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Time Off

We know our workers do their best work when you have the ability to take a break as you need it, or tend to needs in your life as they arise. To that end, our Time Off policy is designed to be as flexible and accommodating as possible so that when you're at work, you're able to fully focus and do you best work.

Whenever you are out of the office for non-work-related reasons, you must notify your manager in advance that you will be out of the office, and you must enter the times of your absence into our human resources software.

Company Holidays

Official Company Holidays are:

  • New Year's Day - January 1
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday (Third Monday of January)
  • Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
  • Juneteenth
  • July 4
  • Labor Day (First Monday in September)
  • National Election Day - November 3, 2020
  • Thanksgiving and the following day (Fourth Thursday and Friday in November)
  • Christmas Day - December 25

As we know not everyone observes the same holidays, you also have two floating holidays to use whenever you wish.

When a holiday falls on Saturday, we take off Friday. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, we take off Monday.

Vacation Days

We consider vacation time extremely important to your overall happiness and well-being. Each employee accrues 20 vacation days per employment year (25 after you’ve worked at Glitch for 3 years). You can roll over any unused vacation time to the next year and will continue to accrue vacation up to a cap of 30 business days (37.5 business day cap for 3+ year employees). Once you reach the vacation cap, you will not accrue additional vacation time until you take vacation time and bring your balance below the cap. Accrued, unused vacation time is paid out on termination of employment, as long as you meet applicable exit requirements.

How you accrue vacation time

You accrue 6 hours and 40 minutes of vacation time per paycheck. We are generally flexible if you ever need to take more time off than you have accrued at that particular time. However, we ask that you refrain from requesting an amount of vacation that is more than 24 hours over your accrued vacation time. Your balance in our human resources software will reflect a “negative” vacation until you accrue additional hours.

How to take vacation time

  • Request time off from your manager and give plenty of notice: Talk to your manager before booking any travel. If you're taking more than 3 days off, try to give at least two week’s notice - the earlier the better!
  • Record your time off in our human resources software.

Sick Days

Glitch has a flexible sick day policy, subject to our applicable leaves of absence. This time off is to be used for your own personal well-being. Rest, go see a doctor, do whatever you need to do to get back to feeling 100%.

How to take a sick day

  • Let your team know that you won’t be in that day and note your status in Slack.

  • Request the day in our human resources software

If you’re sick for 7 consecutive days (including weekends) due to your own health condition, you will be removed from “sick time” and placed on short term disability insurance, which Glitch pays for every employee. In some locations this may be provided through the state.

If you need to be out for a longer period due to the serious health condition of yourself or a qualifying family member you are required to go on Family Medical Leave. Please see below and consult the Operations Team for details.

If you're sick for 10 or more days in any given three-month period (quarter), we will reach out to you to see if there is anything we can do to help you. In all cases, anyone who takes 10 or more sick days in a three-month period will be asked to provide a doctor’s note for any additional sick days.

Unexpected Family Care (UFC)

Life happens. Sometimes a family member unexpectedly falls sick or a snow day closes schools and you need to stay home with your child. We provide three paid days for these unpredictable circumstances. This time is meant to address full-day occurrences on a short-term basis not qualifying under our Family Medical Leave policy. So, although we love our pets, these three days only apply for the care of our human family. When using these days, inform your manager and record your absence in our human resources software.

Bereavement (BER)

Glitch gives employees up to 10 paid days to make arrangements for/attend the funeral of a family member. If additional time is needed, you may request additional unpaid leave of absence or you may request use of accrued vacation days. Qualifying “family members” include:

  • Spouse
  • Domestic partner (including same and different gender couples; legal registration not required)
  • Child/stepchild and anyone for whom you have legal custody
  • Parent/stepparent/foster parents/parent-in-law
  • Siblings
  • Grandparent
  • Grandchild

In limited circumstances, bereavement leave may also be granted in the event of the death of any other individual. If you need such a leave, please notify your manager and Operations for approval. Glitch will also abide by any state or local laws regarding Bereavement leave.

Jury Duty and Witness Appearance

Civic duty is important, and you will be granted leave if you are called as a juror or witness in a legal proceeding. Once you get a jury duty notice or subpoena, promptly provide your manager or Operations a copy of the notice/subpoena. You may take whatever time is required to complete your service without jeopardy to your position at Glitch.

During any portions of the day that you are not on jury duty assignment, or when court attendance is not required, you are expected to meet your regular job responsibilities. Inform your manager or Operations as soon as possible upon learning that you have been called for jury duty or have been called to appear as a witness, and keep your manager or Operations informed as to the likely duration of your service.

Glitch employees who have been summoned for jury duty or for witness appearance will be paid for work time missed up to four weeks each calendar year. For instances where you are a party to a court action, available vacation days may be used or Glitch, in its discretion, can provide personal days if reasonable advance notice is provided.

After your period of jury duty/witness appearance is complete, provide written proof of having served for the time claimed to your manager or Operations.

