UCSB HR: Vacation Earnings & Usage FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions on Vacation Earnings & Usage

Am I eligible to earn vacation leave?
To be eligible to accrue vacation you must be appointed to a Career or Limited position at 50% or more time for at least six continuous months. Vacation begins accruing at the start of the appointment. If you start off in an ineligible appointment (less than 50% time or less than six months duration) you will become eligible to earn vacation after six continuous months on pay status of 50% or more. Once an appointment becomes eligible, vacation is credited retroactively from the start of the six months. Eligibility rules can vary, so always check your policy or contract.

How much vacation do I earn?
Your accrual rate is based on your personnel program (PSS-Professional &Support Staff, MSP-Managers & Sr. Professionals, grandparented Executive or grandparented A&PS) and years of service. The actual vacation you earn is then based on your accrual rate and percentage of time you work. You may determine your accrual rate with the Vacation Accrual Chart and your vacation earnings with the Vacation Earnings Table. (You can find these tools on the Web at http://hr.ucsb.edu/policies/vacation.php) Vacation is always earned in whole hours.

Is there a waiting period before I can use my accrued vacation?
It depends on the collective bargaining unit you're in. Some units have a waiting period of six continuous months on pay status and some require completion of the probationary period. Unrepresented employees do not have a waiting period and can use vacation as soon as it has been earned. Check your policy or contract for specific rules on waiting periods.

Given that I'm in an eligible appointment, what if I'm on less than 50% pay status for a given month? Do I still earn vacation?
It depends on the collective bargaining unit you're in. Some units require at least 50% pay status in order to earn any vacation for that month. Some provide for vacation earnings on a prorated basis for time on pay status starting below 50%. Check your policy or contract for specific rules on earning vacation and use the tables provided on the Web at http://hr.ucsb.edu/policies/vacation.php. Vacation is always earned in whole hours.

In what increments of time is vacation taken?
If you are in a non-exempt job classification, you may use your vacation in increments of a quarter hour (15 minutes). If your job classification is exempt, you must use vacation in whole days only.

What is the maximum amount I can accrue?
Vacation leave can be accrued to a maximum of two times the annual full-time earning rate. Under some contracts a part-time employee may accumulate up to the same maximum as a full-time employee. Other contracts stipulate a pro-rated maximum accrual for part-time employees. Check your policy or contract.

It is recommended that departments encourage employees to take vacation before they reach their maximum accrual. If an employee reaches the maximum and cannot schedule vacation due to operational considerations, he or she may have additional time within which to take vacation to bring his/her accruals below the maximum. Whether or not there is an additional period and the length of the additional period varies between policies/contracts. Check your policy or contract.

What happens to my vacation accrual when I change jobs on campus or transfer to another campus? How about when I separate from the University?
If you transfer from one vacation-accruing appointment to another, your vacation balance is transferred to the new appointment. The same applies to intercampus transfers. (Remember that a transfer has no break in service.) If you transfer into a position that is not eligible to earn vacation or if you separate from the University, your ending vacation balance will be paid out to you.

What if I separate before my waiting period is finished?
If your appointment was eligible to earn vacation, then any vacation earned will be paid out to you upon separation.

When I separate can I use up my vacation balance rather than have it paid out?
You cannot use vacation after the last day of work for any type of separation other than a retirement. However, if you are retiring you may schedule vacation between the last day of work and the effective date of retirement. For a transfer from a vacation-accruing position to a position that is not eligible to earn vacation you may use vacation in the period between the two jobs, since there is no break in service.

What is the "Factor Accrual System" that my contract refers to?
UCSB does NOT use the Factor Accrual System. The Factor Accrual System calculates vacation credit earned for each month based on the actual number of hours of pay status for that month. Since calendar months vary in total working hours, vacation credit would vary from month to month. Vacation is earned in partial hours. (Example: 9.69 vacation hours earned one month, 10.62 hours the next; rather than 10.00 hours for each month.)

Instead of the Factor Accrual System UCSB uses the Vacation Earnings Tables found at http://hr.ucsb.edu/policies/vacation.php. With the Vacation Credit Tables vacation credit remains the same each month regardless of the number of working hours in the month. (Actual vacation earnings may vary depending on the employee's paid status.) Vacation is always earned in whole hours.

Where can I check out my policy or contract's specific answers to the above questions?
On the Web at Employee and Labor Relation's Union Contracts Updates page.