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Regular full-time employees on administrative appointments are entitled to receive 20 days vacation per year. Employees in regular part-time positions are entitled to a pro-rated amount of vacation time. Employees begin accruing vacation upon hire so that at the end of the first year of employment they would have accrued a total of 20 days. Vacation time for administrators is used in half–day or full day increments. The supervisor should approve all requests for use of vacation. Unused vacation time can only be carried forward for one year, up to a maximum of 20 days. Upon termination of employment, employees are paid for any unused balance of vacation time if the Administrator submits a memo/email, with the supervisor's approval, to the Human Resources Department which indicates the remaining vacation balance. Normally, 20 vacation days is the maximum approved for payment. This policy also applies to 12-month faculty librarians and coaches. 

Benefit time accrual begins as of the employee's date of hire. Vacation time does not accrue during an unpaid leave of absence, disability, unpaid Family Medical Leave and/or Paid Family Leave, however, it can be used in 1 hour increments to supplement Paid Family Leave.

The University provides regular technical and support staff employees with paid vacation time. The amount of vacation accrual is based on an employee’s date of hire and base hours: 

Employees hired before July 1, 2004 

Regular full-time employees who work a regular 37.5-hour week for 12 months per year currently receive the equivalent of 26 days of vacation each year. Vacation is accrued every pay period, except during periods of disability, unpaid Family Medical Leave, and Paid Family Leave. Regular part-time employees earn a prorated amount of time. 

Employees hired on or after July 1, 2004 

Regular full-time employees who work 37.5 hours/week for 12 months/year earn vacation in accordance with the following schedule:

• 0 - 4 years: 15 days
• 5 – 9 years: 17 days     
• 10 – 19 years: 20 days
• 20+ years: 26 days

Vacation is accrued every pay period. Benefit time accrual begins as of the employee's date of hire. Vacation time does not accrue during an unpaid leave of absence, disability, unpaid Family Medical Leave, or Paid Family Leave. Regular part-time employees earn a prorated amount of time. Vacation accrues up to 6 months for work-related illness or injury, as approved by the carrier. 

The base hours are determined by the average number of hours established for the position which the employee occupies, and will not fluctuate if an employee happens to work overtime or any different schedule. Vacation time is accrued but may not be taken during the Introductory Period. Vacation time may be taken at any time following the Introductory Period as long as a sufficient balance is available. There will be no extension approved for employees to accrue hours beyond the maximum limit. Employees cannot be paid for absences in excess of their accumulated balance. The minimum amount of vacation that can be requested is one-half hour. All vacation time should be scheduled in advance with the approval of the supervisor and in accordance with the needs of the department. 

Normally, employees will be expected to use all available vacation time for daily or short-term absences instead of time without pay. Time without pay is subject to the approval of the supervisor and Human Resources. In the event of transfer to another department of the University, unused vacation time will be transferred. Employees who terminate employment are compensated for unused accrued vacation time, unless they are in their introductory period.

Casual employees are eligible to earn Paid Time Off (PTO). PTO accrual is based on 2.89 hours for a 75-hour biweekly pay period. This accrual will be prorated based on the number of hours worked and will accrue to a maximum of 75 hours. PTO will become available after 90 calendar days from the date accrual begins. Time can be used to cover University holidays or as vacation, with the approval of the supervisor(s). 

PTO has no monetary value and will not be paid out at the time of termination, nor can it be used to cover a break in service. However, employees who return within a 12-month period will have their previous accrual reinstated.

Under the NY Sick Leave law, employers are required to provide their employees with paid sick leave. ´ó·¢²ÊƱ has elected to use the alternate accrual system for administrators, which means all exempt (salaried) employees will receive 56 hours of paid sick leave each calendar year. Employees are allowed to carry over annually up to 56 hours, to a maximum of 112 hours.

This requirement does not impact ´ó·¢²ÊƱ’s sick leave policy for exempt employees. Based on the current policy, administrators are able to take a reasonable amount of sick leave, which may be beyond the requirement of providing 56 hours. Unused sick leave balances have no monetary value and will not be paid out at termination or retirement for exempt employees. Employees are not required to disclose confidential information relating to the reason for the use of sick leave but are still required to notify Human Resources of absences that exceed 3 days.

All exempt employees must record sick leave taken in the leave scheduler, which is located in the . Sick leave is to be used in half-hour increments. 

Sick leave can only be used for qualifying reasons, and employees must communicate all absences with their supervisor and follow the departmental practices in place for requesting time off and providing notification.

Qualifying Reasons for the Use of Sick Time

• Mental or physical illness, injury or health condition of the employee or employee’s family member.
• Diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition of the employee or employee’s family member.
• Preventive care for an employee or an employee’s family member
• Absence for reasons related to an employee or an employee’s family member being the victim of domestic violence, a family offense, a sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking:
  • To obtain service from domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, or other services program;
  • To participate in safety planning, to temporarily or permanently relocate, or to take other actions in increase the safety of an employee and/or an employee’s family member;
  • To meet with an attorney or other social services provider in relation to a criminal or civil proceeding;
  • To file a complaint or domestic incident report with law enforcement;
  • To meet with the district attorney's office;
  • To take any other actions necessary to ensure the health and safety of an employee or an employee’s family member, or to protect those who associate or work with the employee.

