University of Illinois System

Vacation Leave

Eligible employees are granted vacation leave, a pre-approved paid absence from work, to be used for personal and vacation reasons. Leave for vacation purposes will be arranged with due regard for operating needs of the University and to accommodate the convenience of the employee.

Select one of the following links or scroll down for specific information:

Eligibility
Accruals
Usage
Reporting
Benefits Continuation
Transfer of Vacation Leave
Vacation Leave Payout
Resources


Eligibility

Civil Service employees in a trainee, apprentice, learner, provisional, and status appointment are eligible.

Academic employees must have a 12-month appointment to be eligible for vacation. Those appointed for an academic year (9 months) or 10 months paid over 12 months are not eligible for vacation leave.

Both civil service and academic employees must be appointed in a leave eligible job that is greater than 0% to be eligible.


Accruals

Civil Service employees may earn up to 28 days of vacation leave per year, depending on length of service. Please see Civil Service Accrual Tables. Employees may accumulate an amount of leave equal to that earned in two service years at the employee's current earnings rate, but upon reaching this accumulation will cease to earn leave except when the accumulation is reduced. Vacation accruals in a pay period are added to an employee's balance first and then hours used are deducted from that balance. Therefore, it is imperative that employees manage their vacation use in order to maximize their accruals.

Academic employees receive 24 workdays (192 hours) per year at the percentage of their appointment. For example, an academic professional on a 50% appointment will receive 24 days at 50% time, which is the equivalent of 96 hours. New employees starting after the beginning of the academic year receive a prorated share. A maximum accumulation of 48 days (384 hours) if full-time may be carried over from one appointment year to the next. A maximum accumulation for a 50% employee may carry over a maximum of 48 days at 50% (192 hours).

3/22/2021 REMINDER:  Academic employees who rolled over additional vacation leave days (up to 5) in August 2020 must use them by 8/15/2021. The rollover maximum of 48 days will be restored for AY 2021/2022. 


Usage

Vacation leave is meant to be used for personal and family reasons and should be pre-approved by the department, except in the case of emergency situations.

Civil service employees who earn vacation leave according to Schedule A may take leave in tenth-hour increments, and those under Schedule B may take leave in full or partial days, but may not charge such leave for partial days in increments of less than a full hour.

Departmental procedures for requesting the use of vacation leave may vary. An employee should contact his/her immediate supervisor for the particular procedures within his/her department.


Reporting

Civil Service employees report leave usage on a bi-weekly basis when completing their normal time and attendance reporting.

Academic reporting occurs bi-annually, in May and August. Reporting may occur more often based on departmental procedures.


Benefits Continuation

While using vacation leave, employees continue to receive the same State and University benefits as when actively working. All State-paid contributions continue.


Transfer of Vacation Leave

When transferring from an academic to Civil Service position, or vice versa, any vacation earned will ordinarily be used before the employee transfers. If doing so would create a hardship, arrangements may be made for transfer of all or part of the accumulated vacation provided that these arrangements are acceptable to the two administrative units and the employee.

In no case can a transfer of accumulated vacation leave result in a loss of accumulated benefits, except that at the time an employee retires, resigns, or otherwise terminates employment with the University, the employee's accumulated vacation leave may not exceed the maximum allowable accrued/received.

Postdoctoral research associate vacation leave shall not transfer to any position that is not postdoctoral.


Vacation Leave Payout

Civil Service Staff
Employees are paid for any vacation leave accumulated and not used as of the employee's last scheduled workday. If an employee accepts employment at another state agency or institution, under certain conditions, accrued vacation leave may be transferred, subject to the State Universities Civil Service System.

Academic Staff
If an employee has accumulated unused vacation time as of the last day of employment, the employee will be paid a lump sum for this time up to a maximum of 48 days (384 hours) if full-time, except to research associates modified by the postdoctoral title. Postdoctoral research associates hired on or after 8/16/2019 shall be ineligible for vacation termination pay and their vacation leave shall not transfer to any position that is not postdoctoral. 

