Employee Paid Time Off Policies for Georgia Employers

Paid time off, or leave, across vacation days, sick days, and holidays is a critical component of an employer's benefit package in Georgia. Employer size has an impact on regulations; they may differ from state to state. The creation of the proper plan for your company's particular employee group might affect employee retention and competitive hiring.

Should Georgia Employers Offer Consolidated Paid Time Off Plans?

The first consideration is whether you want to provide a combined leave plan or not. A consolidated leave plan provides a single amount of time for employees to take off for vacation, illness, or other personal interests. Workers who don't have consolidated leave plans typically maintain separate leave policies for various purposes. Consolidated leave packages have been on the rise in recent years. Consolidated leave packages are offered by 44% of Georgia businesses.

A paid time off (PTO) plan combines sick and personal days into one. This provides employees more choice and the employer benefits as well. At five years, the average number of leave days in a consolidated plan is 21, while just vacation days are 14 after ten years of service for Georgia employers. The average number of leave days in a consolidated plan at 10 years is 24, whereas the average number of paid vacation days is 17.

Do Georgia Employers have to Offer Paid Vacation?

The majority of employers in Georgia provide paid vacation as part of a combined leave plan or as a standalone program. Employers in Georgia offer paid vacation 89 percent of the time. This is generally industry based, such as an hourly employee at a retail store vs. a technology firm. Download our Mployer Insights research to see how your sector compares.

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