Administration of Annual Leave
Scheduled Annual Leave
Scheduled annual leave is any paid leave that is requested in writing, as far in advance as
possible, and approved by the supervisor before the start of the leave. Supervisors should
refer to the
Annual Leave Requests section for more information.
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Unscheduled Annual Leave
Unscheduled annual leave is not approved in advance and is normally taken for a short period of
time. For example, an employee may have an unexpected personal situation, for which he or she
may want to use annual leave. Supervisors should establish call-in procedures through which
employees can notify them in such situations and inform employees of these procedures. If an
employee fails to follow established procedures, the absence may be treated as unauthorized and
the employee will be considered absent without approved leave (AWOL).
A supervisor who believes that an employee's performance is declining due to excessive use of leave
should consult with the Employee Relations Division for assistance in determining the apporpriate
action.
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Application of Annual Leave Rules to Newly Hired Employees
An eligible employee begins accruing leave on the first day of employment but cannot use it
until he or she successfully completes the Introductory Employment Period.
However, in unusual situations that may require an
employee to take time off, supervisors may consider permitting the use of annual leave. Please
consult the Employee Relations Division before approving or denying leave requests during the
Introductory Employment Period.
Employees will not be paid for accrued annual leave if they leave the University for any reason
during the Introductory Employment Period.
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Annual Leave Used During Family and Medical Leave
Employees may elect to substitute annual leave for some or all of an approved
family and medical leave period. Consistent with the federal Family and Medical
Leave Act (FMLA), the University requires employees to use annual leave before beginning unpaid
leave.
Any period of paid leave will count as part of the allowable period of family and medical leave.
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Annual Leave Requests
Employees should submit annual leave requests on the University's
Leave
Request Form as far in advance as possible. Supervisors should
base their approval or denial of requests on operational needs
and other relevant factors, such as length of service. Annual
leave is used in one-hour increments for employees in regular
full-time and regular part-time positions. When possible, supervisors
should try to accommodate employee leave requests.
Employees who have used their entire annual leave allotment and intend to request time off
should discuss the matter with their supervisor. Supervisors should contact the Benefit
Services Division at (202) 994-9620 for appropriate counsel regarding the impact of unpaid
leave on the employee's benefits.
A supervisor who believes that an employee's performance is declining due to excessive use of leave should
consult with the Employee Relations Division for assistance in determining the appropriate action.
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Carryover of Annual Leave
Employees must use all annual leave during the fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) in which it is
accrued. Under normal circumstances, employees may not carry over annual leave across fiscal
years. Any leave that is not used by the end of each fiscal year is forfeited.
An employee hired on or after March 1 who successfully completes the Introductory Employment
Period (glossary link coming soon!) is granted a one-time exception to permit carryover of annual
leave to the next fiscal year.
In other special circumstances, a modest carryover of annual leave into the next fiscal year
may be approved. The request to carry over annual leave should be made in writing to the Vice
President who oversees the respective department or division. The request should include the
employee's name, the number of days requested for carryover, and a deadline by which the leave
must be used. No more than five days should be carried over. The days carried forward they should
be used by August 31 of the new fiscal year.
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Denial of Annual Leave
Supervisors should base their denial of annual leave requests on operational needs and other
relevant factors. In general, seniority should be a primary factor when multiple requests
for leave are submitted. In the event of unresolved issues, supervisors should consult with
the Employee Relations Division. When possible, supervisors should try to accommodate employee
leave requests.
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Termination and Unused Leave
Employees will be paid for accrued but unused annual leave upon termination of employment. If
and employee has used more annual leave than they have accrued at the time of termination, the
excess leave will be subtracted from their final paycheck.
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