Calculating Paid Time Off for Staff

This overview will assist you in understanding how paid time off is calculated for staff employees. Always refer to the appropriate Collective Negotiations Agreement for any variations or additional details concerning university policies on paid time off. If you have questions, contact a University Human Resources Benefits Specialist at 848-932-3990.

General Information

  • Vacation days may be used as days are earned *
  • Vacation carryover = maximum 1 year one year allotment of vacation time with supervisory approval
  • Sick leave carries over monthly and yearly
  • Sick leave may be used as the days are earned

*Members of FOP, please consult Union Collective Agreements

New Employees

Vacation and Sick Leave

  • Full-time employees hired after first working day of July earn 1 vacation day for each full month of service
  • Full-Time employees who start work on the first working day in July accrue 1.25 vacation days for each full month of service
  • Full-Time MPSC employees earn 1.25 vacation days for each full month of service
  • Ten-month employees do not accrue paid time off during July and August
  • Full-time employees accrue 1 sick leave day per month for the remainder of the first fiscal year*
  • Accrual rates for Sick Leave may vary after the first fiscal year, depending on union status*
  • Future increase in accrual rate are based on employee classification 

*If an aligned staff member, please refer to your Collective Negotiations Agreement

Administrative Leave (AL) and Personal Holidays (PH)         

  • Full-time employees accrue .5 AL day for each full month worked for remainder of first fiscal year of hire
  • Maximum accrual for 12-month staff is 3 AL days
  • Maximum accrual 10-month staff is 2.5 AL days
  • Receive 2 PH days after 6 full calendar months of employment
  • Beginning next fiscal year, employees receive 2 PH and 3 AL days (2.5 AL for 10-month staff)  
  • If an aligned staff member, refer to your Agreement

Part-time Staff

Paid time off accrual is prorated based upon percentage of time appointed 
 
Example: Part-time 12-month 50% employee works 18.75 hours per week
(37.5 x .50 =1875) and earns 7.5 vacation days per year (12 months x 1.25 x .50 = 7.5)   

Vacation “Break Years”

  • “Break year” occurs when significant anniversary is reached resulting in a higher accrual rate      
  • Beginning in the first “break year” after 4, 5, 10, or 12 years of service depending on workweek classification, employees accrue 1.66 vacation days for each full calendar month worked
  • Beginning the second “break year” after 19 or 20 years of service depending on workweek classification employees accrue 2.0 or 2.1 vacation days for each full calendar month worked
  • If the employee is hired first of the month, accrual rate will change first of the month of anniversary  
  • If an aligned staff member, refer to your Agreement

Example: 12-month, NL employee hired 9/1/00 begins earning 1.66 vacation days on 9/1/04. On 7/1/05 employee will have access to 19.1 vacation days (months x 1.25 + 10 months x 1.66 = 19.1)
If the employee is hired mid month, accrual rate will change first day of following month following anniversary 
 
Example: 12-month, fixed workweek employee has 12 year anniversary on 9/15 and begins earning 1.66 vacation days on 10/1. On 7/1 employee will have access to 18.7 days (3 months x 1.25 + 9 months x 1.66 = 18.69). 

Recording Paid Time Off

Accrued paid time off and absence information is available in the Absence Reporting System (ARS)

  • Employees can login to ARS for personal absence information.
  • ARS administrators record absence information in the ARS system

       
Absences are recorded by dividing the number of hours taken by designated full-time work day
Example 1: Full-time employee works 7.5 hours a day. Out of office 7.5 hours, recorded a 1 day off (7.5 divided by 7.5 = 1)
 
Example 2: Same full-time employee out of office 3 hours. Record as .4 (3 divided by 7.5 = .4) 
 
The same formula applies to part time employees
Example: Part-time 50% employee works 17.5 hours a week (35 x .50 = 17.5). Full-time day = 7.0. Out of office 1.75 hours, recorded as .25 day off (1.75 divided by 7.0 = .25) 

Change in Job Status to Full-time or Part-time

A change in job status from full-time to part-time or part-time to full-time will affect paid time off accrual 
Example 1:Full-time 12-month NL employee who normally earns 20 vacation days a year changes to part-time 50% status on 2/1. At the beginning of next fiscal year, employee will have 15.8 vacation days. (7 months x 1.66 + 5 months x 1.66 x .50 = 15.77)  
 
Example 2: Part-time 50% 12-month fixed workweek employee who normally earns 7.5 vacation days a year changes to full-time status on 2/1. At the beginning of next fiscal year employee will have 10.6 vacation days (7 months x 1.25 x .50 + 5 months x 1.25 = 10.63).

Calculating Holiday Paid Time Off

  • If a holiday falls on day when the employee is scheduled to work the employee gets the day off
  • If the holiday falls on a day when the employee is not scheduled to work the employee selects an alternate day off within same week
  • The value of a holiday = 1/5 of the employee’s regular work week
  • If due to irregular shift or compressed workweek the length of the employees workday is greater than the value of the holiday, the difference is charged to another form of paid time off.

 
Example 1: FT employee works three 12.5 hour shifts (Monday Wednesday and Friday). Holiday falls on a Thursday.  Employee may work 5 hours on alternate workday instead of 12.5 (12.5 – 7.5 = 5). 
 
Example 2: PT 60% employee works three 7.5 hour shifts (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday).  Holiday falls on Monday.  Employee receives 4.5 hours of holiday for Monday (7.5 x .60 = 4.5) and must either work 3 hours or charge 3 hours to another form of paid time off.    

Paid Time Off at Termination

The terminating employee receives both unused and accrued vacation days.
Example: 12-month NL employee earned 20 days vacation days, used 1 and terminates Sept 1. Employee entitled to 22.3 vacation days (20 + 1.66 x 2 months – 1  = 22.3).          

Paid Time Off at Retirement

Employee uses AL, PH and, vacation days prior to retirement. The employee and department head calculate last day in office prior to retirement. 
 
Example: Retirement = June 1, employee earns 20 days per year and used 10. Days remaining = 34 (10 unused + 3AL + 2PH + 18 accrued {1.66 X 11 months} + 1 holiday = 34)  Count working days backwards from June 1. Last working day = April 13.