Policy - Paid Time Off (PTO)
Section: Human Resource Policies
Policy Owner: Ignition633 Ministries Nigeria Human Resources
Policy Name: Paid Time Off Policy
Origination Date: September, 2024
PurposeTheThis Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy ensures that all employees of theour Organization understandare informed of their entitledentitlements to paid time off,leave, including vacation, sick leave, personal days, and maternity leave. ThisIt policyestablishes outlinesclear the processprocedures for requesting and approving time off and theexpectations and consequences forrelated exceedingto or improperly taking leave.non-compliance.
Scope
This policy applies to all full-time and part-time employees of Ignition633 Ministries Nigeria. The PTO benefitssupports outlined in this policy support employees'employee health, personalwellness, matters,family responsibilities, and family work-life whilebalance, ensuringallowing uninterrupted ministry operations run smoothly.operations.
Types of Paid Time Off
1. Sick DaysLeave
Entitlement: 4Up to 12 paid sick days per calendar year.year, following Nigerian Labour Law.
Conditions:
- A valid, approved medical report must be submitted before sick leave is granted.
Acceptable reports include:
a.) A typed and signed doctor’s report from a federal or state government hospital.
b.) In the absence of such, our Campus Doctor must examine the staff and issue a report sent to the supervisor or HR.
- Handwritten notes or reports from uncertified/private clinics will not be accepted.
- Employees shouldmust fillnotify outtheir asupervisor Time off request form onlinebefore or on paperthe andday submitof it to their supervisorabsence as soon as they become aware of their illness or as early as possible before the start of their workday. A medical certificate may be required in cases of extended illness (more than two consecutive days).possible.
2. Personal Days
Entitlement: 24 paid personal days per calendar year.
Conditions:
- Personal days canTo be used for emergencies, appointments, emergencies, or significant personal mattersmatters.
- thatRequests cannotmust be addressed outside working hours. Employees must request personal dayssubmitted in advance usingthrough the Ministry-approved Time offOff requestRequest method.method and are subject to supervisor for approval.
3. Annual Leave
Entitlement:Following the6 Nigerian Labour Act, Section 18, all employees are entitled to six (6) days ofpaid annual leave afterdays completingper calendar year, following 12 continuous months of continuousservice, service.as per Section 18 of the Nigerian Labour Act.
Annual leave allows employees to:
- Rest,
- Recover, and
- Attend to personal matters, promoting well-being.
Entitlement: 6 paid annual days per calendar year.
Conditions:
- Annual daysRequests must be requestedsubmitted at least two weeks in advanceadvance.
- andApproval areis subject to supervisor approval.discretion Vacationand daysis dobased noton carrydepartmental workflow.
- Annual leave cannot be accumulated for festive periods or carried over into the followingnext year.
- Supervisors will ensure thatAll leave schedulesdays aremust organizedbe taken within the 12-month cycle for health and well-being.
Holiday Staffing Requirements:
- No more than 30% of any department may be on leave during festive periods (Christmas, New Year, Easter, etc.).
- Supervisors must:
a.) Balance staffing schedules.
b.) Reassign responsibilities accordingly to maintain workflowoperational continuity and avoid a situation where all staff are absent simultaneously.efficiency.
4. Maternity Leave
Entitlement: 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. Employees will receive 50% of their paycheck during the maternity leave period.
- 6 weeks before the expected date of childbirth.
- 6 weeks after childbirth.
Conditions: Employees must inform their supervisor in writing at least two months before their expected delivery date to plan for maternity leave. Any extensions due to complications must be discussed with the supervisor and will require medical documentation.
Tax Implications: Maternity leave pay, typically 50% of the employee’s regular salary, is subject to taxation under the Personal Income Tax Act. The amount received will be taxed according to applicable PAYE (Pay-As-You-Earn) tax rates.
Employees are encouraged to consult HR for guidance on how their maternity leave pay will impact their tax obligations.
PTO Request and Approval Process
Advance Notice: Employees are expected to inform their supervisors as soon as they know they are taking time off.
- A minimum of 2 weeks' notice is required for personal and vacation days.
- Employees should notify their supervisors as soon as possible for sick leave.
Approval: All paid time off requests must be submitted in writing using the appropriate PTO request form or on the Bento website. Approved paper time off must include the supervisor's signature and be submitted to HR by the Supervisor (not the staff). Requests without the supervisor's approval will not be considered valid, and employees will not be authorized to take the time off.
Emergency Time Off: In case of emergencies where prior notice is not possible, employees must inform their supervisor by the end of the first missed workday.
Record Keeping: All department leadership and HR will maintain accurate records of all PTO days used by each employee. Employees should regularly check their remaining leave days with their Supervisor to avoid exceeding their limits.
Exceeding PTO Allowance
Unpaid Leave: If employees exceed their allotted paid time off days and need additional days, the extra time will be taken as unpaid leave. The time off must still be approved by the supervisor, and the missed days will be deducted from the employee’s paycheck.
Carry-Over and Accrual
Carry-Over: Unused sick, personal, and vacation days are not carried over into a new year. Employees are granted a fresh set of PTO days each year.
Corrective Actions for Policy Violations
Failure to follow the PTO policy, including failure to obtain proper approvals or unauthorized absences, may result in corrective actions, which may include:
Unpaid Leave: Deduction from paycheck for any unapproved time off.
Termination: If an employee is absent without notice or approval for more than two consecutive working days, it will be treated as job abandonment, and the employee will be considered to have resigned.
Final Pay upon TerminationAny- unusedUnused vacationpersonal or personalannual daysleave will be paid out as part of severance upon resignation or termination.
- However, severance and bonuses will not be paid uponto employmentemployees termination,terminated whetherdue voluntaryto ormisconduct.
- involuntary. MaternitySick leave and sickmaternity leave are also not paid out upon termination.
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This policy will be reviewed annually and is subject to change. Any changes will be communicated to all employees promptly.
For any questions or further assistance regarding this policy, employees should contact the HR department at hr.nigeria@ignition633.org.