A vacation, is a period of leave from a regular employment, or a special trip or travel, usually for the purposes of vacation or recreation. Normally, people take a vacation at certain vacation observances, like for Halloween or Christmas, or on certain festivals or holidays. Sometimes, vacations are also spent by friends or relatives. Vacation is a break from routine life and work, as well as from the usual comforts of home. It allows people to fully experience the world and to have time to think and reflect about things that they would otherwise not have had the opportunity to do.
During a vacation, employees are normally given the opportunity to go out of town and visit their friends and families. They can also take extended breaks and holidays, depending on their employer’s policy. For most employers, a vacation is an important business expense and they want to make sure their employees take full advantage of the vacation. Some employers pay their employees while they are away on vacation. The employee is expected to report to work on the scheduled vacation date.
In order to facilitate this, some employers will allow the employee to take a paid vacation rather than taking time off from work. The vacation entitlement starts from the day the employee first takes a paid vacation. The maximum entitlement is 14 days of vacation. If the employee wants to extend his or her vacation entitlement, he or she should submit documentation such as a doctor’s note, a statement from his or her employer confirming the date of his or her vacation, and a copy of his or her paycheck. It is usual for an employee to return to work within the same pay period that he or she began his or her vacation. If the employee is unable to return to work for whatever reason, his or her entitlement to compensation for lost vacation time will be forfeited.
Vacation entitlement is particularly important for employees who take time away from work for reasons unrelated to their performance. Employees can be injured at work and need to take time away from work to recover. Even though the employee has already accrued vacation time, if the employer does not cover the full amount of time off, he or she can file a claim with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to be compensated for missed time from work.
Another common situation that could entitle an employee to be paid vacation pay is when an employee is involuntarily discharged from his or her job for whatever reason. Sometimes employees are fired for reasons that the employer cannot control, such as bad performance. At other times, an employee may be laid off for economic reasons. If you are laid off from your job and then later find out that you are entitled to be paid vacation pay, you should contact your human resources department at your former employer to see what procedures are required for claiming these benefits.
To learn more about how your employer compensates for vacations, visit the nearest Department of Labor (DOL) office. DOL will be able to give you general information about how employers reimburse employees for vacation days and how to file a claim if you feel that you are owed vacation pay. Remember, however, that employers are well aware that these types of cases are fairly common and that they have certain procedures in place to prevent fraudulent claims. If you would like more detailed information on how employers determine which vacations their employees qualify for, contact a labor attorney knowledgeable in matters regarding vacation pay.