Chapter 14: Vacation Leave
14.1 Eligibility – Staff Employees Only
All staff employees appointed for twenty (20) hours per week or more accrue vacation leave beginning with their first day of service. One month's accrual is given to an employee for each month or fraction of a month actually worked, regardless of the date of employment or termination. Accrual rates, as established by the State Legislature, are published annually by the Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é and are available from the Office of Human Resources. Faculty appointments do not accrue vacation leave time.
14.2 Accrual
A staff employee accrues vacation leave at a rate based upon length of State service and hours appointed per week. Employees appointed for forty (40) hours per week accrue at 100% of the allowed hours for their length of State service. Part-time personnel appointed half-time or more accrue vacation leave proportionate to the percent time of their appointment. Rates of accrual are established by the State Legislature and are published annually by the Office of Human Resources
14.2.1 To ensure appropriate accrual of vacation leave, new employees with prior service with the State of Texas must advise the Office of Human Resources at the time of employment. The Office of Human Resources will secure appropriate verification of the prior service from the previous employing agency or agencies.
14.2.2 Vacation should be taken during the fiscal year in which it accrues. If this is not possible, vacation accrual may be carried forward to the next fiscal year to the extent permitted by State law. Vacation time accrued over the maximum amount allowed will be automatically transferred to sick leave balances at the end of each fiscal year.
- Holiday time taken during vacation leave will not be charged against the employee's vacation accrual.
- No vacation leave is accrued while the employee is on an unpaid leave status except for employees on military emergency leave.
14.2.3 A staff employee who resigns or is separated from Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é employment, or who transfers from a position that accrues vacation hours to a position that does not accrue vacation hours, is entitled to a "lump sum" payment of accrued vacation time, provided the employee has completed the initial six (6) months of employment. In the event of the death of any employee who has accrued vacation time, the estate will be paid a "lump sum" payment for the employee’s accumulated vacation leave . All separation documents will be sent to the Office of Human Resources and payments will be processed during the next Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é pay cycle.
14.3 Utilization
Requests to take vacation leave must be made in advance in writing to the employee’s immediate supervisor using the appropriate Ãå±±ÂÖ¼é electronic record or written form for requesting leave time. Supervisors shall review the request, verify eligibility, assess departmental needs, and approve or deny the request. Fair and equal consideration will be given to all requests for vacation leave and, where possible, the employee's request will be approved. Denial shall be based solely on lack of eligibility or undue disruption of departmental operations, with the reasons provided to the employee in writing. In cases of conflict with departmental needs, acceptable alternative dates for taking leave time must be provided to the employee. Vacation leave taken without prior approval of the appropriate departmental supervisory official will not be paid and will be construed and recorded as an "Unexcused Absence."
14.4 Veterans Health Leave
See Accounting for Work Time Policy in the HOP Section V Chapter 13.
14.5 Agency Investigation Leave
See Accounting for Work Time Policy in the HOP Section V Chapter 13.