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Time Off Policies

Comprehensive Leave & Time Off Policy


At Puzzles, we believe that rest, recovery, and personal time are essential for your well-being and professional success. Our leave policies are designed to be flexible and supportive, providing you with the time you need to recharge, care for your health, and manage your personal life.

Please review the following policies carefully. All time off is tracked in hours and accrues on a weekly, proportional basis from your date of hire, unless otherwise specified.

Work Schedule: The hours of operation for everyone at Puzzles are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Eastern time. The hours will adjust accordingly for daylight saving time.


1. Vacation Policy

Our vacation policy is structured in two parts: a Base Vacation allowance that forms your core entitlement, and an Additional Vacation benefit that rewards tenure.

Crucial Rule: Priority of Use To ensure fairness and proper accounting, you must use your entire Base Vacation balance for the year before you can request or use days from your Additional Vacation balance. Managers must consider this any time they process any time off requests. 


Part A: Base Vacation Policy (Your Core Entitlement)

  • Purpose: This is your primary, protected vacation time, intended for significant periods of rest and travel.
  • Amount: You are entitled to 2 weeks (77 hours) of Base Vacation per calendar year. 
  • Usage: You can use a maximum of 77 hours and a minimum of 2 hours at a time. This cannot be combined with another time off policy.
  • Accrual: Your hours of Base Vacation accrue annually beginning from your first day of employment.
  • Eligibility: You may begin to request and use your accrued Base Vacation after 180 days of continuous employment.
  • Rollover & Expiration: We encourage you to take your vacation within the year it is earned. Base and Additional Vacation days earned must be used by the end of each team member’s calendar year. Any unused vacation time will be forfeited.
  • Unused Time: There will be no payments for unused vacation time. 


Part B: Additional Vacation Policy (A Bonus Benefit)

  • Purpose: This is a bonus “use-it-or-lose-it” benefit provided on top of your Base Vacation as a reward for your contribution and loyalty.
  • Prerequisite: You may only request and use Additional Vacation days after your entire Base Vacation balance for the year has been used.
  • Amount:
    • All Employees: Receive 1 extra week of Additional Vacation per year.
    • Employees with 2+ Years of Service: Receive a second extra week per year, for a total of 2 weeks of Additional Vacation.
  • Usage: You can use a maximum of 70 hours and a minimum of 2 hours at a time. This cannot be combined with another time off policy.
  • Accrual: Your Additional Vacation hours accrue on an annual basis, beginning from your first day. The second week for tenured employees begins accruing on your second anniversary.
  • Expiration: This is a strict “use-it-or-lose-it” benefit. All Additional Vacation hours expire at the end of each team member’s calendar year and do not roll over.


2. Sick Leave Policy

  • Purpose: Your health is a priority. This policy is for times when you are unwell and unable to work, need to attend a medical appointment, or must care for an ill family member.
  • Amount: We offer an unlimited sick leave policy.
  • Usage: You can use a maximum of unlimited hours and a minimum of 2 hours at a time. This cannot be combined with another time off policy.
  • Justification: Please notify your manager as soon as you know you’re not going to make it. A medical certificate, doctor’s note, or other proof of medical consultation is required to justify the absence. 


3. Mental Health Days Policy

  • Purpose: We recognize the importance of taking time to prevent burnout, handle personal matters, or simply recharge your mental batteries.
  • Amount: You are entitled to 5 Personal & Mental Health Days per year.
  • Usage: You can use a maximum of 21 hours and a minimum of 2 hours at a time. This cannot be combined with another time off policy.
  • Accrual: This is an annual grant. You will receive 5 days starting from the 1st of January of the calendar year.
  • Expiration: These days are intended for use within the year they are granted. The entire balance will expire at the end of each yearly period and does not roll over.

 

4. Birthday Policy

  • Purpose: To celebrate you!
  • Benefit: Enjoy one paid day off during your birthday month.
  • Usage: You can use a maximum of 7 hours and a minimum of 2 hours at a time. This cannot be combined with another time off policy.
  • Justification: This is a floating holiday that can be taken on your actual birthday or any other day within your birthday month. Please coordinate with your manager to schedule it within at least 48 hours in advance.
  • Accrual: This is an annual grant. You will receive 1 day starting from the 1st of January of the calendar year.
  • Expiration: This benefit does not accrue or roll over. It is a one-time grant each year that must be used within your birthday month.


