Leave and Attendance

Types of Leave

Administrative Leave

(a) Jury Duty – Administrative leave for jury duty shall not exceed the number of hours in the employee’s normal workday. If jury duty does not require absence for the entire workday, the employee shall return to work immediately upon release from the court. If the jury duty does not coincide with the regular work schedule, the employee shall be granted administrative leave based on the total hours served on jury duty and such leave shall be granted on the next scheduled work shift. Any jury pay shall be retained by the employee.

(b) Summons – When job duties require court attendance, such as law enforcement officers under subpoena to appear in a proceeding because of their position with the University, this will be considered time worked. Administrative leave shall be provided to an employee summoned as a witness in a matter not involving personal interests, but shall not be provided to an employee who is a defendant in a criminal matter, where criminal matter means either an alleged misdemeanor or felony; who has received a summons to appear in traffic court (except as a witness); who is a party to a civil case, either as plaintiff or defendant; or who has any personal or familial interest in the proceedings.

(c) Olympians – Administrative leave for athletic competition in Olympic events shall be provided in accordance with Section 110.118, F.S.

(d) Bereavement –   Administrative leave up to three (3) days shall be provided to A&P (including Executive Service) and USPS employees in a leave-accruing appointment upon the death of an immediate family member. Immediate family member is defined as an employee’s spouse (or persons bearing the same relationship to the employee’s spouse), domestic partner, children (includes step, adopted, foster, and children for whom the employee has parent responsibilities), and their spouses, legal dependents, parents (includes biological, adoptive, foster, step, and loco parentis), siblings and their spouses, grandchildren, and grandparents. To meet the domestic partner definition, the following elements are required: the employee and the decedent are each over 18 years old; neither the employee nor the decedent is currently married under Florida law, in another domestic partner relationship, or a member of a civil union; the employee and the decedent are not related by blood as defined in Florida law; the employee and decedent share a household; and the employee considers themself to be a member of the immediate family of the decedent, and jointly responsible for maintaining and supporting the household.

(e) Emergency Closing – Administrative leave shall be provided for official emergency closing of University facilities per UCF Regulation 3.035.

(f) Disaster Volunteers – The President or designee may provide administrative leave for Florida Disaster Volunteers in accordance with Section 110.120, F.S.

(g) Voting – The supervisor may provide administrative leave up to one hour for voting in public elections when it is not possible for the employee to vote outside of their normal work schedule. If early voting procedures are in effect, employees are not eligible for this benefit. The employee must request this leave in advance.

(h) Veteran’s Medical Exam – An employee who has been rated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor to have incurred a military-service-connected disability and has been scheduled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to be reexamined or treated for the disability shall be granted administrative leave for such reexamination or treatment without loss of pay or benefits. However, such paid leave may not exceed 48 hours per calendar year. Employees should request the administrative leave in advance from their supervisor and provide a copy of the official documentation for the timekeeping records. If an employee fails to do so and later requests administrative leave, departments are permitted to approve adjustments to dates within the current calendar year.(17) Military leave and reemployment rights shall be provided to Faculty, A&P (including Executive Service) and USPS employees consistent with Federal and State laws. OPS employees, including Post Doctoral Associates, may request time off for military duty obligations. However OPS employees are not eligible for military pay supplements or extended leaves of absence.

(i) Other forms of administrative leave- Administrative leave under this section (17) may be paid or unpaid at the discretion of the appropriate University official. For faculty, administrative leave and pay status decisions under this section (17) will be made by the President or designee.  For A&P and USPS, administrative leave and pay status decision under this section (17) will be made by the CHRO or designee. If paid, administrative leave under this section (17) shall not count as hours worked for purposes of calculating overtime and shall not accrue. An employee may be placed on administrative leave for the following: (a) If it is determined that the employee’s presence in the workplace may result in damage to property, or injury to the employee or others. (b) When the employee is under investigation. (c) Where deemed appropriate to unique or specific circumstances related to the employee and/or if determined to be in the best interest of the University.

OPS hourly employees do not receive pay for time not worked. OPS hourly employees do not accrue leave or paid time off days.

Military Training – An employee who is a member of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, including the National Guard, shall (upon presentation of a copy of the employee’s official orders), be granted administrative leave during periods in which the employee is ordered to duty for training. Whether continuous or intermittent, such training pay shall not exceed 240 hours in any one fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).

