Wellness Leave

All regular full-time and part-time (at least .5FTE/20 hours per week) benefits eligible employees. Educational appointees should reference the Sick Leave Policy for AVA Trainees (MD Anderson Institutional Policy #ACA0105) for information about Wellness Leave.

Wellness Leave is not a separate bank of accrued hours. Employees receive Wellness Leave by directly accessing 16 hours of EIB each fiscal year (prorated by FTE). An employee who does not have EIB hours is unable to take Wellness Leave.

STEP 1:  Employee requests Wellness Leave through the timekeeping system and follows their Department Time Off Procedures.

• Wellness Leave may be used for activities supporting the prevention, treatment or support of your physical, mental or emotional well-being. Examples include but are not limited to:
  • Annual wellness exam
  • Follow-up medical provider appointments
  • Preventative screenings (i.e. mammogram, prostate screening, lipid panel, A1C for diabetes, etc.)
  • Wellness events (i.e. 5K, MS150, triathlon, etc.)
  • Mental or physical health support
• Employees are eligible to access EIB for Wellness Leave based on their FTE on September 1. If their standard work hours change during the year, the number of hours eligible for Wellness Leave is not adjusted.
• Wellness Leave can be used in any increment for non-exempt staff. If the time off taken for wellness activities exceeds the number of Wellness Leave hours available, the leave must be supplemented with other forms of paid leave such as Paid Time Off (PTO) or Earned Holiday Bank (EHB). For exempt staff, if the increment of leave is less than 4 hours then the Four Hour Rule applies. 
  • Ex: Sally Employee is in a non-exempt position working an 8 hour shift. She has 6 hours of Wellness Leave remaining. When requesting Wellness Leave, she will use the 6 hours of Wellness Leave and 2 hours of PTO or another type of paid leave. 
• Documentation of the wellness activities is not required.
• Advance notice is required and approval is based on operational needs.

STEP 2: Manager approves time off request or communicates reasons for not approving it (e.g., scheduling conflicts, not eligible, etc.).

STEP 3: Manager and employee work to ensure necessary coverage is in place for the employee’s absence.

Unused hours do not carry forward to the next fiscal year. The hours are reset on September 1.

See FAQs for details.