5.28 - P&S Staff - Holidays and Leaves

Scheduled Holidays

• New Years Day/January 1
• Martin Luther King's Birthday/The Third Monday in January
• Memorial Day/The Last Monday in May
• Independence Day/July 4
• Labor Day/The First Monday in September
• Thanksgiving Day/The Fourth Thursday in November
• Friday after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Day/December 25
• One (1) other holiday is designated annually by the University.

When a holiday is observed during the Monday through Friday work week and a staff member is excused from work on the holiday, earnings are continued provided compensation for the scheduled work days immediately preceding and following the holiday period is qualified. For staff members on a Monday through Friday work week, Monday is observed as the holiday when a schedule holiday occurs on Sunday while Friday is recognized as the holiday when the scheduled holiday falls on Saturday. For all other staff members, the holiday shall be deemed to fall on the day on which the holiday occurs.

2. Sick Leave

Professional and scientific (P&S) personnel accrue sick leave at the rate of twelve (12) hours per month of service. The P&S staff member serving with a term, contract, provisional, probationary or continuing service appointment of half-time or more for no less than an academic year will accrue that fractional portion of the full-time entitlement. Sick leave is cumulative and accrues to an unlimited maximum. While sick leave entitlement accrues during vacation, family care giving leave and sick leave periods, such leave does not accrue during approved leaves of absence without pay.

Sick leave may be paid during the academic year or the summer session to a P&S staff member as a result of a medically related disability which occurs before a semester or a summer session commences to the extent that such leave credits are available, and provided a definite commitment of employment during that period has been consummated before the onset of the disability.

Sick leave benefits do not apply with periods of illnesses or injuries during vacations and paid holiday periods. However, if a staff member is hospitalized while on his/her vacation, the staff member may use sick leave for those days actually confined to a hospital.

If a staff member becomes entitled to income benefits under Workers’ Compensation while still eligible for sick leave payments, the staff member may elect to have his/her regular salary reduced by the amount of Workers’ Compensation benefits. Credit for Workers’ Compensation benefits will then be used to purchase additional days of sick leave for the staff member and the total amount of sick leave credit so realized will be exhausted as required.

In the event the University administration has reason to believe that a staff member is abusing the sick leave privilege or may not be physically fit to return to work, the administration may require a medical certificate or other appropriate certification. Sick leave claims shall be reported with an absence request form.

B. Sick Leave Vacation Conversion Benefit

While there is no maximum limit on the amount of unused sick leave that may be accumulated, P&S staff members may elect, once thirty (30) days (240 hours) have accumulated to have with conversion one-half day (4 hours) added to their accrued vacation leave account in lieu of adding one and one half (12 hours) to their accrued sick leave. [Conversion rights are prorated at the rate of three to one (one hour of vacation for every three hours of earned sick leave) in the case of eligible part-time P&S personnel.]

All leave time chargeable to sick leave benefit causes the otherwise qualified P&S staff member to be ineligible to participate in the conversion option for the month in which such claim occurs.

Added vacation leave days accumulated by a staff member with application of conversion option are not accounted for in a manner separate from regular vacation leave time. P&S personnel who have reached the maximum vacation leave entitlement [twice the annual vacation leave (44 days) and unscheduled personal holidays (4 days) entitlement] are permitted to accumulate an additional four (4) hours per month, up to a maximum of twelve (12) days beyond their annual vacation leave and unscheduled (personal) holiday entitlement.

C. Accumulated Unused Sick Leave Retirement Benefit

The sick leave retirement benefit provides that the eligible staff member shall receive a cash payment for his/her accumulated unused sick leave by the staff member's hourly rate of pay at the time of retirement. The total cash payment for accumulated, unused sick leave cannot exceed two thousand ($2,000) and is payable upon retirement. In order to be eligible for the sick leave retirement benefit, the staff member must be fifty-five (55) years of age and have applied for retirement benefits.

Payments to those who are eligible are subject to Federal and State withholding, TIAA-CREF (or like approved retirement programs), and IPERS. The payout is not subject to FICA nor will it affect earnings for Social Security purposes.

D. Court and Jury Service Leave

When in obedience to a subpoena or direction by proper authority, a staff member is required to appear as a witness or serve as a member of a jury in connection with public or private litigation, he/she will be entitled to regular compensation provided pay received for such service (other than travel or personal expense reimbursement) is surrendered to the University cashier. Such leave is to be noted with an absence request form.

E. Administrative Leave

P&S personnel may, upon application, be granted short term leaves of absence with continued earnings to participate in meetings, conferences, programs or to otherwise engage in activities relating to University duty assignments. Such short term leaves are normally for periods of a week or less yet may, at the discretion of the University administration, be granted for a period of up to twenty-two (22) consecutive days. Absences for purposes of consulting (see Consulting Services Policy) or for other professional activities for which earnings are continued may be granted with this leave provision.

