Advanced notice is essential when approving time off is in order to manage how the absence will affect projects and other team members. It is a good idea to check-in on known upcoming projects and with individuals to asses if their is any risk or ways to mitigate it in your absence, or worst case reschedule PTO. A good rule of thumb is to over-communicate before you leave, and do not communicate when you are away.

Two key things to remember:

⭐ Set a Slack status

⭐ Update your personal calendar

PTO request process

1. Submit PTO request in Justworks
   1. HR Coordinator reviews (with consent of Studio Director) and approves
2. Mark each day out as OOO on your calendar
3. Set up an out of office email reply
   • Example: Thank you for your email. I am out of the office until [DATE], with limited access to email. Please contact [NAME/EMAIL] for more urgent needs.
4. Set Slack status with your return date
5. Before you leave, check-in with team members to remind them you will be out, and see if there are any loose ends you can help tie up

Alternate Fridays Off

• Alternate week Fridays off. Everyone off the same day*. You aren't expected to work. You can if you want to, but do so very quietly.
  • *If a client project you are staffed to requires you to work on Fridays, you take Mondays off on the same 4.5 week everyone takes Friday off.
  • If it is already a shortened week because of a holiday, there is no extra day off that week.
    • For example, if Monday is a holiday, then everyone works Friday, regardless of which week it falls on.
• Friday focus days. All Fridays are team-meeting dark days (unless agreed upon on by individuals on a project level. No all-hands, all-client, or all-editorial).

Paid Holidays

Current holidays

• If one of the actual holidays falls on a weekend then the following Monday will be observed instead. The HR coordinator is responsible for making sure the team calendar is updated in advance.