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Medical College of Georgia Administrative Policies and Procedures
Office of Primary Responsibility: Human Resources Division
No. 1.4.24

Accrual and Use of Annual Leave

1.0 Purpose
To provide policies and procedures for the accrual and use of Vacation/Annual Leave for all classified employees.

2.0 Policy
Regular, benefits eligible employees will be eligible to accrue and use annual leave as outlined below. 

3.0 Regular Classified Employees
A regular employee who works one-half time or more shall earn paid vacation/annual leave. A full-time regular employee shall be entitled to vacation/annual leave earned at the rate of:

3.1 One and one-fourth working days per month (10 hours) for each of the first five years of continuous employment;

3.2 One and one-half working days per month (12 hours) for each of the next five years of continuous employment; and

3.3 One and three-fourths working days per month (14 hours) for each year after the completion of ten years of continuous employment.

The accrual rate of vacation/annual leave for an hourly employee will be based upon his/her standard work commitment.  The use of approved vacation/annual leave shall be recorded on institutional leave records.

A regular employee who works one-half time or more but less than full-time shall accrue vacation/annual leave prorated on the basis of full-time employment.  An employee who is employed less than one-half time shall not be eligible to accrue vacation/annual leave.

4.0 Temporary Employee
A temporary employee is not eligible to accrue vacation/annual leave.

5.0 Faculty and Administrative Officers
A full-time faculty member employed on a 12-month or fiscal year basis shall be entitled to vacation/annual leave earned at the rate of one and three-fourths working days (14 hours) per month.  All working days during the fiscal year shall be counted; absences during academic calendar breaks shall be recorded as vacation; and all vacation days shall be recorded on institutional leave records.

A full-time administrative officer employed on a 12-month or fiscal year basis shall be entitled to vacation/annual leave earned at the rate of one and three-fourths working days (14 hours) per month.  The use of approved vacation/annual leave shall be recorded on institutional leave records.

The accrual rate of vacation/annual leave for a faculty member or for an administrative officer will be based upon his/her contractual work commitment.

A faculty member who changes from a fiscal year contract to an academic year contract shall be paid his/her unused, accrued vacation/annual leave subject to the 45-day (360-hour) maximum payment restriction upon termination of the fiscal year contract.

A faculty member employed on an academic year (9- to 10- month) basis does not earn vacation/annual leave. An academic year contracted faculty member who teaches during Maymester and/or summer semester will not be eligible to accrue vacation/annual leave for such service. 

6.0 Accrual Effective Dates
Vacation/annual leave shall be accrued based on the initial employment date of an employee.  A new hire must be employed on or before the fifteenth of a month to qualify for accrual of vacation/annual leave for that month.  No time will accrue for a month in which employment begins on the 16th or later.  For persons terminating before the 15th, vacation/annual leave does not accrue for that month; it will accrue if the employee’s last working day is on or after the 15th.

7.0 Use of Vacation/Annual Leave 
Vacation/annual leave shall be taken at times mutually acceptable to the employee and his/her supervisor.  Vacation/annual leave should be requested with as much advance notice as possible, except for unforeseen emergencies.  Vacation/annual leave may not be taken in excess of the amount accrued.

8.0 Maximum Accrual
On December 31 of each calendar year, each employee’s leave record shall be adjusted to reflect no more than 45 days (360 hours) of accrued vacation/annual leave.

9.0 Vacation/Annual leave Compensation upon Termination
All unused, accrued vacation/annual leave, not to exceed 45 days (360 hours), shall be paid to an employee upon his/her termination from employment.

A regular employee who accrues vacation/annual leave while working on sponsored research within the institution must take all vacation/annual leave accrued prior to the expiration of the sponsored research.  Any vacation not taken will be forfeited. 

Upon a move between University System institutions with no break in service, an employee must transfer all accrued vacation/annual leave up to 20 days (160 hours).  For employees with accrued vacation/annual leave of greater than 20 days (160 hours), an employee may elect one of the following options:

9.1 Transfer of the total accrued vacation balance, not to exceed 45 days (360 hours); or

9.2 Payment by the institution from which the employee is moving of accrued vacation leave in excess of 20 days (160 hours).  The total accrued vacation leave for which the employee may be paid shall not exceed 25 days (200 hours).

10.0 Departmental Leave Record
The leave status of all employees eligible for leave accrual is shown on the computer-prepared reports titled "Leave Accrual Summary by Department.”(MCGR026A)   Employees are listed in each department by employee ID number. The status of annual leave is shown as of the report period ending date indicated on each report. These reports are distributed to each department following the end of the month.  The report shows a leave balance which includes any accrual for the previous month but not leave taken for the previous month.  Supervisors must keep this delayed reporting in mind as they consider requests for future leave.

11.0 Initial Use:
Annual leave may not be authorized for absence until the “Leave Accrual Summary by Department” is issued showing an annual leave balance.  If an employee must be absent prior to that time, the hours absent must be classified as leave without pay (LWOP).

12.0 Annual Leave Reporting:
The number of hours of annual leave used should be reported under the applicable date on the time sheet or TimeWare (see 1.2.07 for recording methods). The hours of annual leave reported on the time sheet must not exceed the number of hours the employee is normally scheduled to work each day. If the approved annual leave period includes a scheduled holiday, that day will be considered holiday time rather than annual leave.

NOTE: The number of hours reported for annual leave may not exceed the employee’s current annual leave balance.  Hours reported in excess of an employee’s balance in the Payroll System will be converted to LWOP hours.  If an employee’s LWOP is expected to extend beyond the current bi-weekly pay period for non-exempt employees, or a period of 10 working days for exempt employees, a PAR to officially place the employee on LWOP must be submitted to Human Resources.  If the period of leave is       less than this, it should be reported via the TimeWare system for non-exempt employees and via the Web Leave System and pre-payroll list for exempt employees.  Do not adjust the pre-payroll list unless you have confirmed with the Payroll Office that the Payroll System does not show a balance.

13.0 Status Change
An employee eligible for annual leave who changes to temporary status (less than half time) is no longer eligible to use annual leave for authorized absences. Payment will normally be made for all accrued annual leave (up to the maximum allowed) in the paycheck following processing of the PAR.


Date: 1 February 1973 | Rev. No: 03-1 | Rev. Date: 1 May 2003 | No. 1.4.24 


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Administrative Policies & Procedures  
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June 05, 2003