​The Crucial Importance of Giving Advanced Notice:

• ​Time-Off Requests are considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Accordingly, the more advance notice that is given for a given time-off request, the better the chance that the request will be approved. In addition, giving advanced notice for time-off requests helps to stabilize the staff schedule by reducing the number of short-term schedule changes which must be arranged for. Certainly time-off requests made with less than two weeks notice will very often be denied.

​How Long Should You Expect to Wait for a Response to Your Time-Off Request?

• ​PetWowmanagement strives to respond to all time-off requests within 21 days from the day the request was submitted. The response can be “Approved”, “Denied”, or “Pending. If “Pending, an explanation will usually be given as to what is holding up a final decision.

​General Restrictions:

• ​Since no two employees of the same WorkCenterare generally granted time-off requests at the same time, time-off conflicts will be resolved in the following manner: First- come first-serve. If two employees from the same WorkCentershould submit a request for overlapping vacation time at the same moment, the employee with greatest seniority will have priority over the less senior staff member.

​Time-Off Coverage by Salaried Staff/Doctors:

• ​In the case of salaried staff or doctors; management may require a salaried staff member/doctor to work a 6 day week in order to cover another staff member’s/doctor’s time-off request. In these cases, the salaried staff member/doctor who worked the 6 day week will be given a 4 day work week nearly preceding or nearly following the week in which the staff member/doctor worked 6 days.

​Emergency Situations:

• While management makes a strong commitment to stand by all Time-Off requests which have been authorized via the above procedure; management has the option, in the case of an extreme emergency (such as the sudden loss of an employee(s), multiple persons sick, etc.) to renege on a properly authorized leave time request in order to maintain the function of the practice during the emergency period.