These are automatically approved. Please add your holidays for each year by the end of January.

Use this leave type if you’re taking time for Elections. | ‣ ‣ | | Vacation | Use this category for all rest days, whether it’s a multi-week event, or simply an extra day off to recharge.

We recommend a minimum of 3 weeks (12 days) each year.

These need to be approved by your manager, so please submit them in advance; we recommend at least 2 weeks’ notice for less than a week off, and at least a month’s notice for anything longer than a week.

Enjoy your time away! | ‣ | | Sick Leave | Days off for physical recovery. This can be planned, for a scheduled procedure, or unplanned, due to illness.

We do not require doctor's notes for sick days and they do not need to be approved. Please also let your manager and team know in Slack about unplanned absences due to sickness. | ‣ | | Conference | Use this category when you attend a non-Buffer-hosted professional event.

These also need to be approved, so please give your manager at least a month’s notice. | | | Bereavement or Caretaking Needs | Bereavement or Compassionate Leave is applied when you are grieving the loss of a loved one.

This does not need to be approved in Timetastic, but please communicate with your manager about your expected timeline, if and when you can. | ‣ | | Family or Long Term Leave | Family leave is most often used when teammates add a new child to their family (including for adoption).

This type of leave may also be used in cases of extended caregiving needs.

This category requires approval and planning conversations with your manager. | ‣ ‣ | | Wellness Day | Please use the Wellness category for planned preventative health care, such as an annual physical or dentist appointments. | ‣ | | Volunteer Day | You’re welcome to take one day per quarter for volunteering with the organization of your choosing if for any reason you’re not able to use the 5th day for giving back. These need to be approved in Timetastic, so please give your manager and team a few weeks’ notice when possible. | | | Work Travel | Use this category for team meetups, retreats, or any Buffer-related travel! | | | Personal Day | Use this category for time when it’s not possible to work, but does not fall into the vacation category. This is often used for “life admin.”

These may be planned (such as moving to a new house/apartment on the final day of the month, or obligations at a child’s school) or unplanned (such as a caregiving day for a sick child or a mental health day). | | | Team Time Off | This category covers the time during which “Buffer is Closed.” This is assigned at the company level. Some teams develop on-call schedules, so please communicate with your team in advance. We usually do a week of Team Time Off in the last week of the year. | | | Sabbatical Leave | Teammates may take a 6-week sabbatical after reaching 5 years at Buffer. Please start planning and connect with your manager at least 6 months in advance. | ‣ | | Working | Teammates use this to mark days that they’ll be working, especially if it falls outside of their usual scheduled work days. This is usually used by Advocacy or on-call teammates. | | | Jury Duty | Please use this category when you’re assigned Jury Duty! | ‣ |