Unclaimed Personal Leave Compensation

Summary

The user, a part-time employee at Butler College in Kansas, discovered use or lose personal leave hours that they were previously unaware of. The employer claims no responsibility for the unclaimed hours as the policy was outlined in the digital employee handbook. The user was not made aware of this policy at the time of hire and did not receive any form of communication or training about it. The user is seeking back pay for the unclaimed hours.

Full Conversation

*
What is the state of your employment? Employment laws can vary significantly from state to state.
ks
What is the policy of your employer regarding unused personal leave? In Kansas, employers are not required by law to provide benefits such as vacation time or personal leave.
If it is not used between July * and June * it is lost. However, I was not made aware this leave was available.
What is the name of your employer? This will help me provide more specific information. In Kansas, employers are not required to provide vacation or personal leave.
Butler College
What is the exact wording in the employee handbook regarding the 'use or lose' personal leave policy?
Full-time employees are allowed * hours (2 days) per year of leave with pay for personal business. These days may accumulate up to a total not to exceed * hours (4 days). Part-time Operational Staff, Administrative, and Institutional Support employees are allowed * hours (*.5 days) per year of leave with pay for personal business. These days may accumulate up to a total not to exceed * hours (4 days). (Reviewed */*)
Did you receive a copy of the employee handbook when you were hired or at any point during your employment?
No, it is digital on the company web-site
Did you sign any document acknowledging the receipt or understanding of the digital employee handbook?
No
Did your employer ever communicate about the availability of the digital employee handbook and its importance?
Not at the time of hire
Did your employer provide any training or orientation where the 'use or lose' personal leave policy was explained?
No
What is the policy of your employer regarding the notification of personal leave to employees?
It is in the employee hand book
Did you ever receive any form of communication, either verbal or written, about the existence of the employee handbook on the company website?
Yes
Did you ever ask your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy before you found out about it?
no, it did not populate on my leave balances page. i found out about it when a fellow employee inquired about how many hours a part-time employee was given
Did your employer provide any form of training or orientation where the 'use or lose' personal leave policy was explained?
no
Did you ever receive any written or verbal instructions on how to access and navigate the digital employee handbook?
i was told there was an employee hand-book on line
Did you ever attempt to access the online employee handbook before you were made aware of the 'use or lose' personal leave policy?
no
Did you ever receive any written or verbal instructions on how to access and navigate the digital employee handbook?
Only that it was available on line
Did your employer provide any form of training or orientation where the 'use or lose' personal leave policy was explained?
no
Did you ever receive any written communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the importance of reading the digital employee handbook?
no
Did your employer ever provide any form of training or orientation about the company's policies and procedures?
only that they were available on the web site
Did your employer ever provide any form of training or orientation about how to access and navigate the company's policies and procedures on the website?
yes
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the importance of understanding the policies and procedures outlined in the digital employee handbook?
no
Did your employer ever provide any form of training or orientation about how to access and navigate the company's policies and procedures on the website?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the importance of understanding the policies and procedures outlined in the digital employee handbook?
no
Did your employer ever provide any form of training or orientation about how to access and navigate the company's policies and procedures on the website?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the importance of understanding the policies and procedures outlined in the digital employee handbook?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy?
no
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
only that it was available on line
Did your employer provide any written or verbal instructions on how to access the 'use or lose' personal leave policy in the online handbook?
only that it was on line
Did you ever attempt to access the 'use or lose' personal leave policy in the online handbook after you were made aware of it?
yes
Did you receive any form of compensation or benefit for the 'use or lose' personal leave hours that you were not able to utilize?
no
Did your employer provide any form of training or orientation about the company's policies and procedures when you were hired?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever ask your employer for compensation for the 'use or lose' personal leave hours that you were not able to utilize?
yes
What was your employer's response when you asked for compensation for the 'use or lose' personal leave hours that you were not able to utilize?
that they were not responsible because it was in the hand book
Did your employer provide any form of training or orientation about the company's policies and procedures when you were hired?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
only that the guidlines were in the hand book
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
No
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?
no
Did you ever receive any form of communication from your employer about the 'use or lose' personal leave policy after you found out about it from your colleague?