Vacation for Unrepresented Administrative Employees

Policy Statement: Lewis & Clark College recognizes that periodic breaks from work benefit the health and well-being of its employees. The College provides paid vacation leave in order to promote a healthy work-life balance

Applicability: This policy applies to benefits-eligible, unrepresented administrative employees only. The accrual and use of vacation time by represented employees is governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Policy: A full-time employee, at 1.0 FTE (full-time equivalency), will accrue 15 hours (2 days) of vacation time per month (in any month in which the employee is paid for at least two weeks).

Vacation accrual for employees employed at less than 1.0 FTE is prorated based on FTE.

Employees may accrue up to 300 hours (40 days) of vacation time. [Transition Period Note: Notwithstanding the 300 hours cap, during the benefits year beginning September 1, 2020 and ending on August 31, 2021, employees will be allowed to accrue up to 315 hours (42 days) of vacation in recognition of the disruption to vacation plans caused by COVID-19 in 2019-20.]

Use of vacation time must be pre-approved by the employee’s supervisor, taking into consideration the needs of the department and vacation requests made by other employees in the department. Vacation may not be taken in advance of earning it. Employees should provide at least two weeks’ notice of their intended use of vacation time.

Employees are required to report vacation usage on a monthly basis.

Employees will not be paid for unused vacation time at termination of employment. Vacation time may not be used to extend the final date of employment.

[Transition Period Note: Under the College’s previous vacation policy, employees could roll over a maximum of 24 days of unused vacation time into the following year. Vacation time could not be rolled forward for more than one year. In addition, up to 24 days of accrued vacation could be paid out upon termination of employment. The amount of permissible roll over, and the maximum pay out upon termination, was prorated based on FTE for employees working less than 1.0 FTE.

In order to transition to this new policy, employees may roll forward up to 30 days (225 hours) of unused vacation time on September 1, 2020. (This includes the 24 days that could be rolled forward under the previous policy, plus an additional 6 days in recognition of the disruption to vacation plans caused by COVID-19.) For employees working less than 1.0 FTE, this maximum amount is prorated based on FTE. As employees use vacation time in 2020-21, this “previous vacation policy time” will be used before newly accrued vacation time is used. The “previous vacation policy time” will be available for use until August 31, 2021. If an employee is terminated prior to September 1, 2021, the employee will be paid out for remaining “previous vacation policy time,” up to 24 days of time, in their final paycheck. For employees working less than 1.0 FTE, the payout is prorated based on FTE. Any “previous vacation policy time” unused as of September 1, 2021, will be forfeited, as provided in the previous vacation policy. Vacation time earned under the new policy (from September 1, 2020 forward) will not be paid out upon termination.]

Adopted by Executive Council July 1, 2020

Effective September 1, 2020

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Vacation for Unrepresented Administrative Employees (in effect until August 31, 2020)

Purpose: To provide administrative staff with paid time off for rest and relaxation or to attend to personal circumstances that necessitate an absence from work.

Policy Statement: The College believes that periodic breaks from work benefit the health and well being of its employees. Benefit eligible exempt administrative staff accrue and report vacation usage on a monthly basis. Vacation accruals are a vested benefit; terminating employees will have accrued but unused vacation paid out in the final paycheck.

Procedures:

1. Full-time administrative staff accrue vacation with pay at the rate of two days per month for every month worked. Maximum vacation accrual is 24 days. The College encourages employees to take vacation during the academic year (September 1 to August 31) in which it is accrued. Employees may use the amount of vacation time accrued during the current academic year. The employee can access any unused vacation from the prior academic year to bring them up to the 24 day maximum. The maximum accrued vacation that can be carried over into a new academic year is 24 days. Upon separation from the College, the College will pay out a maximum of 24 days unused vacation.
2. Part-time administrative staff accrue prorated vacation based on the number of hours regularly scheduled to work compared to the 37.5 hour-per-week normal full time schedule. The maximum accrual is also prorated.
3. Vacation only accrues in those months in which an employee received compensation for at least two weeks of work.
4. Vacation use must be approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor, taking into consideration the needs of the department and vacation requests made by other employees in the department. If a number of employees request the same vacation time, the supervisor makes the final decision.
5. If an exempt employee is required on a recurring basis to work substantially more hours than would typically be required for his/her position, an afternoon or a day off with pay may be granted at the discretion of his/her supervisor. Supervisors are cautioned to treat each situation with a reasonable level of consistency.
6. Vacation may not be taken in advance of earning it.
7. The College must have accurate and up-to-date leave accrual balances for all employees to maintain compliance with Federal and State laws and general accounting practices. The employee’s supervisor reports vacation usage on the Exempt Employee Absence Report, which must be turned into payroll by the 5th of each month to reflect vacation, accrued and used in the previous month. Late or inaccurate reporting of vacation leave will be considered a negative performance issue.
8. Upon termination, all accrued but unused vacation, up to the maximum, will be paid out on the final paycheck.

Approved by the Executive Council, March 1, 1991.
Revised on September 1, 1998.
Revised on May 31, 2002.