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Maintainers -ImageQuintin Coetzee, MBSc, ImageCristina Ghimbas

Open energy transition leave process

Leave request process for all OETers​

General process​

All leave requests are managed through Remote, ensuring a streamlined, single-platform tracking system for employees and contractors across the globe. The only exception is those OETers who do not have access to Remote. For those specific team members, please email Cristina and Quintin, so that they can manually log your leave days. Please provide all applicable information to ensure a streamlined admin process.

To take leave, kindly follow these steps:

  1. Make sure to check the requirements and considerations applicable to each type of leave further below on this page (and with the People Team if this page doesn't mention a particular kind of leave you'd like to take).
  2. Please sync up with your Project Lead/s first, then your Manager, to make sure they are aware that you'd like to take leave, and have a chance to tell you that doing so would not be viable (only done in extreme circumstances, where workflow does not allow for this). If your leave is declined, those responsible for approving are to find suitable dates as soon as possible, so that you can take the leave. The exception here is for things like family responsibility leave, sick leave, etc., where you will of course be able to take the days. Consideration is more for things like holidays, planned in advance. But, again, we try to be accommodating.
  3. Sign into Remote. If you do not have access to Remote, please email Cristina and Quintin for manual logging of leave days.
  4. In Remote, go to “Time Off”, on the left.
  5. Select the desired dates.
  6. Select the applicable type of leave. If the required type is not available, please select "Other leave" and add a comment in the box, stating the type of leave. Some requirements and considerations may apply depending on the type and length of the leave.
  7. Click “Request”.
  8. Check the calendar to ensure the leave days have been successfully submitted. If not, please try again. If the process still does not work, please notify Remote of the error by emailing, "help@remote.com". Response times are typically within 24 hours. Please also let the People Team know about the error, so that they can follow up if necessary.

Following the above steps, your leave submission will be processed by either your Manager, HOD, or our Head of People.

Requirements and considerations for main types of leave​

  • Holidays:

    • Check with your Project Leads and Manager to ensure that your leave can be accommodated without risking the timely delivery of projects and other deliverables.

  • Extended leave (above two weeks):

    • Consult the above individuals as early as possible to increase the chances that your request can be accommodated without issues.

  • Public holidays:

    • Public holidays are applicable as per your primary country of residence, not OET's country of incorporation (unless the two are the same). In other words, unless you live in Germany, you won't be taking German public holidays. Please take public holidays as per the country in which you live for 6 months plus 1 day in the relevant year. If you are an Employee, and on Remote, OET already knows which public holidays are applicable to your region.
    • These do not fall under traditional leave, and only Contractors need to notify us that they will be on leave on public holidays. For everyone else, just have a good time!
    • For Contractors, please first try and log public holidays on Remote, and if not possible, kindly email Cristina and Quintin with all relevant information.

  • Days in lieu:

    • You are most welcome to decide to work on a public holiday. If you choose to do so, please just go ahead (you do not need to ask for permission for this). It is not logged in any way on Remote or in our leave Sheets.
    • If you do work on a public holiday or another day you otherwise were going to have leave, then as soon as possible after the day, please submit a day of leave in lieu of that day.
    • To submit a leave day in lieu, please go onto Remote and select "Other" for type of leave. In the comment box, please type that it is a leave day in lieu, and which day it's replacing. If you can't submit this on Remote, please email Cristina and Quintin for manual logging of the day/s.

  • Sick leave and other unforeseen circumstances:

    • Notify the above individuals when you are well enough to do so. Please also add a status on Discord, so that others know you're on leave. You do not need to specify that you are on sick leave, as this is personal information.
    • You do not need to keep everyone updated on the progress of your cold, flu, etc. However, if you'll be on sick leave for more than a few days, or you get sick on the day of a deadline and you're the point person for it, please ensure that you give access (sharing documents, forwarding emails, etc.), when possible, to anything that can be handed over/taken care of while you're gone, to any relevant people. That way, you can rest and get better, without checking in on work-related things. We trust your judgement.

