Employees who have completed two years of employment at Bentley may request a Personal Leave of Absence to take time off from work for education, career development, or other personal needs. Personal Leaves may be granted for a maximum of 12 months. Factors such as the nature of the employee’s position, the department's workload and business needs, the employee’s performance and attendance record, and the reasons for the request will be considered in deciding whether to grant a Personal Leave. All Personal Leaves of Absence are at the discretion of Bentley.
Employees on a Personal Leave must use available vacation time and any personal time during a Personal Leave. However, employees do have the option of reserving one week of vacation time. Thereafter, Personal Leaves are unpaid. To request a Personal Leave, employees must first consult with their supervisors to determine whether business needs would accommodate a Personal Leave. If business needs will allow a Personal Leave, the employee should complete an Application for Personal Leave and submit it to his/her HR Business Partner. Employees must provide as much advance notice as possible of their need for a Personal Leave.
Employees on a Personal Leave, regardless of the reason, will not be eligible for holidays or winter break pay while on leave. In addition, Employees will not accrue sick and vacation time while on a Personal Leave.
At the end of Personal Leaves, Bentley will make a reasonable effort to return employees to their former positions, if available, or to similar positions for which they are qualified. However, the university cannot guarantee reinstatement in all cases. Employees who fail to return to work at the end of a Personal Leave may be deemed to have resigned.
Date Last Revised: April 15, 2015