---

301 Vacation Leave

 

Definition

Vacation Leave is an authorized paid absence from work that employees accrue as a result of their employment at Boston University.

Eligibility

All regular, full-time employees and regular, part-time employees scheduled to work at least 50 percent of the regularly scheduled workweek are eligible upon hire to accrue and use Vacation Leave in accordance with the provisions of this policy.

Accrual

Eligible employees accrue Vacation Leave for each full calendar month of service completed at Boston University. Accruals are credited to employees on the first day of the month following each full calendar month of completed service. The following accrual rates are based on a regular, full-time workweek and a twelve-month assignment duration. They apply on a pro-rata basis to regular, part-time employees and other assignment durations.

		Vacation Days	Accrued
		Per Year	Per Month
1.	Full-time, Non-Exempt Employees (paid weekly)
	a. First twenty-four (24) months of service	10	5/6
	b. Beginning third (3rd) year to ninth (9th) year	15	1 1/4
	c. Beginning tenth (10th) year	20	1 2/3
2.	Full-Time, Exempt Employees (paid monthly)
	Salary Grades 51 and 52, 71 and 72
	a. First twenty-four (24) months of service	15	1 1/4
	b. Beginning third (3rd) year to fourteenth (14th) year	20	1 2/3
	c. Beginning fifteenth (15th year)	25	2 1/12
3.	Full-Time, Exempt Employees (paid monthly)
	Salary Grades 53 through 60, and 73 and above
	a. First year to fourteenth (14th) year	20	1 2/3
	b. Beginning fifteenth (15th) year	25	2 1/12
4.	Regular, part-time employees accrue Vacation Leave
	as their full-time counterparts (see above)but on a pro-rata basis
	in accordance with their scheduled work week and assignment duration.

 

Eligible employees hired on or before the fifteenth (15th) of the month will be credited with a full month of service on the first day of the following month. Employees hired on or after the sixteenth (16th) of the month are not credited with a full month of service for that month and will not accrue a vacation day for that month as vacation accruals will begin the following month.

Eligible employees whose employment with the University is terminating must work through the fifteenth (15th) day of the month to be credited with a full month of service for that month.

Employees may accrue Vacation Leave to a maximum of the number of days that they would earn over a two (2) year period of employment at their current accrual rate. For example, an employee who is eligible to accrue 25 vacation days per year may not ever accrue more than 50 vacation days.

No Department or supervisor may allow accrual beyond this maximum under any circumstances.

Employees maintain their accrued Vacation Leave when they transfer from one position within the University to another.

Employees who terminate from the University with less than three (3) months of service are not eligible to receive payment for any unused accrued vacation.

Usage

Employees are eligible to use their accrued Vacation Leave after completing three (3) months of continuous service.

Employees are entitled to use Vacation Leave up to the number of Vacation Leave days that they have accrued. Vacation Leave may not be taken in advance of accrual.

Compensation

Employees maintain their regular pay and benefits while absent from work on approved Vacation Leave.

Employees who have no outstanding obligations to the University will be compensated for unused Vacation Leave at the time their employment with Boston University terminates, up to a maximum of the number of days that they would accrue over a two (2) year period. Terminating employees who have completed three (3) months or more of continuous service will be paid for their unused Vacation Leave. Payment will be computed using the employee’s base rate of pay at the time of termination.

Requests and Approvals

Employees must submit a written request to their immediate supervisor at least two (2) weeks in advance of the desired Vacation Leave. The two (2) week requirement may be shortened in unusual situations.

Supervisors are responsible for obtaining departmental decisions and communicating them in writing to the employees. Approvals must clearly define the duration of the absence and the date the employee is expected to return to work. Department Heads are authorized to approve requests for Vacation Leave.

The University is exclusively vested with the right to make the ultimate determination as to when Vacation Leave will be scheduled and taken.

Other Provisions

If an observed holiday occurs during an employee’s scheduled vacation, the day of observance is taken as Holiday Leave.

Supervisors are responsible for maintaining complete and accurate records of the Vacation Leave accruals for each employee under his or her supervision. Supervisors are also responsible for accurately reporting Vacation Leave usage on all documents submitted to the Payroll Office.

Upon request, employees are entitled to a written statement of their Vacation Leave accrual and usage. Such requests should be made to the employee’s immediate supervisor, who is responsible for responding to the requests.

An employee who becomes ill while on an approved Vacation Leave may not apply Sick Leave to that period of illness.

---

THIS POLICY STATEMENT IS PART OF THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK, AND SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL OF THE POLICIES THAT COMPRISE THE HANDBOOK. THE PROVISIONS OF THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT AND DO NOT ALTER THE AT-WILL STATUS OF AN EMPLOYEE.

---