Spiritual Retreat/Reflection

Policy

Loyola University New Orleans encourages employees to make use of opportunities for organized retreats or other means of spiritual reflection by granting benefit-eligible employees up to two days of paid leave each fiscal year for a person who wishes to participate in a spiritual retreat.The university considers this policy to be a support for the personal and professional development of its employees.

In order to ensure that important services do not lapse because of absences from the university, an employee must receive the approval of his or her supervisor for the time away from the university.

Loyola’s Office of Mission and Identity and Jesuit retreat houses, such as the Jesuit Spirituality Center at Grand Coteau, Louisiana, offer a variety of retreats in the Ignatian tradition. Other retreats scheduled by other religious or spiritual organizations are eligible under this benefit as well.

Procedure

This policy allows for the use of up to two retreat benefit days for a retreat request. If an employee requests to participate in a retreat that lasts for two or more days, the remaining days that occur during scheduled workdays would be used as vacation or weekend days. For example, if an employee requests five days off for a retreat that spans a workweek, the employee would be required to utilize two retreat benefit days and three vacation days.

Prorated based on scheduled hours per pay period standard equivalent is 15 hours based on a 75-hour pay period.

At the end of each fiscal year, July 31, any unused retreat benefit days will be forfeited.