Personal time off is designed to provide staff with time away from work to attend to personal responsibilities and balance the demands of both their professional and personal lives. At UConn, personal time off includes vacation, sick, personal leave and holidays. Employment type determines eligibility for paid time off.
Paid Time Off
The following chart outlines annual paid time off available to UConn employees by employment type. It is important for employees to review the applicable collective bargaining agreement when considering eligibility for paid time off.
| Audience | Vacation | Holidays | Personal Leave |
Sick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management/Confidential/Exempt1 | 22 | 13 | 3 | 15 |
| UCPEA2 | 22 | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| AAUP (Tenured/Tenure-Track) | 0 | 0 | 0 | Faculty Medical Leave Guidelines |
| AAUP (Non-Tenured/Non-Tenure-Track) | 0 | 0 | 0 | Faculty Medical Leave Guidelines |
| AAUP (Research Assistants/Associates) | 22 | 13 | 1 | 15 |
| AAUP (Academic Assistants) | 22 | 13 | 1 | 15 |
| AAUP (Coaches/Assistant Coaches) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AAUP (Adjunct Faculty) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Postdoctoral Research Associates | 226 | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| Law School Faculty | 0 | 0 | 0 | Faculty Medical Leave Guidelines |
| NP-23 | 12-20 (varies by years of service) | 13 | 3 | 1.25 days/month |
| NP-34 | 12-20 (varies by years of service) | 13 | 3 | 1.25 days/month |
| NP-55 | 12-20 (varies by years of service) | 13 | 3 | 1.25 days/month |
| Graduate Assistants | 0 | 8 | 0 | 3 |
| Graduate Interns/Fellows | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Special Payroll | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1 Management Confidential/Exempt employees are not eligible for vacation accruals when more than 3 days (24 hours) are unpaid in a month.
2 UCPEA employees are not eligible for vacation accruals when more than 3 days (21 hours) are unpaid in a month.
3 NP-2 employees are not eligible for vacation accruals when more than 3 days are unpaid in a month; NP-2 employees are not eligible for sick accruals when more than 5 days are unpaid in a month.
4 NP-3 employees are not eligible for vacation or sick accruals when more than 5 days are unpaid in a month.
5 NP-5 employees are not eligible for vacation or sick accruals when more than 3 days are unpaid in a month.
6 Postdoctoral Research Associates receive "Time Off," rather than vacation.
UCPEA, Management Exempt/Confidential, and applicable AAUP employees earn 1.75 vacation days each month (with an additional day accrued on January 1) for a total of 22 days per calendar year. Classified employees in NP-2, NP-3, and NP-5 earn vacation at varying rates, depending on years of service. Postdoctoral Research Associates receive 22 days of time off at the start of each appointment/reappointment, which does not roll over to reappointments (if any) (prorated for less than 100% FTE or appointments less than 1 year). Please refer to applicable collective bargaining contracts for detailed information.
Employees may request vacation time, in accordance with provisions of collective bargaining agreements and supervisory approval, after the time has been earned (for example, NP-3 employees can us accrued vacation time after six months of continuous service). There may be occasions where an employee has earned vacation time but it has yet to appear in PTO accruals. If unsure of available vacation accruals, please contact Payroll.
Unless otherwise specified in collective bargaining agreements, employees are entitled to accumulate up to 60 vacation days without penalty. At the end of each calendar year vacation accruals which exceed 60 days will be lost. In exceptional circumstances the President, Provost, Vice Provost or Vice President may give permission to carry the additional days into the succeeding year with the understanding that they will be used that year and the accrual will not exceed 60 again.
In circumstances where a manager joins or returns to the faculty bargaining unit, the employee should use accumulated vacation time to the extent possible before returning to the bargaining unit. In cases where unused vacation cannot be used, the individual will be paid for vacation accruals documented on the Leave Record up to a maximum of 60 days. Upon leaving the University, managerial and confidential staff will be paid for unused vacation accruals on the Leave Record up to a maximum of 60 days.
Applicable employees earn 13 holidays per calendar year: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
For planning purposes, the following are provided for convenience:
- Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is observed on the first Monday occurring on or after January 15th each year;
- Lincoln’s birthday is observed on February 12th of each year (unless this date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then it will be observed on the Friday immediately preceding or the Monday immediately following the holiday, respectively);
- Washington’s Birthday is observed on the third Monday in February each year;
- Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May each year;
- Juneteenth is observed on June 19th of each year (unless this date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then it will be observed on the Friday immediately preceding or the Monday immediately following the holiday, respectively);
- Labor day is observed on the first Monday in September each year;
- Columbus Day is observed on the second Monday of October each year;
- Veteran’s Day is observed on November 11th (unless this date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then it will be observed on the Friday immediately preceding or the Monday immediately following the holiday, respectively).
After an employee earns compensatory time for holidays worked, the time must be used by the end of the following year. For example, if an employee earns compensatory time for working on President’s Day in 2019, the employee must use the time by the close of 2020. Postdoctoral Research Associates should refer to their collective bargaining agreement for information about arranging an alternative day off if required to work on a holiday.
For classified employees, personal leave is allotted per calendar year. Personal leave does not accumulate; it expires at the start of a new calendar year. For UCPEA and Management Exempt/Confidential employees, personal leave is allotted and expires on a fiscal year basis. Personal leave for Postdoctoral Research Associates is allotted on an annual basis, based on appointment/reappointment date (prorated for less than 100% FTE or appointments less than 1 year), and does not roll over to reappointments (if any).
Varying by collective bargaining agreement, employees should request use of personal leave to conduct private affairs, including religious holidays or any other reason, as early as possible. Consult applicable collective bargaining agreements for detailed information on timelines for requesting use of personal leave.
Sick leave for bona fide personal illness is allocated per fiscal year for UCPEA, and management/confidential. These employees receive 15 sick days per fiscal year (employees working less than full-time receive sick leave on a prorated basis). Sick leave for Postdoctoral Research Associates is allotted on an annual basis, based on appointment/reappointment date (prorated for less than 100% FTE or appointments less than 1 year), and does not roll over to reappointments (if any).
Sick leave for bona fide personal illness is allocated monthly at a rate of 1.25 days for NP-2, NP-3, and NP-5 employees (NP-5 employees should review their union contract for information on a “bonus day”).
Employees should consult their union contract for information on sick leave, including using sick leave for illness or death of immediate family members, pay-out of sick leave upon retirement, accruals, Sick Leave Bank, and Advanced/Extended Sick Leave. Allowances vary by bargaining unit.
AAUP faculty (see above chart) are eligible for sick leave under the Faculty Medical Leave Guidelines.