There’s a short window between jobs that feels amazing. There is something so liberating about leaving all the worries and stress of the old place behind and the bliss of believing that the next chapter will bring only joy and happiness. I distinctly remember that feeling when I left the corporate world in pursuit of our church’s mission to help people find and follow Jesus in 2006. Don’t get me wrong, I loved working at my previous company, but the thought of being a part of a church was too exhilarating to pass up. Of course, I learned a few important lessons from that period of euphoria. First, if you had stress and worry in your last job, there’s an excellent chance it will find you in your next – it’s probably not the job as much as it’s you. Second, you don’t need to leave your current job to find joy in your occupation. Third, we all need time off; that’s why organizations offer employees vacation, holiday, and sick pay.
As someone who worked almost 20 years in the corporate world and inching my way toward that same time in ministry, the stress, worry, and exhaustion are exponentially more significant working at the church. On top of meeting deadlines, managing finances, complying with laws, and leading people, working at a church has emotional components like hospital visits, memorials, and people in financial, relational, and spiritual crises. According to a 2022 Barna study, 42% of pastors have considered leaving full-time ministry, up 14% from the prior year. While taking time off to rest, refresh, and recover is essential for everyone, the rigors of ministry make it mandatory. Churches evaluating their paid time off benefits may want to assess their plans against these suggestions.
Vacation
Organizations offer paid time off because vacations help reduce stress, prevent burnout, and promote a healthier work-life balance. Here’s an example of a tiered approach based on longevity for full-time employees.
- Year 1 through 2.9 = two weeks (80 hrs.)
- Year 3 through 5.9 = three weeks (120 hrs.)
- Year 6 through 10.9 = four weeks (160 hrs.)
- Year 11 through 24.9 = five weeks (200 hrs.)
- Year 25 on = six weeks (240 hrs.)
Pro Tip: For most churches, unused vacation time becomes a non-budgeted liability. One way to encourage employees to use their vacation time and minimize the unbudgeted liability is to put a max amount an employee can accrue. For example, a 1.5 accrual cap on an employee that accrues 80 hrs per year is 120 hrs. Once the employee hits the cap, they only accrue more hours once they use what they have accrued. Always check local and federal regulations before deciding on an accurate cap.
Holiday
Operating a church and providing comprehensive holiday pay benefits is trickier than for non-church organizations because churches work during weekends and holidays. But that doesn’t mean a church shouldn’t offer holiday pay. Here are a few options:
New Year’s Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and the day after Thanksgiving.
Pro Tip: investigate if your church can give a “Yule Break” between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Sick
Some organizations use PTO (Paid Time Off), which combines sick, personal, and vacation time. Keeping sick time separate from vacation may prevent people from coming in sick to maximize their vacation plans.
The minimum sick time for most states is 24 hours or three days, but consider providing 40 hours or five days.
Pro Tip: Check your state’s sick leave and public health requirements before making the policy.
Sabbatical
A sabbatical is an extended rest or breaks from the work routine to focus on gaining a new or refreshed perspective. Pastors are often on 24/7, and as the earlier statistics show, burnout for those who pastor a church is increasing. Interestingly, research by Vanderbloemen shows that 72% of the church in their survey do not provide a sabbatical for their pastors.
Pro Tip: Churches offering their pastors a sabbatical must provide a structure that supports key personnel’s absence.
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