Time Worked (Not Administrative Leave)

Interviews or Examinations – For positions within UCF (report on timesheet as hours worked). All other interviews and/or examinations require an employee to utilize accumulated leave or leave without pay.

Job Related Conferences or Training – Time spent during the employee’s normal working hours is reported on the timesheet as hours worked. Time spent at social functions (example: award dinners) is not counted as time worked.

Travel Time

Paid Personal Leave Days (Additional Days Off)

Besides the nine holidays listed, additional paid personal leave days may be granted only by action of the President of the University of Central Florida. Although the vast majority of university offices are listed as closed during these days, certain employees may be deemed essential and will be required by the appropriate supervisor to work during the period of closure.

Eligibility

To be eligible for additional personal leave days, a university employee must be in “active pay status” by having worked or used leave for 50 percent of his/her scheduled work day immediately prior to the additional personal leave days. “Active pay status” means that the employee must either be working or using approved, accumulated leave (ex: annual, sick or compensatory leave) to compensate for hours not worked. If the employee does not have sufficient accrued leave to use, the additional personal leave days will be unpaid.

Hours Worked

If a non-exempt employee’s work hours for the workweek when combined with the paid personal leave day hours exceed 40, those hours should be recorded on the Leave & Pay Exception Report and be processed into the PeopleSoft Timesheet page using the Time Reporting Code of EXC.

If a non-exempt employee’s work hours for the workweek when combined with the paid personal leave day hours do not equal 40, an employee should use accumulated leave or leave without pay to bring their balance for the workweek to 40 hours.  The accumulated leave, or leave without pay, should be recorded on the Leave & Pay Exception Report and be processed into the PeopleSoft Timesheet page using the applicable Time Reporting Code.

If a non-exempt employee’s work hours for the workweek when combined with the paid personal leave day hours exceed 40, the hours physically worked over 40 would become overtime pay.  Overtime hours (hours physically worked over 40 for the workweek) should be recorded on the Leave & Pay Exception Report and be processed into the PeopleSoft Timesheet page using the Time Reporting Code of OVT.  Any hours over 40 that were not physically worked would become extra pay and should be recorded on the Leave & Pay Exception Report and be processed into the PeopleSoft Timesheet page using the Time Reporting Code of EXC.

Important Notes

Employees, who are scheduled to work but call in sick on the day before a personal leave day, may be required to present a physician’s statement to substantiate the illness prior to authorization for additional paid personal leave days.

Employees on leave without pay or in a non-pay status on the scheduled work day immediately prior to the additional personal leave days are not eligible for the additional personal leave days pay.

Any employee not on contract when the additional personal leave days occur will not be paid for those days.

OPS hourly employees do not receive pay for time not worked. OPS hourly employees do not accrue leave or paid time off days.

Injured Employees on Workers’ Compensation Benefits

When a paid personal leave day occurs during the first seven (7) calendar days or 40 intermittent hours of a disability, injured employees will use paid personal leave day rather than disability.

When a paid personal day occurs after the first seven (7) calendar days or 40 intermittent hours of a disability:

• Injured employees who are supplementing workers’ compensation payments the day before the paid personal leave day, are eligible to take pay for 2.75 hours, (the number of hours normally used to supplement workers’ compensation), if he/she uses 2.75 hours of accrued leave on that day. The balance 5.25 hours will be paid by the Division of Risk Management.
• Injured employees who are not supplementing workers’ compensation payments the day before the paid personal leave days will not receive pay for additional personal leave days.

Non-Traditional Work Schedule

The additional paid personal leave day is considered to be eight hours for full-time staff. A regular part-time employee who works at least half-time is entitled to observe the same day, however, the paid personal leave day is a lesser amount as prorated by FTE.

Employees who normally work varied hours (i.e. four ten-hour days) will receive eight hours of compensation, even though they normally work a 10-hour day. A maximum of eight hours will be credited towards their 40-hour basic work week requirement. Employees scheduled to work a 9-hour day (or more based on the schedule), must make up the 1 or 2 hour difference with a charge to accumulated compensatory or annual leave.

Employees assigned to non-traditional work schedules, the paid personal days leave days shall be approved by the Chief Human Resources Officer.

