Vacation

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Overview

Eligible employees are granted vacation according to their appointment type and/or years of service.

Vacation hours are granted at hire (pro-rated for the year based on start date) and at the start of the calendar year for Classified employees and the start of the fiscal year (July 1st) for Unclassified Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited appointees.

Eligibility

All employees who earn sick leave are granted vacation except Unclassified Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited appointees on an academic year (nine-month) contract.

Usage

Vacation can be used before it's earned.  Vacation can be used from the first day of employment - Classified employees must serve their original probationary period before vacation can be used.  Use of vacation, like all other paid leave, must be approved by your supervisor.

If vacation is not used within the year it is earned, it may be carried over into the following year. If vacation is not used by the end of the carryover period, it will be lost.

  • Classified employees can carry over vacation until the end of the following calendar year (December 31).
  • Unclassified Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited appointees can carry over vacation until the end of the following fiscal year (June 30).

Termination of Employment

At termination of employment, any remaining unused vacation or banked vacation can be:

  • Paid out as a lump sum on your final check, or
  • Used to extend your time on payroll (supervisor approval needed if you are Unclassified Faculty, Academic Staff or Limited appointee).

Vacation Accrual

Classified Employees

  • Vacation is based on years of service and whether or not you are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Refer to your appointment letter to determine if you are FLSA exempt or non-exempt.
  • Vacation is pro-rated if part-time.
  • Vacation is granted on calendar-year basis.
  • See below for Craftsworkers accrual.
    Hours Earned Each Year
    Years of ServiceFLSA Non-ExemptFLSA Exempt and
    Nonexempt Supervisors
    During First 5 104 120
    5+ to 10 144 160
    l0+ to 15 160 176
    15+ to 20 184 200
    20+ to 25 200 216
    25 & Over 216 216

Unclassified Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited Appointees

  • Earn 176 hours (22 days) of vacation per fiscal year. Vacation is pro-rated if part-time.  The fiscal year is July 1 – June 30.

Craftsworkers

Craftsworkers allocated to positions in schedule 04 will be provided annual leave in accordance with provisions of ch. 230, Wis. Stats., and ch. ER 18, Wis. Adm. Code except that the amount of annual leave will be determined as follows:

  • Employees shall begin earning annual leave on their first day in pay status.
  • After completion of the first six (6) months in a permanent or seasonal position, employees are eligible for and shall be granted noncumulative annual leave based on the rate of one hundred (100) hours (12 1/2 days) for a full year of service each year.
  • For those employees who elect, with a corresponding adjustment to their prevailing rate, employees are eligible for and shall be granted noncumulative annual leave based on the rate of one hundred forty (140) hours (17 1/2 days) or one hundred eighty hours (22 1/2 days) for a full year of service each year.
  • Seasonal employees who are regularly employed for less than twelve (12) months out of a year and permanent part-time employees shall be granted pro rata annual leave.
  • Election of the level of annual leave granted will be done once per calendar year per agency procedures.
  • Annual leave for covered employees shall be prorated during the first calendar year of employment and upon termination of employment.

Leave Banking

Once certain eligibility requirements are met, employees can bank (save) unused vacation for use at a later date. Banked leave does not expire and accumulates from year to year without limit. Banked leave can be used like any other paid leave. Use of banked leave, like all other paid leave, must be approved by your supervisor.

If an employee is part-time, the amount of leave that can be banked is pro-rated based on the employee’s appointment percentage.

Classified Employees – Sabbatical Leave and Vacation Cash-Outs

Classified* employees may put unused vacation hours in a sabbatical account per the schedule below.

Classified* Employees Sabbatical Banking Schedule
Years of ServiceFLSA Non-ExemptFLSA Exempt
First 5 Years 0 hours 0 hours
5+ to 10 Years 0 hours 40 hours
10+ to 15 Years 40 hours 40 hours
15+ to 20 Years 40 hours 80 hours
20+ to 25 Years 80 hours 120 hours
25+ Years 120 hours 120 hours
Earn < 160 hrs of vacation
& have accrued at least
520 hrs of sick leave		 40 hours 40 hours

*Craftsworkers are not eligible to put vacation hours into a sabbatical account.

Vacation Cash-Out

Once an employee begins earning 200 hours of vacation per year, the employee can receive a portion of their eligible banking amount as a cash payout. For example, if the employee is eligible to bank 80 hours of vacation, the employee can receive 40 hours as a cash payout and put 40 hours into sabbatical.

Classified* Employees Vacation Cash-Out Schedule
Employee GroupAnnual Vacation Allotment
When 1st Eligible to Receive
Cash Payout of 40 Vacation Hours		Years of Service Needed to Be
Eligible to Receive Cash Payout
of 40 Vacation Hours
Non-FLSA Exempt 200 hours (25 days) Can begin in 21st year
FLSA Exempt 200 hours (25 days) Can begin in 16th year

*Does not apply to Craftsworkers

The option to bank vacation hours and/or receive a vacation cash-out is offered in late fall of each year.

Note: If an employee’s anniversary date falls in the middle of the year, the employee is allowed the banking and/or cash-out privilege in that calendar year. The amount allowed to bank and/or cash-out will be pro-rated based on when the employee’s anniversary falls.

Unclassified Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited appointees - Annual Leave Reserve Account (ALRA)

Unclassified Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited appointees may put unused vacation in an Accumulated Leave Reserve Account (ALRA) per the schedule below.

Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited appointees ALRA Banking Schedule
Years of
Service		Hours that can be
placed in ALRA
First 10 Years 0
10+ to 25 Years 40
25 Years & Over 80

Eligibility to bank vacation begins in July following the fiscal year in which the employee qualifies based on years of service.

Unclassified Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited appointees may not receive a cash payout of vacation.