F. Personal Emergency Leave (Funeral, Pallbearer, etc.)

A department head may grant a P&S staff member time off with pay:

• In the case of death in the staff member's immediate family, not to exceed three (3) days for each occurrence;

• for an individual engaged on an unpaid basis in the functions of a funeral, not to exceed one (1) day for each occurrence, and not to exceed two (2) days a year;

• in the event of an emergency for the temporary care of ill or injured members of the staff member's immediate family not to exceed an accumulation of five (5) days a year.

All such time off is charged to the staff member's accumulative sick leave. Such time will not be granted in excess of accrued leave. For the purposes of this policy, immediate family is defined as and limited to wife, husband, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, foster children, brothers (and their spouses), sisters (and their spouses) of the staff member or spouse; aunts and uncles of the staff member; or other relatives residing in the staff member's immediate household.

Conditions/circumstances applicable with Personal Leave are to be identified on an absence report form.

G. Request Form

H. Vacation Leave Entitlement

P&S personnel serving with other than a temporary appointment on a full-time basis accrue vacation leave at the rate of 1.8333 days per month or twenty-two (22) working days per anniversary year. [Two personal Holidays per calendar year together with twenty-two (22) vacation leave days per anniversary year causes the accrual to total two (2) days per month.] A staff member's anniversary year extends from his/her employment date (month and day) and ends the day before the same date the following year. Vacation leave may be cumulative to twice the annual entitlement and is granted, upon the staff member's request, at the discretion and convenience of the employing department. The University reserves the right to require a P&S staff member to take vacation leave whenever in his/her judgment such action would be deemed by the administration to be in the best interests of the institution and the staff member. No staff member is required to reduce his/her accrued vacation leave to less than one week by such action. Vacation leave periods are to be identified and arranged with an absence request form.

Accrued unused annual (vacation) leave may remain unclaimed during an approved absence from active University service for a period of up to two years.

I. Leaves of Absence

An extended leave of absence from active University service without continued earnings may be granted to P&S staff members with continuing service status for a variety of personal and other compelling reasons. Such leave is granted with the understanding that the staff member plans to return to active service at the conclusion of the leave period specified. Failure to return to active service or to make arrangements for an extension of a leave normally will be considered as a voluntary resignation. For the purpose of this provision, an extended leave shall be for a period in excess of twenty-two (22) scheduled working days. All leaves of absence without compensation are to be identified and arranged with an absence request form.

J. Disability Leave

The P&S staff member found to be qualified for income benefit allowances under the University Long Term Disability Insurance Plan will be granted a disability leave. Such leave ceases on the earliest of the following dates: the date the staff member is no longer disabled; the date he/she fails to submit to any required medical examination, or the date the staff member fails to provide required proof that a disabling condition has continued without interruption; or the June 30 coinciding with or next following the date the staff member attains sixty-five (65) years of age, if disability commenced prior to age sixty-three (63); on the date the staff member receives sixty (60) months of benefits (but not beyond the June 30th coinciding with or next following attainment of seventy (70) years of age); if the total disability commenced on or after age sixty-three (63); or if prior thereto, the date of retirement.

The P&S staff member meeting all requirements for the University Long-Term Disability Insurance Plan at the time of the onset of a disability and who continues to be disable through the greater or ninety (90) calendar working days or the expiration of accumulated sick leave is eligible to receive monthly benefit allowances. The Long-Term Disability Insurance Plan carrier determines whether benefit allowances are to be provided and establishes the beginning date of the total disability for such purpose.

K. Maternity Leave

The time during which a P&S staff member is medically unable to work because of pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, childbirth, and recovering therefrom will be granted a maternity leave and afforded benefit accrued sick-leave time. If the staff member's accumulated sick leave is insufficient to cover the absence period prior to the time Long-Term Disability (LTD) benefits are qualified, annual (vacation) leave and/or leave of absence without pay will upon request be granted for the duration of such period. An approved request supported by a physician's statement for an absence beyond the period of disability will be considered as leave of absence without pay.

L. Medical Leave

Upon written application a P&S staff member serving with other than a temporary appointment may be granted a medical leave for a period of disability occurring after expiration of both sick leave and vacation leave benefits and prior to approval of long-term disability income benefits.

M. Military Leave

P&S staff members, who are inducted, enlist, or with reservist or National Guard duty, and leave active service with the University to report immediately for military duty will be continued in the employ of the University for such military service for as long as re-employment rights exist under the law and provided return to active University employment occurs within the time specified. There is no loss of regular earnings during the first thirty (30) days of a military leave of absence.

N. Adoption Leave

A newly adoptive parent is entitled to five days paid leave chargeable to accrued sick leave.

O. Catastrophic Illness Contributions

Contact Human Resource Services (HRS) for more information.

Human Resource Services, approved 2012 
President’s Cabinet, approved January 7, 2013