Aptible Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy

At Aptible, we are excited to offer an Open Paid Time Off (PTO) Policy. This means that we do not have an accrual or tenure-based system, in favor of maximizing freedom and flexibility.

We believe that every member of the Aptible Team should feel fully empowered to take the time they need to care for themselves, their families, and the things that are most important to them. We also know that studies have tied taking PTO to increased open communication and learning on teams, improvements in creativity and product quality, and a higher likelihood of professional growth.

The United States is the only country within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of 37 countries that works to establish international, evidence-based norms on topics such as economics to “foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all”, that doesn’t guarantee paid time off for employees (No Vacation Nation Revised, p. 5). Even when paid time off is offered by employers, it is vastly underutilized. 55% of US employees are not using all of the time off available to them and, since 2000, we have seen an unprecedented decline in PTO usage by US employees. In 2018, Americans took 14% fewer days off than the average number of days taken off between 1978 and 2000.

Please note that we see this policy as a starting point and plan to re-evaluate this policy yearly, within the context of the resources we have and the pressures we face as a company to succeed in our market environment.

Should you have any feedback or questions about this policy, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Leadership Team. We’re here with open ears and open doors.

Company Holidays

Aptible provides employees with 10+ company-wide holidays per year. TriNet maintains the official list of Aptible Company Holidays, the list below is reproduced for convenience; when in doubt, defer to the TriNet list.

(NB: if your role involves necessary business functions, your manager will work with you to clarify scope of responsibility on these holidays).

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 17, 2022
2. Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 21, 2022
3. Memorial Day: Monday, May 30, 2022
4. Juneteenth (Observed): Monday, June 20, 2022
5. Independence Day: Monday, July 4, 2022
6. Labor Day: Monday, September 5, 2022
7. Thanksgiving (Canada); Indigenous Peoples’ Day (U.S.): Monday, October 10, 2022
8. Veterans Day: Friday, November 11, 2022
9. Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 24, 2022
10. Day After Thanksgiving Day: Friday, November 25, 2022
11. Christmas Day (Observed): Monday, December 26, 2022

We know that this is not a comprehensive list of holidays and we celebrate the fact that members of the Aptible Team come from a variety of backgrounds. We encourage you to take time off for any holidays that are of cultural, national, religious, or personal importance to you.

Communication

• Company Holidays: It is not necessary to create an OOO Event in your calendar or PTO tool.
• Non-Company Holidays: Please let your Manager know as soon as possible. Please submit your PTO request in the Aptible PTO Scheduler. Once done, create the OOO Event via your Google Calendar (and Aptible’s PTO Calendar), and select “Holiday — Other than Company Holiday” (Short-Term Leave).

Requesting, Tracking, and Preparing for PTO

PTO Tracker

We use a PTO Tool to help us communicate clearly about and prepare for time out of the office.

• [First Time Users]
  • Please ensure ‘Aptible PTO’ is on your list of Google Calendars (if not, please let us know in #operations)
• [All Users]
  • Submit PTO by filling out the form in the Aptible PTO Scheduler. This will notify your manager and submit the request for their approval.
  • Once you’ve filled out the form, create an out of office in the Aptible PTO calendar for the days you will be away, labeled “[NAME] OOO”.
  • We also strongly encourage you to create out of office events in your own Aptible Google Calendar to ensure meetings are automatically declined and your slack status is updated on the days you are away.

Gmail Autoresponders

Please update your Gmail to send out an autoresponder during the time you are OOO. You can find a handful of OOO templates here.

Types of Leave

Vacation

We believe that taking real, planned vacations is important — Aptible’s long-term goals are aligned with your well-being. The results you produce are more important to us than the hours you spend at your desk.

• Length: We ask that you make plans while considering upcoming due dates, project work, and load balancing on your team. Ultimately, we encourage you to take the time you need and trust your judgment.
• Communication: Please let your Manager know about your plans as far in advance as possible, especially if you plan to be out for 1+ Weeks. Please submit the request in the PTO Scheduler and select “Vacation” in the drop-down menu.

Personal Leave

We understand that we’ll all need to take time off for matters of personal importance. For example, employees at Aptible have taken Personal Days to tend to their mental health, care for a loved one, move apartments, etc.

• Length: Personal Leave is discretionary. We encourage you to take the time you need.
• Communication: Please let your Manager know as soon as you are able. As with all PTO, please submit the request in the PTO Scheduler and select “Personal Leave” in the drop-down menu.

Sick Leave

Short-Term Sick Leave

At Aptible, we praise focus, seek leverage, and plan our work to make the biggest impact with the least amount of precious time. Health is leverage. It will take years to reach our most ambitious goals, so we aim to perform at a high level over a long period of time.

• Length: Sick Leave is discretionary (more in our full internal policy, pg. 5). We encourage you to take the time you need to recuperate, and to return to work feeling well and fully present.
• Communication: Please let your Manager know as soon as you are able. As with all PTO, please submit the request in the PTO Scheduler and select “Sick Leave” in the drop-down menu.

Extended Sick Leave

If you have a serious health condition that impedes your ability to perform your job, please let your Manager know as soon as possible, so we can develop a plan to support you. As part of our benefits plan in TriNet, you may have elected to receive Short-Term and/or Long-Term Disability Coverage. Further information on these elections can be found in Chapter 18 of the Benefits Guidebook in TriNet.

Caring for Family Leave

If you need to care for a loved one with a serious health condition, please let your Manager know as soon as possible, so we can develop a plan to support you.

Parental Leave

At Aptible, we are excited to offer Paid Parental Leave of 14 Weeks at 100% Base Pay. We believe that every member of the Aptible Team deserves fulfilling work and close family ties — and that you should feel fully empowered to take care of your family and yourself. See the Aptible Parental Leave Policy for more details.

Jury Duty

• Length: The time needed for Jury Duty can vary greatly and may not be clearly defined upfront. As information becomes available to you, please update your Manager and People Operations with how your situation progresses.
• Communication: If you are summoned for Jury Duty, please let your manager know as soon as possible. As with all PTO, please submit the request in the PTO Scheduler and select “Jury Duty” in the drop-down menu.

Voting

• Length: We encourage you to take time off to vote, regardless of whether it requires a few hours, half a day, or more.
• Communication: If the former, please communicate your plans as you would any other break during the day. If the latter, please let your Manager know as soon as possible, submit the request in the PTO Scheduler and select “Voting” in the drop-down menu.

Bereavement Leave

• Length: In the event that a loved one passes away, we encourage you to take the time you need to grieve your loss, make any necessary preparations, and spend time with friends and family.
• Communication: Please let your Manager know as soon as you are able. As with all PTO, please submit the request in the PTO Scheduler and select “Other (Short Term)” in the drop-down menu.