Question: During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to make changes to our paid time off policy. While we normally do not allow carry-over, we did give our employees the option in 2020. Now that people are able to travel again to use time off, can we go back to our previous practice?
Answer: Yes. Paid time off policies, along with most employment policies, can be changed at any time as long as they remain compliant with applicable federal, state, and local laws. If you had to make a temporary adjustment due to certain circumstances (such as a world-wide pandemic), you can rescind that revision at any point or implement an all-together different option. Even if you did not specifically state the change was temporary you have the right to make the revision.
Whenever you make a policy change, you should give employees advanced notice. Not only is it required in some states but notice is always a good practice to ensure employees understand expectations and allowances. Also, if employees have already made plans under the former policy, try to accommodate as much as possible.