Under the NY Sick Leave law, employers are required to provide their employees with paid sick leave. All ´ó·¢²ÊƱ-exempt employees are provided 56 hours at the beginning of the calendar year and can carry over annually up to 56 hours, to a maximum of 112 hours. This law applies to all employees, even faculty, but other than requiring the university to track sick time, it does not change anything relating to the existing sick time policies contained in the Faculty Handbook. The Faculty Handbook policy provides significant flexibility to faculty members needing to take time away from work because of illness about the stat mandate of 56 hours.  

In order to provide a universal system that meets the NYS requirements, a Leave Scheduler was created, which can be found in the . Part of the requirement is to provide the accrual, amount used, and balance remaining to employees, and therefore we ask that all exempt employees record sick leave when taken. Sick leave is to be used in half-hour increments.

Qualifying Reasons for the Use of Sick Time 

• Mental or physical illness, injury or health condition of the employee or employee’s family member.
• Diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition of the employee or employee’s family member.
• Preventive care for an employee or an employee’s family member
• Absence for reasons related to an employee or an employee’s family member being the victim of domestic violence, a family offense, a sexual offense, stalking, or human trafficking:
  • To obtain service from domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, or other services program;
  • To participate in safety planning, to temporarily or permanently relocate, or to take other actions in increase the safety of an employee and/or an employee’s family member;
  • To meet with an attorney or other social services provider in relation to a criminal or civil proceeding;
  • To file a complaint or domestic incident report with law enforcement;
  • To meet with the district attorney's office;
  • To take any other actions necessary to ensure the health and safety of an employee or an employee’s family member, or to protect those who associate or work with the employee. 
     

Sick time is to be used for employees who are absent due to personal illness (including medical or dental appointments). Employees must communicate absences related to sick time with supervisors following established departmental guidelines. The University, in its sole discretion, may require a physician’s statement regarding any absence for alleged illness. Employees and/or supervisors must notify the Human Resources Department for any absence that extends more than 5 working days.

In addition, sick time may also be used for caring for members of the immediate family who are ill and require care at home for brief periods of time or for doctor’s appointments that cannot be scheduled outside of working hours. Members of the immediate family include a spouse/ domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, grandparents, and other persons in comparable relationships to the employee.

Sick time may be used in half-hour increments, but will not be paid if in excess of the employee's accumulated balance of time available. The available balance is reported to employees on their payroll statements with each paycheck. Employees accrue this time every pay period in accordance with the following schedule: 

Employees hired before July 1, 2004 

Regular full-time employees are eligible to accrue eight sick days per year. Regular part-time employees receive a prorated amount of time. Employees whose cumulative total of accrued days of sick time exceeds 75 days shall have the option of receiving payment for accumulation above 75 days, once yearly, up to a maximum of 10 days, in the first payday in January. Employees who do not exercise this payout option may accumulate unused sick leave up to 85 days. 

Employees hired on or after July 1, 2004 

Regular full-time employees are eligible to accrue 12 sick days per year. Regular part-time employees receive a prorated amount of time. Employees whose cumulative total of accrued days of sick time exceeds 120 days shall have the option of receiving payment for accumulation above 120 days, once yearly, up to a maximum of 12 days, in the first payday in January. Employees who do not exercise this payout option may accumulate unused sick leave up to 132 days. 

Upon termination, accumulated but unused sick time shall have no monetary value. However, ´ó·¢²ÊƱ will pay employees for all unused accumulated sick time upon a qualified University retirement, at the pay rate in existence at the time of their retirement. 

Sick leave will continue to accrue for up to six months if the employee is disabled due to a work-related injury and is receiving worker's compensation benefits. If the employee is disabled by a non-work-related incident and is receiving payment through New York State disability benefit coverage, the sick leave does not continue to accrue. Sick leave does not accrue during an unpaid leave of absence, Family Medical Leave and/or Paid Family Leave. 

Hourly employees may use sick leave in conjunction with New York State disability or worker's compensation to achieve a normal paycheck. Employees normally are required to apply for disability if the illness extends beyond seven days. The seven-day period includes the weekend. 

In the event of an active employee’s death, the employee’s designated beneficiary will be entitled to a full cash-out on all of the employee’s accumulated sick leave.

Hourly, non-benefited employees are provided with sick leave. The University provides an accrual that is more generous than the N.Y. Sick Leave law requirement. Sick leave accrual is based on 2.55 hours for a 75-hour biweekly pay period. The accrual is prorated based on the number of hours worked and will accrue to a maximum of 112 hours. Employees with multiple jobs should record sick leave under the highest-paying position scheduled for the week sick leave is being taken. This exceeds the requirement of payment based on the hourly weighted average. Balances are available in Web Time Entry. 

Sick leave has no monetary value and will not be paid out at the time of termination, nor can it be used to cover a break in service. However, employees who return within a 12-month period will have their previous accrual reinstated. 

Sick leave can only be used for qualifying reasons, and employees must communicate all absences with their supervisor and follow the departmental practices in place for requesting time off and providing notification.