Employees feel uncomfortable having to request time off and want to know in advance the leave time to which they are entitled. In evaluating leave policies, the employer must consider federal and state laws regulating certain types of leaves, conditions for eligibility, leave duration, and reinstatement privileges. Federal and state laws mandate granting time off to employees for military training or emergency duty, for jury duty, and for physical disability resulting from pregnancy or childbirth. A business' policies and practices with respect to vacation, sick leave, paid holidays and personal days need to be written and described in detail. It is important that leave policies are applied in a consistent and uniform manner to avoid any appearance or claims of unlawful discrimination.
Many businesses offer one week of paid vacation after six months or one year of employment.
As a means of encouraging employees to stay, paid vacation time often increases as the employee works additional years for the business. Sick leave plans must be easy to understand and administer. A good system for recording accumulated and used sick leave is important. Sick leave plans need to indicate who is eligible, the amount of sick leave and how it accumulates, requirements such as a physician's note upon returning to work, and what happens to unused sick leave when the employee leaves. Generally New Year's Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas are paid holidays.