Pay & Leave Benefits

PSA members receive four types of Paid Time Off/Paid Leave annually per our CBA. More information about the types of leave, how you can use them, and when you need to use them by can be found below the chart. The information here applies to full-time employees who have been with BPL for longer than one year. For information specific to employees on probation or within their first year of hire, please click here.

Yearly Leave Allotment

Our contract allows for a certain amount of annual leave to be carried over year to year. If you have more hours than you can carryover, you must submit a carryover request, in writing, to Human Resources. Please note that HR is not obligated to approve your request and have, in fact, made it clear that they will not approve any requests outside of time denied due to “operational need.” Use the Leave Carryover Calculator below to see how many hours you need to use by December 31 so that you retain access to your full benefit hours.

Annual Leave Carryover Calculator

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  • Article XIV (14).

    The accumulation rate and amount of annual leave you receive each year varies on your years of service. Members receive half of their annual leave for the year on January 1 and the other half on July 1 each year. To see how much that is for you, simply divide your yearly allotment by two.

    Our contract allows for a certain amount of annual leave to be carried over year to year. If you have more hours than you can carryover, you must submit a carryover request, in writing, to Human Resources. Please note that HR is not obligated to approve your request and have, in fact, made it clear that they will not approve any requests outside of time denied due to “operational need.” Download the Leave Carryover Calculator to see how many hours you need to use by December 31 so that you retain access to your full benefit hours.

  • Article XV (15).

    Sick leave is also disbursed twice per year, with members receiving half of their yearly allotment on January 1 and July 1 each year. Sick leave does not expire and can be carried over year to year. Per our contract, PSA members can convert any sick leave over 1,050 hours (150 days) to annual leave at a rate of 3 sick days for 1 day of annual leave. The maximum amount of sick time an employee can carry is 1,750 hours (250 days). All hours earned over 250 days will automatically be converted to annual leave at the same 3:1 ratio.

  • Article XVI (16). Section 3

    PSA members are entitled to 21 hours (3 days) of Personal Time each year. These must be taken in increments greater than 0.5 (30 minutes). Personal Leave does not carry over and must be used by December 31 each year.

  • Article XIII (13). Sections 2-4

    Depending on your date of hire, the amount of Swing Holiday time you receive each year may vary. Employees hired prior to January 1, 2014 receive 28 hours (4 days) of Swing Holiday time; employees hired after January 1, 2014 receive 14 hours (2 days) of Swing Holiday time. These hours must be used increments greater than 1 hour. Swing Holiday time does not carry over and must be used by December 31 of each year.

    For those who receive 4 days worth of time, you’ll see 14 hours of Swing Time and 14 hours of “Floating Holiday” reflected in your ESS.

    Why is there a difference? Prior to 2011, Massachusetts observed two additional paid holidays: Evacuation Day in March and Bunker Hill Day in June. In 2011, the State Legislature voted to eliminate Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day due to the expense of giving state and local workers paid days off. PSA negotiated two additional days of Swing Holiday time for the employees who had been hired prior to the elimination of these holidays to be used throughout the year in the 2010-2013 MOA (Memorandum of Agreement).

Click on each type of leave below to learn more.

Types of Paid Time Off (PTO)

Estimated Retirement Payout

The amount you’ll be paid for your unused leave when retiring is based on your three highest salaries. You can find more details on your pension and how much you’ll be receiving based on age and years of service on the City of Boston website.

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This document outlines salary grades and steps for our members. Members receive yearly step increases on the anniversary of either a) the end of their probationary period or b) the date of transfer or promotion for their current position. The current pay scale can also be found on the Office of Labor Relation’s webpage on the City of Boston’s website. We are currently waiting for the City to share a new pay scale with us that will reflect the 2% raise that will kick in on October 4, 2025. You can access previous pay scales here.

Pay Scales

October 6, 2025: 2% increase to base salary, reflected in 10/24 paycheck
January 1, 2026: $900 increase to base salary, reflected in 01/16 paycheck
October 5, 2026: 2% increase to base salary, reflected in 10/23 paycheck
January 1, 2027: $800 increase to base salary, reflected in 01/29 paycheck

Anticipated Future Pay Raises

If you believe you qualify for or are supposed to be but not receiving any of these benefits, please reach out to your representative.

Additional Pay Benefits

Longevity Pay: If you have worked here for 10 or more years, you are entitled to an additional $1,200 annually. When you hit 15 years, this benefit increases to $1,700 annually. (Article XXII (22). Section 6.) This benefit is paid out biweekly at a pro rata rate through the end of the calendar year (i.e.: if you celebrate your 10 year anniversary in September, you’ll receive approximately $300 by the end of the calendar year). Longevity Pay has it’s own line on your paycheck.

Additional Masters Degree Payment: If you have a second Master’s Degree in a subject area related to your job, you are entitled to an additional $600 annually. (Article XXII (22). Section 2.)

In addition to our yearly PTO, PSA members have access to other types of leave and leave support through our contract and the City. Please contact your representative if you run into any issues while trying to access these benefits.

Additional Leave Benefits

Bereavement Leave (Article XVI (16). Section 2:

  • 5 days in the event of the death of a spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law, in loco parentis, sibling, sibling-in-law, child, grandparent, grandchild, step family member, or member of your immediate household (for more than a period of 6 months)

  • 3 days in the event of the death of an aunt, uncle, or niece or nephew.

Cancer Screening: 1 day every calendar year for screenings for: Breast, Colon, Skin, Thyroid, Oral Cavity, Lymph Nodes, Reproductive Organs and Lungs. (Article XVI (16). Section 4.) Members wishing to take advantage of this benefit must have this form certified by their provider.

Parental Leave: You can access the City’s full Parental Leave Policy here. If you have questions about parental leave, please reach out to BPL or City HR.

  • 12 weeks of compensated time per employee (if both parents work for the City of Boston, each employee is entitled to 12 weeks of leave)

  • 4 weeks @ 100% base wages

  • 4 weeks @ 75% base wages

  • 4 weeks @ 50% base wages

  • Can opt for one continuous period or two continuous periods that total 12 weeks; leave must be used within one year of the Event

  • Employees can supplement the last 8 weeks using accumulated PTO however if you supplement your wages without filing for FMLA, it counts as an absence.

  • If opting for the two continuous periods of leave with the first being to take care of someone who has given birth and the second to bond with the child, the second part of your leave is not eligible for FMLA

Converting Vacation to Sick: If, while out on vacation, you fall ill for 5 or more days and provide a doctor’s note upon your return, you are entitled to convert half of your vacation time to sick leave. For example: If you are using 10 days of vacation and are ill days 4-10, when you return, you can convert 3 of those days to sick time instead and have 3 days of vacation time added back to your bank. (Article XIV (14). Section 5.)

Sick Leave Conversion: Any amount of sick time above 1,050 hours/150 days may be converted to Annual Leave at a rate of 21 hours/3 days of Sick Leave for 7 hours/1 Day of Annual Leave. Once an employee reaches 1,750 hours/250 days of Sick Leave, all time earned after that is automatically converted to Annual Leave at the same rate. (Article XV (15). Section 6.)