Paid Time Off Benefits for Coaches in Israel
Written by Yair Spolter
Updated at August 14th, 2025
Paid Time Off Benefits for Israel Coaches
At Olami Souled, we care about our Coaches’ well-being and work-life balance. As part of this commitment, this policy outlines the paid time off benefits available to Coaches in Israel. All policies outlined below are in accordance with Israeli labor law.
Vacation Time
Eligibility
All Coaches are entitled to paid vacation leave.
Accrual
Vacation leave is accrued monthly according to the calendar cycle and increases based on length of service with the Organization, as detailed in the schedule below. Vacation leave completes a full accrual by December of each year and refreshes each January. (For first-year accruals, vacation leave will accrue from date of hire through 12/31).
Accrual Schedule
The amount of vacation days depends on the length of employment:
1-4 years: 12 days per year
5-6 years: 18 days per year
7-8 years: 21 days per year
9+ years: 23 days per year
Unused Time
Coaches are encouraged to use all allotted vacation time within each calendar year. Unused vacation is not carried over from year to year and refreshed in January. Unused vacation time is not eligible for payout while employed. Extensions may be granted with prior written approval from HR and/or management if special needs or exceptions arise.
Request for Leave
- When vacation time is needed, Coaches must enter their request on HiBob as soon as possible and inform students so meetings can be rescheduled. Planned vacation leave should be requested through HiBob as far in advance as possible and to be taken in full day increments.
- Should all paid vacation time be exhausted, the remaining vacation leave is unpaid. To ensure learning commitments with students, arrangements should be made with the supervisor, when leave is taken for more than 14 consecutive calendar days.
Sick Leave
Eligibility
All Israel Coaches are entitled to paid sick leave.
Accrual
- Coaches accrue 1.5 sick days per month, totaling 18 sick days per year.
- Sick days carry over year to year, up to a maximum of 90 days.
Usage
Sick leave may be used in full-day increments for preventive health care or to address any other health matters for yourself or immediate family members. A ‘sick day’ is defined based on the employee’s average daily hours worked over the past six months. For example, an employee working 20 hours per week on average, will have a sick day equivalent to 4 hours, whereas an employee working 15 hours per week will have a sick day equivalent to 3 hours. This includes:
- Caring for a sick child or family member.
- Attending a medical appointment for yourself or a family member.
- Sick leave may not be used for general childcare needs, vacation, or personal time off that is not related to health or medical reasons. For personal time off, vacation time should be requested.
- On any day that sick leave is taken, coaches must not schedule or perform any work related tasks, including student meetings, administrative work, or other job responsibilities. Additionally, no work time should be logged in HiBob or any other tracking system for that day when sick leave is taken.
- If a Coach becomes sick partway through the day, they may request sick leave for the remainder of the day. Sick leave can be taken in half-day increments, based on the Coach’s average daily hours. Hours worked earlier in the day should be recorded as regular time, and only the remaining hours should be logged as sick leave.
By Israel Law, sick leave is paid at the following rates:
First day: No payment.
Second and third days: 50% of regular wages.
From the fourth day onward: 100% of regular wages.
However, Olami pays 100% sick leave from the first day of sick leave reported.
Paid Holidays
Holiday pay is based on each Coach’s average daily hours worked over the past six months. This is calculated by dividing the Coach’s total weekly hours by five, reflecting the Sunday–Thursday workweek. For example:
- A Coach working 20 hours per week receives 4 hours of holiday pay per holiday (20 ÷ 5 = 4).
- A Coach working 15 hours per week receives 3 hours of holiday pay per holiday (15 ÷ 5 = 3)
Evaluations occur twice per year—on September 1 and March 1—based on actual average weekly hours worked. Sick leave, vacation leave, unpaid leave and holiday hours are not included in this calculation.
Each Coach’s calculated average will be applied to all eligible holidays for the following six-month period. Coaches are not approved to schedule or conduct student meetings and conduct work on paid holiday days.
Coaches receive paid holiday time in observance of the following holidays when they fall out on a Sunday-Thursday:
Rosh Hashanah (2 Days)
Yom Kippur (1 Day)
Sukkot (1 Day)
Simchat Torah (1 Day)
Purim (1 Day)
Pesach (2 Days)
Shavuot (1 Day)
Yom Ha'atzmaut (1 Day)
Holiday Scheduling
Coaches are allowed to schedule or conduct student meetings on paid holidays and will still be entitled to receive their holiday pay in addition to pay for the hours worked. According to Rav Asher Weiss, coaches are allowed to log hours for work done on Shabbos and yom tov, since they are paid for weekday hours together with these hours.
