Time Away

Paid time off (PTO) gives you the flexibility to step away from work, whether you’re resting, taking a vacation, managing personal or family illness, attending appointments, or handling life’s everyday needs. It’s designed to help you recharge, so you can bring your best self to work.

Eligibility and accrual

You begin accruing PTO when you join State Farm as a full-time or benefits-eligible part-time employee.

• PTO accrues each pay period, based on hours paid.
• Your accrual rate increases with years of service.
• You can view and request PTO and see your current and projected PTO balances directly in Workday. 

PTO accrual and maximum balance

The table below shows how much PTO you earn each year and the maximum amount of PTO you can hold at any time, based on your years of service.

Note: If you completed 20 or more years of service by September 24, 2016, review the PTO PolicyRestricted access information to see the PTO accrual rate and maximum balance that applies to you.  

What the maximum means

You’re encouraged to keep an eye on your PTO balance and use your PTO regularly to avoid hitting the maximum limits.

• The maximum PTO balance is the most PTO you can hold at any given time.
• Once you reach the maximum, additional PTO will not accrue until your balance drops.

How to use your PTO

Requesting time off is simple. Just submit your PTO request in Workday, and let your supervisor know, following your department’s usual process.

You can use PTO for planned time away, like vacations or appointments, or for unexpected needs, such as illness. Requests require leadership approval; however, some unplanned absences may be protected by law.

To learn more, review the PTO PolicyRestricted access information.

Celebration leave provides you with one paid day off each calendar year to enjoy, celebrate, or recognize an event important to you. You can take celebration leave if you're a full-time or part-time benefits-eligible employee. It must be taken in full-day increments.

To learn more, review the Celebration Leave PolicyRestricted access information.

Life leave gives you protected, paid time off to help you manage personal or family needs, from everyday health issues to unexpected life events. Life leave covers a wide range of situations, including:

• Caring for your own health needs or those of a family member
• Managing school or workplace closures caused by public health orders
• Getting support related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking
• Helping a family member access medical care, counseling, legal help, or safety services

Family can mean many different things. Life leave recognizes a broad definition of family, including children, parents, spouses, domestic partners, grandparents, siblings, and anyone with whom you have a close personal bond.

How life leave works

• Each January, eligible employees receive up to 40 hours of life leave to use during the calendar year.
• Life leave may be taken in small increments.
• In most cases, life leave must be used before other paid or unpaid leave options.
• Unused life leave generally does not carry over from year to year. However, carryover or additional protected time may be available when required by applicable state or local laws. 

To learn more, review the Life Leave PolicyRestricted access information and the State and Municipal Leaves Operating ProceduresRestricted access information.

Welcoming a new child is an exciting and meaningful moment, and State Farm is here to support you through it. Parental leave gives eligible full‑time and part‑time employees protected time away, both paid and unpaid, to bond with a newborn or adopted child. This benefit is available to birthing parents, non‑birthing parents, and adoptive parents, as long as the child is born or adopted after your most recent hire date.

How much time you can take

• Up to six weeks of paid parental leave
• Plus four additional weeks of unpaid leave

All parental leave time must be used within the first year after the birth, adoption placement, or finalization. Leave is meant to be taken all at once to give you focused bonding time, but flexible schedules may be approved when required by law or with leadership approval.

If you are a birthing parent, you can use short-term disability before parental leaveRestricted access information. Your parental leave will begin after your disability claim ends.

Adoptive parents can also use parental leave for certain preplacement activities, with approval from State Farm.

How to request leave

To help everything run smoothly, try to request parental leave in Workday and talk with your supervisor at least 30 days before you plan to be out. If you want help understanding how your leave lines up with FMLA, you can call New York Life GBS at 888‑842‑4462.

Don’t forget: You’ll need to add your new dependent to your benefits within 60 days of the birth or adoption.

If you plan to take more than 10 workdays of unpaid leave, you’ll need to directly coordinate benefits premium payments and any credit union loan payments during that time. 

To learn more, review the Parental Leave PolicyRestricted access information.

Life changes. When you’re welcoming a new child, caring for a loved one, or managing your own health, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides you with unpaid, job-protected time away from work so you can focus on what matters most. If you’ve been with State Farm for at least 12 months, you may be eligible for FMLA leave for the following covered reasons:

Bonding with a new child. Care for your child after birth, adoption, or placement through foster care. Bonding leave must be taken within 12 months of the birth or placement of the child.

Serious health condition. Recuperate if you’re unable to work due to a serious medical condition.

