Johnson School Administrative Service Center: Vacation and Sick Leave Accruals

Administrative Service Center
235 Sage Hall
Phone : 607- 255-7541
Fax : 607-255-2823

Vacation and Sick Leave Accruals
(OPE and OPI)

Vacation and Sick Leave accruals begin on the employee's first day of work. Vacation cannot be taken before it is accrued. Accrued Vacation may be taken, with special approval, after six (6) months on the payroll; it must be requested and scheduled in advance and at a time mutually agreeable to both the staff member and Supervisor(s). In order to do this, you and your Supervisor must complete a Vacation Usage Consent Form. This form will be kept on file in the Human Resources Office until completion of one year of service by the employee. If termination of employment occurs prior to completing one year of service, the amount of vacation for which the employee was compensated will be deducted from the employee's final paycheck.

If you transferred to the Johnson School as an OPI Employee, it is necessary that you arrange to have your former Supervisor provide the Administrative Service Center with your accrued Vacation and Sick, including Health and Personal Leave, balances in writing. These balances will then be added to the accruals maintained on your behalf by the Administrative Service Center. If you transferred as an OPE Employee, you need to verify in COLTS your Vacation and Sick Leave Balances with your former Supervisor. Any unused balances should transfer with you to your COLTS record in the Johnson School. If there is a discrepancy, you need to contact the Administrative Service Center.

Vacation and sick leave cease to accrue after a staff member is on a paid leave for other than vacation (i.e. sick leave, short-term disability, workers' compensation) for more than twenty (20) consecutive calendar days.

Should a scheduled university holiday fall within a staff member’s vacation period, time for that day should be classified as holiday pay, not vacation pay. If a staff member is on vacation when the University declares an unscheduled day off (e.g., due to inclement weather) the staff member’s time for that day will continue to be classified as vacation time and the staff member will not be given an additional day off.

If a staff member changes their standard hours of appointment during the fiscal year (July 1 - June 30), either voluntarily or involuntarily, their maximum accumulation balance will not be adjusted until the first pay period following July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. At that time the maximum balance will be reset based upon their new standard hours of appointment. Any time accrued over the new maximum accumulation amount will be forfeited.

If the change in standard hours occurs at a point during the fiscal year that does not realistically provide time for the staff member to use up accrued time, over their new maximum (adjusted at the beginning of the next fiscal year) an exception to the maximum accumulation provision may be considered. Exceptions should be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Supervisor in consultation with the Director of Human Resources, with the stipulation that accruals must be brought within the maximum by June 30 of the next fiscal year. Exceptions should not be granted in two consecutive years. The intent is for Supervisors and staff to work together to proactively plan and balance business and personal needs to allow adequate time away and avoid the loss of accruals.

When a staff member retires or terminates employment from the University, and if he/she has at least one year of credited service at the University, accrued vacation up to the maximum accumulation based on credited years of service will be paid in a lump sum in the last scheduled paycheck. Supervisors should inform the staff member of this procedure when notice of retirement is given.

Sick Leave accrues at 3.6 hours per pay period. This is based on ten (10) working days and seventy-eight (78) total hours per pay period, which results in an annual total of twelve (12) days, beginning immediately upon employment. The maximum Sick Leave accrual is 702.0 hours or approximately ninety (90) days for all regular, full-time employees. In addition, all regular, full-time employees may take up to three (3) days of Personal Leave within a fiscal year, July 1 through June 30, if they have accumulated Sick Leave. Similarly, employees with accrued Sick Leave, are also eligible to receive three (3) Family Health Care Days. Personal Leave and Family Health Care are charged against Sick Leave and may only be taken if an equal amount of Sick Leave is accrued. Personal Leave and Family Health Care do not accumulate and carry over. Any part of either Personal Leave or Family Health Care not used during the fiscal year will remain as unused, accrued Sick Leave.

Vacation and Sick Leave balances are available for OPE employees in COLTS. Please contact the Administrative Service Center if there is a discrepancy. Additionally, Personal and Family Health Care balances for OPE employees are maintained in the Human Resources Office.

Vacation and Sick Leave balances including Personal and Family Health Care balances are available for OPI employees by contacting the Administrative Service Center.

All Vacation and Sick Leave accruals are prorated for part-time employees.

For additional information, including maximum vacation accrual rates, please click on the appropriate link:

OPE Accruals
OPI Accruals

Click here for the University's Payroll Processing Manual. This reference clearly speaks to all University policies and is available for your perusal at any time. Specifically, the Time Away from Work Policy provides additional information on accruals, leaves, etc.