  • Other types of leave (e.g., bereavement, parental):

    • Refer to your local labor laws, as these vary by country.
    • Discuss requests with the above individuals whenever possible, or fill them in when you get a chance, if the leave is unplanned. We are nothing if not understanding and accommodating. We're human, and life happens. Please just put a leave status on Discord, and forward anything relevant as hand over, when you get a chance to do so.
    • Special arrangements may be made where local labor laws do not cover these requests, subject to approval by a member of the People Team or Leadership Team.

  • Documents:

    • While we don't mandate any kind of leave-related documents to be sent to us, if you wish to send something like that, please do so via email, not Discord. While we all love instant messaging, email for this kind of thing is more suitable, as it allows for easier searching for things later on. You are most welcome to use your own judgement in terms of a need-to-know basis for sharing leave-related information. It is not expected that you update your entire team with explicit details about what's going on in your life. Notifying your Manager, Project Director/s, and the People Team that you'll be on leave, and the type of leave (just your Manager and the People Team in this case) is sufficient.

Contractor leave​

  • Process:

    • Contractors must indicate any days they will be unavailable (for any reason, such as sick leave, taking time off to relax/go on holiday, and observing bank holidays) through the process listed in Section 1.
    • First, kindly check with your Manager, and your Project Lead/s, to make sure they are aware you'd like to take leave, and approve such. Once approved, proceed to the next steps.
    • Please enter your leave on Remote.
    • If you are unable to enter the days on Remote, for whatever reason, please email Cristina and Quintin to notify them of your leave days (and reason/s), so that they can be manually logged.

  • Notification:

    • Please provide as much notice as possible for your leave, so as to maintain workflow and project continuity while you're away.

  • Important note:

    • This Contractor-specific section does not constitute formal Employee-like "Paid Time Off (PTO)", as your contracts specify either the project scope, or the exact number of contracted working days you may have.
    • This is only a notification for coordination and internal record-keeping, not the facilitation of formal employment benefits.

Sick leave​

General requirements​

  • Please make taking care of your health the number one priority if you're not feeling well. If you're sick, take some time off to recover. Don't feel the need to check in on work things - get proper rest. Just please ensure you let your Project Director/s and Manager know you'll be off, put a status on Discord that you're on leave (you do not have to say it's sick leave, as this is personal info), and hand over anything pertinent to other team members when you get a chance (as applicable).

Medical certificate requirements​

  • If you will be taking a significant period of leave for something like recovering from an operation, we may (at our discretion) ask for a medical certificate. These are not, however, required for short-term sick leave. We would prefer that you use your own judgement when you're not feeling well, and rather (if you prefer) stay at home to rest, than go to a Doctor if you suspect you just have a cold or something similar. We trust you'll look after yourself as you know best.

Special leave​

  • Other types of leave (e.g., unpaid leave, parental leave, maternity leave, family responsibility leave, etc.):

    • Availability, duration, and processes vary by country due to local labor laws.

  • Family leave:

    • Maternity and paternity leave entitlements vary by country, with differences in duration and paid/unpaid status. Please check online, and then with the People Team.

  • Bereavement leave:

    • May be available in certain countries. Please check online, and then with the People Team.

  • Unpaid leave:

    • Options may be available for special circumstances, subject to country regulations and OET's internal policies. Please check online, and then with the People Team.

Process​

  • Submit requests for special leave on Remote, following the same initial procedure as for sick or vacation leave.
  • If you do not have access to Remote, please email Cristina and Quintin with all relevant information, for manual logging.
  • Specific documentation or advance notice may be needed, depending on the country.

Compliance​

  • OET endeavors to keep up-to-date with country-specific labor law, and by extension, leave-related legislation. We acknowledge our duty to follow leave requirements (such as mandated leave days, days of rest, days in lieu, public holidays, long-service leave days, sabbaticals, volunteer days, and other types of leave), as per our team members' respective countries of residence.