• Here’s a list of QVS holidays. Please take these days off! Doing so doesn’t count against your remaining PTO days.

    New Year’s Day

    Martin Luther King Day

    Presidents’ Day

    Memorial Day

    Juneteenth

    4th of July

    August Break (1st full week of August)

    Labor Day

    Thanksgiving Day and the day after

    Winter Break (5 workdays between December 24 to January 2, chosen by the Executive December)

  • QVS wants to support you in taking time away from work. Full time employees receive 25 days of paid time off (PTO) during the fiscal year (August 1 to July 31). If you work less than full time, your total number of PTO days is proportional to your work hours. For example, someone who works 25 hours per week would receive 15.5 days per year.

    PTO is reset at the end of the fiscal year. Any unused time disappears from the books on July 31, so take days off when you can!

    We want you to schedule time off in a way that works best for you. That said, we expect you to practice good communication about time off. When scheduling time off, please think about whether someone else should cover any of your responsibilities while you are away. Talk to your supervisor about this before taking off.

    At the end of each month, please let our Operations and Administrative Manager know how many PTO days you’ve taken in the month.

    One other thing you should know: Officially, a full time employee accrues about 2 PTO days each month. You don’t have to wait until you have accrued PTO days to take time away. We have this policy to protect QVS in case someone takes a lot of PTO days, then leaves QVS shortly into the new fiscal year. In calculating a final paycheck, QVS has the right to consider days off as unpaid leave if those days off go beyond the number of accrued days off. If you have unused PTO days when you leave QVS, you will be paid for those days in your finaI paycheck.

  • Oh no! We hope you feel better soon!

    Full time employees receive 8 days of sick leave during the fiscal year (August 1 to July 31). If you work less than full time, your total amount of sick leave is proportional to your work hours. For example, someone who works 25 hours per week would receive 5 sick days per year.

    Sick leave is reset at the end of the fiscal year. Any unused time disappears from the books on July 31. Unlike PTO, QVS does not pay for unused sick leave when issuing a final paycheck.

    Please communicate with your supervisor if you are taking sick leave.

    If illness or injury becomes a longterm disability, the Executive Director will work with the Executive Committee to determine a response to your situation.

    It is QVS’s desire to support each employee during an extended time of sickness or bereavement, but it is not a guaranteed benefit.

  • Family Leave QVS recognizes that families take many forms. If you’ve been with QVS for at least 1 year, you may request up to six weeks of paid leave to care for your family. In addition, all QVS employees may request up to six weeks of unpaid leave to care for family. Employees can take one family leave a year.

    Please communicate with your supervisor about what you need. A request for family leave must be authorized by the Executive Committee or the Executive Director.

    Bereavement Leave You may request up to four days of leave to mourn the loss of someone dear.

  • Unpaid Leave If you’ve been with QVS for at least a year and have exhausted all of your paid leave, you may request unpaid leave. A request for unpaid leave must be authorized by the Executive Committee or the Executive Director.

    Sabbatical At this time, we don’t have a structure for providing sabbaticals.

    Professional Development Your time at a work-related or educational workshop may be considered work time with prior approval from the Executive Director or Director of Program.

    Jury Duty When summoned for jury or witness duty, employees are granted leave to perform their duty. Please inform your supervisor when you are obligated to serve, and help develop a strategy for covering your responsibilities.

    Military Duty Employees who require time off from work to fulfill military duties will be treated in accordance with applicable requirements of state and federal law. Please inform your supervisor when you are obligated to serve, and help develop a strategy for covering your responsibilities.

  • Supervisor Check-ins. You can expect regular, weekly check-ins with your supervisor. You can request additional meetings as the need arises. There may be seasons when you and your supervisor decide to meet less often. However, because our work is interconnected, regular and ongoing communication is essential.

    All Staff Meeting. We schedule a monthly meeting for all staff on the second Wednesday of each month. Occasionally, the schedule is adjusted for a holiday or other conflicting event. The Executive Director prepares and distributes the agenda for this meeting.

    Coordinator Meeting. We schedule a monthly meeting for Coordinators on the 4th Wednesday of each month. Occasionally, the schedule is adjusted for a holiday or other conflicting event. The Program Director prepares and distributes the agenda for this meeting.

    Exec Team Meeting. QVS employees with a national area of responsibility are invited to attend a weekly meeting to coordinate the work and to offer mutual support.

    All staff are expected to attend Staff Retreat in early November, meet together the day before National Orientation, and support the work of National Orientation.

    Coordinators are also expected to attend the Coordinator Retreat in March.

  • The QVS Year is from August 1 to July 31. We begin a new budget year on August 1, and the arch of our program begins with National Orientation in August.

    These are some key events in the annual rhythm of our life together:

    National Orientation is the last week of August. QVS Staff gathers on the day before Orientation. During August, Local Support Committees oversee deep cleaning while the Houses are empty.

    Fellows begin working at their site placements in early September.

    Fellows have a Fall Retreat in October. Coordinators meet with Fellows and site placement supervisors, to make sure the year is off to a good start. Fellows are asked to complete a feedback survey.

    We schedule an all staff retreat in early November. The staff retreat overlaps with the QVS Board retreat.

    In December, we make an end-of-calendar-year appeal to donors.

    Site Placements who want to work with QVS in the coming year are asked to complete their application by January 15.

    Fellows have their midyear retreat in February. Those who want to be QVS Fellows in the coming year are asked to complete their application by the end of February.

    In March, Coordinators get together for their annual retreat. Coordinators review applications and start the process of creating QVS Houses for the coming year.

    In April, site placements are interviewing prospective Fellows for the coming year.

    In May, we finalize the matches between incoming Fellows and site placements. The onboarding process begins.

    Fellows finish working at site placements and attend the Closing Retreat. They clean and vacate the QVS House.

    Link to QVS Days and Retreats