Limited PTO to "FTO" Ulimited PTO Transition

[jgulia]

Hello!

My company went from a PTO program where you accrued hours per month. You could rollover 40 hours of unused PTO each year.

It was announced back in December 2021 that we were going to move to a FTO program where we had unlimited days, that were just needed to be okayed by our managers but nothing needed to be logged in any system when we took days. This took effect on 1/1/22.

A lot of us got an email yesterday saying that we had 40 hours of rollover that we did need to log first in this year. Why would they be asking us to do that now? Would they be on the hook for paying that out if we didn't log it or something? It seems like they rolled the plan out, didn't look into all of the details and are now asking us to log hours to cover themselves for some reason. Thoughts?

[atticus]

Lots of TLAs! What is PTO? What is FTO?

Have you asked your managers about that e-mail?

[jgulia]

Ha sorry! Yes, PTO = Paid Time off, FTO = they are calling it "Flex Time Off" which apparently means unlimited time off for any reason (sick, vacation etc.) The managers are also unclear and I sent an email to HR about the conflict and why we would have to enter the 40 hours if in fact we now have unlimited hours...why would that be necessary and why now - its September!

This was HR's response:
"Yes, the PTO time was rolled over into 2022 from 2021, and per the bullet you have highlighted, it needs to be used in 2022 before any FTO can be used. Basically we are asking if you took time off this year to go into UKG and show that you burned down that bucket first. We are asking now because this is the first time we’ve gotten to audit it!"

Just seems strange....

[atticus]

More TLAs! UKG?

[jgulia]

That is not important...UKG.. The reference of UKG isn't important. In reading her response, UKG that is the portal she wants me to enter the time in. If you aren't able to provide feedback here , no worries. Thank you.

[atticus]

what is the problem with doing as you have been asked? It is not clear to me how this affects you.

[Manxman]

Please forgive me for asking, but having read this phrase:

...Basically we are asking if you took time off this year to go into UKG and show that you burned down that bucket first. We are asking now because this is the first time we’ve gotten to audit it!"....

do you mind If I ask whether you are American, as the terminology is a bit foreign to British ears? (NB this is a British/UK forum dealing with British law).

Also, I don't believe that there is any concept in British employment law of "Flex Time Off" equating to unlimited time off work. I can't even begin to imagine how that would work.

The term "flex time" or flexi time" has a completely different meaning in the UK. It basically means giving an employee limited freedom as to when they start and end work each day, so long as they accumulate an agreed number of worked hours in each "flex period" (usually a four week period).