Part-time employees receive a vacation payout prorated based on their FTE. For example, a 50% academic professional will be paid a lump sum up to a maximum of 48 days at 50% (192 hours). Vacation payout may exceed 48 days if the vacation leave balance in excess of 48 days is due to either: (a) an employee group change from Civil Service to Academic; or (b) a change to the employee's full-time equivalency (FTE) from full-time to part-time.

When employees leave the University before the completion of their contract, vacation must be prorated for the portion of the year worked. If, at the date of termination, employees have used more vacation than they have earned, the value of the unearned days used will be deducted from the employee's final paycheck. If the repayment amount is not deducted from the final check, an employee will be required to reimburse the University for the value of the used unearned days.

Vacation Leave Payout and Retirement Benefits Calculation

Under state law the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) allows up to 56 work days of vacation leave payout to be included in the calculation of retirement benefits.

The maximum vacation leave payout allowed under University policy is not increased by the 56 work days that SURS allows for inclusion in the calculation of retirement benefits. As described in the Vacation Leave Payout section, payouts for civil service employees are limited to any vacation leave accumulated and not used as of the employee's last scheduled workday; payouts for academic employees may not exceed 48 days.

According to SURS, the 56-day limit is cumulative for an employee, per SURS-covered employer, regardless of the number of vacation payouts (for example, returning to employment after separation and later receiving another vacation leave payout).

If an employee has more than one vacation leave payout due to breaks in service, retirement benefits with SURS may be affected.

Employees should contact SURS with any questions about retirement benefits calculation and vacation leave payouts. This information about vacation leave payout and retirement benefits is for general information only and is not advice. If there are any differences between this interpretation and information provided by SURS, then SURS information will govern.

Examples

Employee A leaves the University of Illinois and receives a vacation payout of 60 days because an employee group change from civil service to academic professional resulted in an excess vacation balance of 12 days. SURS accepts 56 days, of the 60 days paid out, for inclusion in retirement benefit calculations. Employee A later returns to the University of Illinois and receives a vacation payout of 48 days when leaving employment the second time. SURS will not allow the vacation payout from the second separation to be included in retirement benefit calculation because the 56-day maximum was reached with the first vacation payout.

Employee B also leaves the University of Illinois, but receives a vacation payout of 48 days that SURS accepts for inclusion in retirement benefit calculations. Likewise, Employee B later returns to the University of Illinois and receives a vacation payout of 48 days when leaving the second time. SURS will allow 8 days from the second vacation payout to be included in benefit calculations because the 56-day maximum was not reached with the first vacation payout.

Employee C leaves another state university, receives a vacation payout of 56 days that SURS accepts for inclusion in retirement benefit calculations, and later comes to work full-time for the University of Illinois. A while later, Employee C goes from full-time to part-time. At employment separation, this employee receives a vacation payout of 56 days. SURS will allow the 56 days from the University of Illinois because the first and second payouts were from different SURS-covered employers.


Resources

Select from the appropriate university and/or employee group for specific information.

Vacation and Sick Leave (AVSL) Reporting for Faculty, Other Academics, and Academic Professionals

University System Policies
General Rules Concerning University Organization and Procedure

Policy and Rules for Civil Service Staff
Vacation and Personal Leave
Retirement
Group Insurance Continuation Following Retirement
Pay for Vacation and Personal Leave Upon Termination

University Policies

Urbana
Annual Vacation and Sick Leave Reporting - Academics

Chicago
Vacation Leave for Academic Employees
Sick Leave and Vacation Transfer from other State Agencies
Vacation and Personal Leave for Support Staff
Restoration of Leave Time Upon Return to the University
Leave Reporting for Academic Employees
Payment of Terminal Benefits for Academic Employees
Payment of Terminal Benefits for Support Staff Employees

Springfield
Contact the campus Human Resources Office.

Additional Resources