Eligibility
Souled Coaches must have worked for at least three months to be eligible to receive holiday pay.
Usage
Holiday pay will be automatically populated onto the Coach’s timesheet based on the coach's average hours worked. Coaches who are out on an extended unpaid leave period are not eligible for holiday pay. If a Coach takes paid sick leave before or after a holiday, it will not affect holiday pay eligibility.
Unpaid Leave
Eligibility
All Coaches are eligible to take unpaid leave while adhering to the student learning requirements.
Usage
Unpaid leave can be taken for any personal / vacation reasons not covered by sick leave, or once sick leave is exhausted. Coaches may take up to 14 unpaid days per calendar year, either as a One 14-day stretch or two separate 7-day periods.
Request for Leave
A Coach who wishes to take unpaid leave must submit a request for leave through HiBob and obtain approval from their Coach Manager prior to taking leave. Requests should be submitted at least two weeks in advance whenever possible to allow for proper planning and student rescheduling. Coach Managers will review each request based on workload, student impact, and overall program needs. Approval is required before the leave can be taken. Coaches are responsible for ensuring their students are informed and that meetings are rescheduled appropriately to minimize disruptions. Failure to obtain prior approval for unpaid leave may result in disciplinary action, including a pause in student assignments or other measures as deemed necessary by management.
Maternity Leave
Your manager will reach out to discuss your preferred return-to-work timeline. Please keep them informed of any changes to your plans so we can provide the necessary support.
Coaches who have worked 6–14 months are entitled to:
- Paid leave for up to 8 weeks
- Job protection for a total of 15 weeks
- You may choose to return to work after a minimum of 6 weeks if you wish.
Coaches who have worked for at least 15 of the past 18 months are entitled to:
- Paid leave for up to 15 weeks
- Job protection for a total of 26 weeks
- Additional unpaid leave may be requested for up to one-quarter of your employment period (capped at one year), in accordance with Israeli law
Upon returning from maternity leave, there will be a graduated increase to your student load capacity, allowing for a smoother re-entry. This ramp-up process may take 6 weeks or longer, depending on overall student volume and program needs.
Bereavement Leave
Eligibility: All Employees are entitled to paid bereavement leave in the event of a death in their immediate family. Immediate family members includes; Spouse or domestic partner, Parent, step-parent, or foster parent, parent in- law, child, step-child, or foster child, Sibling, step-sibling, or half-sibling and parent-in-law.
Request for Leave: Employees should notify their supervisor and HR as soon as possible of their need for bereavement leave. Requests should be entered in HiBob.
Usage: In accordance with Israeli law, employees may take up to 7 calendar days of bereavement leave ("Shiva"), which includes the funeral day. Employees must be absent from work on the day of the funeral in order to be eligible for full Shiva leave. Leave should be taken immediately following the death, unless otherwise coordinated with HR. Bereavement leave will not be deducted from vacation or sick time balances.
Social Benefit Contributions
Souled Coaches who are employed under an Israeli payroll will receive statutory social benefits as required by Israeli law.
This includes:
Pension Contributions (פנסיה): Olami contributes to each eligible Coach’s pension fund in accordance with the Israeli Pension Law (2008). Contributions are made by both the employer and employee at the rates defined by law. Coaches may select their preferred pension fund or be enrolled in the default fund in the absence of a selection.
Severance Pay (פיצויי פיטורין): Where applicable, Olami provides severance contributions as part of the monthly pension deposit. These contributions are managed under Section 14 of the Severance Pay Law.
National Insurance (ביטוח לאומי – Bituach Leumi): Contributions to National Insurance and Health Insurance are deducted from the Coach’s salary and transferred to the National Insurance Institute as required by law.
Recreational Recovery Days (Yemei Dimrei Havra’a)
In accordance with Israeli law, Olami Souled provides recreational recovery days (Yemei Dimrei Havra’a) as an annual financial benefit for eligible employees. These days are granted to support rest, renewal, and overall well being, in addition to standard vacation and sick leave.
Eligibility: All Coaches in Israel are eligible for Dimrei Havra’a after completing one full year of employment with Olami Souled.
Dimrei Havra’a are provided as a monetary benefit and are not taken as leave. Payment is made once per year, as required by law.
Payment is issued in the months of July or August, depending on organizational payroll timelines.
The amount is calculated based on factors such as employment status, number of work hours, and family status, as determined by the Israeli National Insurance Institute.