Paid Time Off (PTO) incorporates all time away from work for which an employee is eligible for compensation. PTO is gained through an accrual for most employees in the Bronson Healthcare System, based upon qualified hours paid and is used in lieu of paid vacation time off, paid holiday time off, and paid time off for illness (supplementing other Bronson illness and accident benefits), or personal necessity.

All regularly scheduled full-time and part-time employees, with a minimum of forty-eight (48) approved hours per pay period other than PRN employees and Bronson Travel Staff are eligible to accrue and use PTO under this policy.

Using PTO

Non-Exempt and Exempt benefit-eligible employees may use accrued PTO upon hire. PTO, if available, is paid for all scheduled time not worked.PTO payment is made by recording PTO hour(s), using the time and attendance system when payment of available PTO is desired. PTO is computed on the basis of the employee's base hourly rate of pay (straight time only). Employees must have enough hours in their PTO bank to cover requested PTO at the time of usage/payment. Hours paid as PTO are not included in the hours’ calculation for determining overtime. ​

Accrual

Non-exempt and Exempt benefit-eligible employees begin to accrue PTO from the first day worked. Accruals are based upon the individual's qualified hours, which include regular hours paid, plus PTO, funeral leave, jury duty paid, and low census hours, to a maximum of eighty (80) hours per pay period (overtime and standby hours are excluded). PTO accruals may be viewed with other paycheck information through Workday.

Accrual Limit

Employees may accumulate up to three hundred-sixty (360) hours of PTO. In the event the maximum amount of PTO is reached, the employee will have to either use or sell to get the amount below 360 and begin to accrue again.

PTO for Holidays

The following fixed holidays are included in the PTO accrual. PTO will be used to compensate employees for time away from work on a fixed holiday when the employee would normally be scheduled to work on the date the holiday occurs.

• New Years Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

Employees who work on the above holidays are paid for hours worked and may elect to receive PTO up to the number of holiday hours worked or scheduled. An absence on a holiday scheduled to work will necessitate another holiday shift in the future to be worked, as required to meet the staffing needs of the department.​

PTO Sell

Employees may sell PTO throughout the year at 70% base pay. To initiate this process, please use the timekeeping system.

PTO Donation

Under special circumstances, PTO can be donated from one employee to another. The following criteria must be met:

1. Employees who have to be off for a period of time because they have experienced a death (up to 30 days following the death) or treatment of a serious illness in their immediate family and do not have PTO to cover the time they need to be off work are eligible to apply. An employee receiving compensation through STD, LTD or Worker’s Compensation is not eligible to apply.

2. PTO that has been donated is not eligible for PTO sellback.

3. To be eligible to receive PTO donations, the employee’s PTO bank must be at or below their approved bi-weekly hours.

4. PTO donations and requests must have the permission of the recipient and be approved and coordinated by Human Resources. The PTO donation request should communicate how long the employee needs to be off work.

5. Donations are completely voluntary and are donated over one (1) pay period. The employee’s department will be given first opportunity to donate PTO before it is opened up to other departments. PTO donation is completed in Workday.

6. PTO donations will become taxable earnings to the recipient as the PTO is used​Employees may donate PTO to another employee in need. ​The employee receiving the donated PTO must have less than 40 hours in their

​May donate to the Bronson Health Foundation.

PTO at Termination

If you leave employment at Bronson or transition to a non-benefits eligible position, accrued and unused PTO may be paid out to you at 50% of the cash value at your base hourly rate, if you have over 2 years of service. This occurs up to two pay periods after your last check with regular earnings. Employees who terminate employment in their first 90 days of employment will NOT receive PTO payout at termination. Bronson-management specifically reserves the right to allocate an employee’s PTO payment upon termination toward any resulting periods of unemployment, in any manner that it deems appropriate.

​Termination of Employment - Retirement

Employees whose separation meets the definition of retirement (age 55 with 10 years of service and/or age 55 and eligible to collect a defined benefit pension) will be paid out 100% of their accrued and unused PTO as of the date of retirement. ​​​

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