What you need to know
Taking time off — away from your job — is vital to being at your best. We support this by offering ample time off for all kinds of situations.
Paid time off (PTO)
PayPal values your wellness and wants you to take care of yourself and others in a way that best addresses your needs. Our paid time off (PTO) policy provides the flexibility to use your time for whatever recharges you.
Permanent full-time employees receive 4 weeks of PTO every 12 months. Part-time employees receive a pro rata amount of PTO every 12 months. Casual employees are not eligible for PTO but do receive an adjusted hourly rate to reflect this.
PTO accrues month to month.
Any unused PTO can be carried over to the following year.
You’re encouraged to take at least 2 consecutive weeks of PTO each year for work-life balance. Your manager may require you to take PTO in accordance with local legislation or if you’ve accrued too much PTO.
If you leave PayPal, you’ll be paid for any unused accrued PTO.
Paid leaves of absence
Sick and family medical leave
PayPal's sick and family medical leave provides you with time off from work if you or members of your immediate family are unwell. All permanent employees are eligible for up to 10 days’ paid sick and family medical leave if you’re ill or injured, need to care for an immediate family member, or have a family emergency.
Parental leave
PayPal supports you in caring for your children. Our Parental Leave policies are designed to give you flexibility, so that you have the time to care for your children in the way that works for you and your family.
Who is eligible
You must have completed 12 months of continuous service with PayPal before the due date or placement of the child to be eligible for Parental Leave.
Additionally, you and your spouse or partner must be:
- Giving birth to a child; or
- Adopting a child under the age of 16
If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please speak to your manager or Site HR.
How Parental Leave works
If you are eligible, you can take up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave which can be taken as a single continuous period, or a single continuous period and a flexible period of up to 20 weeks. View Flexible Parental Leave for more information.
If you are pregnant, you can commence your Parental Leave up to 6 weeks before the expected birth date or earlier if medically advised.
If your spouse or partner is pregnant, you can start your Parental Leave from the due date or placement date of your child.
You may also be eligible for PayPal’s Paid Parental Leave or Australian Government Parental Leave Pay benefits.
You are required to provide your manager as much notice as possible for any upcoming leave, and all leaves must be approved by your manager.
All leaves taken must be entered correctly in Workday, including unpaid leave. View Applying for Parental Leave for more information on how to do this.
Paid Parental Leave
If you have been employed by PayPal for at least 12 months at the time your child is born or placed with your family, you will also be eligible for PayPal’s Paid Parental Leave. Here’s how it works:
If you are a primary caregiver, PayPal will pay you up to 12 consecutive weeks of your base pay as part of your Parental Leave period.
If you are a secondary caregiver, PayPal will pay you up to 2 consecutive weeks of your base pay as part of your Parental Leave period.
You are only applicable for 1 of the above-mentioned paid benefits per child, and this must be taken within 6 months of your child’s birth or placement date.
As part of the Australian Government Parental Leave Pay scheme, you may also be eligible for further paid parental leave. Learn more about this leave and how to apply. If you are eligible, Centrelink will make the required payments to PayPal, and PayPal will then make these payments to you.
Applying for Parental Leave
You are expected to provide as much notice to your manager as possible when planning to take Parental Leave. You must:
- Provide your leave notice in writing to your manager
- State how much leave you plan to take, including proposed starting and finishing dates
- Enter your leave into Workday, once your manager approves your leave
Flexible Parental Leave
You may choose to take your 12 months of Parental Leave flexibly, as a single continuous period with a flexible period of up to 20 weeks. The 20 weeks is inclusive of the 12-month unpaid parental leave period, which can be taken before your child’s second birthday or the second anniversary of your adopted child’s placement. This can be taken as:
- A single continuous period of 1 day or longer
- Separate periods of 1 day or longer each
Your entitlement to unpaid parental leave, except for the 20-week flexible period, will end on the first day that you take flexible unpaid parental leave. This means that if you are planning to take a continuous period of unpaid parental leave, you should do so before you take any flexible leave.
Special Maternity Leave
If you are pregnant, you are entitled to unpaid Special Maternity Leave if you cannot work due to an illness or termination of pregnancy. You may be asked for evidence, such as a doctor’s note to support your Special Maternity Leave.
The amount of time off you take for Special Maternity Leave will be deducted from your total Parental Leave period.
If you need to take Special Maternity Leave, inform your manager as soon as you can.
No safe job leave
If your doctor advises against continuing in your present job because the nature of the work puts you at an increased risk during pregnancy, PayPal will make every effort to transfer you to an appropriate, safe job. If this is not possible, you are entitled to paid leave while you remain at risk. Speak with the Employee Central team for more information.
Shortening your Parental Leave
You may wish to return to work earlier than planned. To do so, you will need to request this in writing, with the proposed new return-to-work date. If this cannot be supported, you will have to return to work on your planned return-to-work date.
Different considerations apply if there are exceptional circumstances.
Extending Parental Leave
You may wish to return to work later than planned. To do so, you will need to request this in writing with the proposed new return-to-work date. The amount of time you can request an extension depends on your original approved leave period.
If you originally planned to take less than 12 months unpaid parental leave, you can apply to extend your leave for the total period of 12 months.
If you planned to take 12 months unpaid parental leave, you can apply to extend your leave for an additional 12-month period.
Either application must be sent in writing to your manager with as much notice as possible. If approved, any extensions must be taken immediately after the original unpaid parental leave period.
Bereavement leave
Receive up to 20 days paid bereavement leave for the death of a family member, depending on the relationship.
If local laws mandate a bereavement benefit in excess of the time PayPal provides or covers family members not specified in the leave policy, local laws apply.
Jury service leave
You receive unpaid community service leave unless you’re participating in jury service.
Exam / training leave
Receive 1 day paid leave for exams of approved courses and up to 10 days paid leave if you’re required to attend residential or daytime school.
Paid long service leave
Employees with at least 10 years of service with PayPal are eligible for paid long service leave, as stipulated by local legislation.
Personal leave
If you have exhausted your paid leave, you may be entitled to take leave without pay.
Leave without pay is approved on a case-by-case basis, depending on individual circumstances and business needs. Submit your application at least 4 weeks before you need to take unpaid leave. If you need to take more than 10 days of unpaid leave, you’ll need to submit a letter outlining the reasons why.