Accrued Leave

Value Statement

The Austin Community College District (“ACC” or “the College”) provides accrued paid leave for employees to attend to illnesses, injuries, and family needs, and other personal reasons.

Administrative Rule

Vacation Leave:

1. Full-time administrators, professional-technical, and classified employees with less than five (5) years of continuous employment with the College accrue 10 hours of vacation leave per month (15 days a year). Employees in the above classifications whose positions are designated to be for less than 12 months do not accrue vacation leave.
2. Upon the fifth anniversary of employment with the College, full-time administrators and professional-technical and classified employees accrue vacation leave at the rate of 13.34 hours per month (20 days a year). Head librarians accrue vacation leave at the rate of 13.34 hours per month regardless of the number of years of employment with the College.
3. Part-time administrators, professional-technical, and classified employees accrue vacation hours proportional to their hours of employment. Employees who transfer between part-time and full-time positions should refer to the administrative guidelines for additional information. Employees in the above classifications, whose positions are designated to be for less than 12 months do not accrue vacation leave.
4. A new benefits eligible employee begins accruing vacation leave immediately, provided they work enough hours during the pay period to be eligible to receive an accrual. However, they may not use vacation leave until they have completed ninety (90) days of employment. In addition, they may not be paid for vacation leave if their employment is terminated for any reason or if they move into a non-accruing position prior to completing ninety (90) days of employment.
5. Full-time faculty (except Head Librarians), adjunct faculty, and hourly employees do not accrue vacation. Also, staff interpreters and adult education instructors whose positions are designated to be for less than 12 months during the year do not accrue vacation.
6. The maximum number of hours of vacation leave which employees may accrue is 240 hours (30 working days). When an employee has accrued the maximum of 240 hours of vacation, no additional vacation leave can be accrued.
7. All vacation leave taken by an employee is subject to the advanced approval of their immediate supervisor.
8. In the event of separation of employment from the College, an eligible employee will receive payment for all accrued vacation leave, except for employees who have not completed ninety (90) days of eligible employment and grant employees.

Sick Leave:

1. Full-time faculty, administrators, professional-technical, and classified employees accrue 8 hours of sick leave per month.
2. Part-time administrators, professional-technical, and classified employees and full-time faculty in part-time positions accrue sick leave hours proportional to their hours of employment.
3. No other employees accrue sick leave, unless authorized by the College.
4. Employees may accrue a maximum of 1,200 hours of sick leave.
5. Eligible employees moving into sick leave accruing positions begin accruing sick leave immediately, provided they work enough hours during the pay period to be eligible to receive an accrual.
6. Employees may use accrued sick leave for:
   1. personal illness,
   2. health-care related appointments,
   3. illness in the immediate family (spouse, child, parent, or sibling),
   4. illness of another immediate family member related by kinship, adoption, or marriage who lives in the employee’s home, or
   5. illness of a foster child placed in the home by the Texas Department of Child Protective and Regulatory Services.
7. To return to work after an absence due to illness of three (3) or more consecutive work days, the employee must provide to their supervisor a note from their treating physician indicating that the employee is medically able to return to work.
8. Up to 40 hours of accumulated sick leave may be used for Personal Leave each fiscal year.
9. Abuse of sick leave, including, but not limited to a consistent pattern of absences shall constitute grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
10. Upon separation from the College, employees will be paid 50% for any sick leave hours accrued over 960 hours. Payment for unused sick leave will be calculated at the employee’s current rate of pay and paid no later than the next available pay date.

Special Leave Provisions for Grant Employees:

1. Leave benefits for employees under a grant are designated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the grant.
2. The employment letter for all employees hired under a grant shall state the terms and conditions of employment under the grant.
3. Grant employees whose projects are ending must take all accrued vacation leave prior to the ending date of the grant. Grant employees are not eligible to receive a payout of accumulated vacation time or sick leave, even for sick leave hours in excess of 960 hours.
4. Grant employees who transfer into a non-grant position that accrues vacation and/or sick leave will have their unused accrued vacation and sick leave hours transferred to the new position.
5. Grant employees who transfer into a non-grant position that accrues only sick leave hours will have both their unused accrued vacation hours and sick leave hours transferred to the sick leave balance in the new position.