(Approved by USM BOR on April 21, 2017; UMGC President on July 1, 2017)
Purpose and Applicability
This policy establishes the amount of Holiday Time Off earned by ¶¶ÒõÊÓƵ (UMGC) Nonexempt, Exempt and Overseas Staff employees on Regular Status. Nonexempt Staff employees who are included in the representation of the collective bargaining unit are subject to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and applicable UMGC HR Policies; where there is a conflict between the two, the MOU will prevail.
Amount of Holiday Time Off
As described below in Section III, employees are eligible to earn State Holidays and UMGC Stateside or Overseas Holidays for a minimum of 14 Holidays per year or 15 Holidays during a year of general or congressional elections, and any other special observance as required by the legislature and Governor, or otherwise provided by the Chancellor or President. Part-time employees who are employed on at least a 50% FTE shall earn Holiday Time Off on a pro-rated basis. All employees must be in a paid employment status on the calendar date that the Holiday is earned, in order to be eligible for Holiday pay when the Holiday is observed.
- Observance of Holidays
UMGC may at times be served most effectively by the observance of a Holiday on other than the calendar date designated by the legislature and Governor. In those instances, the President or designee may schedule the observance of selected Holidays on days other than the dates designated by the State. An employee may be required to perform duties on a Holiday to meet operational needs.
State Holidays
Holidays shall be earned according to the following schedule and shall be taken according to the applicable procedures:
Stateside Staff: Eleven (11) Holidays; or Twelve (12) on election year
Overseas Staff: Ten (10) Holidays; or Eleven (11) on election year
Holiday Calendar Date Holiday Is Earned New Year’s Day January 1 Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday Third Monday in January President’s Day Third Monday in February Memorial Day Last Monday in May Independence Day July 4 Labor Day First Monday in September Columbus Day Second Monday in October Election Day First Tuesday in November
(even numbered years only)Veteran’s Day November 11 Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November Friday after Thanksgiving Day Fourth Friday in November
(Stateside only)Christmas Day December 25 UMGC Holidays
Stateside Staff: Three (3) additional University Holiday Time Off days are to be earned each calendar year and observed at the discretion of the UMGC President or designee.
Overseas Staff: Additional Holidays are observed as follows:
Four (4) additional UMGC Holidays are to be earned each calendar year. Observance of these additional Holidays is announced at the beginning of each calendar year, and UMGC shall record these Holidays as Holiday Time Off.
Foreign Holidays: The President or designee may designate certain foreign Holidays that are observed by the U.S. military authorities when the President or designee anticipates an adverse impact on UMGC operations in the respective country. When designated, such Holidays shall be taken and recorded by Overseas Staff employees in designated locations as Holiday Time Off, including, but not limited to, foreign Holidays, such as Chusuk, and similar Holidays in other countries.
When a Holiday falls on a Saturday, it is observed on the Friday before, and when a Holiday falls on Sunday, it is observed on the following Monday.
Scheduling of Holidays for Continuous Operations
UMGC has departments that must provide service on a continuous seven (7) day-a- week basis and may schedule an employee's Holidays accordingly. Affected departments may schedule a specific day or days each month as a day off, and these days shall be treated in the same manner as regular Holidays are treated for other employees. For employees in this category, one day of Holiday Time Off shall be granted for each month, except that for the months of January and July when two days of Holiday Time Off shall be granted. During a year of general or congressional elections, an additional day shall be granted for the month of November. UMGC has the sole discretion to determine which individual employees in a department shall be placed in this category.
Carry-Over and Payment Prior to Separation
The CHRO or designee shall maintain procedures as necessary for the carry-over into the next calendar year and payment of accrued but unused Holidays prior to an employee's separation.
Separation Payment
Unless employees transfer to another USM Institution or State agency, employees who leave UMGC are entitled to be paid for any unused Holiday Time Off that has been earned and accrued as of the date of separation.
Transfer of Holidays
Upon employee transfer to UMGC from another USM Institution or State agency, or employee transfer from UMGC to another USM Institution or State agency, unused Holiday hours shall be transferred after review of the Holiday schedule at the other USM Institution or the State Agency.
Upon transfer to another USM Institution or State agency, the employee shall not be granted additional Holiday Time Off if the Holiday has already been observed at or paid by UMGC or State agency.
An employee should not have more than 14 Holidays in a calendar year; 15 Holidays during a year of general or congressional elections, unless otherwise provided by the President or designee, Chancellor or Governor.
Implementation Procedures
The UMGC President has designated the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to administer this policy; to develop procedures as necessary to implement this policy; to communicate this policy to the UMGC community; and to post the policy and any applicable procedures on the UMGC website.
Replacement for:
USM BOR VII-7.30: Policy on Holiday Leave for Regular Nonexempt and Exempt Staff Employees
UMGC OS 24.00: Policy on Holiday Leave