Administrative Policies

 

Faculty and Staff Vacation Leave

Policy Number: 2.14.1

Current Effective Date: 01/04/2007

Original Effective Date: 06/22/1998

Revision Dates: 11/20/2001, 03/05/2004, 01/04/2007

Revision Number: 3

Revision Summary:

Responsible Official: Vice President Human Resources

References:

KCTCS provides vacation with pay to any regular full-time and eligible regular part-time faculty and staff. Vacations are to be scheduled at times that are convenient to the department with due consideration given to the department. The department supervisor shall be responsible for scheduling vacations to allow for adequate staffing to meet the departmental work load. This scheduling may specify periods during which some or all employees may not take vacation leave.

Employees shall earn vacation leave/annual leave based on their position title, duration category, time worked category, the personnel system under which they are governed; KCTCS policies, procedures, and regulations; and applicable laws. Employees shall confirm eligibility for vacation leave with their supervisor and follow all policies and procedures for requesting and/or reporting vacation leave.

All paid vacation leave requires the approval of employees’ supervisor in order to be considered excused leave time. Employees shall request from their supervisor, in advance of each absence unless that is not possible, the approval of vacation leave, using the official KCTCS absence record/request form (located on the KCTCS website Forms page) in accordance with KCTCS Business Procedures regarding absence record procedures. An official KCTCS absence record/request form shall be submitted for each absence prior to any vacation being taken. In addition to the official KCTCS absence record/request form, colleges may also use a vacation leave planning form to plan at the beginning of the academic year vacation leave for the whole year; however, this form shall be used for planning purposes only, rather than for the purpose of requesting and/or recording vacation leave time. Absence record/request forms, and time sheets if applicable, shall accurately reflect the amount of vacation leave taken during any given pay period. Local payroll and/or human resources staff shall use standardized methodology to track the earning of and usage of vacation leave. A deduction of leave time shall be recorded in leave records as the leave time occurs.

Employees may use vacation leave for absences due to illness and other health-related reasons. When requesting approval for an absence due to an illness or health-related reason, employees and supervisors shall contact and collaborate with the human resources staff to explore whether or not the absence qualifies for Family Medical Leave (FML). The KCTCS FML request form shall be completed and submitted in order for a final determination to be made. If the absence does qualify as FML, it shall be subject to the provisions of that policy and the Family Medical Leave Act. Approved FML shall run concurrent with other paid and unpaid leave time

Employees on vacation leave who become ill or injured while on vacation may substitute TDL during the period of temporary disability upon providing written certification of a physician. The employee shall be responsible for obtaining the physician’s certification and requesting the substituted time through their supervisor by the end of the pay period in which the absence occurred. The employee shall make any necessary corrections on their time sheet/absence record and obtain appropriate signatures in order to complete substitution of time.

Employees shall exhaust all available and applicable paid leave time, including
applicable banked leave, if necessary during the duration of the leave. Excessive non-
FML absenteeism, including unplanned absences, and tardiness are disruptive, and either
violation may lead to disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

The subsequent policies further address faculty and staff vacation leaves.

In addition, provisions regarding leaves of absence shall be adhered to in accordance with
other KCTCS policies and human resources procedures related to attendance and leaves,
including KCTCS policies regarding unauthorized absences and leaves and unpaid
medical leaves of absence.

2.14.1.1 Faculty Vacation Leave

KCTCS Personnel System and UK Personnel System

Regular full-time faculty members on a ten (10)-month, eleven (11)-month, or twelve
(12)-month assignment basis shall be entitled to twenty-two (22) working days of
vacation leave with pay per assignment period. Regular part-time faculty members who
work 50 percent or more of a full-time schedule on an annualized basis earn a pro-rata
share of vacation days annually. Temporary faculty members, along with regular part-time
faculty who work less than 50 percent of a full-time schedule on an annualized
basis, shall not earn vacation leave.

In addition to their vacation leave earned under the KCTCS personnel system, faculty
who opted over from the 18A/151B personnel system shall retain their balance of banked
vacation leave earned under that personnel system. The banked balance shall not
increase but may be used in accordance with this policy.

Except for emergencies or other special reasons as approved by the college president/ceo,
faculty shall not take vacation during the academic year while classes (including labs,
clinicals, committee work, advising, office hours, and other responsibilities assigned by
the supervisor and college officials) are in session. With prior administrative approval,
faculty members may take vacation leave at appropriate times during the period in which
they are eligible to take such leave; however, each member of the teaching faculty shall
be in actual attendance at least until after commencement and until all reports have been
made, and at least three (3) days prior to the first day of registration for the fall semester,
unless for emergencies or other special reasons, leave is approved by the college
president/ceo.

