Policy: 5-301 Rev: 12
Date: April 12, 1999

Policy 5-301: Vacation Leave Policy

  1. Purpose
    1. To outline the university's vacation leave policy.
  2. References
    1. Policy 5-001, Personnel Definitions
    2. Policy 5-116, Reinstatement of Permanent Staff Employees
    3. Policy 6-314, Leaves of Absence
  3. Definitions
    1. "Leave Accrual Anniversary Date" means the month and year in which a staff employee becomes eligible for paid leave benefits (i.e., holidays, vacation and sick leave). The anniversary date is the employee's hire date as a permanent staff employee regularly scheduled to work 30 or more hours per week (.75 FTE or greater), date of change from a temporary position to a permanent position, or date of change from regularly working less than 30 hours per week to regularly working 30 or more hours per week (.75 FTE or greater). If the effective date of eligibility falls prior to the 16th day of the month, the first day of that month becomes the anniversary date. If the effective date of eligibility occurs on the 16th day of the month or later, the first day of the following month becomes the anniversary date.
    2. "Adjusted Leave Accrual Anniversary Date" is the new anniversary date given to a permanent staff employee for prior service in accordance with the provisions of Policy 5-116, Reinstatement of Permanent Staff Employees.
    3. Employee "categories are defined in Policy 5-001, Employment Definitions.
    4. "Vacation leave benefits" include the right to accrual and use of vacation leave, and payment upon termination for unused vacation leave, in accordance with and subject to the limitations prescribed in this policy.
    5. "Termination" means the end of the permanent/regular employment relationship between the university and the individual, as a result of resignation, full retirement, dismissal, nonretention, expiration of contract, or death. In the event of termination because of death, the right to payment for unused vacation leave inures to the estate of the deceased employee.
  4. Policy
    1. Eligibility
      1. Staff employees are eligible for vacation leave benefits if they hold permanent (nine months or longer) positions at not less than 75% of fulltime. Staff employees in temporary positions, or whose permanent assignment is for less than 75% of full-time, are not eligible for vacation leave benefits.
      2. Faculty members and senior academic officers who hold twelve month appointments are eligible, but those who hold appointments of eleven months or less are not eligible for vacation leave benefits.
    2. Changes to Leave Accrual Anniversary Dates
      1. Former permanent staff employees who are re-employed into a permanent staff position shall have their prior service reinstated in accordance with the provisions of Policy 5-116, Reinstatement of Permanent Staff Employees. Anniversary dates and vacation accrual rates shall be adjusted as appropriate.
    3. Vacation Accrual Rates
    4. Eligible faculty members (Category A), senior administrative officers (Category B), and senior academic officers (Category C), are entitled to 25 days of vacation leave per year.
    5. Eligible exempt staff administrators in Categories D (Campus) and N (Hospital) are entitled to vacation leave as follows:
      1. For 0 through 5 years of service: 12 vacation hours per month (18 eight-hour days per year).
      2. For 6 through 10 years of service: 13.33 vacation hours per month (20 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's fifth anniversary.
      3. For 11 through 15 years of service: 15.33 vacation hours per month (23 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's tenth anniversary.
      4. For 16 or more years of service: 16.67 vacation hours per month (25 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's fifteenth anniversary.
    6. Eligible exempt employees in Categories E (Campus), O (Hospital), U (UUHN), K (Instructional and Research Staff) are entitled to vacation leave as follows:
      1. For 0 through 5 years of service: 10 vacation hours per month (15 eight-hour days per year).
      2. For 6 through 10 years of service: 12 vacation hours per month (18 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's fifth anniversary.
      3. For 11 through 15 years of service: 13.33 vacation hours per month (20 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's tenth anniversary.
      4. For 16 or more years of service: 14.67 vacation hours per month (22 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's fifteenth anniversary.
    7. Eligible non-exempt staff employees in Categories F (Campus), P (Hospital), and U (UUHN) are entitled to vacation leave as follows:
      1. For 0 through 5 years of service: 8 vacation hours per month (12 eight-hour days per year).
      2. For 6 through 10 years of service: 10 vacation hours per month (15 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's fifth anniversary.
      3. For 11 through 15 years of service: 12 vacation hours per month (18 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's tenth anniversary.
      4. For 16 through 20 years of service: 13.33 vacation hours per month (20 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following an individual's fifteenth anniversary.
      5. For 21 or more years of service: 14.67 hours per month (22 eight-hour days per year). Increased vacation leave begins in the first month following the individual's twentieth anniversary.
    8. Postdoctoral Fellows (Category J) and the Medical Housestaff (Category S) are entitled to 15 days of vacation leave per year.
    9. Temporary employees (Category H and Q) and Student Workers (Categories G, R, and I) do not receive vacation leave benefits.
