COH Employee Handbook

Page | 54 Basic Eligibility – To be eligible to accrue vacation leave benefits, an employee must be in a regular position that is scheduled to work at least twenty (20) hours per week on an on-going basis. Regular part-time employees will earn prorated vacation leave based on their full-time equivalency. Other employee categories are not eligible to receive vacation leave benefits. New employees begin accruing vacation leave benefits from their hire date. However, vacation leave benefits may not be used until the employee satisfactorily completes his/her initial trial period (usually six months). Accrued vacation leave benefits are not payable should the new employee terminate employment before satisfactorily completing the initial trial period. Method of Accrual & Administration – Vacation leave is earn ed each pay period and is accrued based on the employee’s regular schedule and continuous length of service. For the purposes of this policy, a full-time employee is defined as a person who is regularly scheduled to work 40 hour per week (2,080 per year), excluding overtime. Employees must be on active pay status for the full pay period to receive the accrual; employees on an unpaid leave of absence will cease to accrue vacation leave until they return to active pay status. For regular full-time employees, vacation leave is accrued according to the following schedule: Years of Service Accrual Rate per Pay Period* Annual Accrual Max. Carry- Over Cap 0 to 4 Years 3.077 Hours 80 Hours 160 Hours 5 -13 Years 4.615 Hours 120 Hours 200 Hours 14+ Years 6.154 Hours 160 Hours 200 Hours For Fire Department Battalion Chiefs, vacation is accrued according to the following schedule: Years of Service Accrual Rate per Pay Period* Annual Accrual Max. Carry- Over Cap 0 to 4 Years 4.615 Hours 120 Hours 224 Hours 5 -13 Years 6.923 Hours 180 Hours 280 Hours 14+ Years 9.231 Hours 240 Hours 280 Hours For certain positions designated by the City Manager, vacation leave is accrued according to the following schedule: Years of Service Accrual Rate per Pay Period* Annual Accrual Max. Carry- Over Cap 0-10 Years 4.615 Hours 120 Hours 200 Hours 10+ Years 6.154 Hours 160 Hours 240 Hours *Note: Assumes Bi-Weekly pay schedule with 26 pay periods in the year. Vacation leave is available for use after the pay period in which it was earned but may not be used for absences that occur within the same pay period it was earned. Movement to a higher accrual rate becomes effective the first of the pay period in which employee’s length of service date reaches the next tier. Employees are allowed to carry-over vacation leave benefits from one calendar year to the next up to the maximum carry- over cap indicated above. Any unused vacation leave above the maximum carry-over cap will be lost.