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Leave Accruals, Maximum Balances, and Payouts

Leave Accruals

Employee Classification

Annual Leave – Hours per pay period

Sick Leave – Hours per pay period

Executive Service 9.195 5.00
9-Month Faculty N/A 4.00
12-Month Faculty 6.77 4.00
A&P and USPS Exempt 6.77 4.00
A&P Overtime Eligible 6.77 4.00
USPS Overtime Eligible

(0-5 years of service)

4.00 4.00
USPS Overtime Eligible

(5-10 years of service)

5.00 4.00
USPS Overtime Eligible

(10+ years of service)

6.00 4.00
Post-Doctoral Associates

(prorate based on service time)

10 days per academic year 5 days per academic year
Phased Retirees 5 days per full time semester appointment

(for former 12-month faculty)

5 days per full time semester appointment
OPS Federal Contract Workers

(per Executive Order 13706)

N/A 7 days per year
Medical Residents – First Year 3 weeks per academic year

(weekdays plus weekend)

10 days per academic year

(weekdays plus weekend)

Medical Residents – All Other 4 weeks per academic year

(weekdays plus weekend)

10 days per academic year

(weekdays plus weekend)

 

Maximum Annual Leave Balance

After the pay period containing January 1st, hours in excess of the following maximums listed below are converted to sick leave. After that conversion process, retroactive adjustments from sick leave to annual leave are not permitted.

Employee Classification

Annual Leave Maximum

Executive Service 480 hours
A&P (Exempt and Overtime Eligible) 352 hours
USPS Exempt 352 hours
USPS Overtime Eligible 240 hours
12-month Faculty 352 hours

 

Leave Payouts

Upon the end of employment, non-probationary employees in the following employee classifications are eligible to receive remaining leave balances, up to the maximums indicated, paid out as a lump sum payment (net of taxes and voluntary contributions, if applicable).

Employee Classification

Annual Leave Maximum

Sick Leave*

 

Personal Holiday

Overtime Comp

Special Comp

Executive Service 480 hours 480 hours N/A N/A N/A
9-Month Faculty N/A 480 hours N/A N/A N/A
12-Month Faculty 352 hours 480 hours N/A N/A N/A
A&P (Exempt and Overtime Eligible) 352 hours 480 hours N/A N/A N/A
USPS Exempt 352 hours 480 hours N/A N/A N/A
USPS Overtime Eligible 240 hours 480 hours Forfeit N/A N/A
USPS Overtime Eligible: Law Enforcement Officers 240 hours 480 hours Forfeit All hours paid All hours paid

Post Doctoral Associates’ and Phased Retirees’ leave balances are tracked internally by the department in which they work. It is the responsibility of the department to explain the terms of the leave allocation and track usage and renewal. Neither Post Doctoral Associates, Phased Retirees nor Medical Residents are eligible for leave payouts. Any unused balances at the end of the academic year will be forfeited.

*10 years of continuous service, payouts may not exceed ¼ of 1,920 hours, for a payout of 480 hours total.

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 an overtime eligible 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.

If an overtime eligible 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.

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 in Workday as annual time off, 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

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.

Leave Transfers

The University of Central Florida does not participate in a formal leave transfer program with any agency, entity, or other organization.

However, if an employee is interested in transferring leave balances to an accepting employer, please contact payroll@ucf.edu  prior to the termination date. The future employer should send an official note requesting leave balance information directly to Human Resources within 2 weeks of the termination date.