    10. Accrual and use of vacation leave for eligible faculty members (Category A) Senior Administrative Officers (Category B) and Senior Academic Officers (Category C) is recorded and filed in the employee's home department in accordance with Procedures established by the cognizant department/office head. Accrual (and use) of vacation leave for all other eligible employees is recorded in the University's Human Resources Management System.
  5. Vacation Accrual Policies
    1. Vacation benefits continue to accrue during leaves of absence with pay, but not during a leave of absence without pay, or during the period when the appointment is not active.
    2. The vacation accrual rates in Section IV. C. designate the vacation leave earned by employees working full-time (1.0 FTE). If an eligible employee works less than full-time, but 75% time or more, the vacation time specified in the appropriate schedule is factored by that individual's percent of full-time (FTE). Example: If an employee holding a position that accrues vacation leave at the rate of 10.00 hours per month works only 80% time, the vacation accrued each month is: 10 hours x 80% = 8 hours.
    3. Unless an exception is approved by the cognizant vice president, an employee who holds two or more concurrent appointments with different vacation accrual rates shall accrue vacation leave at the rate applicable to the appointment with the larger allocation of working time and effort (FTE), multiplied by the employee's total percent of full-time for all appointments that accrue vacation leave; provided that if the multiple appointments have equal FTE allocations, the head of the employee's home department shall designate which accrual rate shall be used.
    4. Employees in Categories D (Campus Exempt Administrators), N (Hospital Exempt Administrators) E (Campus Exempt), O (Hospital Exempt), F (Campus Non-exempt), P (Hospital Nonexempt), and U (University of Utah HealthNetwork) may accumulate and carry forward to each new calendar year unused vacation leave which does not exceed 240 hours plus the employee's current annual vacation leave entitlement. During the subsequent calendar year an employee may earn and accumulate additional vacation hours. However, if the additional vacation hours are not used by December 31 of the subsequent year, any accrued vacation leave in excess of that which may be carried forward will be eliminated from the employee's accrued vacation leave balance.
      1. Example: A full-time employee whose employment status provides for 120 hours of vacation leave per year may accumulate and carry forward to a new calendar year 360 hours of unused vacation leave (one year's entitlement plus 240 hours). In the new calendar year, the employee will be allowed to accumulate as much as 120 hours of additional vacation leave, or a total of 480 hours. If, through usage, the accrued vacation leave is not reduced to 360 hours or less at the close of business on December 31, any balance in excess of 360 hours will be lost to the employee. A maximum of 360 hours may be carried forward to the next calendar year. The unused vacation leave for which an employee may be paid upon termination of employment cannot exceed one year's vacation leave entitlement plus 240 hours (see paragraph IV.F.2.).
      2. Use of accrued vacation must be arranged with the responsible supervisor so that the efficiency of the organizational unit is not compromised.
  6. Using Accrued Vacation Leave
    1. Eligible staff members are encouraged to take vacations periodically pursuant to schedules arranged in advance to prevent disruption of departmental operations.
    2. Paid holidays that occur during a vacation period are not charged against accrued vacation leave.
    3. Unauthorized vacation and usage in excess of accrued vacation leave will be treated as absences without pay.
    4. Eligible university personnel are expected to schedule vacation leave at reasonable intervals by arrangement with the cognizant department head or supervisor.
  7. Payment for Unused Vacation Leave Upon Termination
    1. Except as provided in paragraph 6 below, an eligible staff member is entitled upon termination to payment for vacation leave earned but not taken.
    2. Payment for unused vacation leave is computed by multiplying the employee's current hourly rate of pay by the actual number of accrued hours, not to exceed the maximum of 240 hours plus the employee's current annual vacation leave entitlement.
    3. Authorized compensation for unused vacation is normally included in the individual's final payroll check.
    4. Payment for unused vacation leave, to the extent authorized by this policy, is a form of deferred compensation and as such, cannot be withheld from an eligible individual who has been terminated for any reason, but is subject to deductions and offsets authorized by university policy or by legal requirements.
    5. Unless a different distribution schedule is approved by the cognizant vice president, payment for unused vacation leave at termination is proportionately distributed to those accounts from which the employee was being paid on the effective date of termination. The university, however, reserves the right to establish different methods for funding the payment for unused vacation leave on termination, to the extent permitted by law, including the establishment of reserves derived from the charging of unused vacation leave to accounts from which the employee was being paid during the period of accrual.
    6. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs 1-5, above,
      1. Eligible faculty members (Category A), postdoctoral fellows, (Category J), instructional and research staff (Category K), and medical housestaff (Category S) are not entitled to payment for unused vacation leave upon termination of employment or upon termination of funding, whichever occurs first.
      2. Eligible senior administrative officers (Category B) and senior academic officers (Category C) are not entitled to payment upon termination for unused vacation leave earned after December 31, 1998.

Approved: Board of Trustees 4/12/99M03