Vacation Leave

<< Back to Manual Table of Contents Outline

Murray State University
POLICY NUMBER: IV B
SUBJECT: VACATION LEAVE
APPLIES TO: STAFF AND TWELVE-MONTH FACULTY
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2001
REVISED FROM: July 1, 1993

VACATION LEAVE

1. Eligibility
   All regular employees, except faculty members on academic year contracts, are eligible for vacation benefits.

2. Accrual and Accumulation

   1. Vacation shall accrue by the month or major portion (12 or more working days). The actual calculation will be denoted in hours not days as follows:

      1. .833 days per month (10 days per year) through the first four years of service,

      2. 1.25 days per month (15 days per year) beginning with the fifth year and continuing through the tenth year of service,

      3. 1.42 days per month (17 days per year) beginning with the eleventh year and continuing through the fourteenth year of service, and

      4. 1.67 days per month (20 days per year) beginning with the fifteenth year for the duration of his/her employment.

      5. An employee's vacation days accumulation may not exceed 1 1/2 times his/her annual allowable maximum at the end of a fiscal year. However, accrued vacation days may exceed 1 1/2 times the annual allowable maximum prior to the end of each fiscal year.

   2. A faculty member on a 12-month contract will accrue vacation leave during a summer professional improvement leave or a sabbatical leave.

   3. An employee who was terminated involuntarily due to reductions in force for reasons beyond his/her control will be given credit for previous years of service for determining vacation accrual upon re-employment. NOTE: This policy does not apply to employment periods that an employee worked on grants or contracts.

   4. Vacation leave shall not be granted to an employee beyond the amount of accrued vacation on record at the starting date of vacation leave.

   5. Absences due to official leaves of absence or in cases where an employee is transferring to work under the provisions of a grant or contract, personal or family illness, injury, or disability in excess of accrued sick leave must be charged against accrued vacation leave prior to the employee being granted a leave of absence without pay. NOTE: The Director of Human Resources may grant permission for the employee to be placed on a leave of absence without using all his/her accumulated vacation if recommended by the administrative head of the department. The employee must state in writing that he/she waives the right to any accumulated vacation remaining on record if he/she fails to return to his/her position at the end of the approved leave of absence. NOTE: Grants cannot assume accrued vacation leave. Accrued vacation will be paid to the employee at the time of transfer or promotion to a grant or contract.

   6. Vacation accrued while on vacation and/or sick leave will not be paid or recorded until the employee returns to work for a period of one month.

3. Scheduling/Utilization of Vacation Leave
   Utilization of vacation leave will be reported in hours rounded to the nearest quarter hour increment as calculated by the Payroll Office.

   1. Vacation leave shall be granted by the administrative head of the department in accordance with operating requirements and, insofar as practicable, with the requests of the employee. If more requests are received than can be granted at one time, the administrative head of the department may consider scheduling vacations according to seniority in the event that vacations are requested for the same date. All vacation leaves are subject to cancellation as deemed necessary to insure that the University continues to function in an educationally sound and efficient manner.

   2. Employees may not use accrued vacation without prior approval of their supervisor.

   3. Employees are charged with vacation leave for absences only on days which they would otherwise work and receive pay. Should a University holiday be observed on one of the employee's regularly scheduled workdays while he/she is on vacation, he/she will not be charged vacation leave for the holiday.

   4. This vacation leave policy is over and above the holidays authorized by the University. Days other than holidays taken between semesters shall be charged to accrued vacation.

4. Transfer of Accrued Vacation Leave
   An employee who is transferred or otherwise changed from the jurisdiction of one department to another shall retain his/her accrued vacation leave in the new department.

5. Compensation for Accrued Vacation Leave Upon Separation of Employment

   1. General Rules

      1. In no case may the total terminal vacation allowance exceed the maximum vacation accrual allowed under this policy.

      2. An employee who voluntarily terminates his/her employment or who anticipates moving to a position not covered by the University vacation policy (academic year faculty or temporary position) must use all accrued vacation prior to the effective date of such action when the effective date is June 30, the end of the fiscal year.

      3. In unusual circumstances accrued vacation may be paid in one payment prior to the end of the fiscal year, June 30, if the termination is due to retirement or if it is to the advantage of the University that vacation not be taken prior to the end of the fiscal year. In either case approval to receive payment for vacation must be obtained in advance in writing from the appropriate vice president. Failure to obtain this approval may result in loss of accrued vacation benefits.

      4. Holidays occurring during a terminal vacation period shall be considered working days for computing terminal pay allowances.

      5. The effective date of separation from payroll shall be the last day of work.

   2. Resignations

      1. Accrued vacation on record at the time of resignation will be granted or paid only to an employee who has continuous employment of at least six months and who gives at least two weeks notice of his/her intent to resign.

      2. An employee who gives two weeks notification of his/her intent to resign cannot use accrued vacation in meeting this notification period unless approval is granted by the administrative head of the department.

   3. Retirement

      1. Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System

         An employee who is terminating his/her employment due to retirement through Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System and requests retirement benefits to begin upon his/her termination will have his/her accrued vacation paid during the last month of employment. The amount to be paid may not exceed the maximum vacation accrual allowed under this policy on the next day following retirement.

      2. Kentucky Employees Retirement System

         An employee who is terminating his/her employment due to retirement through Kentucky Employees Retirement System and requests retirement to begin upon his/her termination must be paid his/her vacation pay each pay period. In order for the employee to receive credit through the retirement system for his/her earned vacation, he/she must remain on the payroll through the last day of accumulated vacation. Vacation cannot be paid in a lump sum on the last day of work if he/she wishes to receive service credit for accumulated vacation at the time of retirement.

   4. Terminations

      1. An employee who is terminated shall be paid for all accrued vacation.

      2. The University shall specify the termination date for involuntary separation.

   5. Death

      In the event of death of an employee, the employee's estate will be paid for the unused portion of the employee's accrued vacation leave.