Archived New Vacation Rules

[unknown]

From what I've read on here and heard from people at other stores, the guidelines and accrual of vacation hours are changing.

Isn't it odd that no one at my store has mentioned this? Meanwhile, at a store not 4 miles away, a friend of mine said they announced it at huddle last Monday.

I wonder if anything will be said, or if it just be slipped in and unnoticed?

 

[Bosch]

Interesting

 

[asidius]

Anyone know what the new rules are? I just started accruing vacation.

 

[NPC]

They're supposed to have you sign some form acknowledging you're aware of the change. Have you done that yet? They had us do that about a month ago. It seems like due to the change, you'll essentially have to take vacations regularly to get the most out of your accrued time, rather than hoarding the hours. It's really stupid, I don't understand the point of them doing that....if I understand it correctly.

 

[Kartman]

I haven't signed anything.

 

[DoWork]

Details can be seen at targetpayandbenefits.com in one of the ones at the bottom of the first page after logging in.

 

[unknown]

I haven't signed anything either. Maybe it's a store by store difference?

 

[redeye58]

I hoarded hours to supplement my paycheck when I couldn't get enough hrs for the week.
I was always able to keep a couple weeks banked & stayed below the threshold.
As to actually planning a vacation, about the best we could do is a 'staycation' since there was never any extra to cover gas, lodging, entertainment, etc to go anywhere so we did local museums, took picnic hikes & visited cousins who had a pool (we always brought goodies).
Best thing TMs should remember is, when giving notice, extend the end date & use remaining vay-cay.

 

[SoftlinesSquirrel]

Might depend on the state, but one new thing is that you'll lose your stored vacation time as opposed to getting it paid out upon leaving. My understanding is, vacation time until the end of this year is grandfathered, but will apply to any new vacation time acquired starting in 2016.

Also something about STDs, but we were all laughing too much to remember what that part was about.

 

[NPC]

I haven't signed anything.

Lucky you. I feel like they're always making me read and sign stuff.

 

[On6]

Basically if you could accumulate 40 hours a year you used to be able to bank twice that, 80 hours. Now you'll only be able to bank 1.5 that amount, so 60. If your max is 80 hours then the max to be accumulated will be 120 instead of 160. And so on.

This hasn't been mentioned at my store yet but it is company wide. The payout thing doesn't apply to all states as some legally require your employer to pay out.

 

[asidius]

So the changes I'm seeing are:

• Vacation caps out at 1.5 your limit
• Vacation time won't get paid out when you leave unless you retire, or when legally required. This applies only to vacation time gained after Jan 1
• TMs that work at least 30 hours a week will get 4 hours of paid well being time per year for health appointments, volunteer activities, financial planning meetings
• TM Moms who are eligible for Short Term Disability and been with Target for 1 year will get 2 weeks of paid maternity leave. Those that don't qualify get 2 weeks unpaid leave
• Bereavement time will now include funerals, reading of wills/final documents, and making final arrangements for family members. TM's will be eligible for 3 days of Bereavement time for the loss of close family members and 4 hours for distant family and close friends

So it looks like if you're planning on quitting, use up that vacation first. Looks like we are getting some added benefits though.

 

[tgtguy]

So if I have been with the company 19 years...what is my current accrual limit?...I know I have about 150 vacation hours banked up as of now

 

[unknown]

* Team members at stores whose management doesn't care or is too useless to tell them about the changes won't hear about it unless they get on Thebreakroom.org.

 

[commiecorvus]

For folks who are wondering which states are on the list of requiring the pay out of your vacation even with this new rule. (of course Spot isn't going to tell you)

24 states--Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana,Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island (after one year of employment), Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming and Washington D.C.

 

[IHeartCarts]

NY apparently is not one

 

[On6]

So if I have been with the company 19 years...what is my current accrual limit?...I know I have about 150 vacation hours banked up as of now

Over 5, but under 20 (Might be 25) years you can accumulate 80 hours a year and 160 total currently. As of the beginning of the year you will only be able to bank 120. Currently after 20 or 25 years you get 160/320 which will change to 160/240 at the beginning of the year.

The change does affect everyone, but long term employees will notice it much more. The company doesn't want people banking that many hours and cashing it all out at the high wages long term employees are likely to earn by then. They can say it's all about health and well being, it's really about $$$.

 

[Targe]

"This is not a cost saving measure for Target. The savings from one plan are to fund changes for other time off plans. Target believes that the well being of their employees are important."

Sure you do Spot, Sure you do.

 

[commiecorvus]

@IHeartCarts
NY is a weird one.
@Retail Girl did the research on that on in another thread.
The employer has to pay out if they haven't laid out the rules for the payout on paper and you signed in understanding of those rules.
It's like "If they don't spell out they are going to screw you then they can't."

 

[unknown]

Well, we are overnight all this week, so I don't think I'll hear anything about this week. I'm in one of the "still pay it out states" so looks like I'm still going to keep a lot banked.

 

[redeye58]

I'm in the 'state of denial' so my peeps are screwed.

 

[Andosphere]

Soo my last day is Wednesday.. Does that mean my vacation time won't get paid out to me?

 

[Produce Queen]

Soo my last day is Wednesday.. Does that mean my vacation time won't get paid out to me?

It's effective as of Jan 2016

 

[tellmeaboutatime]

So the changes I'm seeing are:

• Vacation caps out at 1.5 your limit
• Vacation time won't get paid out when you leave unless you retire, or when legally required. This applies only to vacation time gained after Jan 1
• TMs that work at least 30 hours a week will get 4 hours of paid well being time per year for health appointments, volunteer activities, financial planning meetings
• TM Moms who are eligible for Short Term Disability and been with Target for 1 year will get 2 weeks of paid maternity leave. Those that don't qualify get 2 weeks unpaid leave
• Bereavement time will now include funerals, reading of wills/final documents, and making final arrangements for family members. TM's will be eligible for 3 days of Bereavement time for the loss of close family members and 4 hours for distant family and close friends

So it looks like if you're planning on quitting, use up that vacation first. Looks like we are getting some added benefits though.

Currently team members accrue personal time. I wonder if that is going away and being replace with the 4 hours per year? I know a lot of people who use their vacation time to supplement their checks in January, February and March during the hours drought. They also use them to keep their average up and maintain the benefits they currently have. We have always given 3 days for bereavement and never asked what they were doing at the time(reading wills, arrangements etc) and 5 days if the family member was more than 250 miles away. I am curious to see this actually sided by side with what we currently have and the flowery language stripped away.

 

[OtherGuy]

Also something about STDs, but we were all laughing too much to remember what that part was about.

Yeah I laughed when I read something along the lines "To check your FML and STD eligibility please call ###", I swear people don't even look at the initialisms they create.

For folks who are wondering which states are on the list of requiring the pay out of your vacation even with this new rule. (of course Spot isn't going to tell you)

Where did you get this list?