Voting Leave

We encourage all Glitch employees to exercise their right to vote. One of our office holidays is National Election Day! For other elections, if you do not have at least four consecutive hours before or after working hours in which to vote, you may request time off to vote. Inform your manager or Operations at least two days before Election Day if you need voting leave.

Family and Medical Leave (FML)

We grant family and medical leave in accordance with the requirements of applicable state, federal, and local law in effect at the time the leave is requested. We will comply (and in many instances go beyond) any applicable federal, state or local law or regulation that provides family and medical leave, including family military leave, workers’ compensation, pregnancy and disability leave laws, and job reinstatement rights. Further information regarding the federal Family and Medical Leave Act can be obtained from the Operations Team and the following website: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla.

If you are eligible for any paid state or local statutes, you must apply. If the Glitch policy is more generous than the state-specific policy, then the Glitch policy takes precedence, and we will make up the difference between the partial payment and your full compensation during the time of your leave.

The following is a summary of the relevant provisions of FML:

You may receive up to a total of 12 work weeks (26 weeks for military caregiver leave) of unpaid leave during a 12-month period, measured on a rolling basis backwards from the date you request the leave to begin. To be eligible for family and medical leave benefits, you must:

  • Have worked for Glitch for a total of at least 12 months
  • Have worked at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months

This leave is generally unpaid, but in some instances you may be able to receive pay (see following sections).

For paid policies specific to New York or California, please refer to the appendix. If our policy is more generous than the state-specific policy, then you can rely on ours!

When Can I Use FML?

  • The birth of your child in order to care for your child, or the placement of a child with you through adoption or foster care, within the 12-months following the birth or placement of your child;
  • To care for your spouse or domestic partner, child, or parent who has a “serious health condition,” as defined below;
  • For your own “serious health condition,” as defined below; or
  • For “service member family leave” to care for a spouse, son, daughter, parent, or “next of kin” who is a member of the Armed Forces (including a member of the National Guard or Reserves) while the member is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a “serious injury or illness.”

Definitions Under FML

  • A “serious health condition” is generally defined as an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential health care facility, or continuing treatment or continuing supervision by a healthcare provider. If the “serious condition” refers to the Glitch employee, the term means a condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of their role.
  • “Continuing treatment or continuing supervision by a healthcare provider” means that the individual has been treated two or more times, either by, under the supervision of, or due to a referral by, a health care provider, or has been treated on at least one ocassion which results in a regimen of continuing treatment under the supervision of a health care provider.
  • “Next of kin” means the nearest blood relative of the member of the Armed Services.
  • “Serious injury or illness” means an injury or illness incurred in the line of duty on active duty in the Armed Forces that may render the member medically unfit to perform the duties of the member’s office, grade, rank, or rating.

Intermittent Leave

Generally, FML must be taken consecutively. However, if medically necessary FML may be taken in smaller increments. If you need flexibility in how you space out your leave, please inform your manager and contact Operations. If practicable, we will try and accommodate your request.

Notice and Certification Requirements

If you need to use FML and you know this in advance, make the request as soon as possible, at least thirty days before you want the leave to begin, by submitting the written request to your manager and to Operations. We will let you know whether your request has been approved. If your need for leave is unexpected, you should notify your manager and Operations as soon as possible, at a minimum within two days of learning of your need.

If you request leave due to your own or a covered family member’s serious health condition, you will be required to provide, within fifteen (15) days of the request, medical certification from a health care provider on a form provided by us. Re-certification of a serious health condition may be required every thirty days during your leave. Contact Operations for forms and more detail.

Benefits

While on FML, your health insurance and other benefits continue under the same terms as if you were working. Approved FML will not affect your original date of employment. However, you do not accrue vacation days while on Family and Medical Leave unless you’re on Parental Leave, and vacation days used during FML will not be considered as time worked for the purposes of vacation accrual.

Return to Work

If you return timely to work, you will be returned to the position you left, with equivalent pay and benefits. If you are returning from leave after taking time for your own serious health condition, you may be required to provide a “fitness-for-duty” medical certification prior to returning to work.

If you cannot or choose not to return to work after your leave, we will have to terminate your health, vision, and dental insurance. We will also view this as a voluntary resignation. In the situations where you require leave beyond the amount of time provided by FML, please contact your manager and Operations. We will try to accommodate you as much as possible!

Pay During FML

While FML is generally unpaid, you may use any accrued, unused vacation time while on leave. The use of available vacation days does not extend the twelve week leave period. After the exhaustion of accrued vacation days, the remainder of the leave is unpaid unless it falls under the following salary continuation provisions.

Salary Continuation During a Family and Medical Leave of Absence

When you have to take time off to care for yourself or a family member, we want you to focus on doing just that. Salary continuation is intended to financially assist you during these difficult moments.

In situations where you must use FML, you must first exhaust your accrued, unused vacation time before accessing salary continuation. Salary continuation, as provided below, will be paid in no less than full-day increments, unless the care requires intermittent leave or a reduced schedule or unless is otherwise required by applicable law.

