How does everyone work their time off for salary employees. My new bank has a very slack Time Off policy right now (trying to get everything else in order first) and it seems that employees are taking advantage of it. All employees at this time are salary, I don't know if that makes a difference or not. The last bank I worked for, we earned our paid time off. For every week we worked we earned "X" number of time off hours. We just want to rein this in before we need to hire others and time off goes completely out of control. Thanks!

If your new bank is a 'new bank', sometimes it's hard - the officers are 'enticed' to join a new bank with promises of not having to 're-earn' their vacation time. You may want to check with Sr Mgmnt, HR or the CEO to determine if promises were made to some of those officers.

Most banks around here (upper midwest), you get your vacation up front.
So, for example, you get three weeks of vacation the day you start. You can use it at any time, but if you leave the company (or are terminated) before you 'earn' it, the amount you used without earning is taken out of your last check.

You get another three weeks either at the first of the year or on your anniversary of hire.

Here in the "lower" midwest, there are two basic "camps". One group of employers gives vacation time as it is earned on an annual basis. First year is usually some "prorated" formula, but after completing one full year, you are placed on the schedule of vacation. 1 week the first year, 2 weeks after "x" years and so on. This vacation can be taken immediately on January 1. Therefore vacation is earned and usually unused vacation is paid upon termination.

The second group of employers will allow their employees to earn vacation time by the month. So, once you have completed the probationary period, you earn "x" hours of vacation for each month of employment and you cannot take it prior to it being earned. Again, this vacation is earned and unused vacation is paid upon termination.

It is less common to give vacation in advance of earning it. Of course, this excludes vacation incentives given to more highly paid employees or highly technical employees.