Annual Leave, Sick Leave, and Personal Holiday Transfers Between UCF Departments and/or Changes in Employee Class

Situation

Annual Leave

Sick Leave

Personal Holiday

USPS Overtime Eligible employee moves
to a position in the same class in the
same department
Employee retains leave

 

Employee retains leave

 

Employee retains leave

 

USPS Overtime Eligible moves to any position
in the same class in a different department
Employee retains leave

 

Employee retains leave

 

Employee retains leave

 

USPS Overtime Eligible
employee moves to an Exempt A&P or
USPS Exempt position in any department
Employee retains leave

 

Employee retains leave

 

Must use prior to change or forfeit hours

 

USPS Exempt employee moves to
Overtime Eligible position in any department
Employee retains leave

 

Employee retains leave

 

Gains

 

USPS Overtime Eligible moves to a Faculty
position (12 month)
Employee retains leave

 

Employee retains leave

 

Employee forfeits leave

 

12-month Faculty moves to 9-month
Faculty position
Employee is paid
for up to 352 hours*
Employee retains leave

 

N/A

 

9-month Faculty moves to 12-month
Faculty position
Gains

 

 

Employee Retains Leave

 

N/A

 

*If an employee is going from 12-month faculty status to 9-month faculty status, and wishes to defer the leave payment, he/she must contact the Benefits Staff and submit the appropriate documentation/forms, as required by law, prior to the processing of the payout.

Compensatory Leave Transfers Between UCF Departments and/or Changes in Employee Class

*All Compensatory time will be paid out by 6/30/18 due to phase out of compensatory time. Exception: Law Enforcement Officers

Situation

Overtime

Special

Moves to a position in the same class

 

Employee Retains Leave

 

Employee Retains Leave

 

Moves to an Exempt position Employee is paid for accumulated hours Employee is paid for accumulated hours

 

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 in Workday as annual time off, 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 Overtime Eligible or USPS Overtime Eligible 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 in Workday during payroll process.

Personal Holiday

Each full-time USPS Overtime Eligible employee is entitled to one Personal Holiday each year. Each part-time USPS Overtime Eligible 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.

Explanation of Exempt / Overtime Eligible

Overtime Eligible

An overtime eligible class is a class that has been designated as not exempt from the maximum hours and overtime pay requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employees in positions designated as overtime eligible who work more than 40 hours during a workweek must be paid overtime at time and a half for all hours worked over 40.   This group includes OPS hourly and USPS Overtime Eligible employees.

Exempt

An exempt class is a class that has been designated as exempt from the maximum hours and overtime pay requirements of the FLSA.  This group includes Faculty, A&P Exempt, USPS Exempt, and OPS Contract employees.

 

Flexible Work Schedules for Exempt Employees (optional)

Employees designated by the university as exempt (defined above) shall not receive additional compensation for performing services related to their primary employment at special events.  The university expects that salaried exempt employees will perform duties as assigned without additional compensation, and such duties include work performed outside normal work hours and beyond forty hours in a workweek.  When possible, to accommodate the need for work performed outside normal work hours, supervisors are encouraged to use flexible work schedules.

Meal Period

A meal period is recommended if a overtime eligible employee works more than five (5) hours per day. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) considers a “meal period” to be at least thirty consecutive minutes during which an employee is completely relieved of duty. The meal period should occur near the middle of the work shift and cannot be used to shorten the shift. Supervisors determine the scheduling of the meal period and may permit exceptions as deemed appropriate based on business needs. Meal periods may vary from thirty (30) minutes to one (1) hour within a normal eight (8) hour shift. The meal period is non-compensable, does not count as hours worked, and is required to be documented on the timesheet by listing clock-out and return times. Overtime eligible employees who serve as certified law enforcement personnel, healthcare professionals, identified Facilities and Safety personnel, and other designated positions, due to the nature of the work, may be excluded from the five (5) hour university business practice regarding a meal period. To reiterate, employees do not receive pay during meal periods (non-compensable).

Work Breaks

Within a normal eight (8) hour shift, non‐exempt employees may be allowed up to 15 minutes as a paid break (compensable) from work during the first half of their work shift, and again during the second half of their work shift. Work breaks cannot be accumulated to extend a meal period, nor can they be used to compensate for late arrival or early departure from duty. The request to take a work break should not be unreasonably denied. These breaks are scheduled by the employee’s supervisor. OPS hourly employees who work a standard schedule of 40 hours per week, may be afforded paid work breaks in accordance with the above outlined rules.