Salary Continuation for Your Own Serious Health Condition

If you take FML due to your own “serious health condition,” and you provide sufficient and proper certification of a disability from a physician to our short-term disabilities benefits provider, you are eligible for up to twelve (12) weeks of salary continuation, as follows:

  • Full pay for up to eight (8) weeks of leave (with 60% covered by our Short-term Disability insurance carrier); and

  • Up to an additional four (4) weeks of disability paid at 60% of regular pay by our insurance carrier and 40% paid by Glitch

This salary continuation benefit is limited to one occurrence in any 12-month period measured back from the date the requested leave begins.

Salary Continuation for Family Care

If you need to take FML to care for a spouse or domestic partner, child or parent, or other immediate family member including mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister, brother, grandparent or grandchild, including step-relative, who have a “serious health condition”; or for “service member family leave” are eligible for up to two weeks of salary continuation.

This salary continuation benefit is limited to one occurrence in any 12-month period measured back from the date the requested leave begins.

Glitch Parental Leave

Everyone at Glitch is entitled to take parental leave when a new family member arrives, either by birth, adoption, or foster care. For all parental caregivers who have been with Glitch at least one year, leave is up to sixteen (16) weeks at 100% pay. If you’ve been at Glitch less than a year, your parental leave benefits will be prorated. You’ll receive 2 + (14 * Months of service / 12) weeks of paid leave. We recommend that all caregivers, including adoptive and foster parents, take at least 6 weeks off (at 100% pay) to bond with a new family member.

In situations where a child is lost during birth (or shortly thereafter) or is stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy, parental caregivers are afforded up to 6 weeks paid leave. We understand that people deal with grief differently and that more time away from work may be necessary. If you need additional time, please contact your manager and/or the Operations Team, and we’ll try and provide additional unpaid time away from work to meet your physical and emotional needs.

New parental caregivers and parental caregivers experiencing a loss can also take advantage of our “Take-Out” benefit. Meals can be expensed, up to $500 total for the first four weeks, while you are on leave. This is a taxable benefit, so the reimbursement will appear on your paycheck after you submit the expense through our reimbursement software. This benefit is prorated if you’ve been at Glitch less than one year.

Part time & Flex time

After you’ve taken your Parental Leave, you have the option to work half time (20 hours per week) at half pay for up to one year. You can take full advantage of this regardless of how long you’ve been at Glitch.

Employees returning from Parental Leave may also work a schedule that does not conform to our usual working hours (flex time). Your ability to work flex time depends on your role and will be considered and approved on a case by case basis following discussions with you and your manager/team. But in all cases, unless they are on a part-time schedule, we expect people to work 40-45 hours a week and be reachable by their team during predictable hours.

Adoption assistance

We assist our employees by offering financial assistance in the adoption of a child. We'll reimburse you up to $5,000 to use towards legal expenses, adoption agencies or other adoption professional fees (that amount is prorated if you’ve been at Glitch less than a year). This amount may be a taxable benefit, and the reimbursement will appear on your paycheck after you submit the expense.

Vacation time under parental leave

While you are on Parental Leave, your vacation days still accrue subject to the annual accrual cap. Vacation days accrue during part time leave as well, but at a slower rate.

Interaction with other leaves of absence

Glitch Parental Leave runs concurrently with related and applicable federal, state, and local statutes. As soon as practicable after you learn of the need for Parental Leave, inform your manager and the Operations Team. You will be informed about your eligibility for different types of paid and unpaid leave during your absence. In some locations you may also be entitled to partial wage replacement through state short-term disability or Paid Family Leave programs. You are required to apply for all such programs if eligible. For state-specific policies, please consult the Appendix and/or the Operations Team. If the Glitch policy is more generous than the state-specific policy, then the Glitch policy takes precedence.

Parental leave benefits are available only once during any 12-month period, measured from the date the requested leave begins.

Military Leave

Military leaves are governed by federal and state law and will be treated in accordance with applicable regulations. If you need to take military leave, please speak with your manager and the Operations Team.

Climate and Environmental Leave

As extreme and disruptive weather and environmental events become more common, Glitch has introduced climate and environmental leave to give our employees the security to know they’ll be able to respond to increasingly frequent severe weather and environmental disruptions without worrying about work obligations.

Climate and environmental leave consists of up to 5 paid consecutive work days for extreme weather and environmental events. More time is available depending on if a state of emergency is declared or if evacuation orders are given for your region. If you need to take time off for this reason, inform your manager and record the time in our human resources software.

Personal Leave

In addition to our other leave policies, we may allow unpaid Personal Leaves of Absence for compelling personal reasons, as a reasonable accommodation, and under circumstances when we can find a temporary replacement for the employee. If you’d like to take unpaid Personal Leave, please talk to your manager and the Operations Team.

Comp Time

At Glitch, we try hard to ensure our people work reasonable hours, and so we do not have a comp time policy. If you find yourself being required to consistently work over 50 hours a week, please consult your manager.

Sabbatical

After you've been at Glitch for eight years, you're entitled to take a sabbatical! This will be handled on a case by case basis. Come talk to us when you are at this point and we can figure out what works.