Early Release

University Departments may authorize early release on the last scheduled workday prior to the paid personal leave days as long as the staff record usage on his/her Leave and Pay Exception Report (LAPER) as annual or compensatory leave, or leave without pay for the early release time taken. However, employees must be in “active pay status” for at least 50 percent of his/her scheduled work day immediately prior to the paid personal leave days.

Compensatory Leave

Overtime Compensatory Leave and Special Compensatory Leave

Accrual

As of 11/17/2016, accruals of Overtime Compensatory Leave and Special Compensatory Leave will no longer be an option for Non-Exempt employees with the exclusion of Police Officers under the Police Benevolence Association union (PBA).   All hours physically worked in excess of 40 in a work week will be paid as overtime (at time and half).   All hours not physically worked in excess of 40 due to a holiday, Personal holiday, or administrative leave will be paid at straight time.  Employees who have existing Overtime and/or Special Compensatory Leave balances should coordinate with their supervisors to use the hours prior to July 1, 2018.  Any employees with an Overtime and/or Special Compensatory Leave balance at that time, will receive a payout to zero out the balance.

Usage

The employee is required to use any part of his/her accrued Overtime Compensatory Leave and/or Special Compensatory Leave before utilizing annual leave.

Use of Overtime Compensatory Leave should be documented in the ‘leave usage’ section of the Leave and Pay Exceptions Report. In the ‘leave type’ column, the employee should indicate ‘OCT’ for Overtime Compensatory Leave taken or ‘SCT’ for Special Compensatory Leave taken. The number of hours used should be entered on the date the hours were used, during the week in which they were used. The total number of hours used for each week should be entered in the ‘total’ column for the appropriate week. Approval of the leave usage is indicated by the supervisor’s initials and the date of approval in the appropriate columns.

The employee may only use the amount of Compensatory Leave that is necessary to bring his/her hours up to 40 hours for the workweek.

Payment

The department head may, at any time, request payment for up to the entire current balance of the employee’s accrued Overtime Compensatory Leave balance and/or Special Compensatory Leave balance by submitting a Request for Compensatory Leave Payout form. In the ‘leave type’ column, indicate ‘overtime comp’, ‘special comp’ or both if applicable. The number of hours for which payment is being requested must be indicated in the appropriate column. The employee’s ‘current balance’, ‘number of hours paid’, and the ‘total amount paid’ columns will be completed by the appropriate Human Resources staff.
This form must be approved by the department head before forwarding to Human Resources Payroll Services for payment.

Special Compensatory Leave for Police Benevolence Association (PBA)

Special Compensatory Leave is defined as leave earned by a Law enforcement officer filling a position in a nonexempt class and is provided as follows:

• To compensate an employee for a university holiday when the employee worked 80 hours during the work period in which the holiday occurred and he/she observed the holiday.
• To compensate an employee for a university holiday when the employee worked 80 hours (including hours worked on the holiday) during the work period in which the holiday occurred.
• To compensate an employee for a university holiday when the employee worked < or = to 80 hours during the work period in which the holiday occurred and the hours worked plus the holiday hours cause the employee’s hours to exceed 80 during the work period.
• To compensate an employee when he/she uses a personal holiday, and the hours worked plus the hours used for the personal holiday cause the employee’s hours to exceed 80 during the work period.
• To compensate the employee for administrative leave for jury duty or court appearance when the employee worked 80 hours during the work period in which the jury duty or court appearance occurred.
• To compensate the employee when he/she is required to perform essential duties during an emergency closure for the hours worked during the closing.

To learn about Leaves of Absence, visit our Leave Administration page.

Holidays

University of Central Florida Policy No. 2-002.2 recognizes specified days as university holidays. This policy applies to all regular employees and all departments, units, or divisions of the university. Regular employee is defined as any person employed by the university in a regular, benefits-earning position. This definition includes part-time personnel who work at least half-time on continuing appointments.

The university designates nine paid holidays annually for regular employees:

• New Year’s Day – January 1
• Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday –third Monday in January
• Memorial Day – last Monday in May
• Independence Day – July 4
• Labor Day – first Monday in September
• Veteran’s Day – November 11
• Thanksgiving Day – fourth Thursday in November
• Day after Thanksgiving – fourth Friday in November
• Christmas Day – December 25

Designated holidays will be observed on the calendar days on which they fall. However, legal holidays occurring on Saturday will be observed on the preceding Friday and legal holidays occurring on Sunday will be observed on the following Monday.

