COVID-19 Pandemic: Vacation Accrual Cap Continues to be Lifted through June 30, 2021

Update - June 3, 2021: The cap on vacation accruals will be reinstated. Review this announcement to learn more.


In response to the ongoing pandemic, and in continued support of the well-being of our staff, the cap on vacation accruals will remain off and is expected to remain lifted through June 30, 2021. While we continue to work with our union-represented staff to help them navigate the challenges of our response to the pandemic, the following pertains to staff not covered by union representation.

The lifting of the cap was recently extended in December 2020. This change means that the cap will not be reinstated on February 28, as previously communicated, and staff not covered by union representation will continue to accrue vacation time regardless of if they are above the accrual cap. The vacation accrual cap will continue to be reviewed often and any future changes to or decisions made about the cap will be communicated widely.

We encourage staff to take time off and to utilize their accrued time if they are able and want to do so. Vacation time does not need to be used for a traditional vacation but can and should be used for self-care, stress prevention, and general time away from work. Staff that are planning to take vacation time should follow the same time-off request process for their individual areas as they have done in the past. 

As a reminder, upon eventual restoration of the vacation accrual cap, staff with accrued vacation days at or above the cap will not accrue additional days until they use enough vacation time to drop below the cap, but will have their full, accrued allotment of days available for use as long as they are employed at Pitt.

Any time accrued above the cap will not be compensated for or paid out to current employees or those who voluntarily leave the University. Current employees will need to use enough time to drop below the cap before they can continue to accrue time; employees who voluntarily separate from the University will be paid out for vacation time, up to the cap, as outlined in the Staff Handbook.

Questions about the vacation accrual cap can be directed to OHR by submitting an online inquiry.