Human Resources urges clerical, service staff to review vacation, holiday pay policies

As the end of the year approaches, Human Resources urges clerical and service staff members to keep in mind the policies that affect their vacation and holiday pay.

The University's current vacation policy for regular clerical and service staff allows each staff member to carry forward up to 320 hours of accrued vacation into the 2016 calendar year, regardless of the number of years of their service and whether they are full- or part-time. Thus, any vacation time they have accrued exceeding 320 hours will be lost if not used by Dec. 23. This date is early due to the winter recess Dec. 28-30. 

The policy states that biweekly staff must factor in the hours they accrue during the year's last pay period up to the last day of the calendar year. 

Regular clerical and service staff members in layoff status for 30 days or less during the end-of-the-year holiday season will receive pay for University-designated holidays. The number of holidays at this time of year totals four. This year, those four days are:

* Dec. 24
* Dec. 25
* Dec. 31
* Jan. 1

Therefore, a staff member in layoff status for 30 days or less during the end-of-the-year holiday season should receive normal holiday pay for these four holidays and the 2015 winter recess.

All regular clerical and service staff members planning to separate from the University the day after a holiday must be physically at work for at least half a day the next working day after the holiday to receive pay for the holiday. Terminal vacation may not be used to "bridge" a holiday to receive pay for the holiday.

For more information about these policies, contact Tammy Synesael at 49-41691 or Sasse Steele at 49-67752.