Beginning and Ending Dates of Appointments; Recovery of Unearned Leave Time

Handbook of Operating Procedures 5-1240

The University of Texas at Austin

Executive Sponsor: Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Policy Owner: Assoc. Vice President for Human Resources
July 30, 1976

The effective date for the appointment of new personnel shall normally be the first day of work performed. However, employees will be appointed beginning on a holiday, Saturday, or Sunday under the following circumstances:

Appointments which are to effect continuous employment within The University or as a direct transfer from another state agency.

Appointments to positions which require the employee actually to begin work on a holiday, Saturday or Sunday.

Appointments to monthly salaried positions which are effective on the first day of the fiscal year, or on the first day of a calendar month, either of which falls on a holiday, Saturday or Sunday, provided that the appointment requires performance by the employee of all of the customary duties of the job for all of the official working days of the month in which the employment is to begin.

All appointments will normally carry an ending date effective on or before the end of the fiscal year in which the appointment is being made. When a monthly salaried employee has worked all of the official work days of the week, the ending date of an appointment will include a holiday, Saturday or Sunday, which immediately follows the last day of work except where the holiday, Saturday or Sunday is the first day of a new fiscal year or of a new calendar month. A monthly salaried employee cannot be paid for less than a full day.

Hourly employees are to be removed from the payroll at the close of the last day worked. Hourly employees will, however, be paid for official staff holidays immediately following the last day worked if those employees were scheduled to work on those days. Such holiday pay will not be made if the holiday(s) is the first day of a new fiscal year or of a new calendar month.

Recovery of Unearned Leave Time

Employees should not be allowed to create negative balances in accrued leave time. However, in those unusual cases where a negative balance does exist, the termination date is to be back-dated to recover the lost time. Back-dating for monthly paid employees is computed by moving the termination back one calendar day for each work day being recovered. The employee should then be placed on leave without pay through the last day actually worked so that there is no break in continuous service. This method is used when deficits occur in either vacation or sick leave accruals. Negative leave balances for hourly paid employees are recovered by moving the termination back the number of work hours actually missed. Excess lost time may also be recovered during the period of appointment by placing the employee on leave-without- pay status.