Employers And Wedding Leaves: Rights And Refusals

Employees often need time off work for personal reasons, such as getting married. However, employers are not always willing to grant this time off, and this can cause conflict. In some cases, employers are within their rights to deny time off for a wedding, but this depends on several factors, including the employee's contract, the company's policies, and the relevant state laws.

In the US, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) outlines situations in which an employee has the right to take unpaid leave without facing retaliation. This includes leave for illness, pregnancy, and the birth or adoption of a child. However, FMLA does not specifically mention time off for weddings.

Some states have their own laws regarding unpaid time off, but Florida, for example, has no state laws requiring employers to grant unpaid time off. This means that, in many cases, whether an employee can take time off for their wedding depends on their employer's policies and discretion.

It is worth noting that employers should grant time off for jury duty and, in Florida, employers must allow domestic abuse victims up to three unpaid days off per year for reasons related to their situation.

To avoid conflict, employees should give as much notice as possible when requesting time off for a wedding. They should also be clear about how much time they need and try to ensure that their work will not be impacted by their absence. If an employer denies a request for time off, the employee can try speaking to their supervisor or HR department to understand the reason for the denial and see if there is any room for negotiation.

Requesting time off for a wedding

Provide Advanced Notice

It is crucial to give your employer as much notice as possible when requesting time off for your wedding. If you have a year to plan your wedding, submit your request for time off as soon as you know your dates. Even if your company doesn't accept time-off requests too far in advance, it's a good idea to have a conversation with your manager early on to ensure they are aware of your plans. Starting the discussion early will help your team get used to the idea and prevent any last-minute surprises.

Understand Your Company's PTO Policy

The amount of time you can request off for your wedding will depend on your organisation's policies and the type of PTO (paid time off) system they have in place. If your company follows a traditional PTO policy, you can typically request off the amount of PTO you've accrued. For example, if you have two weeks of PTO, you can ask for two weeks off. If you need more time than what you've accrued, you may be able to negotiate additional unpaid leave. On the other hand, if your company has an unlimited PTO policy, things are less straightforward. While "unlimited" PTO may be offered, there are usually still limits, and it's essential to plan your request based on the norm for your company and past precedents for wedding leave.

Combine Wedding and Honeymoon Time-Off

Consider coordinating your wedding and honeymoon back-to-back to minimise the impact on your team and projects. Requesting two separate blocks of time off in close proximity may upset management. If you can't go on your honeymoon directly after your wedding, it's advisable to space them out by at least three to six months.

Have an Open and Honest Conversation

When requesting time off for your wedding, aim for an open and honest conversation with your manager. Be direct about the time you need and explain how you will ensure that business operations won't be impacted by your absence. For example, you can offer to complete specific tasks before your time off and identify colleagues who can handle your responsibilities while you're away. This proactive approach will increase the likelihood of your request being approved.

Prepare for Your Time-Off

Once your wedding time-off is approved, set the proper expectations with your manager, colleagues, and clients. Let them know that you won't be available during that time and set up an out-of-office message to reinforce this. In the lead-up to your wedding, delegate any major work assignments or projects to ensure a smooth transition during your absence.

Time off policies

The amount of time off you can request for your wedding depends on your company's policies and the nature of your work. If your company has a traditional paid time off (PTO) policy, you can likely request off however much PTO you've accrued. If your company has an unlimited PTO policy, you should base your request on the norm for your company.

When asking for time off for your wedding, be direct about what you need. You should give as much notice as possible and explain how you will ensure that business operations aren't impacted by your time off. For example, you could say something like, "I'm getting married on December 13th, so I'll need to request time off from December 11th through the 20th for my wedding and honeymoon. I know we have the big client presentation scheduled for the 12th, so I'm planning on completing this portion of the work and prepping these coworkers to handle my part of this project."

Once your wedding time off is approved, set the proper expectations with your manager, colleagues, and clients. You want to actually take time off, not spend your wedding day frantically answering emails. To do this, you can set an out-of-office message and delegate any major work assignments in advance.

Whether an employer can deny unpaid time off depends on the situation and the state you're in. In Florida, for example, there are no state laws requiring employers to grant unpaid time off. However, employers must grant time off for jury duty and allow domestic abuse victims up to three unpaid days off per year.

If your unpaid time off request is denied, you can speak directly with your supervisor to understand why and see if there's anything you can do to have it approved. You can also speak with your company's HR department or schedule a free consultation with an employment lawyer.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees. These employers must provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for any of the following reasons:

• The birth and care of the newborn child of an employee
• Placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care
• To care for an immediate family member (i.e., spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition
• To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition
• Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee's spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on "covered active duty"
• Twenty-six work weeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember's spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave)

Employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles.

Florida time off laws

Florida has no laws requiring employers to provide employees with vacation benefits, either paid or unpaid. However, if an employer chooses to provide sick leave benefits, it must comply with the terms of its established policy or employment contract.

Florida law gives employees the right to take time off work, without fear of retaliation, for the civic responsibility of serving on a jury. Employers must allow employees to take time off to serve on a jury. Employers may not threaten to fire an employee for serving on a jury or appearing for jury duty.

Florida employers with at least 50 employees must give time off to employees who have been employed for at least three months and are victims of domestic or sexual violence (or have a family or household member who is a victim of domestic or sexual violence). Employees are entitled to take up to three days of leave in a 12-month period to obtain legal assistance, get medical care or counselling, relocate or make the home safer, or seek services from a victims' rights group, rape crisis centre, or shelter. This time off may be paid or unpaid, at the employer's discretion.

Denial of time off requests

The Right to Time Off

There is no legal right to time off for a wedding in the US. However, there are some situations in which US employees are entitled to take time off without pay. For example, employers must grant time off if an employee is summoned for jury duty.

Giving Notice

It is advisable to give as much notice as possible when requesting time off for a wedding. This is the best way to ensure that your request is approved.

Amount of Time Off

There is no set amount of time that can be requested off for a wedding. The amount of time off that can be taken will depend on the organisation and its policies. If the company has a traditional Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, an employee will likely be able to request the amount of PTO they have accrued. If the company has an unlimited PTO policy, the request will be more flexible.

Combining Wedding and Honeymoon Time Off

Some experts recommend coordinating wedding and honeymoon time off back-to-back to minimise the impact on the team and other projects. However, if the honeymoon cannot be taken directly after the wedding, it is best to space them out by at least three to six months.

Preparing for Time Off

Once time off for a wedding has been approved, it is important to set the proper expectations with managers, colleagues, and clients. It is also a good idea to delegate any major work assignments or projects in advance.

Dealing with Denial

If a request for time off is denied, it is a good idea to speak directly with a supervisor to understand why the request was denied. It can be helpful to think of this conversation as a negotiation. It may be possible to arrange for a co-worker to take on certain responsibilities during the absence. If the denial appears to be unjustified, it may be necessary to speak with the HR department or consult an employment lawyer.

Frequently asked questions