Vacation time taken by associate attorneys in excess of three weeks per year must be approved by the Executive Committee. If any attorney takes vacation time in excess of the applicable allocation set forth in this policy, and the attorney fails to meet his or her annual billable hours requirement for the year, that attorney’s compensation may be reduced in accordance with other policies established by the Firm. Attorneys will not be paid for any vacation time upon termination of employment.