Annual Leave

Section: IV. ADSV 305
Approved By: Dr. Ivan Herrell
Last Review: 05/14/25
Last Revision: 05/14/25
Prior Revisions: 06/03/04, 07/01/11 
Initial Adoption: unknown

Policy

ANNUAL LEAVE (Vacation)

Annual leave is earned at the end of each month, provided the employee does not have leave without pay exceeding eighty (80) hours. Annual leave is available only after it is earned; it may not be used before its accrual.

  1. Exempt employees appointed for full-time service are eligible to earn annual leave (vacation) days at the rate of sixteen (16) hours per appointed month, commencing with the first month of employment, for a maximum of one-hundred ninety-two (192) hours each twelve (12) month period.
  2. Temporary exempt employees on appointment for more than six (6) continuous months at 50% FTE or greater, are eligible to earn annual leave at the rate of sixteen (16) hours per month for each month of full-time appointment. Temporary exempt employees on appointments of six (6) continuous months or less are not eligible to accrue annual leave, except where the temporary appointment exceeds six (6) months, annual leave shall accrue beginning with the 7thmonth and credited retroactively for the first six (6) months.
  3. Exempt employees eligible to accrue annual leave as identified in 1) and 2) above and who have less than full-time appointments shall accrue leave on a prorate basis at a rate proportional to the employee’s FTE. Exempt employees on appointments of less than 50% FTE are not eligible to earn or accrue annual leave.
  4. Exempt employees appointed quarterly are not eligible to accrue annual leave.
  5. Annual leave may be accumulated to a maximum of three-hundred and eightyfour (384) hours. Annual leave accrued in excess of the maximum but not authorized as deferred in (a) or (b) below shall be extinguished and will not accrue to the employee's leave balance. Additional annual leave days in excess of the maximum days may be accumulated by the following method:          
    1. If an employee's request for annual leave (vacation) is deferred by the President or the President’s designee, then accruals beyond the maximum shall be extended each month the leave is deferred. The employee’s request to use annual leave must occur prior to exceeding the maximum accrual and the deferral shall be reported in writing to the Human Resources administrator.
    2. If an employee’s balance exceeds three-hundred and eighty-four (384) hours and the excess over three-hundred and eighty-four (384) hours is used prior to July 1st of each fiscal year, the employee does not need to request a deferral from the President. The balance at each July 1st will not exceed three-hundred and eighty-four (384) hours unless an additional deferral is approved by the President or the President’s designee.  
    3. Annual leave must be taken at the convenience of the College, as determined by the supervisor or their designee. Generally, an exempt employee shall be allowed to use all of their accrued leave at one time, unless it would create an undue hardship in meeting business needs as determined by the College.
    4. For employees on less than 12-month appointments, annual leave may not be taken during or applied to non-appointment days. For extenuating or unusual circumstances, exceptions may be made with the supervisor or their designee’s approval.
  1. In cases of separation or reassignment, the exempt employee shall be given an opportunity to use the accrued annual leave. However, if the President or their designee requests that the employee stay on the job, then the College shall pay the employee for any remaining annual leave at the date of the separation or reassignment.  

ANNUAL LEAVE CASHOUT

Annual leave shall not be cashed out at any time other than at the time of separation from employment with the College; the maximum cashout will never exceed the maximum of three-hundred and eighty-four (384) hours.  If an employee has excess of three-hundred and eighty-four (384) hours at the time of separation, the excess days will not be cashed out over the three-hundred and eighty-four (384) hours maximum. 

  1. An exempt employee who separates from the College due to retirement or death shall be compensated for unused annual leave accumulation at the rate of one (1) full day's pay for each full day of accrued leave, up to the maximum of threehundred and eighty-four (384) hours, including deferrals. Compensation shall be based upon the employee's salary at the time of separation. In lieu of payment for unused annual leave, equivalent compensation may be made payable to the employee’s VEBA (HRA) account in accordance with the College’s qualified VEBA plan.
  1. An exempt employee who separates from the College due to any reason other than retirement or death shall be paid in cash compensation at the rate of one (1) full day’s pay for each full day of accrued leave, up to the maximum allowable three-hundred and eighty-four (384) hours. Compensation shall be based on the employee’s salary at the time of separation.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

An exempt employee may request and shall be granted up to forty (40) hours of bereavement leave for each death of an immediate family or household member.

A permanent employee on less than a full-time appointment may be granted bereavement leave on a pro rata basis consistent with the period of their appointment occurring within a forty (40) hour period.

