Time Off, Leave, & Work-Life Balance

Owner: Director of Finance & Operations (DFO) – with input from all Directors Audience: All OWL staff

Purpose

This document outlines OWL's approach to time off, leave, and work-life balance, reflecting our commitment to human-centered, sustainable work practices. It includes flexible PTO for exempt employees, structured leave policies for non-exempt and part-time team members, and clear guidance on holidays, sick leave, parental leave, civic duties, and extended leave of absence. Our policies are rooted in trust, proactive communication, and the belief that time away from work is essential—not optional—for long-term wellbeing and effectiveness.

PAID TIME OFF

Open Way Learning embraces a flexible, human-centered approach to time away from work, inspired by Patagonia's “Let My People Go Surfing” philosophy. Our goal is to support employee well-being, creativity, and long-term sustainability - not just compliance or productivity.

We recognize that time away is not a luxury; it's essential to living our values of trust, adaptability, and shared responsibility.

Why Time Off Matters at OWL: Time off isn't just a personal benefit—it's a strategic practice. We want you to be at your best, and that means recognizing when you need to rest, unplug, recharge, or focus on other priorities. We expect you to take your time off - because we want you to last, not burn out!

We also understand that it can feel hard to step away. You may worry about leaving teammates short-handed or disrupting a project's momentum. But not taking vacation can lead to individual burnout and organizational fragility. If only one person holds critical knowledge or feels too vital to step away, that's a system flaw, not a badge of honor.

So if you're having trouble planning time off, please talk to your manager or another OWL leader. We'll help you find the balance—and reinforce the idea that time off is part of our shared rhythm, not a disruption to it.

Flexible PTO for Full-Time, Exempt Employees

OWL offers a Flexible PTO policy for all full-time, exempt employees. We don't track or limit the number of vacation days. Instead, we trust you to take what you need—responsibly and with proactive communication. Here's how it works:

• You may take time off as long as it does not interfere with your responsibilities and you've coordinated with your manager, colleagues, and clients.

• You do not need formal approval for most PTO, but you do need to communicate early and ensure your responsibilities are covered.

• Time off must be recorded in your OWL Google Calendar and include an out-of-office notification in Slack and your email, noting a backup contact.

• If you're responding to work outside of normal hours, feel free to flex your time the following day.

Extended Leave Limits:

• PTO over 14 consecutive calendar days (including weekends/holidays) requires OWL Leadership Team approval.

• PTO over 25 total calendar days per year also requires Leadership Team approval.

• If you are absent for more than 72 hours without communication, it may be considered job abandonment.

Communication Guidance:

• As a general rule, notify your manager at least twice as many days in advance as the number of days you plan to be off (e.g. 6 days' notice for 3 days off).

• Coordinate with your team, especially around popular holidays, to maintain coverage and continuity for clients.

Time Off for Full-Time, Non-Exempt Employees

Full-time, non-exempt employees receive structured paid time off through personal days, vacation days, sick leave, and holidays.

Full time, non exempt employees earn vacation hours per the table below. These hours are paid at the employee's regular straight-time rate of pay at the time the vacation is taken. Part time employees are not eligible for paid vacation.

Length of Service	Accrual Hours for Each Pay Period	Maximum Annual Days	Maximum Accrual Hours
0 – 12 months	6	9	9
12 to 72 months	12	18	36
73 months or more	20	30	60

• Vacation is earned and paid at your standard hourly rate.

• Vacation cannot be paid out in lieu of taking time off, and max accrual is capped per the table above.

• If your accrued vacation reaches the max, you will not accrue more until you use some.

• Vacation days can be taken before accrual up to 24 hours; beyond that, the time is unpaid.

• Upon resignation or termination, unused accrued vacation will be paid out.

Personal Days

• Full-time, non-exempt employees receive five personal leave days per year, accrued bi-weekly and capped at 10 days.

• Personal days must be scheduled with as much notice as possible—two weeks is recommended, but flexibility is built in.

• Unused personal days are paid out upon termination.

Sick Leave

• OWL provides paid sick leave to support employees' physical and mental well-being, as well as their ability to care for others.

• Full-time employees accrue 3.46 hours per pay period, up to a maximum of 450 hours.

• Part-time employees accrue sick leave proportionate to their scheduled hours.

• Variable-hour employees earn 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, with a cap of 72 hours.

• Unused sick leave does not carry a cash value and will not be paid out upon termination.

• Sick leave may be used for the following reasons:

• Personal illness, injury, preventative care, or medical appointments.

