OBJECTIVE

To establish procedures for the effective implementation of the Annual Leave Policy for Staff Exempt, Staff Non-Exempt, and 12-Month Faculty.

WHO IS AFFECTED?

Eligible regular staff and 12-month faculty.

PROCEDURE

1. Scheduling
   
   Work responsibilities may demand that employees be present at certain critical times. Consequently, employees must request the supervisor’s approval in advance for the use of annual leave. The supervisor will schedule and approve annual leave prior to actual absences, and will accommodate employee requests to the extent the department workload requirements permit. Departments are responsible for establishing and implementing equitable scheduling practices. This may include an annual leave form to request and record approval of leave. The benefit of taking annual leave may not be denied to employees.
2. Documentation
   1. Employees on the monthly payroll: All regular full-time or part-time monthly salaried employees report annual leave (vacation) on an individual salaried employee timesheet (located on the IRIS website). The leave tabulations are maintained in IRIS. Leave balances are printed on the employee’s pay statement. Departments are responsible for verifying the leave accruals and usage in IRIS on a monthly basis. If it is necessary for an employee to be absent prior to earning annual leave or after any accrued leave has been exhausted, the absence(s) should be deducted from the employee’s pay in IRIS.
   2. Employees on the biweekly payroll: Leave taken by employees on the biweekly payroll is recorded by each employee on the biweekly timesheet. Leave balances are calculated automatically and printed on each employee’s pay statement. If it is necessary for an employee to be absent prior to earning annual leave or after any accrued leave has been exhausted, only the actual number of hours worked should be reported on the biweekly timesheet.
   3. Falsifying time reports. Failure to accurately report time and attendance may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
3. Accrual Rate Change
   
   When the annual leave accrual rate changes, IRIS automatically updates the rate.
4. Determination of Constructed Annual Leave Dates
   
   The Constructed Annual Leave date is used to determine the annual leave accrual rate. For an employee without a break in service, this date is the date the employee began working at the University as a regular employee. For an employee with a break in service (two or more periods of employment, or leave without pay in excess of fifteen days) this date is computed by Human Resources-Records as follows:
   
   Determine the total amount of regular service (past and present) with The University of Tennessee, State agencies, State colleges and universities, and Tennessee public school systems. Periods of leave without pay for the major fraction of a month or more are not included unless the employee was on military leave. Prior service as a temporary employee or as a student employee does not count in the computation.
   
   Subtract the total amount of service from the regular continuous service date. The result is a Constructed Annual Leave Date to be used in determining the leave accrual rate.
   
   For new employees, any previous UT or State employment should be indicated on the Personal Data Form. Human Resources-Records will compute the Constructed Annual Leave Date based on previous UT and/or State service after verification.
   
   If the department discovers that an employee had prior eligible service, the department should contact Human Resources-Records.