The employee may also be granted, with supervisor approval, additional time away from work for the purpose of bereavement or condolence through the use of other accrued leave or leave without pay.

The College may request an employee verify that the leave taken is for the purpose of bereavement or condolence for an immediate family or household member.

JURY AND CIVIL DUTY LEAVE

An exempt employee shall be granted a leave of absence for the purpose of jury duty or civil duty.

An exempt employee on a temporary appointment shall not have jury or civil duty leave extend beyond the duration of their scheduled appointment period.

Upon receipt of notice of jury or civil duty, the employee must submit a copy of the notice to the supervisor and a copy to the Human Resources Office.

An exempt employee’s pay for their approved and scheduled time of work will not be reduced during the time it is necessary for the exempt employee to serve on jury or civil duty.  Exempt employees do not remit any amount received from the court to the College.

PERSONAL LEAVE

Personal leave accrues and is available for use commencing with the first day of the eligible employee’s appointment.

Exempt employees shall be granted personal leave as defined below:

  1. A permanent exempt employee shall be granted and may use up to forty (40 hours of personal leave during each twelve (12) month period beginning July 1 and ending June 30.
  2. An exempt employee on appointment for 50% FTE or greater may be granted personal leave days on a pro-rata basis at a rate proportional to the employee’s FTE.
  3. A temporary exempt employee on appointment for more than 6 months, but less than 12 months, shall accrue personal leave days at the rate proportional to the number of months of the employee’s full- time appointment.
    1. Personal leave days shall then be granted proportional to the number of months of the employee’s full- time appointment.
    2. Temporary exempt employees at 50% FTE or greater, who are eligible to earn personal leave may be granted personal leave on a pro-rata basis at a rate proportional to the employee’s FTE.  

Whenever possible or predictable, an exempt employee shall give their immediate supervisor at least two (2) days advance notice. 

Personal leave may not roll-over to the next twelve-month period. Any personal leave not used in the twelve-month period, by June 30th, shall expire. 

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define and establish eligibility and the terms and conditions of use for the following leave for Non-Represented Exempt Employees:

  1. Annual Leave (Vacation)
  2. Bereavement Leave
  3. Jury and Civil Duty Leave
  4. Personal Leave

To Whom Does This Policy Apply

This policy applies to full-time and temporary Non-Represented Exempt employees, hereafter referred to as exempt employees. This policy does not apply to represented exempt employees, academic employees, classified employees, part-time/hourly, and student employees, or volunteers.  

References

RCW 43.01.042 - Vacations – State Institutions of Higher Learning

RCW 28B.551 - Leave Provisions Generally

WAC 357.31.166 - 357.31.175 - Annual Leave Provisions

WAC 357.31.250 - Bereavement Leave Provisions

WAC 357.31.310 - 357.31.315 - Jury Duty Provisions

WAC 357.31.320 - Civil Duty Provisions

Definitions

Annual Leave: Leave with pay granted for the purpose of an employee’s own personal use for any reason. Also known as “Vacation”.

Bereavement Leave – Leave with pay granted for the purpose of condolence or bereavement.

Civil Duty Leave - Leave with pay granted for the purpose of serving as a witness at a trial by order of subpoena.

Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA): An account-based health plan. You can use your HRA funds to reimburse out-of-pocket expenses and premiums.  For the purpose of this policy, the term Health Reimbursement Plan is an HRA.

Household Member – a person who resides in the same home as the employee who has reciprocal duties to and provides financial support for one another. This term does not include persons sharing the same general house when the living style is predominantly that of housemates, dormitory or commune.

Immediate Family Member – child (including step-child, foster child or legal ward), spouse or domestic partner, mother, father, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, mother-in-law, father-in-law. Other persons may be approved by the President of the College.

Jury Duty Leave - Leave with pay granted for the purpose of serving on a jury by order of subpoena or legal notice of jury duty.

Personal Leave – Leave with pay granted for the purpose of the employee’s own personal use. Although personal leave may be used for any reason, personal leave is usually provided for the employee to conduct personal business that cannot be accomplished during non-work hours.

VEBA – Voluntary Employees’ Benefit Association, the tax-exempt trustee authorized by the Internal Revenue code.  Gallagher Benefits Services is the administrator of the VEBA trust fund for Tacoma Community College eligible employees. The term “VEBA” means a benefit plan that reimburses medical care expenses. This is because VEBA trusts are often used to hold plan assets (participant account balances). The technical term, as defined by the IRS, is “HRA.”