• To care for an eligible family member who is ill, injured, or attending a medical appointment.

• For issues related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking—whether for the employee or an eligible dependent.

Parental Leave

• Up to 15 weeks of paid leave for birthing mothers.

• Up to 6 weeks of paid leave for adoptive or non-birthing parents.

• Our Leave Share Program allows full-time employees to donate 6 weeks of paid leave to a spouse/partner who lacks access to leave at their own workplace.

Volunteer, Civic, and Other Leave

• We encourage employees to take time off to:

  • Vote, serve on a jury, or fulfill military duty

  • Participate in community service or civic engagement

  • Support OWL's values through volunteering, advocacy, or mutual aid.

  • Observe religious or cultural holidays, as relevant to their background.

Observed U.S. Holidays at OWL

OWL observes the following U.S. holidays. Employees are not expected to work or attend meetings on these days, and full-time, non-exempt employees will receive holiday pay. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, it is generally observed the preceding Friday; if on a Sunday, it is generally observed the following Monday.

• New Year's Day (January 1)

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Third Monday in January)

• Presidents Day (Third Monday in February)

• Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)

• Juneteenth (June 19)

• Independence Day (July 4)

• Labor Day (First Monday in September)

• Indigenous Peoples' Day (Second Monday in October)

• Veterans Day (November 11)

• Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November)

• Day After Thanksgiving (Fourth Friday in November)

• Christmas Eve (December 24)

• Christmas Day (December 25)

• Day After Christmas (December 26)

• New Year's Eve (December 31)

Requests for Accommodation

OWL complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), and other applicable laws requiring reasonable accommodations for individuals with medical conditions or disabilities. If you need a work-related accommodation (temporary or long-term) please contact the Manager of Finance, HR, & Communication or a member of the OWL Leadership Team to begin an interactive process to explore appropriate adjustments to your responsibilities, schedule, or workspace.

Final Note: Time Off is a Team Effort

No one is expected to work or respond to calls on vacation or holidays. Use that time to truly unplug and reset. At the same time, let's keep each other informed—proactively planning, communicating, and coordinating to ensure continuity of support for our clients and each other.

Healthy teams take care of themselves and each other. PTO at OWL isn't just a benefit—it's a shared commitment to sustainable, human-centered work.

HOURS OF WORK

At OWL, we prioritize flexibility, autonomy, and trust—balanced with the shared responsibility of delivering consistently high-quality work for the schools and partners we serve. To support this balance, we set the following expectations for work hours and availability across employee types.

Full-Time, Exempt Employees

Even with the flexibility provided by OWL's Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) policy described above, all full-time exempt employees are still expected to:

• Work a nominal 40-hour work week, on average, over the course of a year.

• Be generally available during standard business hours, defined as 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday - unless alternative arrangements have been discussed and approved.

• Regularly attend internal meetings, client sessions, and other collaborative efforts without disruption to team or project continuity.

We recognize that life happens and support reasonable flexibility based on time zones, caregiving responsibilities, and personal needs. Exempt employees may adjust start/end times, take breaks during the day, or structure their schedules to maximize productivity—as long as they meet their role responsibilities, maintain clear communication, and ensure full client and team coverage as needed.

Full-Time & Part-Time, Non-Exempt Employees

Due to legal and operational considerations, full- and part-time non-exempt employees follow more standardized work schedules, subject to federal and state wage and hour laws.

Standard Schedule Expectation:

• Full-time non-exempt employees work 40 hours per week, typically from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This includes two 15-minute paid breaks and one unpaid 1-hour lunch break each day.

• Part-time employees follow the schedule outlined in their employment agreement.

Example:

• 100% (Full Time): 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., M–F (40 hrs/week)

• 50% (Part Time): 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., M–Th + 4 flex hours

Flexible Alternatives:

Alternative schedules may be approved on a case-by-case basis by a Director or the OWL Leadership Team, based on individual circumstances and organizational needs. Such flexibility requires:

• Documented approval outlining expected start/end times, total weekly hours, and any applicable core hour commitments.

• Full compliance with meeting and service obligations, including time tracking and overtime rules.

Note that OWL reserves the right to adjust or revoke flexible schedules at any time based on operational requirements, client needs, or performance concerns.

Final Note on Availability

All employees—regardless of exempt or non-exempt status—are expected to:

• Maintain open communication about their availability

• Respond in a timely manner to messages and meeting invites during working hours

• Notify their team or Director as early as possible about any schedule changes, absences, or time-sensitive needs.

