Personnel Policies Handbook For Administrative Staff

Denison University recognizes the following eight (8) paid holidays each year:

Full-time and part-time employees are eligible for holiday pay. Part-time employees are eligible for holidays that fall on their regularly scheduled/budgeted workdays.

In the event the University elects to close operations during the week between the Christmas and New Year's holidays, employees may use vacation days for salary continuation.

Holidays falling on Sunday are normally recognized the following Monday. Holidays falling on Saturday are normally recognized on the preceding Friday. The only recognized holidays qualifying for holiday pay are those listed above.

Because of the unique nature of the academic calendar, Denison reserves the right to reschedule holidays to ensure continuation of essential services.

Holidays that fall within a scheduled vacation do not count against vacation.

In addition to the above, and, as reaffirmed by the Board of Trustees in 1992, Professional Librarians are eligible for one-half the vacation time enjoyed by teaching faculty during the academic year (specifically Fall Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break). Such days do not accrue beyond the academic year in which they are earned, and they may not be carried over from one year to the next.

Full-time administrative staff are eligible to accrue vacation days each calendar year at the rate of 1.83 days per month for the months actually worked. Initial vacation benefits are pro-rated from the date of employment. Total vacation days that may be accrued per year are as follows.

Part-time administrative staff budgeted at a minimum of .5 FTE are eligible to accrue 10 vacation days per year.

Vacation days may be used during the period of appointment at the staff member's discretion depending on departmental needs and approval of the department manager. Any time off other than the institutionally recognized administrative holidays, i.e. Christmas Day, new Year's Day, etc., or when the staff member is ill, must be counted as vacation and subtracted from the vacation accrual.

Vacation accruals will be stated as hours earned per pay period on the employees' statement of earnings and deductions (pay stub) and will be computed based on the employee's adjusted date of hire. Vacation accruals will be prorated during any period where an employee is in an unpaid status. Upon return from vacation, days used must be reported using the Administrative Staff leave Report form. Upon approval by the Department Manager, the form is forwarded to the Office of Human Resources for processing.

No compensatory pay for unused vacation is permitted (except at termination of employment per below). Employees may not use vacation before it is accrued. An employee's total accrued vacation as of January 1 of each year may not exceed 200 percent of the annual vacation earned. Vacation days may not be transferred from one employee to another, except as allowed under the Leave Donation policy described in the Personnel Policies Handbook for Supportive Operating Staff.

A reasonable effort will be made to give an employee the vacation period requested. The exact scheduling must be agreed to by the department head and employee. If a short-term illness or a death in the family occurs while on vacation, additional days of vacation are not granted.

Vacation days may not be taken in less than one-half day. Employees are urged to take at least one extended period each year of at least one week.

Employees who voluntarily leave Denison prior to the completion of one year of service are not eligible for vacation or pay in lieu of vacation. Those employees leaving Denison after the completion of one year's service will be paid for all unused vacation up to the 200% maximum.

Each employee is covered by the Worker's Compensation Law of Ohio. It is the responsibility of the employee to report all accidents and injuries to supervision as soon as possible. The manager will forward the accident report to the Office of Human Resources, the office responsible for completing the necessary forms and forwarding them to the State of Ohio.

Full-time employees, as defined in this handbook, are eligible for three days leave with pay when a death occurs in the immediate family.

The immediate family is considered to be an employee's spouse, domestic partner (as defined in this handbook), son, daughter, mother, father, sister, brother, half-sister, half-brother, step-father, step-mother, current father-in-law, and current mother-in-law.

A leave with pay of one day is granted for the death of a near relative. Near relatives are considered to be an employee's aunt, uncle, grandparent, grandchild, niece, nephew, current brother-in-law, and current sister-in-law.

Vacation time or leave without pay may be used to supplement allowed days with the manager's approval.

Denison recognizes the obligation of its employees to serve on jury duty or as a subpoenaed witness when called.

Under normal circumstances Denison will continue to pay an employee's regular, budgeted pay.

Employees are expected to report for work all or part of any day not engaged in jury duty or as a subpoenaed witness. Employees are required to forward a copy of the summons or subpoena of jury or witness duty to the Office of Human Resources. Also, documentation of attendance in court should be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources substantiating dates served.

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 guarantees the employment rights of those employees who voluntarily or involuntarily leave Denison for service in the U.S. Armed Forces. The basic provisions and requirements of the Act apply: The employee must give notice that he or she was leaving the job for military service: the cumulative period must not exceed five (5) years; the employee must have not been released from service under dishonorable or other punitive conditions and the employee must have reported back to Denison in a timely manner for reemployment.

Members of the Administrative Staff are not eligible for sabbatical leaves except for Professional Librarians. Sabbatical leaves for Professional Librarians was reaffirmed by the Board of Trustees in 1992 according to one of the following schedules:

Librarians should follow the applications and reporting procedures described in the University Sabbatical Leave Policy in the Faculty Handbook.

The university may grant extended leaves of absences for reasons authorized under the Family and Medical Leave Act listed above to staff members who have been employed by the University for at least two (2) years.

Leaves are granted at the discretion of the department head and the Director of Human Resources. Such leaves are subject to the need of the department, the ability to replace the staff member on a temporary basis and the overall impact on the operation of the department.

The timing and duration of the leave is determined by mutual agreement between the staff member and her/his supervisor but not to exceed one (1) year (including any leave authorized under the Family and Medical Leave Act). Salary is not continued but the employee may continue participation in group insurance programs with the payment of the employee share of the premium. All applicable paid vacation time must be used before taking any unpaid time.

If the leave is for serious health condition, certification as required by the Family and Medical Leave Act for serious health conditions applies.

Extended leaves of absence may be granted to the faculty/staff member with three possible stipulations upon the end of the leave: guarantee of the same job, guarantee of a similar job, or no guarantee of a job. This will be determined at the time the leave is granted.

Failure to return to work at the end of an approved leave of absence is considered a voluntary resignation.

A leave of absence without pay may be granted at the discretion of the division and department heads and the Director of Human Resources for other reasons such as education or travel to staff members who have been employed by the University for at least two (2) years. Such leaves are subject to the needs of the department, the ability to replace the staff member on a temporary basis and the overall impact on the operation of the department. Requests for leaves without pay must be submitted in writing to your department head and division head. The Director or Associate Director of Human Resources will review the request. Leaves of absence without pay are normally limited to (90) days or less. Failure to return to work at the conclusion of an initial leave of absence without pay is interpreted as a voluntary resignation. Under no condition will combined vacation, FMLA, Extended Personal & Family Medical leaves and leaves of absences without pay, exceed one (1) year.

All accumulated vacation time must be taken before a leave without pay is granted. No holiday pay is given for holidays falling within leave time. Vacation days do not accrue during such leaves.

Each employee is advised to check with the Office of Human Resources for continuation of insured staff benefit programs prior to going on leave.

Leaves of absence without pay may be granted to the staff member with three possible stipulations upon the end of the leave: guarantee of the same job, guarantee of a similar job, or no guarantee of a job. This will be determined at the time the leave is granted.

If any employee is absent from work without prior notification for three (3) days or more and, if in the opinion of the supervisor and the Director or Associate Director of Human Resources, the explanation for the absence is not satisfactory, the employee may be dismissed without further notice.