Leave Benefits for Managerial and Confidential Exempt Employees

Title: Leave Benefits for Managerial and Confidential Exempt Employees
Policy Owner: Human Resources
Applies to: Management and Confidential (except as noted)
Campus Applicability: All Campuses (Storrs, Regionals, Law, UConn Health)
Effective Date: July 1, 2019
For More Information, Contact Human Resources
Contact Information: (860) 486-3034
Official Website: https://www.hr.uconn.edu/

Please click here to access procedures related to this policy.

This policy sets forth leave benefits for managerial and confidential employees of the University, including non-represented faculty with an academic title.[1]

The benefits outlined below are identical, except where noted, for all exempt and non-exempt, non-represented groups who are unclassified managerial and confidential state employees at the University of Connecticut. They derive from State of Connecticut benefits or statutory language specific to higher education, in addition to Board of Trustee actions.

Vacation, personal, and sick times granted and accrued are prorated based on percentage employed.

Vacation

Managerial and confidential employees can accrue twenty-two (22) days of paid vacation leave in each calendar year.[2] Vacation is accrued either bi-weekly or monthly during the time of an appointment. It is expected that vacation will be taken within the year in which it is accrued. It is recognized that circumstances may arise that limit an employee’s ability to utilize all vacation time in any given year. Employees may carry over vacation days from year-to-year to a maximum of sixty (60) days. Employees may request approval from the appropriate Division Head (President, Provost, Executive Vice Presidents), and in the case of the President, from the Board of Trustees, to carry over accrued vacation in excess of sixty (60) days up to a maximum of one hundred twenty (120) days, consistent with the State of Connecticut’s vacation accrual cap.

Upon leaving the University or returning to a faculty position (for managerial employees with academic titles), an employee shall be paid for their accrued vacation time up to a maximum of sixty (60) days.

In general, the University acknowledges the unused vacation leave balances of employees entering UConn service from another Connecticut state agency.

Holidays

Managerial and confidential employees receive twelve (12) paid State holidays. Holidays, which do not conflict with the academic calendar or operational needs, as appropriate, may be taken off as a day off with pay.  If an employee works on the holiday they shall be granted a compensatory day off in lieu thereof. Holiday compensatory time is earned and recorded on an employee’s time and attendance record. Holiday compensatory time must be used by the end of the calendar year following the year in which it was earned. For example, an employee who earns holiday compensatory time for working on a holiday in Year 1 must use that holiday compensatory time before the close of Year 2, the next calendar year.

Upon leaving the University or returning to a faculty position (for managerial employees with academic titles), an employee shall be paid for their unexpired compensatory holiday time.

Personal

Personal leave time of two (2) days is granted to managerial and confidential employees at the beginning of each fiscal year, July 1.[3] Personal leave is not accrued and must be used in the fiscal year in which it was granted.  Personal leave time not used within the fiscal year will be forfeited.

Sick

Managerial and confidential employees are granted sick leave of fifteen (15) work days at the beginning of each fiscal year, July 1.3 Sick leave is treated “as if accrued,” and is available for use by such employee for personal illness, personal medical appointments, and other provisions outlined within this policy. Any sick leave not utilized in a fiscal year will continue to be available “as if accrued” solely for use by the employee during their tenure at the University. “As if accrued” sick leave shall not be paid out to an employee upon departure or retirement from the University. Employees may use “as if accrued” sick leave balances for personal or family medical illness or appointments and funeral leave, consistent with the yearly limits of this policy.

Effective July 5, 2019, all managerial and confidential employees at UConn Health will cease accruing sick leave days. At the beginning of the first pay-period in July, sick leave is granted as 15 days. Sick leave is treated “as if accrued,” and is available for use by such for personal illness, personal medical appointments, and other provisions outlined within this policy. Any sick leave not utilized in a fiscal year will continue to be available “as if accrued” solely for use by the employee during their tenure at the UConn Health. “As if accrued” sick leave shall not be paid out to an employee upon departure or retirement from UConn Health. Employees may use “as if accrued” sick leave balances for personal or family medical illnesses or appointments and funeral leave, consistent with the yearly limits of this policy. UConn Health managerial and confidential employees with accrued sick leave balances on the books as of July 4, 2019, may retain such sick leave for use in accordance with UConn Health policy. A managerial or confidential employee with any remaining accrued pre-July 5, 2019 sick leave balances shall be paid out at the rate of 25% of the total of such accrued sick leave balance or sixty (60) days whichever is less as of the date of retirement or death of the employee.

In general, the University acknowledges the unused accrued sick leave balances of employees entering UConn service from another Connecticut state agency, and the University treats such balances similar to UConn Health employees noted above.

Funeral

Funeral leave of up to five (5) days of sick leave per occurrence may be used for a death in the immediate family. Immediate family means husband, wife, mother, mother-in-law, father, father-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, child and any relative who is domiciled in the employee’s household. Funeral leave of up to one (1) day of sick leave per occurrence may be used for a death outside of the immediate family.

Sick Family

Sick leave of up to ten (10) days may be utilized for the illness of one’s spouse, child, or parent. Child means biological, foster, adopted, or step-child residing the employee’s household. Parent means mother, father, mother-in-law, or father-in-law of the employee.

Donating Time

Managerial and confidential employees may donate accrued vacation, personal, or holiday compensatory time to another non-represented managerial or confidential employee who is absent due to a long-term illness or injury. The absent employee must have exhausted all paid leave time and be on leave without pay status to be eligible for such donation.

UConn – Managerial and Confidential Exempt Employee Leave Donation Form

UConn Health – Managerial and Confidential Exempt Employee Leave Donation Form

Non-Exempt Compensatory Time

Confidential employees who are non-exempt, as defined in the Fair Labor Standards Act earn compensatory time[4] for working above 40 hours per week.

[1] Non-represented faculty at UConn Health follow the By-Laws of the University of Connecticut and the University of Connecticut Health Center Faculty Vacation and Holiday Leave Policy and are therefore excluded from all provisions of this policy. Non-represented faculty at the School of Law follow the By-Laws of the University of Connecticut and the Faculty Medical Leave Guidelines and are therefore excluded from all provisions of this policy.

[2] For monthly accruals, managerial and confidential employees are not eligible for vacation accruals when more than 5 days (40 hours) are unpaid leave in a month. For bi-weekly accruals, managerial and confidential employees are not eligible for vacation accruals when more than 2 days (16 hours) are unpaid in a pay-period.

[3] The annual granting of personal and sick leave will occur on July 1 for Storrs and Regional employees and at the beginning of the first pay-period in July for UConn Health employees.

[4] Compensatory time shall be paid out in accordance with the applicable provisions of the UHP contract.

Policy History:

Approved by the HR Governance Group on June 25, 2019.