More Organizations Expected to Move to More Integrated Paid Time Off Programs in the Future

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

More Organizations Expected to Move to More Integrated Paid Time Off Programs in the Future

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Results of a survey conducted by the International Public Management Association for Human Resources and Fox Lawson & Associates, a division of Gallagher Benefit Services concerning IPMA-HR members' current paid time off (PTO) programs in the public sector, showed that more organizations will move to more integrated PTO programs in the future. Four-hundred and fifty-eight organizations* across the country responded to the survey, which was conducted in August 2011.

The percentage of data represented by the type of public sector organization is as follows:

Municipalities/Towns     57.4%

City/County                5.5%

Counties                     14.0%

States                        8.1%

Special Districts          6.3%

Other organizations     4.1%

Universities/colleges    0.8%

School districts            0.8%

Federal                       1.6%

The results of the survey revealed that combined PTO programs were found in 26 percent of the total number of reporting organizations, with city and county organizations offering the highest percentage of PTO programs offered, at 34 and 38 percent, respectively. The survey revealed no PTO programs offered in federal agencies that responded to the survey.

According to the survey results, PTO programs are provided more often to nonunion than to union-represented employee groups in management, exempt, non-exempt, law enforcement and fire employee categories.

Survey respondents indicated that a number of reasons for installing PTO programs existed in their organizations; chief among them: more flexibility for employees (55%), reduce unscheduled absenteeism (39%), competitive with the market (37%), reduce administrative burden (35%).

The tenure of most PTO programs is long, with 60 percent of programs having been in place for more than 10 years, and 76 percent having been in place for five or more years.

"Although the majority report having their programs in place for at least five years, these numbers are higher than we have seen on previous surveys and reflect a growing interest in moving away from the bifurcated programs to the more integrated PTO type of program," said Bruce Lawson, managing director of Fox Lawson & Associates. "From discussions we have had with many organizations throughout the country, this is consistent with the feeling that more and more organizations will migrate to a PTO type of program in the years ahead."

Of the organizations that have instituted PTO programs, they noted a number of benefits in having them, including improved morale (50%), a reduction in administrative burden (47%), reduced absenteeism (33%), and cost saving (26%).

In combined PTO programs, vacation and sick leave programs were, to a large extent, included in combined PTO programs, 94 and 92 percent of the time, respectively. Personal time (66%) is also provided for these combined programs.

*As the data for this survey was analyzed, the situation was found that many of the organizations that indicated that they had PTO programs in place did not provide additional data concerning their programs. The data corresponding to these participants was eliminated from analysis as an effort to provide an accurate picture of PTO programs in the public sector.

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About the Survey

For more detailed survey results, visit www.ipma-hr.org. For questions regarding this survey, contact Bruce Lawson, either by email at Bruce_Lawson@foxlawson.com, or by phone at (602) 840-1070, or contact Jim Fox, either by email at Jim_Fox@foxlawson.com, or by phone at (651) 635-0976.

About IPMA-HR

The International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) is an association representing the interests of state, local, and federal sector human resources professionals. IPMA-HR provides human resource leadership and advocacy, professional development, information, and services to enhance public sector performance. To learn more, visit www.ipma-hr.org.