One Leave (PTO)
The One Leave Program is a benefit that allows you to accrue a “bank” of hours based on years of service.
Use your One Leave hours for vacation, personal business, family illness, doctor/dental visits, funerals, or recovery from sickness or accident.
The maximum number of “banked” One Leave hours is 750 hours. Throughout the calendar year (January 1 to December 31) employees may accrue One Leave in excess of 750 hours; however, on January 1 of each year any amount in excess of 750 hours will be forfeited.
One Leave shall be accrued based on the employee’s Anniversary date. Regular and Temporary employees shall be ‘front-loaded’ eighty (80) hours of One Leave accrual upon their first day of hire and said hours shall be immediately available for use.
- From date of hire forward, One Leave shall accrue in accordance to the One Leave Accrual Table; the initial bank ‘front-load’ will not increase until such time as the employee’s normal accrual meets and exceeds the initial eighty (80) hour offering at which time the bank will then become additive.
- The normal accrual process shall begin after the eighty (80) hour One Leave amount for the accrual is met based on the published One Leave Accrual Table.
- If an employee terminates employment before the eighty (80) hours of One Leave would have been accrued, anything used above and beyond what the employee would have accrued will be deducted from the last paycheck.
- One Leave hours that are ‘front-loaded’ to an employee are not eligible for Cash-Out at any point until such time as the normal accrual equals or exceeds the amount provided. This provision is inclusive of separation from the Company.
Transfer Hours to Cash
Employees may cash out available One-Leave hours at 100% of their regular rate of pay at the time of termination (including retirement). Employees may cash-out accrued One Leave hours down to forty (40) hours during the calendar year in an amount not to exceed their annual accrual rate.
The annual leave accrual rate for cashing-out shall be based on the employee’s accrual rate as of the first pay period of January of each year. Employees may cash out up to 120 hours at 100% of their regular rate of pay and may cash out the remainder of their annual accrual at 80% of their rate of pay.
Cash-outs are not paid at higher dual-rate wage rates. One Leave cashed out will be paid only on the employee's biweekly paycheck.
One Leave Donation Plan
To support employees who are exhausting paid leave options due to illness, or a medical emergency of an eligible family member, you can donate One Leave hours to them. Just use the One Leave Donations Giving Form.
A few highlights include:
- The ability to donate to a general One Leave pool. This pool supports employees when donations are insufficient or confidentiality is necessary.
- One Leave donations can be submitted at any time, but to be received this year they must be submitted by December 1.
- Year-end donations are a perfect opportunity for employees who are above the 750 hour year-end maximum One Leave balance to transfer that value to the general One Leave pool.
If you're interested in learning more about the One Leave Donation Program, it's accessible on The Avenue in the HR Department by selecting 'forms.'
Leaving Avista
When you retire from Avista, or if you stop working for Avista before retirement, your One Leave balance will be paid to you as cash.
How You Accrue One Leave Hours
This table shows a snapshot of how you accrue One Leave hours over time. For more information, please refer to the bargaining contract.
| Completed Years of Service | Estimated Accrual Per Year (Days) | Estimated Accrual Per Pay Period (80 Hours) |
Accrual Rate Per Hour Worked |
|---|---|---|---|
During the 1st year |
20.00 |
6.15 |
.0769 |
During the 2nd year |
20.71 |
6.37 |
.0796 |
During the 3rd year |
21.42 |
6.59 |
.0824 |
During the 4th year |
22.13 |
6.81 |
.0851 |
During the 5th year |
22.83 |
7.03 |
.0879 |
During the 6th year |
23.54 |
7.24 |
.0905 |
During the 7th year |
24.25 |
7.46 |
.0933 |
During the 8th year |
24.96 |
7.68 |
.0960 |
During the 9th year |
25.67 |
7.9 |
.0988 |
During the 10th year |
26.38 |
8.12 |
.1015 |
During the 11th year |
27.08 |
8.33 |
.1041 |
During the 12th year |
27.79 |
8.55 |
.1069 |
During the 13th year |
28.50 |
8.77 |
.1096 |
During the 14th year |
29.21 |
8.99 |
.1124 |
During the 15th year |
29.92 |
9.21 |
.1151 |
During the 16th year |
30.63 |
9.42 |
.1178 |
During the 17th year |
31.33 |
9.64 |
.1205 |
During the 18th year |
32.04 |
9.86 |
.1233 |
During the 19th year |
32.75 |
10.08 |
.1260 |
During the 20th year |
33.46 |
10.29 |
.1286 |
During the 21st year |
34.17 |
10.51 |
.1314 |
During the 22nd year |
34.88 |
10.73 |
.1341 |
During the 23rd year |
35.58 |
10.95 |
.1369 |
During the 24th year |
36.29 |
11.17 |
.1396 |
During the 25th year |
38.00 |
11.69 |
.1461 |
Thereafter |
38.00 |
11.69 |
.1461 |