Paid Time Off: Urgent Care Staff 

Paid Time Off (PTO) program described on this page is applicable to both full-time and part-time benefits-eligible employees that are Urgent Care Staff.

A Note About Holidays
Because a large part of our business operates 24/7/365, Texas Health as an organization is not closed for holidays, but we do recognize specific holidays for differential pay. Texas Health is a diverse organization with more than 29,000 individuals. Our PTO benefit is designed to provide employees with the ability to take time off on holidays important to them/holidays they observe (subject to your manager’s approval). Please note, some Texas Health clinics, departments and service lines do close on certain recognized holidays. Check the PTO FAQs at the bottom of this page for details. 

Texas Health offers the Paid Time Off (PTO) program to give you paid time away from work in whatever way you need: vacation, holidays, mental health break, sick days, personal days, injury or Family and Medical Leave. The PTO benefit is designed to give you freedom and choice in how you want to use your accrued time off. It’s time off for you to use to take time away from work in ways that works best for you (subject to your manager’s approval).

How it Works 

You will earn PTO in accordance with the schedule below based on your years of service and scheduled hours in the HR/Payroll system. Receiving PTO at the higher rate is effective the pay period during which you have your anniversary date.

Accrual Schedule

35.00-40.00 hours per week: 

Less than 35 hours per week: 

Click here for accrual rates per pay period for those working less than 35 hours per week.

NOTE: Beginning Jan. 1. 2024, Directors will no longer accrue PTO in 2024 and current PTO hours will be paid out. Directors will no longer be eligible for the Short Term Disability and the PTO Conversion benefits. 

Annual PTO Bank Carryover

There is not a maximum limit to the number of hours you can receive in a year, but you cannot carry over more than 300 hours each Payroll Year. The PTO bank is reduced to 300 hours the last pay period in December. For 2023, the PTO bank will be reduced to 300 hours the pay period of 12/3/2023 – 12/16/2023.

Additional Details

• You do continue to accrue PTO while taking PTO, which is a nice perk!
• You do not receive PTO while on an approved continuous leave of absence. 

Taking Time Off 

PTO is available to use once it has been earned and is approved at the manager’s discretion based on the needs of the business. Urgent Care Staff must request PTO through their practice manager, at least (2) two weeks in advance (except for sick days) and have supervisor approval prior to the start of PTO.

• Employees are expected to manage PTO responsibly.
• Employees should use for pre-approved vacation, holidays and personal time off.
• Employees should use PTO for any unscheduled absences or instances of tardiness.
• Employees may not use PTO during any pay week if using it would cause the employee to exceed the number of hours classified in Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) to work.
• If PTO is exhausted and the employee needs to take a day off due to illness, it will be unpaid.
• Pre-approved PTO may be rescinded if the employee does not have enough hours to cover it when the time comes for the employee to be out.

You cannot use PTO if: 

• Your absence is due to jury duty.
• You are receiving bereavement pay.
• Use of PTO while on suspension or unpaid administrative leave will be determined by the applicable Texas Health policy

You may use PTO, but are not required to use it if:

• You are non-exempt and have not worked the hours you are regularly scheduled to work according to your status in the HR/Payroll system
• You are on military reserve training or duty
• You are not scheduled to work or are sent home because of low census or other business reason

Exempt Employees 

If you are an exempt employee, you must use PTO in full-day increments based on your schedule for the day, unless you are on an intermittent FMLA leave. If you are on an approved intermittent FMLA leave and you choose to use your PTO for the portion of the day not worked, you must use PTO in hourly increments. If you are an exempt employee who is not on intermittent FMLA and you miss a portion of a scheduled day, you are paid for the full day without the addition of PTO. If you are an exempt employee and you miss a full scheduled day, you must record PTO.  

Example of Using PTO 

While you can use your time any way you need, here’s how a 40 hour per week employee with one year of service might use their time off throughout one year (for a total of 24 paid days away from work):

• 8 days for holidays
• 5 days for vacation
• 4 days to care for sick children
• 3 days for personal matters
• 2 days for a mental health break
• 2 days for sick days

CONVERTING PTO

During open enrollment, you can convert up to 80 hours of PTO you will earn the next calendar year (in 8-hour increments) to pay for your benefits. The value of the PTO hours will be added to your paycheck over 26 pay periods. To be eligible to convert PTO, you must elect at least one of the following benefits: medical, dental, vision, health care spending account, day care spending account, additional life insurance, additional AD&D insurance, additional long-term disability, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, or critical illness insurance. You are limited to a combined total of 100 hours per year for converting, selling, and donating PTO.

SELLING PTO

• You may sell PTO two times a year, up to an annual total of 80 hours
• You must maintain at least 80 hours of PTO after the sale.
• You may sell a maximum of 80 hours per year.
• Due to IRS regulations, the combined amount of PTO you convert, sell, and donate must be less than 100 hours per year.
• When you sell PTO, you will receive 80% of the value of your sold PTO hours as a cash payment and will be subject to applicable payroll taxes and 401(k) deductions (if you are enrolled in the 401(k) Plan).
• PTO may not be sold from the first or last pay periods of the year.
  • NOTE: The PTO Sell link will be unavailable from Friday, Dec. 1 at 2:00 PM and will be reinstated on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024.

DONATING PTO

You may donate your PTO hours to certain charities. Up to 80 hours can be donated each year as long as you maintain at least 80 hours of PTO after the sale. The hours you donate are included in the 100-hour annual maximum for the selling, converting, and donating of PTO. When you sell your PTO for donation to a charity, the proceeds are reported as taxable income to you. Your PTO donation will be subject to applicable payroll taxes.

Additional Resources

Urgent Care Staff PTO FAQs