Cultural and Religious Observance Policy

Effective July 1, 2023, benefits eligible staff may take scheduled time off for cultural or religious holidays and observances without that time counting as vacation or other paid time off. This policy is designed to offer our community members more flexibility to take time off in accordance with their cultural and religious traditions, and to reaffirm Swarthmore College’s commitment to an inclusive environment.

As with vacation time, staff members are expected to make arrangements in advance with their supervisor before taking cultural or religious observance time off.  Unlike vacation and sick time, cultural or religious observance days will not accrue or be paid out at any time.  In addition, if you have an unscheduled absence the scheduled workday before or after a cultural or religious observance, you may or may not be eligible for paid time off.  If your unscheduled absence was due to illness, you may be required to provide certification of illness from an appropriate health care provider.

The Cultural or Religious Observance code should be entered in Banner and Attendance Enterprise when reporting time off. 

If requests from multiple staff members create challenges for meeting staffing needs, the matter will be reviewed with next level management or department heads to determine a resolution that accommodates individuals alongside the operational needs of the College. Where that is not possible, the supervisor or manager should consult Human Resources.