Question: I have more than 375 hours of accrued vacation time. What will happen with the extra hours?

Answer: Thanks largely to the circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus pandemic, employees have been adjusting to teleworking and the new demands of remotely providing service to their institutions.  Knowing that increased workload would affect employees’ ability to take extended vacation, the union asked for and was given an extension to use excess vacation hours (over the 375-hour limit) in 2020.  The deadline was pushed to June 2021.

Please work with your supervisors and HR departments to accommodate the new deadlines.  If you request and are denied the use of vacation time, please remember to record all requests and responses in writing.  If you are denied a specific requested time, please offer an alternative (also in writing).  Our Agreement has a provision to help you in either overriding a decision to deny vacation or provide a buyout of the time…IF…you have made an effort to request and use the time.

Going forward, on January 1, 2021, the maximum number of vacation hours that can be accrued will be 375.  Hours exceeding the 375 limit will be forfeited twice per year (May 1 and November 1).  Although we hope that HR departments will provide notice of impending forfeitures, it is important that you track your time and remain responsible for it.