St. Olaf will update its employee time-off system starting Jan. 1, 2026, combining vacation and sick day leave into one pool of paid time off (PTO) that can be used for any purpose. Some staff, however, have expressed concerns about how the transition will affect them.
The overhaul follows the state’s Earned Sick and Safe Time Law, which took effect this year, and the upcoming Minnesota Paid Family Leave program, which begins in 2026.
Vice President and General Counsel Carl Crosby Lehmann ’91 described the changes in an Oct. 23 email to employees, writing that the new updates will “better align with recent and upcoming State of Minnesota leave laws” and “create a more flexible and equitable system for all employees.”
Under the new plan, full-time staff will accrue 28 days of PTO per year, with accrual capped at 35 days. Employees are allowed to use this time for multiple purposes, such as medical appointments, illness, personal matters, and vacation. Faculty are not affected by the changes.
In the email, Lehmann wrote current vacation and sick leave balances will be combined and converted into PTO hours with “no value lost.” Hourly, nonexempt staff already use a PTO system at St. Olaf and will see minimal changes aside from increases in available time off.
To coordinate with state programs, the College will also add new benefits managed by an external provider. Beginning in 2026, St. Olaf will contract with New York Life to administer Paid Family and Medical Leave and short- and long-term disability coverage.
Director of Human Resources Travis Grant said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger that the state’s new law was the primary driver of the changes.
“If the state of Minnesota hadn’t made this change for paid family medical leave, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation,” Grant said. “Because employees will now pay into the state plan, we had to integrate that structure and avoid a duplicate benefit.”
While administrators say the changes will improve fairness and overall compliance, some staff members are uneasy as to how it will affect them.
In an interview with The Olaf Messenger, Director of Student Activities Brandon Cash ’16 said many staff members were confused by the rollout.
“We didn’t really understand what was going on, because I don’t think it was fully fleshed out when it was presented,” Cash said. “There were a lot of ‘what-if’ questions that people understandably had.”
He added that when he asked whether the staff council had been consulted, he was told it was not.
“It was frustrating to hear that such a large decision that impacts so many people didn’t seem to have thoughtful consideration behind it,” Cash said. “We get that something has to change. Great. But can you bring us to the table for that conversation?”
In a letter sent to Human Resources earlier this month, members of the College’s Information Technology department questioned the unified PTO model, calling it a “significant benefit reduction” that could “disadvantage staff facing major health events or caregiving responsibilities, incentivize sick staff to come to work and spread illness, and undermine organizational values around staff well-being.”
The Olaf Messenger requested interviews with the letter’s authors. One responded denying an interview, and another did not respond in time for publication.
In an interview with The Olaf Messenger, Lehmann said the College considered these concerns, stating they added the six additional days to PTO accruals based on average sick-day use among staff.
“If you look at what other employers give in terms of PTO to their employees, it’s a very generous amount of time. In addition to 28 days of PTO, the College gives staff 11 days of holidays,” Lehmann said.
In addition to this, there is time off between Christmas and New Year and flexible summer working hours.
“We think that that’s ample time for people to attend to personal affairs and still have time to schedule fun time away from work,” Lehmann said.
Grant said most feedback so far has been positive, and Human Resources will continue outreach efforts to clarify details.
“For most employees, our leave benefit will be better on Jan. 1 than it is today,” Grant said.
Information sessions on the new time-off policy were held Oct. 27 and Nov. 3. A detailed FAQ is available on the Human Resources website to answer additional questions.
