Vacation
Vacation Accruals
Effective September 1, 2011
Vacation Accrual Plan for Non-Exempt Employees
Non-exempt employees can use time as it is accrued according to the following schedule:
| Qualified Service Completed |
Qualified Service Period in Years |
Approx. Annual Vacation Earned |
Vacation Factor Per Hour |
| Under 6 months | 0.00 - 0.49 | 1 week in 1st 6 months | .0385 per hour |
| 6 - 12 months | 0.50 - 0.99 | 2 weeks in 2nd 6 months | .0770 per hour |
| After 1 completed year | 1.00 - 8.99 | 3 weeks | .0575 per hour |
| After 9 completed years | 9.00 - 18.99 | 4 weeks | .0767 per hour |
| After 19 completed years | 19.00 or more | 5 weeks | .0958 per hour |
Example: If your hire date is 9/1/2000, then you will begin to accrue at a rate of 0.0767/hour after 9 completed years of qualified service.
Vacation Accrual for Exempt Staff, Research Staff, and Post-Doctoral Fellows
Vacation balances are maintained in the University-approved time entry system. Employees should report their vacation usage as they take the time off. By the end of the fiscal year, the employee and supervisor must sign off on vacation usage for the fiscal year.
Employees can use vacation time as it is accrued according to the following schedule:
| Qualified Service Completed |
Qualified Service Period in Years |
Allowance | Days Earned per Month |
| Under 6 months | 0.00 - 0.49 | 1 week in 1st 6 months | .83 |
| 6 - 12 months | 0.50 - 0.99 | 2 weeks in 2nd 6 months | 1.67 |
| After 1 completed year | 1.00 - 8.99 | 3 weeks | 1.25 |
| After 9 completed years | 9.00 - 18.99 | 4 weeks | 1.67 |
| After 19 completed years | 19.00 or more | 5 weeks | 2.08 |
Example: If your hire date is 9/1/2000, then you will begin to accrue at a rate of 2.08 days per month after 19 completed years of qualified service.
Vacation Accrual for Librarians and Exempt Staff in Salary Grades Exempt 14+ and ITS 85+
Librarians and exempt staff in salary grades Exempt 14 or higher and ITS 85 or higher earn vacation at the rate of four weeks per year from their date of hire. The accruals will then increase to five weeks per year after 19 completed years of service.
| Qualified Service Completed | Qualified Service Period in Years |
Annual Allowance |
Days Earned per Month |
| 0 months - 19 completed years | 0.00 - 18.99 | 4 weeks | 1.67 |
| After 19 completed years | 19.00 or more | 5 weeks | 2.08 |
Qualified Service
The Qualified Service Period consists of the service since the hire date and excludes sick time or unpaid leave time off.
Vacation Factor (Non-Exempt)
Vacation is calculated by multiplying the vacation factor per hour by the employee’s accrual base hour. The factor per hour is based on qualified service.
Accrual base hours are regular, scheduled work hours. These scheduled work hours may be paid as:
- regular hours worked, but not overtime hours worked;
- vacation;
- personal floating holidays and University recognized holidays; or
- leave for jury duty or a funeral.
For each of these hours, the employee receives vacation time based on the fraction of an hour indicated by the vacation factor per hour.
A full-time work schedule without unpaid leaves or sick time results in accrual of the approximate annual vacation indicated in the table.
Vacation is not accrued on hours reported as absent without pay or during sick time or family leave, whether paid or unpaid. When the vacation accrual maximum has been reached, vacation is not accrued until some vacation has been used, as described below in the section “Maximum accrual of vacation time.”
Accrual Calculation (Exempt)
Exempt employees earn vacation time after completing one-half month of service at the monthly rate listed above. Part-time exempt employees accrue vacation at a rate of the percentage of full time that they work.
Maximum Accrual of Vacation Time
Accrued vacation time cannot exceed one and one-half times the annual accrual. Staff members in non-exempt positions cannot exceed one and one-half times the annual accrual in a pay period; staff members in exempt positions cannot exceed one and one-half times the annual accrual at the end of the fiscal year. If the vacation balance of an exempt employee exceeds the maximum accrual at the end of the fiscal year or when employment is terminated, the excess vacation time is forfeited. Staff members and their departments/units must ensure that vacation time is scheduled to avoid losing it.
Accruals for 9-, 10-, and 11-month Work Schedules
Employees working 9, 10, or 11 months per year accrue vacation and non-exempt sick time at the rates shown in the corresponding exempt or non-exempt table during the time paid in the 9, 10, and 11 months of the work schedule. Vacation and sick time do not accrue during the months when the employee does not work. Consequently, the annual amount of vacation accrues in proportion to the number of months worked during the year. In addition, the University service indicated by the “Qualified Service Period” in the tables above accrues during the time worked in the 9-, 10-, or 11-month schedule, but does not accrue in the months not worked. During the months not worked, employees on these schedules are on leave of absence to assure continuity of benefits.
Transfer and Separation
When an employee transfers to another position in the University, the employee and supervisor should ensure that the University-approved time entry system is up to date and accruals are approved by the supervisor.
When a staff member’s primary role is changed from staff to faculty, then all accrued but unused vacation time will be paid out to the employee.
On separation from the University, the employee and supervisor must approve all vacation and personal floating holiday time balances in the University-approved time entry system for the accrual payout. Employees who separate from the University are paid their unused vacation accruals up to the maximum allowed.
Scheduling Time Off
Use of vacation time must be scheduled in advance and in accordance with department/unit rules. The supervisor and the employee schedule vacation time when it is mutually convenient. The department may limit the amount of vacation taken at one time in consideration of departmental needs and the vacation entitlement of other employees. Departments may specify periods when no vacation may be taken.
No advance. Vacation time is not advanced, that is, vacation cannot be taken before it is accrued.
Not cashable. No payment is made to an employee in lieu of vacation time, except at termination of employment, or upon change to a faculty appointment, or as otherwise referenced in this Handbook.
Portability. Employees who transfer from one department/unit to another retain their accrued vacation time.
Coinciding holiday. When a University holiday falls during an employee’s vacation, the day is paid as holiday time rather than as vacation.
Exceptions
Variances to this vacation time off program must be approved in advance by the Associate Vice President for Human Resources or designee.