5. Special Day Policy

  • Purpose: We recognize the importance of taking time to prevent burnout, handle personal matters, or simply recharge your mental batteries.
  • Amount: You are entitled to win unlimited Special Days per year.
  • Usage: You can use a maximum of 21 hours and a minimum of 2 hours at a time. This cannot be combined with another time off policy.
  • Accrual: This is not an annual grant; these special days are won from Puzzles internal events or merits. You will receive 1 day starting from the 1st of January of the calendar year.
  • Expiration: These days are intended for use within the year they are granted. The entire balance will expire at the end of each yearly period and does not roll over.

 

Request Process, Advance Notice, and Conflict Resolution

To ensure fairness, proper team coverage, and smooth operations, please adhere to the following procedures when requesting time off. All requests should be submitted through Rippling for approval by your manager.


1. Advance Notice Requirements

The amount of advance notice required depends on the type of leave you are requesting.

Vacation (Base & Additional):

  • Purpose: This time is for planned events, such as holidays and travel, and requires the most notice to allow for proper team and project planning.
  • Notice for 1-4 consecutive days: A minimum of 2 weeks’ advance notice is required.
  • Notice for 5 or more consecutive days (1 week+): A minimum of 4 weeks’ advance notice is required.

Sick Leave:

  • Purpose: Sick leave is for unforeseen illness and is understood to be unplanned.
  • Notification: Please notify your manager via Zoom or Email as soon as possible, preferably before your scheduled start time on the day of your absence. You do not need to provide details of your illness, simply that you are unwell and will be taking a sick day. A medical certificate, doctor’s note, or other proof of medical consultation is required to justify the absence. 

Personal & Mental Health Days:

  • Purpose: These days can be for planned appointments or for unplanned mental health needs.
  • Notice: Whenever possible, please provide at least 48 hours’ advance notice. We understand that the need for a mental health day can arise unexpectedly; in such cases, please follow the same notification procedure as for Sick Leave.

Birthday Leave:

  • Purpose: This is a planned day of celebration.
  • Notice: Please provide at least 48 hour advance notice to schedule your day off within your birthday month.


2. Conflict Avoidance & Approval Process

We will do our best to accommodate all time-off requests, but we must also ensure business continuity and adequate team coverage.

  • Approval Principle: Requests are generally approved on a “first-come, first-served” basis, provided they meet the notice and spacing requirements. Submitting your request as early as possible is the best way to secure your desired dates.
  • Manager’s Discretion: Your manager is responsible for approving requests. Approval is based on the notice provided, the “first-come, first-served” principle, and overall team availability. Your manager may deny a request if it creates a critical gap in coverage or conflicts with a major deadline or project.
  • Team Coverage & Spacing Windows (“Ventanas”): To prevent knowledge gaps and ensure coverage, mandatory “spacing windows” are required between the vacation periods of employees within the same department.
    • Following a vacation of 5 or more days: There must be a 5-day window before another team member can begin their vacation.
    • Following a vacation of 1-4 days: There must be a 1-day window before another team member can begin their vacation.

  • Handling Conflicts: If multiple team members request the same dates and it creates a coverage issue, your manager will resolve it as follows:
      • For General Vacation Periods: The request that was submitted first will be honored. The manager will work with other employees to find an alternative date.
      • For General Vacation & Public Holiday Periods: To ensure fairness over time, requests for time off directly connected to a vacation or public holiday are prioritized differently. If there is a conflict, priority will be determined using the following tie-breakers in order:
      • First, priority is given to the employee who has gone the longest without taking vacation days in general or vacations attached to any public holiday. This is to ensure that opportunities for extended holiday weekends or general vacation days are distributed equitably over time.
      •  If a tie still exists, priority will then be given to the employee who did not take the same holiday or vacation period off in the previous period.
      • The “first-come, first-served” rule will only apply if a tie remains after both conditions are considered. We strongly encourage teams to coordinate and alternate taking time off around major holidays to avoid conflicts and ensure fairness.

  • Critical Business Periods (Blackout Periods): In rare cases, the company may designate specific “blackout periods” where vacation requests may be restricted due to critical business needs (e.g., a major product launch or year-end closing). Any such periods will be communicated to all affected employees well in advance. An essential blackout period is during the holiday season from the business day before Christmas Eve to the business day after New Year’s day.