Human Resource Services
Vacation Leave
Vacation leave is earned each pay period and credited on the last day of that pay period. There is no waiting period for using vacation leave. An employee may only use vacation leave that has been credited into his or her balance.
All requests for vacation leave should be submitted by the employee to the appropriate supervisor as far in advance as possible, with vacation leave being taken only after approval has been received. Approval of the dates on which an employee wishes to take vacation leave shall be at the discretion of the supervisor.
Vacation leave is typically used for the purpose of going on vacation; however, it may also be used for personal business. In unusual or unavoidable situations, your supervisor may require you to take a portion of your vacation leave at a specified time.
Regardless of the amount of vacation leave originally approved by your supervisor, vacation leave may be used only in the amount necessary to bring you to your regular FTE, not to exceed the 40-hour workweek. An employee who uses vacation leave in an amount which is less than a full hour shall be charged to the closest quarter of an hour.
USPS Employees
For USPS employees, the rate of vacation leave accrual increases with years of service. Part-time employees earn vacation leave in proportion to the amount of time worked during each pay period; their rate of accrual, while prorated, also increases based on years of service.
Creditable service
Hours earned each biweekly pay period
Up to 5 years
4 (approx. 13 days per year)
5 to 10 years
5 (approx. 16 days per year)
Over 10 years
6 (approx. 19 days per year)
USPS employees may accrue vacation leave throughout the year. However, any accrued hours in excess of 240 hours at the calendar year-end will convert to sick leave hours on at the end of the pay period in which December 31 fell. Hours converted will also include accruals for that pay period.
Should you separate from university employment after you have completed six months of continuous service, you will be paid for any unused vacation leave up to 240 hours. If you transfer to a leave-accruing position within the University of Florida, your vacation leave balance will be transferred.
Should you be recalled by the university within 365 days after a formal layoff, you will have all unpaid vacation leave restored and any vacation leave paid at time of layoff shall be restored upon repayment.
TEAMS Employees and Vacation Leave-Accruing Academic Personnel
Full-time TEAMS employees and vacation leave accruing Academic Personnel typically will accrue vacation leave at a rate of 6.769 hours biweekly, approximately 22 days per year, or a number of hours that is directly proportionate to the number of hours you are in pay status during less than a full pay period.
If you are a part-time TEAMS employee or a part-time vacation-leave accruing Academic Personnel, you will accrue vacation leave in proportion to the amount of time worked during each pay period. If you are on an academic appointment (39 weeks) or are a P.K. Yonge employee, you normally will not accrue vacation leave.
TEAMS employees and vacation leave accruing Academic Personnel may accumulate vacation leave throughout the year. However, any vacation leave hours over 480 that are not used by year-end will convert to sick leave at the end of the pay period in which December 31 fell. Hours converted will also include accruals for that pay period. Upon separation from UF and transferring to a OPS position, TEAMS employees and vacation-leave eligible faculty members will be paid for up to 352 hours of any unused vacation leave. If you transfer to a vacation leave-accruing position within the University of Florida, your vacation leave balance will be transferred, while if you transfer to a non-vacation leave eligible position such as a 9-month appointment, you will be paid up to 352 hours of any unused vacation leave; however, your vacation leave may be retained up to two years.
TEAMS Vacation Leave December Cash-Out Option
ONLY TEAMS employees may elect to cash out up to 16 hours of vacation leave during the month of December so long as the employee will have a remaining balance of at least 40 hours of vacation leave.
TEAMS Employment and DROP
Employees who join the Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) have the option to cash out vacation leave when joining DROP up to the pay plan's maximum allowable hours—352 hours for TEAMS employees and 240 hours for USPS employees. Upon retirement from DROP, the employee is only eligible to cash out the remaining of the maximum allowable hours less the number of hours that were cashed out when the employee enrolled into DROP. The maximum allowable hours is based on the pay plan in which the employee was in when enrolled into DROP.
Leave Payout through the Special Pay Plan
The Special Pay Plan is a mandatory retirement plan available to salaried (non-OPS) employees for sick and vacation payments at the time of separation.