Vacation

Policy Area: Human Resources

Policy Title: Vacation Policy

Submitted Date: February 28, 2022

Effective Date: July 1, 2022

Submitted By: Human Resources

Approved By: Cabinet

Policy Owner: Human Resources

Rationale:

Albion College strives to deliver a competitive and progressive benefits package to employees including generous leave policies. This policy ensures employees have the time to take care of their non-work selves, destress, maintain their health/wellness, and connect with those they care about. When employees have the vacation days available to promote a healthy work-life balance, pursuing other interests that are as/more meaningful to their life as their work, we believe it leads to greater job satisfaction and increased work efficiency.  

Policy Statement:

All newly hired, full-time administrative employees are awarded twenty (20) days of vacation per fiscal year. After twelve (12) years of service, full-time administrative employees will receive twenty-five (25) days of vacation per fiscal year.

Vacation time will be prorated for employees who work less than twelve (12) months in a fiscal year (For example, a newly hired 11-month employee would receive 18 days). The total amount of vacation to which an employee is allocated for a fiscal year is received in advance at the beginning of each fiscal year and must be used by the end of the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). 

Vacations should be used in increments of full or half days.

Supervisors will determine when vacations may be taken, and may allow the employee to use vacation time as soon as it is received. Departments are expected to schedule vacations in a manner that promotes efficient operations while attempting to accommodate the needs and preferences of employees. Use of vacation is strongly encouraged; supervisors should work with employees to ensure they are taking their allocated vacation days. 

Procedure:

Upon hire, vacation allocation will be prorated based on remaining months in the fiscal. For example, an employee who is hired on March 1 will receive 6.5 days (20/12*4) to be used by June 30.

Employees should submit via email time off requests to their supervisor no less than two weeks in advance of time off date(s). Supervisors should reply back to the employee within two to three business days of receiving the request indicating approval or denial of the request. It is expected that supervisors ensure that time off requests do not conflict with departmental/operational needs. Supervisors are required to create a culture in which staff are expected to use all of their vacation days each year, as a result, rollover of unused time is discouraged and is only permitted in rare circumstances. In the event of extenuating circumstances, an employee may submit a request with less than two weeks’ notice and the supervisor will consider the request based on the impact on the department/College. Note: Supervisors may have additional protocols in place. These should be communicated to all in the department in writing.

When an employee leaves the College, unused vacation time will be paid out on a prorated basis based on the number of months worked in the fiscal year. For example, an employee who receives 20 vacation days and leaves September 30 will have worked three months and is entitled to five vacation days (20/12*3), if only three days were used, the employee will be paid out for the remaining two days. In addition, employees will not receive more time than they are able to take within the fiscal year at the time of separation from the College. Employees who give less than two weeks written notice of resignation/retirement to the College forfeit payment of remaining vacation time. Departing employees are expected to work the majority of their remaining days at the College (rather than taking vacation days, etc.).

It is the responsibility of the following administrators to designate a person in their area to maintain vacation records for their employees:

President

Provost

Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students

Vice President of Enrollment Management

Vice President for Marketing and Communications

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Athletic Director

Primary Impact On:

Full-time administrative employees. Faculty members are not eligible for vacation days. Union members should refer to their Collective Bargaining Agreement