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Human Resources

Vacation Leave

Policy # 80.0 Archived Version:
Vacation Leave

Revision date of this archived policy: April 1, 1990

Note: This is not a current version of the policy. View current version. »

80.1 Policy
  80.1.1 The University of Kentucky provides vacation with pay to any regular full-time or half-time staff employee. Vacations are to be scheduled at times that are most convenient to the department with due consideration given to the staff employee's preference.
NOTE: The University encourages a staff employee to schedule at least five (5) days of the annual vacation allowance in succession, thereby resulting in at least one full week of meaningful time off.
  80.1.2 Vacation Allowances
    80.1.2.1 Regular full-time staff employees in the following employee category groups and employed on or after 7/01/83 are provided annual vacation allowances as follows:
      80.1.2.1.1 Any administrative and professional staff employee earns vacation with pay at the following rates:
        80.1.2.1.1.1 Fifteen (15) days each year during the first five (5) years of continuous service.
        80.1.2.1.1.2 Twenty (20) days each year during the sixth (6th) year and each year of continuous service thereafter.
      80.1.2.1.2 Any office and clerical, service and maintenance, or technical and scientific staff employee earns vacation with pay at the following rates:
        80.1.2.1.2.1 Ten (10) days each year during the first three (3) years of continuous service.
        80.1.2.1.2.2 Fifteen (15) days each year during the fourth (4th) through the ninth (9th) year of continuous service.
        80.1.2.1.2.3 Twenty (20) days each year during the tenth (10th) year and each succeeding year of continuous service thereafter.
    80.1.2.2 Regular full-time staff employees employed on or after 5/15/86 in the health professional category (0900 series) are provided annual vacation allowances as follows:
      80.1.2.2.1 Ten (10) days each year during the first three (3) years of continuous service.
      80.1.2.2.2 Fifteen (15) days each year during the fourth (4th) through the ninth (9th) year of continuous service.
      80.1.2.2.3 Twenty (20) days each year during the tenth (10th) year and each succeeding year of continuous service thereafter.
    80.1.2.3 Any regular half-time staff employee, employed on or after 7/01/83 shall be provided annual vacation allowances as listed under 80.1.2.1 within this policy, in proportion to the percentage of time worked per week compared to the departmental normal work week. (See 80.3.1.3 within this policy.) In cases where the scheduled work week is not to be consistent throughout the year, the pro rata percentage to full-time shall be calculated on an annualized basis. The principle governing pro rata percentages under this policy is to provide, within reasonable limits, an equitable allocation of paid vacation time for an eligible employee who is not full-time but who works half-time or more.
    80.1.2.4 Any regular full-time or half-time staff member employed before 7/01/83 shall receive vacation leave in accordance with the policy in effect at the time of that employee's employment (see Human Resources Policy and Procedure Number 80.4) as long as that employee has not been involved in any personnel action (i.e., promotion, demotion, transfer, etc.).
      80.1.2.4.1 Any personnel action which takes place on or after 7/01/83 and which does not result in the employee's changing position status (exempt remains exempt or nonexempt remains nonexempt) shall result in the employee's receiving vacation leave in accordance with policy number 80.1.2 except that the employee shall not receive a reduction in vacation leave allocation.
      80.1.2.4.2 Any personnel action which takes place on or after 7/01/83 and which results in the employee's changing position status (nonexempt to exempt or exempt to nonexempt) shall result in the employee's receiving vacation leave in accordance with Human Resources Policy and Procedure Number 80.1.2.
80.2 Delegation
  80.2.1 The department head shall be responsible for scheduling vacations to allow for adequate staffing to meet the departmental work load. This scheduling may necessarily specify periods during which some or all staff may not take vacation leave.
  80.2.2 The department head shall be responsible for maintaining current, complete, and permanent records of vacation accumulation, current balance available for use, and future accrual changes for a staff employee within the department. These records shall be available for review by the staff employee, the sector personnel office, or other authorized University officials as necessary. Unless approved by the sector chief personnel officer, this information shall be maintained on University form AR-3. (See 80.5.1 within this policy.)
80.3 Procedure
  80.3.1 Accrual and Recording
    80.3.1.1 The annual vacation allowance shall be earned and accrued on the basis of one-twelfth (1/12) of the annual allowance for each month of service.
      80.3.1.1.1 A staff employee, whose employment date is on or before the fifteenth (15th) calendar day of the month shall accrue vacation for that month. Vacation allowance for a staff employee whose employment date is the sixteenth (16th), or after, of the month accrues vacation beginning the following month.