Caring for family member. Care for your spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent with a serious health condition.

Military qualifying exigency. Take time away to manage qualifying needs related to a covered family member’s military service.

Military caregiving. Care for a spouse, child, parent, or next of kin (nearest blood relative) who is a covered service member or covered veteran who has a serious injury or illness.

To learn more, review the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)Restricted access information policy.

Length of leave

Eligible employees can take:

• Up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave within a 12-month period for most qualifying reasons 
• Up to 26 weeks of leave within a single 12-month period for military caregiver leave

In addition to federal leave options, some states and municipalities offer job protected leave for certain life events. State Farm complies with all applicable state and municipal leave laws and supports eligible employees in understanding and accessing these benefits when they apply.

How state and municipal leaves work

• Availability and eligibility are determined by state or local law and may differ based on where you live and work.
• Some programs are administered by State Farm, New York Life GBS, or directly by the state.
• Certain leaves may include income replacement benefits, while others provide job protection only.

Learn more

Because these programs can vary, it’s important to confirm which leave applies to your situation. For a complete list of state and municipal leaves, eligibility details, and administration information, review the State and Municipal Leaves Operating ProceduresRestricted access information.

Losing someone important is never easy. State Farm provides bereavement leave to give you paid time away from work to make arrangements, attend services, and grieve. Full-time and part-time benefits-eligible employees can request this time off whenever they experience the death of an immediate family member, a relative, or a close friend.

How much time you can take

• Up to five days of leave for the loss of an immediate family member
• Up to two days for the loss of a relative or a close non‑family member, such as a friend or coworker
• If you volunteer with a Military Honor Guard, you can take up to a half‑day of leave when honoring a veteran who has passed away

If you need additional time beyond what bereavement leave provides, you can request to use PTO to extend your time away.

Bereavement leave is not available for the loss of pets, but you are welcome to request PTO if you need time to grieve.

Who is considered family

Immediate family includes spouses, domestic partners, parents, stepparents, in laws, children (including loss due to miscarriage or stillbirth), siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, guardians, foster families, and the spouses or partners of those individuals.

Relatives include aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and other extended family members. Supervisors may request documentation to help verify the relationship or need for leave.

How to request leave

You can request bereavement leave through your supervisor and record your time in Workday. Compensation is paid at your regular rate, including shift premiums, and the time away does not count toward overtime calculations.

To learn more, review the Bereavement Leave PolicyRestricted access information.

Civil service leave provides paid time off for full‑time and part‑time benefits‑eligible employees who are called to serve their communities in official capacities. Examples of serving in an official capacity would include a judge or clerk at an election, jury duty, or appearing as a witness under subpoena. You may be requested to provide documentation that substantiates your need for civil service leave.

You can request civil service leave through your supervisor and record the time in Workday. Any compensation or mileage reimbursement received for service does not need to be returned to State Farm.

To learn more, review the Civil Service Leave PolicyRestricted access information.

State Farm proudly supports employees who serve in the United States Armed Forces, National Guard, and Reserves. Military leave ensures that service members maintain their connection to the company while fulfilling their military responsibilities. 

Leave begins on the first workday you’re away for military duty and may be partially paid or unpaid. All military leave follows the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which protects service members’ job rights and benefits during and after military duty.

To learn more, including how to request military leave, review the Military Leave PolicyRestricted access information. 

State Farm encourages you to make a positive impact in your community. Through the Community Service and Education Support (CS/ES) program, you can take paid time away from work, individually or as a team, to volunteer with local schools, licensed preschool programs, and community organizations.

CS/ES covers a wide range of activities, like helping in classrooms, supporting school events, joining field trips, presenting at Career Day, working with charitable organizations, donating blood, volunteering at community events, or even helping at local polling places. Activities must benefit a broader group — not just your own child — and participation is always voluntary. When in doubt about whether an activity qualifies, your supervisor can help clarify.

Eligible full-time employees can use up to 16 hours of CS/ES time each year (eight hours for individual volunteer work and eight for team activities). Part-time, benefits-eligible employees can use up to eight hours. Time can be taken all at once or in short increments, and it doesn't carry over to the next year. If you need more time, you can request to use PTO to extend your involvement.

CS/ES applies to most State Farm employees, with a few exceptions. Participation may require simple verification. Team activities must include at least two State Farm employees, though virtual employees can work with their leaders to request exceptions.

To learn more, review the Community Service and Education Support PolicyRestricted access information.