Faculty members employed on a twelve-month assignment basis may take vacation leave
either during the assignment period in which the vacation leave is earned or during the
subsequent assignment period if allowed under their respective personnel system. For regular full-time faculty members on a ten (10)-month or eleven ((11)-month assignment
basis, vacation leave normally cannot be accumulated from one (1) assignment period to
another. However, under unusual circumstances, provided it is in the best interest of the
Kentucky Community and Technical College System and has advance approval by the
college president/ceo, a faculty member employed on a ten (10)-month or eleven (11)-
month assignment basis also may take unused vacation leave during the assignment
period following that in which the leave was earned.

18A/151B Personnel System

For employees under this personnel system, additional provisions regarding annual leave
is addressed in the provisions of their retirement plan and in the Kentucky Administrative
Regulations for KRS Chapter 18A and KRS Chapter151B in effect as of June 30, 1998,
located in Appendix I (Section 2) of this manual.

2.14.1.2 Staff Vacation Leave

Available vacation leave shall be taken only after it has been accrued and in increments
of no less than .25 hours when approved.

KCTCS Personnel System

Regular full-time and regular part-time employees who work 50 percent or more of a full-time
schedule on an annualized basis, KCTCS provides you with vacation pay. Vacations are scheduled at times that are convenient to the department with due consideration given to employee preferences.

Regular full-time staff employees in a twelve-month position shall have an annual vacation allowance as follows:

  • Fifteen days each year during the first five years of service.
  • Twenty days each year at the sixth year of service and thereafter.

Regular full-time staff employees in an eleven-month position shall have an annual vacation allowance as follows:

  • Twelve days each year during the first five years of service.
  • Eighteen days each year at the sixth year of service and thereafter.

Regular employees who work less than ten months per year accrue no vacation allowance. In addition, temporary staff employees accrue no vacation allowance. 

Vacation earned is earned monthly on the 15th of the month and is available for use on  the sixteenth day of that month (including the months during the new employee  introductory period) for the months in which employees are in a paid status for a  minimum of half of the month. Vacation leave may be used when credited and scheduled with the supervisor. Monthly vacation accruals are as follows:

Staff Vacation Accrual based on Length of Position Assignment Period
 Length of Service 12 Months/year  11 Months/year  10 months 
 0-5 years of  1.25 days/month  1.1 day/month 1 day/month
 6 years and over  1.67 days/month  1.5 days/month 1.4 days/month

Paid vacation leave is earned for a month when employment commences on or before the
fifteenth day of the month.

Employees in an unpaid leave of absence for more than half of the month do not accrue
vacation leave during that month.  In addition, no paid vacation leave is accrued in the final month of employment when termination occurs on or before the 15th day of the month.

In addition to their vacation leave earned under the KCTCS personnel system, staff who opted over from the UK personnel system or the 18A/151B personnel system shall retain their balance of banked vacation leave earned under that personnel system. The banked balance shall not increase but may be used in accordance with this policy.

Part-time employees accumulate vacation on a pro-rata basis. If 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 eligible part-time employees who work 50 percent or more of a full-time schedule on an annualized basis.

An employee’s balance of vacation leave earned under the KCTCS personnel system is limited to a maximum of 40 days at any given time. An employee shall forfeit the balance of vacation leave in excess of the 40-day limit that was earned under the KCTCS personnel system.

UK Personnel System

Regular full-time staff employees and part-time staff employees who work 50 percent or more of a full-time scheduled on an annualized basis who are absent shall be granted paid vacation leave if they have an available leave balance and if the requested leave is approved.

Regular full-time staff employees in the following groups and employed on or after 07/01/83 shall accrue paid vacation leave as follows.

  1. Any administrative and professional staff employee earns vacation as follows:
    1. 15 days each year during the first five years of continuous service, and
    2. 20 days each year during the sixth year and each year of continuous service
      thereafter.
  2. Any office and clerical, service and maintenance or technical and scientific staff
    employee earns vacation as follows:
    1. 10 days each year during the first three years of continuous service,
    2. 15 days each year during the fourth through the ninth year of continuous service,
      and
    3. 20 days each year during the tenth year and each year of continuous service
      thereafter.

Any regular employee with an assignment of 0.5 FTE or greater and employed before 07/01/83 shall receive vacation leave in accordance with the policy in effect at the time of that employee’s employment as long as that employee has not been involved in a personnel action (i.e. promotion, demotion, transfer etc.) in which the exempt/nonexempt position status changed.

Regular part-time staff employees who work 50 percent or more of a full-time schedule on an annualized basis shall accrue vacation leave in an amount for the hours and/or days worked, directly proportionate to the amount received by full-time staff employees. The principle governing pro rata percentages under this policy is to provide, within reasonable limits, an equitable allocation of paid vacation for an eligible employee who is not full-time but who works half-time or more.

18A/151B Personnel System

If approved, paid annual leave shall be granted subject to the terms specified in the Administrative Regulations for KRS Chapters 18A and 151B effective on June 30 1998, located in Appendix I Section 2.