Each year the Human Resources Department will publish a holiday schedule, with the specific dates of holidays that will be observed. Click here for a list of the holiday dates for the current year.

Eligibility

To be eligible for holiday pay, a university employee must be in “active” pay status either by having worked or used leave for 50% of his/her scheduled work day immediately prior to the holiday.

“Active pay status” means that the employee must either be working or using approved compensatory, annual or sick leave to compensate for hours not worked. If the employee does not have sufficient accrued leave to use, the holiday will be unpaid.

Employees, who are scheduled to work but call in sick on the day before a holiday, may be required to present a physician’s statement to substantiate the illness prior to authorization for payment of the holiday.

Employees on leave without pay or in a non-pay status on the scheduled work day immediately prior to the holiday are not eligible for holiday pay.

Any employee not on contract when the holiday occurs will not be paid for that holiday.

OPS hourly employees do not receive pay for time not worked. OPS hourly employees do not accrue leave or paid time off days.

Injured Employees on Workers’ Compensation Benefits

When a holiday occurs during the first seven (7) calendar days or 40 intermittent hours of a disability, injured employees are eligible for holiday pay on that day rather than disability.

When a holiday occurs after the first seven (7) calendar days or 40 intermittent hours of a disability:

• Injured employees who are supplementing workers’ compensation payments the day before the holiday, are eligible to take holiday pay for 2.75 hours, (the number of hours normally used to supplement workers’ compensation), if he/she uses 2.75 hours of accrued leave on that day. The balance 5.25 hours will be paid by the Division of Risk Management.
• Injured employees who are not supplementing workers’ compensation payments the day before the holiday will not receive holiday pay.

Holiday Hours Earned

The holiday is considered to be eight hours for full-time staff. A regular part-time employee who works at least half-time is entitled to observe the same holiday, however, the holiday pay is a lesser amount as prorated by FTE.

Employees who normally work varied hours (i.e. four ten-hour days) will receive eight holiday hours of compensation, even though they normally work a 10-hour day. A maximum of eight hours will be credited towards their 40-hour basic work week requirement. Employees scheduled to work a 9-hour day (or more based on the schedule), must make up the 1 or 2 hour difference with a charge to accumulated compensatory or annual leave. Employees assigned to non-traditional work schedules, the holiday dates shall be approved by the director of Human Resources.

Early Release

University Departments may authorize early release on the last scheduled workday prior to the holiday as long as the staff record usage on his/her Leave and Pay Exception Report (LAPER) as annual leave, special or over-time compensation taken, or leave without pay for the early release time taken. However, employees must be in “active pay status” for at least 50 percent of his/her scheduled work day immediately prior to the holiday.

Hours Worked

If an A&P Non-Exempt or USPS Non-Exempt employee’s work hours for the workweek when combined with holiday pay does not equal 40, an employee should use accumulated leave or leave without pay to bring their balance for the workweek to 40 hours.

Hours physically worked over 40 are overtime pay. If the person physically worked less than 40 hours, but when combined with the holiday hours the total exceeds 40, those excess hours should be paid at straight time. Those hours should be documented on the Leave and Pay Exception Report (LAPER) during payroll process with code EXC.

Personal Holiday

Each full-time A&P Non-Exempt and USPS Non-Exempt employee is entitled to one Personal Holiday each year. Each part-time A&P Non-Exempt and USPS Non-Exempt employee is entitled to a Personal Holiday each year, which shall be calculated proportionately to the Personal Holiday granted to a full-time employee. Such Personal Holiday shall be credited to eligible employees on July 1 of each year, and must be used by the employee or forfeited at the close of business on June 30 of the following year.

The employee may not use the Personal Holiday before it is earned.

The hours granted for the Personal Holiday may not be used intermittently; the employee must use the entire 8 hours (or proportionate hours for a part-time employee) during a single work shift.

If the employee terminates before using the Personal Holiday, the Personal Holiday shall be forfeited. The employee is not eligible for payment for the Personal Holiday upon termination.