      80.3.1.1.2 A staff employee separating from employment on or before the fifteenth (15th) calendar day of the month shall not accrue vacation for that month.
      80.3.1.1.3 A staff employee accrues vacation while in a pay status, excluding long term total disability.
      80.3.1.1.4 A staff employee shall be in a pay status one half or more of the work days in a month to earn vacation accrual for that month.
      80.3.1.1.5 A staff employee has no entitlement to vacation until new staff employee probation is successfully completed.
    80.3.1.2 The following system of crediting each regular full-time staff employee's vacation record with points as these are earned and deductions as these are used reflects current vacation leave balance, based on a normal work week. This information shall be recorded and maintained as a current, complete, and permanent record on the Absence Record (see Absence Record Form 80.5.1) or on a similar record, approved by the sector chief personnel officer.
      80.3.1.2.1 Ten (10) days annual vacation allowance accrues at the rate of ten (10) points per month.
      80.3.1.2.2 Fifteen (15) days annual vacation allowance accrues at the rate of fifteen (15) points per month.
      80.3.1.2.3 Twenty (20) days annual vacation allowance accrues at the rate of twenty (20) points per month.
      80.3.1.2.4 Twenty-two (22) days annual vacation allowance accrues at the rate of twenty-two (22) points per month. (See this policy, 80.1.2.2 and 80.1.2.3.)
      80.3.1.2.5 Vacation leave used shall be deducted from the current vacation leave balance at the rate of twelve (12) points for each day based on the average number of hours in the normal work day (e.g., 7.5 hours equals 1.6 points deducted for each hour of vacation leave used 12/7.5 = 1.6).
    80.3.1.3 Any regular half-time staff employee shall be credited for vacation accrual on the same schedule as any regular full-time employee, except the accruals as listed in 80.3.1.2.1, 80.3.1.2.2, 80.3.1.2.3, and 80.3.1.2.4 shall be reduced proportionately to reflect the percentage of full-time vacation that is to be accrued. (See this policy, 80.1.2.)
  80.3.2 Use of Vacation Leave
    80.3.2.1 Vacation requests shall be approved in advance by the department head.
    80.3.2.2 Vacation leave may only be taken after it has been earned (after the fifteenth of each month) and with department head's approval.
      80.3.2.2.1 A new staff employee is eligible to use vacation leave following successful completion of the probationary period.
    80.3.2.3 Official University holidays are not counted as vacation leave.
  80.3.3 Disposition of Unused Vacation Leave
    80.3.3.1 A staff employee shall forfeit vacation leave, accrued and available June 30th of any year, if such leave accrual is not used prior to September 30 of the following calendar year. This allows fifteen (15) months following the close of any fiscal year for use of the balance as of the end of that fiscal year.
    80.3.3.2 Unused vacation leave shall not be paid as extra pay for any reason other than terminal vacation pay (see Personnel Policy and Procedure Number 81.0: Terminal Vacation Pay).
80.4 Prior Policies
  80.4.1 The annual vacation accrual policies for employees hired prior to 7/01/83 were as follows:
    80.4.1.1 Personnel employed prior to 11/01/61 and in continuous employment with the University since that date were eligible for vacation allowance of four (4) weeks plus two (2) days.
    80.4.1.2 Personnel employed between 11/01/61 and 6/30/83 were eligible for vacation leave with pay as outlined below:
      80.4.1.2.1 Administrative staff personnel: four (4) weeks plus two (2) days annually.
      80.4.1.2.2 Professional employees:
        (a) Fifteen (15) days each year for the first five (5) years of continuous service;
        (b) Twenty (20) days during the sixth (6th) year and each succeeding year of continuous service thereafter.
      80.4.1.2.3 Office and clerical, technical and scientific, and service and maintenance employees:
        (a) Ten (10) days each year for the first three (3) years of continuous service;
        (b) Fifteen (15) days each year during the fourth (4th) through the ninth (9th) years of continuous service; and
        (c) Twenty (20) days during the tenth (10th) year and each succeeding year of continuous service thereafter.
    80.4.1.3 Personnel employed between 11/1/61 and 5/14/86 are eligible for vacation with pay as outlined in the following schedule:
      80.4.1.3.1 Health professionals (0900 series) employees:
        (a) Fifteen (15) days each year for the first five (5) years of continuous service;
        (b) Twenty (20) days during the sixth (6th) year and each succeeding year of continuous service thereafter.
80.5 Forms
  80.5.1 Absence Record Form (AR-3)
  • Other archived versions of this policy
    • Previous version: revised 08-22-2007
    Previous version: revised 04-25-2007
    Previous version: revised 06-07-2006
    Previous version: revised 04-01-2006
    Previous version: revised 04-01-2006
    Previous version: revised 07-11-2002
    Previous version: revised 04-01-1990
    1. #80: Vacation Leave
    2. #81: Terminal Vacation Pay
    3. #82: Temporary Disability Leave
    4. #83: Holiday Leave
    5. #84: Funeral Leave
    6. #85: Special Leaves
    7. #86: Flex Leave Positions
    8. #87: Conversion of Temporary Disability Leave
    9. #88: Family and Medical Leave
    10. #89: Bone Marrow or Organ Donation Leaves

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