Staff opts in: New voluntary days off program takes off
Participate in the program until March 31, 2016
To this date, 204 people have enrolled in the voluntary days off program, which allows faculty and staff to supplement their vacation by taking up to 10 additional days off, with supervisory approval.
The program has also resulted in accumulated cost savings of $120,000. Savings realized by the program stay directly within each unit.
The voluntary days-off program provides an opportunity to take additional days off without losing service, pension or vacation entitlement accruals — an important benefit. Previously, unpaid leave negatively impacted these accruals. The program is universal, and available to all employee groups.
Jeri-Lynn Pippus, who works in physical plant, jumped at the opportunity. The program helped her with care of her son, Tommy.
She says, “I was glad to find out about the voluntary days off program and I immediately took advantage of it. The program assisted me in taking care of Tommy, my son, who was home one day.” Pippus arranged for the time off a few days in advance.
To participate in the voluntary days off program, speak with your supervisor about specific dates. Once these are mutually agreed upon, and approval has been received, the days are tracked through your timesheet. The program is similar to ones offered by other organizations such as the Government of Manitoba and the University of Winnipeg.
Patty Sanders, director of human resource systems, says, “The voluntary days off program is new for the university and we are very happy to see the good participation rates.
“We are listening to colleagues—collecting and analyzing feedback—so that we can ensure that the program is as client-focused as possible.”
The voluntary days off program continues until March 31, 2016; for more information, visit the Human Resources website.
Questions? Call the HR Service Centre at (204) 474-9400.
Feedback? Email hrfeedback [at] umanitoba [dot] ca