Time Off

General Time Keeping Information

  • Non-Exempt Staff: All regular full-time and regular part-time classified nonexempt staff must record hours worked, vacation, sick, personal time, compensatory time taken, and holiday and recess time. At the end of each workweek, the supervisor and non-exempt staff member must review the weekly time card to certify that the time recorded is accurate.
  • Exempt Staff: All regular full-time and regular part-time classified exempt staff must record exception time off; hours worked do not need to be reported and a weekly time card is not required except for those weeks when exception time off is taken.
    • Exception time off types include: bereavement, jury duty, military paid leave, parental leave, vacation, personal time, sick time, FMLA vacation, FMLA personal time, FMLA sick time, and approved absence. Learn more.
    • University holidays and recess time are not considered exception time off and do not need to be reported.
    • When exception time off is reported, the supervisor and exempt staff member must review the time card to certify that the time taken is recorded accurately.

For more information about time keeping, please visit this time keeping resources page.

Sick Time

Accrual of Sick Time

Regular classified staff members accrue sick time for each pay period worked, irrespective of length of service. The maximum amount of sick time that a regular full or part-time staff member may accrue at any given time is limited to 900 hours (120 days).

Sick time is accrued during the provisional period. Temporary staff members do not accrue or receive sick time regardless of the length of the assignment.

New staff members who begin employment on the first day of the pay period will receive the full accrual for the pay period. New staff members who begin employment on any day other than the first day of the pay period will receive a prorated accrual based on the number of days worked between the official start date and the last day of the pay period. For example, if a newly hired full-time staff member begins employment with the University on the 15th day of the month, they would receive a prorated portion (approx. half) of the sick time accrual for the month.

When a staff member terminates from the University, sick time accruals will be prorated for the pay period in which the staff member terminates in accordance with their official date of termination. See Payment of Unused Sick Time section below for eligibility requirements to be paid for accrued sick time.

For detailed information about sick time accruals, please refer to the Paid and Unpaid Time Off section of the University of Pittsburgh Staff Handbook.

Usage of Sick Time

Sick time may be used only for health reasons, family care obligations, and other conditions that have a bearing on physical and mental welfare. Sick time may be taken for purposes of a family care obligation only for an obligation caused by a physical or mental health condition of a family member, or if care for a dependent family member is necessitated by the closure or delayed start of a care facility or school because of severe weather conditions. Family members are defined as those for whom leave may be taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which include a spouse, parent, or child (child means a biological, adopted, or foster child, a stepchild, a legal ward, or a child of a person standing in loco parentis, who is either under age 18, or age 18 or older and “incapable of self-care” as defined pursuant to FMLA regulations).

Supervisors or departmental administrators may request a physician’s certification or other official verification of the reasons for taking sick time, particularly in cases of chronic, patterned, or long-term absence. In addition, staff members may be disciplined if more sick time is taken than entitled to or in cases of excessive unscheduled absences or other egregious use of sick time. Sick time will be accrued in hours and should be documented as taken in hours; however all staff are encouraged to take sick time in no less than half day increments (example: 3.75 hrs). In all instances, pay should be adjusted when more sick days are taken than have been accrued.

If sick time usage extends beyond three consecutive work days, staff members may be required to apply for leave under FMLA, and, in cases where the absence is due to the staff members own health condition, are required to provide a physician’s statement or similar verification of your suitability to perform your normal duties upon return to work. The University’s FMLA Third Party Administrator may designate the leave as FMLA. See Policy 07-07-02.

Sick Leave

Sick leave totaling no more than 120 working days may be granted for health-related reasons. Your position is guaranteed for no more than 60 working days, absent other legal considerations. When you request a sick leave, you must call the University’s FMLA Third Party Administrator. When appropriate, they may designate the leave as FMLA. See Policy 07-07-02.

While you are on sick leave, you are paid for the days you have accrued as sick time, and may also elect to be paid for accrued vacation and for compensatory time accrued in the current or preceding pay period. You do not accrue paid vacation or sick time while on sick leave, after your last day at work. When you are scheduled to return to work, you must provide a physician’s statement or similar verification of your suitability to perform your normal duties, including any restrictions. This statement is provided to your departmental administrator.

Payment of Accrued but Unused Sick Time

Staff members may receive payment for unused sick time only if certain age and service criteria are fulfilled. If a staff member has reached 60 years of age or above and have a minimum 10 years of service or are at least 55 years of age and have a minimum of 25 years of service at the time of separation from service, they will receive a payment based upon the amount of unused sick time accrued. The payment will be equal to (a) accumulated unused sick time multiplied by one-half of the final base pay daily rate, or (b) $2,500, whichever is less. Payment for unused accrued sick time will be payable in a separate check processed in the subsequent pay period following the termination. For more information, please submit an inquiry online.

Vacation Time

Accrual of Vacation Time

Regular classified staff members accrue vacation time according to both years of service with the University and full-time or part-time staff assignment category. Vacation time is accrued during the provisional period. Temporary staff members do not accrue or receive vacation time regardless of the length of the assignment.