Flexible work works best when it's paired with transparency and trust. We're committed to helping everyone succeed in their roles while respecting personal boundaries, life commitments, and collective responsibility.

COMPENSATORY TIME (“COMP TIME”)

OWL recognizes that the nature of our work sometimes requires employees to go above and beyond standard work hours—whether to meet a tight deadline, support a multi-day event, or travel over weekends for client engagements. To support sustainability and flexibility, OWL offers comp time—the ability to flex your schedule and take additional time off when significant extra hours have been worked.

For Full-Time, Exempt Employees

Exempt employees (covered under OWL's Flexible PTO policy) are not eligible for overtime pay, but may take comp time when their workload includes:

• Significant additional hours worked in a given week

• Business-related travel or events on weekends or holidays

• Extended days beyond typical expectations

Comp time for exempt employees is flexible and informal, but must be:

• Communicated in advance or promptly after the extra time is worked

• Coordinated with a Director and any team members affected by your absence

• Recorded on Slack and your Google Calendar to ensure transparency and continuity

While there's no strict hour-for-hour accrual system, we trust exempt employees to manage their workload responsibly and use comp time to stay balanced and well.

For Non-Exempt Employees

Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a given workweek, as governed by federal and state wage laws. Because of this:

• Comp time may not be used as a substitute for overtime pay (e.g., "banking hours" in one week to take time off in another week is not permitted in lieu of overtime).

• However, non-exempt employees may flex hours within the same workweek, with prior Director approval, to balance early or late work with shorter days elsewhere in the week.

Example:

If a non-exempt employee works 10 hours on Monday, they may work fewer hours later in the same week—as long as the total remains at or under 40 hours.

If the week exceeds 40 hours, overtime pay will apply, and any additional time off must be scheduled separately as vacation or personal time.

Summary of Comp Time Guidelines

Employee Type	Eligible for Comp Time?	Flexible Use?	Overtime Eligible?	Notes
Exempt	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	Informally tracked; coordinate with Director
Non-Exempt	⚠️ Within Same Week	⚠️ Limited	✅ Yes	Flex within the week allowed with approval; cannot substitute for overtime

Note: Comp time should never create confusion around deliverables or collaboration. Keep your calendar up to date, communicate early and clearly with teammates, and reach out to your Director if you need support managing your time or schedule.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

OWL supports employees during life events that require extended time away from work. We allow unpaid leaves of absence for qualifying circumstances without penalty, consistent with applicable laws and our commitment to supporting employees' well-being, family responsibilities, and civic engagement.

Eligible Reasons for Leave Include:

• Parental care: To care for a newborn, a newly adopted child, or a newly placed foster child within the first 12 months of placement.

• Personal medical condition: For the employee's own serious health condition, including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

• Family caregiving: To care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition.

• Military caregiver leave: To care for a covered service member with a serious illness or injury related to military service.

• Military family leave: For qualifying emergencies due to the deployment of a spouse, child, or parent in the National Guard or Reserves. Employees may also take up to 10 days of unpaid leave when their military spouse is on leave from active deployment.

• Pregnancy/childbirth disability: In addition to OWL's paid parental leave, pregnant employees may take unpaid medical leave if certified by a healthcare provider.

• School involvement: To participate in school-related activities for an employee's school-aged child or dependent.

• Volunteer emergency response: To participate in emergency operations as a member of the U.S. Air Force Civil Air Patrol or another recognized emergency response organization.

• Adult literacy: Up to 6 weeks of leave to enroll in an adult literacy program.

• Military service: For service in the uniformed military, including training, examinations, or active duty.

• Domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking: To obtain protective orders, attend legal proceedings, or take other safety-related actions to protect the employee or their child.

Personal Leave:

In addition to the circumstances listed above, OWL may grant unpaid personal leaves of absence to employees who have completed at least 12 months of service. These leaves:

• Are generally limited to 6 months.

• Require that non-exempt employees first use all available paid vacation, personal, and (if applicable) sick leave.

• Must be coordinated with the employee's manager and approved by OWL leadership.

Planning & Return Expectations

Employees anticipating a leave of absence should notify their manager as early as possible - ideally at least 30 days in advance, when feasible. OWL will work with each employee to discuss eligibility, duration, coverage, and potential job protections associated with their leave.

Employees will not be retaliated against or discriminated against for taking a leave they are entitled to under law or OWL policy. However, failure to return to work on the first business day following the approved end of a leave may be considered a voluntary resignation, unless alternative arrangements have been approved in writing.