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Every employee has unique needs and circumstances. We’ve created this site to provide you with general guidance about University policies. The bargaining unit contracts supersede all information contained on this page.
For full details about vacation leave, read your bargaining unit contract and consult with your supervisor or your department’s HR team about how your bargaining unit contract applies to your situation.
You qualify for vacation pay if you meet the following conditions:
Your vacation leave becomes available during the pay period in which it is earned. View your most recent pay statement.
You earn vacation for straight-time, paid work hours.
AFSCME unit 6 (Clerical) and 7 (Technical) employees do not accrue vacation leave for overtime and other additional work hours.
Employees in AFSCME unit 4 (Health Care) accrue vacation leave for all hours worked, including overtime hours, to a maximum of 80 hours ver pay period.
| Hours of service | Years of University service | Minutes of vacation leave earned per straight-time, paid work hour | Vacation leave earned per paycheck if you work 40 hours/week | Maximum hours of vacation leave you can accumulate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–10,400 | 0–5 | 3 minutes | 4 hours | 208 |
| 10,401–16,640 | 6–8 | 3.75 minutes | 5 hours | 260 |
| 16,641–24,960 | 9–12 | 5.25 minutes | 7 hours | 364 |
| 24,961–41,600 | 13–20 | 5.65 minutes | 7.5 hours | 391.7 |
| 41,601–52,000 | 21–25 | 6 minutes | 8 hours | 416 |
| 52,001–62,400 | 26–30 | 6.375 minutes | 8.5 hours | 442 |
| 62,401 and higher | 31 years or more | 6.75 minutes | 9 hours | 468 |
Your accumulated vacation time may not exceed the total amount of vacation that you would earn in two years working at your current level of appointment.
For example, if you work 75-percent time (an average of 30 hours a week), you cannot have more vacation time on the books than what you would earn working for the next two years at 30 hours a week.
Depending on the policies of your unit, your supervisor may have the discretion to grant you unpaid time off. Contact your HR team or supervisor for more information.
If you’re about to reach the maximum amount of vacation leave you’re allowed to accrue, you have two options that will help you prevent the loss of vacation leave. If you’ve made a vacation request in accordance with your unit’s leave policy but the request was denied:
Option 1
You’re entitled to take up to one week of vacation to avoid exceeding your maximum. You must give notice to your supervisor of your plans to use this vacation time at least seven calendar days in advance.
Option 2
You may cash out one week of vacation leave. The amount of vacation time you cash out cannot exceed a level equal to the percentage of time of your appointment. For example, if you have a 75-percent appointment, you cannot cash out more than 30 hours of vacation time.
If you’re transferring to another bargaining unit or civil service job within the University without a break in service, your unused vacation leave will transfer with you to your new position.
If you’re transferring into a P&A job, you’re entitled to have your unused AFSCME bargaining unit vacation leave paid out, and you’ll begin accruing vacation leave under P&A policies. At the discretion of the department to which you are transferring, you may be able to retain your vacation leave instead of having it paid out.
If you’re leaving the University employment, your unused vacation leave will be paid out.
If you are a former University employee and are returning to work at the U, your former vacation leave accumulation rate and eligibility will be reinstated if the following conditions are met:
OR
The University offers a vacation donation program that allows civil service and bargaining unit employees to donate their vacation leave to University employees in need.
Employee Benefits
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