Policy 6.15.1: Annual Leave

Amount Earned

Each full-time employee who is working or on paid leave for one-half or more of the workdays in any month earns annual leave. The rate is based on the length of aggregate service to the State and the hours scheduled to work each week.

Employees are expected to work eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. Since there are other schedules in existence due to the nature of the work, the annual leave rates are stated in terms of hours rather than days; this requires no conversion for special schedules. Annual leave for employees working 40 hours per week shall be computed at the following rates:

Years of Aggregate Service Hours Earned Each Month Hours Earned Each Year
Less than 2 years 7 hrs. 50 min. 94
2 but less than 5 years 9 hrs. 10 min. 110
5 but less than 10 years 11 hrs. 10 min. 134
10 but less than 15 years 13 hrs. 10 min. 158
15 but less than 20 years 15 hrs. 10 min. 182
20 years or more 17 hrs. 10 min. 206

Exceptions

Employees appointed prior to July 1, 1973, to a position subject to the State Personnel Act shall earn no less than 10 hours annual leave each month; this rate represents the State policy in effect at the time these persons accepted State employment. After completing five years of State service, annual leave for these employees will be computed from the above table.

No person employed in a community college or technical institute/college immediately prior to July 1, 1979, shall receive fewer days of annual leave than were provided by the institution's policy or calendar in the 1975-76 fiscal year, subject to a maximum of 206 hours or 25.75 days.

A part-time regular employee who is employed on a continuing basis with a permanent part-time appointment for as much as three-quarter time shall earn annual leave on a prorated basis if he or she works one-half or more of the scheduled workdays in a month. The leave shall be computed on a percentage of total amount earned by a full-time employee.

Maximum Accumulation

Annual leave may be accumulated without any applicable maximum until December 31 of each calendar year. However, if the employee separates from service, payment for accumulated leave shall not exceed 240 hours. On December 31, any employee with more than 240 hours of accumulated leave shall have the excess converted to sick leave.

Aggregate Service

Aggregate Service shall include on a month-for-month basis, all regular employment with the State, whether such service was exempt from or subject to the Personnel Act.

Credit shall also be given for:

  1. Employment with other governmental units which are now state agencies (for example: county highway maintenance forces, War Manpower Commission, the Judicial system).
  2. Authorized military leave.
  3. Employment with the County Agricultural Extension Service, Community College System, and the public schools of North Carolina, with the provision that a school year is equivalent to one full year.
  4. Employment with a local mental health, public health, social services or civil defense agency in North Carolina.

Advancement

The appointing institution may advance annual leave not to exceed the amount an employee can earn during the current fiscal year or the difference between the amount of accumulated leave carried forward and the maximum leave allowable.

New employees may be granted leave only as it is earned through the first six months' service. After six months, an employee may be advanced that amount of leave he or she would earn during the remainder of the fiscal year.

Scheduling Annual Leave

Annual leave shall be taken only upon authorization of the employee's supervisor, who shall designate such time or times when it will least interfere with the efficient operation of the institution. Annual leave may be taken in units of one hour.

During all quarter breaks, all persons not on official leave will be required to perform a regular workday schedule on the HCC campus.

Leave Charges

Only scheduled work hours shall be charged in calculating the amount of leave taken. Saturdays, Sundays and/or holidays are charged only if they are scheduled workdays.

Other Uses of Annual Leave

Annual leave may be used for: sick leave of an employee; illness in the immediate family of an employee; funeral leave; and absences as a result of adverse weather conditions.

Separation - Payment of Annual Leave

Lump sum payment of annual leave is made only at the time of separation. An employee shall be paid in a lump sum for accumulated leave not to exceed a maximum of 240 hours (30 days) when he or she is separated from institutional service due to resignation, dismissal, reduction in force, death, service retirement, or leave without pay for military purposes.

Employees retiring on disability retirement may exhaust annual leave rather than being paid in a lump sum.

Should an employee be separated before he or she has earned all of the annual leave taken, it will be necessary to make all deductions from his or her final salary check for overdrawn leave.

Payment for annual leave may be made on the regular payroll reflecting the number of days of annual leave and the amount of payment. A separate check must be issued for any travel due.

Retirement deduction shall be made from all terminal leave payments.

Receipt of lump sum leave payment and retirement benefits shall not be considered as dual compensation.

In the case of a deceased employee, payment for unpaid salary, terminal leave, and travel must be made, upon establishment of a valid claim, to the deceased employee's administrator or executor. In the absence of an administrator or executor, payment must be made to the Clerk of Superior Court of the county of the deceased employee's residence. (Note General Statutes 26-68.)

During the period of terminal leave, an employee ceases to earn leave and ceases to be entitled to take sick leave. The employee will not be charged leave for any holidays occurring during that period. The last day of work is the day of separation, except when an employee exhausts sick and annual leave before disability retirement during the period of exhausting leave.

Leave Records

Leave records are maintained on the College's computer system. Earnings are recorded monthly and leave taken is posted at the time of payroll each month. Monthly earnings and leave used as well as year-to-date totals are shown on each payroll voucher. An institutional leave register is maintained by the Administrative Services Division. Each division is supplied a monthly leave register at the end of the month. It is the responsibility of each College Vice President to supply the Personnel Office with the leave used form on the 15th of each month. This form must be signed by the employee, Division Chairperson, and/or the appropriate Vice President.

It is the responsibility of each employee to report any discrepancy or problem with his or her leave as soon as it is discovered to the Personnel Office.

Institutions must retain annual leave records for all separated employees for a period of at least four years from date of separation.

Options During Leave Without Pay

An employee going on SICK LEAVE WITHOUT PAY, MILITARY LEAVE WITHOUT PAY, PARENTAL LEAVE, WORKERS' COMPENSATION, or any OTHER LEAVE WITHOUT PAY (except for vacation purposes, or for other personal reasons not exceeding ten consecutive workdays) may exhaust annual leave or may retain part or all of accumulated leave until the employee returns from leave without pay. However, if leave without pay extends through December 31, any annual leave accumulation above 240 hours shall be converted to sick leave. All accumulated annual leave shall be exhausted by an employee before going on LEAVE WITHOUT PAY FOR VACATION PURPOSES, or FOR OTHER PERSONAL REASONS NOT EXCEEDING TEN CONSECUTIVE WORKDAYS. When an employee is exhausting annual leave (s)he continues to earn leave, is entitled to holidays and is eligible for salary increments during that period.

Note: Also see the Family and Medical Leave Act in this section.

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