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The Maze Vacation and Short Term Leaves policy is meant to provide clarity on what is expected of you when it comes to PTO.
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At Maze, we understand that the boundary between work and life can become blurred when you are part of an all-remote team. We offer a flexible PTO (Paid Time Off) policy with the ultimate goal of promoting overall well-being while allowing responsible use of time off. This page is intended to provide clear guidance on the minimum and standard amounts of vacation and personal days we expect our team members to take that allow you to be effective and productive at work, while being able to recharge your batteries. In addition it will help define and distinguish when to use the different types of leave we offer.
Our flexible PTO policy is designed to balance the needs of our team members with the demands of our work. We trust your judgment in making responsible decisions about when and how to take time off. By adhering to this policy, we can collectively maintain a healthy work environment that benefits both our team members and the company. If you have any questions or need further clarification on this policy, please reach out to your direct manager or the People Team in slack #talent-support.
With our flexible PTO policy, team members can take time off from work without a predetermined number of days or hours allocated. While we have a flexible PTO policy, it’s important to be aware that all requests for vacation are subject to the approval of your supervisor and not guaranteed.
This policy is designed to help team members understand our time off guidelines clearly, enabling them to manage their time effectively. It also ensures that managers can apply these guidelines fairly and consistently, fostering a culture of trust and responsibility within our organization. It's important to note that while our flexible PTO policy offers more discretion compared to an accrual-based policy, it comes with specific guidelines and expectations to ensure responsible use of time off and to maintain smooth business operations.
All types of time off need to be reported accurately in Time off by Deel, including public holidays. Some types of PTO also require explicit approval from your manager before you can take the time off. Please take a look at the information below for further detail.
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Vacation requests must be submitted in Time off by Deel and need explicit approval from your manager before being confirmed. It’s best practice to have a conversation with your manager in advance about any vacation you are planning to take. This way your manager can ensure that there is coverage for your projects, and the team is not overloaded while you’re away. Once you’ve spoken with your manager, please formally request your vacation in Time off by Deel and await your manager’s formal approval before you book any trips.
Managers will work to accommodate vacation requests as much as possible. Submitting requests with plenty of notice will help improve the ability for accommodations to be made.
<aside> ❗ Before you head out on vacation be sure to complete the ‣
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Personal days are meant to be taken as one offs and thus don’t require advance approval from your manager. Please make sure to let your manager know that you’ll be taking a personal day off as soon as you can so they can plan for your absence. If you need more than one day off, please make sure to connect with your manager first for approval (see ‘vacation’). If you are regularly using personal instead of vacation, expect to have a conversation with your manager to see whats going on.
Public and religious holidays: please let your manager know in advance when these holidays will be taking place. You must report them at the beginning of the year for the full year. See Setting up Your Local Holidays for step by step guidance on how to add public holidays in bulk by your location.
Sick days are for when you're not feeling well and need a few days off to recover. Please let your manager know that you’re not feeling well as soon as you can. When you’re on sick leave, please focus on recovery and don’t feel the need to check in with work. If possible, give your manager an indication when you’ll be able to return to work. If your illness lasts beyond 3 days, please provide a doctor's note to your manager and the People team on your 4th day absent. The People team will then consult with you to determine the most appropriate type of leave for you moving forward (see Extended Leave (Non Parental) ) if your sick leave lasts beyond 5 days. If a team member’s use of sick time shows a pattern of frequent or repetitive absences, a doctor's note may be required and requested for each occurrence, even if the absence is for fewer than 4 days.
Carer’s leave:When taking care of a sick child or relative, please let your manager know as soon as you can that you’ll be taking ****and make sure to record the leave in Time off by Deel. If possible, give your manager an indication when you’ll be able to return to work. This time should be used in the cases of health related care like when your child is sick and can’t go to daycare. If carer’s leave is taken for more than 3 days please let the People team know
Bereavement leave: When you’re taking time off because a family member or close friend passes away. Please don't hesitate to reach out for the support you need during this difficult time. We offer bereavement leave in the case of the death of a family member or close friend. When a member of your immediate family (spouse, child, parent) passes away, we recommend you take up to 5 days off to grieve and manage your personal affairs. For the loss of close friends or extended family, we suggest taking 1-2 days to attend the service and pay your respects. Everyone reacts differently to loss - if you find yourself struggling and need more time, or if you’d like to discuss a modified work schedule, please reach out to the People team. We understand that coping with a loss can take additional time, and we're here to discuss the best type of leave for your situation. Please don't hesitate to reach out for the support you need during this difficult time. Note: please use Personal leave for the passing of a pet/animal.
Mandatory Civilian Service: When you are required to perform civilian service such as Jury Duty, please make sure to inform your manager as soon as possible, and record your time off. When using this leave type, please provide the form provided by the government to the People team for our records.
Emergency Event (Safety Concern, Natural/National Emergency): Use this time off when you are directly impacted by events such as natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, floods), safety concerns (e.g., evacuation orders), or national emergencies (e.g., government-declared states of emergency, armed conflicts or military conflicts). This time off should be used when you are trying to get yourself to a safe situation (e.g. evacuate to an area outside of the hurricane’s path, etc.). The length of time is dependent on the type of event, the resources you have access to, and your location in relation to the event. Please reach out to the people team if you need support or help getting to safety.
Recording your time off will update your slack status, update the company calendar, and help your manager, team, and others plan accordingly when you are out. Time off reporting also helps us ensure people are taking time off, as it can impact payroll and/or insurance premiums, and it helps us overall manage our workforce.
To ensure your well-being and effectiveness, we encourage all team members to take at least 15 total business days of vacation and personal days per calendar year. In countries with a higher mandated minimum, please adhere to the locally required number of days. On average, we approve 20-30** **business days of vacation / personal time per year. More than 30 days may be permitted in the case of legal requirements (i.e France requires 36 days) or at the explicit sign off and approval from your manager. Manager approval is dependent on business needs, your ability to complete your work, internal equity, the availability of coverage, etc.
Please review the minimum number of vacation / personal days in your country of residence and use this as your minimum guidance. Resources such as this link and this link can provide you with additional insights on country-specific regulations.
Please limit your consecutive vacation to two weeks (14 consecutive calendar days). If you would like to plan vacation for a longer period of time, please work with your manager at least 3 months in advance to plan accordingly. Please note that vacation longer than 14 consecutive days may be denied or unpaid - please see Extended Leave (Non Parental)
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Please note that your manager may decline your vacation request if there is a legitimate business reason. This includes situations where your presence is necessary, such as during a product launch, a critical project deadline, or when your absence would disrupt essential team operations. Your manager will also take a look at how much vacation / personal time off you have already taken. If you have taken an unusual amount of PTO days or are significantly outside of company guidance, your vacation request may be rejected.