Vacation time accruals are determined by the staff member’s official hire date or adjusted service date recognized by the Office of Human Resources at the time of hire. Vacation time is accrued at the end of the pay period and available to be taken at the start of the following pay period.

New staff members who begin employment on the first day of the pay period will receive the full accrual for the pay period. New staff members who begin employment on any day other than the first day of the pay period will receive a prorated accrual based on the number of days worked between the official start date and the last day of the pay period. For example, if a newly hired full-time staff member begins employment with the University on the 15th day of the month, they would receive a prorated portion (approx. half) of the vacation accrual for the month.

When a staff member terminates from the University, vacation accruals will be prorated for the pay period in which the staff member terminates in accordance with their official date of termination.

For detailed information about vacation accruals, please refer to the Paid and Unpaid Time Off section of the University of Pittsburgh Staff Handbook.

Vacation Time Guidelines

Vacation cannot be taken before it is accrued and must be requested and approved in advance by the staff member’s supervisor in accordance with established departmental scheduling guidelines. Vacation time will be accrued in hours thus should be taken in hours; however all staff are encouraged to take vacation time in no less than half day increments (example: 3.75 hrs).

Once a staff member reaches the maximum accumulation of vacation hours, they will not accrue additional vacation hours until hours are taken and the vacation balance falls below the maximum allowed. No retroactive credit will be granted for vacation time not accumulated as a result of reaching the vacation maximum.

Other Time Off

Holidays

Regular full-time staff members are granted 11 paid holidays each year:

  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Spring Holiday
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Day after Thanksgiving
  • Day before Christmas
  • Christmas Day

Regular part-time staff members will be paid only for those holidays that fall on regularly scheduled working days. If you are required to work on holidays, separate compensatory arrangements will be made. Temporary staff members are not paid for University holidays, regardless of the length of the assignment. Please refer to the University academic calendar for days when holidays are observed and the University is closed.

Refer to the Holiday-Related Time Card Hour Types document for more information regarding time card recording requirements during holidays.

Personal Time

Regular classified staff members are granted personal time for use within the University’s fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). Personal time must be scheduled in advance with the staff member’s supervisor, according to departmental scheduling practices. Personal time will not carry over to the next fiscal year and will not be paid out at time of termination.

Personal time will be available in hours and should be documented as taken in hours; however, all staff are encouraged to take personal time in no less than half day increments (example: 3.75 hours). Personal time is available for use, if approved in advance, during the provisional period. Temporary staff members do not accrue or receive personal time regardless of the length of the assignment.

A few examples for which personal time can be used include:

  • Time needed that does not qualify for sick or vacation time
  • Religious holiday or other event that is not identified by the University as an approved holiday
  • Caring for pets (vet visit, ill pet, etc.); caring for dependents is covered under the sick time policy
  • Volunteer and professional development activities beyond the provided 7.5 hours per month
  • Self-care, such as a physical fitness or wellness class, that does not fall under the sick time policy

Full-Time Staff

Regular classified full-time staff members are granted 22.5 hours of personal time (3 days at 7.5 hours each) at the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1).

New full-time staff members that begin employment July through December will receive 22.5 hours (3 days) of personal time for the fiscal year. If employment begins between January through April, 15 hours (2 days) of personal time will be granted for the fiscal year. If employment begins in May through June, no personal time will be granted until the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Part-Time Staff

Regular classified part-time staff members are granted 11.25 hours (1.5 days) of personal time at the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1). New part-time staff members that begin employment July through December will receive 11.25 hours of personal time (1.5 days) for the fiscal year. If employment begins between January through April, 7.5 hours (1 day) of personal time will be granted for the fiscal year. If employment begins in May through June, no personal time will be granted until the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Changes to Percentage of Effort within the Fiscal Year

Staff members who transfer from a full-time staff position to a part-time staff position anytime within the fiscal year will have their available personal time balance reduced to 11.25 hours (1.5 days). If you have less than 11.25 hours available (1.5 days), the balance will not change.

Staff members who transfer from a part-time position to a full-time position anytime within the fiscal year will have their available personal time balance increased by 7.5 hours (1 day) and will not exceed 22.5 hours (3 days) maximum.

Winter Recess

During the period between the end of the fall term and the beginning of the spring term, the University announces a recess when some University offices may be closed. The specific recess days are announced in the Official University Academic Calendar.

Jury Duty and Court Witness

When you are called to serve jury duty or subpoenaed as a court witness, you must notify your departmental administrator immediately and provide a copy of the notice or subpoena. Your University pay will not be reduced by the amount of jury duty or court witness pay that you receive.

Volunteer and Professional Development Time

University staff are eligible to receive paid time off per month to participate in community service or volunteer activities (Volunteer Time) or to participate in professional development opportunities (Professional Development Time) during regular working hours. Review the Volunteer and Professional Development Time guidelines.

For more information about time off, please refer to the Paid and Unpaid Time Off section of the University of Pittsburgh Staff Handbook.