ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE

Overview

The University counts on all employees to be at work during their regular scheduled work hours.  Employees are the key to fulfilling the University's mission, serving our students, and being available to offer outstanding customer service.  Recognizing that all employees should enjoy occasional time away from work using vacation and holiday time, and that both personal and medical situations may temporarily interfere with an employee's ability to work, the University offers a variety of generous and flexible leave benefits.   Keep in mind that all leave, other than emergencies, must be approved by the supervisor in advance.

The regular workweek for the University is 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, but many employees have a schedule with different work hours based on the needs of the department.  Regardless of the specific days and times of an individual work schedule, every employee is expected to work the number of hours in the employee's established workweek unless on approved leave. The minimum workweek is 40 hours for full time employees.  

Full time employees take a lunch period of either one half hour or one hour depending on the employee's assigned work schedule. For each four hours of scheduled work, SP employees may be permitted a 15 minute rest period. A rest period may not be used to arrive to work late, leave work early, extend the lunch period or be combined to form one half hour rest period.

Leave Request

A Leave Request must be completed whenever any employee plans to use leave time. Leave must be approved by the supervisor in advance of taking the leave, except in cases of an unexpected emergency. Leave can be requested at any time via smartphone, iPad, or computer, and will route to the Supervisor for approval.

Types of Leave

The following types of leave are available for FAU employees.

Annual Leave 

Annual leave offers employees the opportunity to take vacations, enjoy a day off for personal reasons, or supplement other forms of leave. All annual leave must be approved by the employee's supervisor before being used. Full time employees earn annual leave in accordance with the following guidelines unless subject to a college administrative policy as approved by the President or designee. Accrual for part time employees is proportionate to the full time equivalent. Accrual is proportionate to the time in pay status.

  Accrual per 
Pay Period
Year End 
Maximum
Maximum 
Payout

Faculty

6.77 hours

352 hours

352 hours

AMP

6.77 hours

352 hours

352 hours

Executive Service

9.20 hours

480 hours

480 hours

SP: (based on years of FAU service)

     

0 - 5 years

4.00 hours

240 hours

240 hours

5 - 10 years

5.00 hours

240 hours

240 hours

10 years and over

6.00 hours

240 hours

240 hours

* Postdoctoral Fellows: Ten (10) days of annual leave per calendar year, accrued per pay period, which if not used, will be forfeited. In addition, there will be no payout of any unused annual leave at the end of the employment appointment.

Check FAU's policy on  Annual Leave, for additional, specific information.

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Sick Leave

FAU has a generous sick leave policy allowing full time Faculty, AMP and SP employees to earn 4 hours of sick leave each pay period.  Executive Service employees earn 5 hours of sick leave each pay period. Part time accrual is proportionate to the full time equivalent and accrual is proportionate to the time in pay status.

* Postdoctoral Fellows: Five (5) days of sick leave per calendar year, accrued per pay period, which if not used, will be forfeited. In addition, there will be no payout of any unused sick leave at the end of the employment appointment. All federal or state leave programs provided they meet eligibility requirements.

Employees may use accrued sick leave for the following purposes:

  1. The employee's personal illness, injury, exposure to a contagious disease; a disability where the employee is unable to perform assigned duties; or appointments with health care providers.
  2. The illness, injury, or appointments with health care providers, of the employee's immediate family.
  3. The death of an employee's immediate family member following the use of Bereavement Leave.

Immediate family is defined as spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the employee or employee's spouse.

Employees must notify the supervisor of any absence for illness, injury or exposure to a contagious disease at the start of the normal work day. All other absences must be approved in advance.

The supervisor or other appropriate University administrator has the right to require that the employee provide medical documentation to support a medical absence any time that the employee requests a medical absence of three or more days; has already been absent for three or more consecutive days; has been absent three or more days within any thirty day period; or has, within the last year, been disciplined for the excessive use of sick leave. Medical documentation should be submitted to Human Resources and will be maintained to protect the privacy of the employee.

Check FAU's policy on Sick Leave, for additional, specific information

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Extended Leaves of Absence

All medical leave of three or more days is considered an extended leave of absence and employees will be asked to provide medical documentation to support the absence.   Updated documentation may be requested periodically throughout the leave period, and may be required at the end of the absence to indicate that the employee is able to return to work.   Employees with one or more years of continuous service who have worked at least 1250 hours in the preceding twelve month period,  may take extended medical leave up to six (6) months with appropriate medical documentation. Employees in their first year of employment may take unpaid medical leave beyond their leave balance, with appropriate medical documentation and the approval of the Vice President, however this leave is not automatic or guaranteed. 

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Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Employees are entitled to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave within each 12 month period in compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act. All employees are eligible (including OPS employees) who have worked at least 12 months (these need not have been consecutive) and who have worked at least 1250 hours in the 12-months prior to the leave. Employees who are covered by FMLA may choose to use accrued leave in order to remain in pay status during the leave period.  The start of the leave period shall commence with the first day of absence whether or not the employee continues in pay status. The twelve weeks will be calculated based on 'rolling' 12-month periods measured backward from the date any Family and Medical Leave is used. Each time an employee takes Family and Medical Leave, the remaining leave entitlement would be any balance of the 12 workweeks, which has not been used during the immediate preceding 12-months.

Employees are required to submit medical documentation on a Department of Labor , Certification of Health Care Provider Form.  Forms should be submitted to the Department of Human Resources, and supervisors will be notified of the provisions of the leave.

A new provision of FMLA, signed into law in January, 2008, entitles an employee to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for an immediate family member (spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin) who is a member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness.   Employees are also eligible for up to twelve weeks of FMLA leave when an immediate family member (spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin) who is a soldier, reservist or member of the National Guard has a 'qualifying exigency'.

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Domestic Violence Leave

In keeping with the provisions of Florida law, s. 741.313, employees are entitled to take up to three working days of leave within a 12 month period to deal with issues relating to domestic violence suffered by the employee or a family or household member.  All employees are eligible provided that they have been employed by FAU for more than three months.   The three days of leave will be calculated based on individual 'rolling' 12-month periods measured backward from the date any Domestic Violence Leave is used.  The leave may be taken if either the employee or a member of the employee's family or household is a victim of domestic violence.  Leave may be taken to: (1) obtain an injunction for protection against domestic violence; (2) obtain medical or mental health care in connection with domestic violence; (3) seek services from a victim services organization; (4) seek legal assistance or prepare for court proceedings; or (5) secure existing housing or obtain new housing for safety reasons.  Domestic Violence Leave is unpaid, however, the employee may use any form of accrued paid leave during this period.  Employees are required to provide reasonable advance notice of the leave, except that no notice may be required if the employee or family/household member is in imminent danger.  FAU may require written documentation from a treating facility or court verifying the purpose of the leave.  All documentation that is submitted will be maintained in a confidential file.

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Parental Leave

Employees with one or more years of continuous service shall be provided with up to six months unpaid parental leave from the University, during which time the employee may use paid leave, when the employee becomes a biological, adoptive, or foster parent. Parental leave may begin two weeks prior to the expected date of the child's arrival and must be completed no more than 6 months from the date of the child's birth or adoption. FMLA leave, alternatively, must be completed no more than 12 months following the birth or adoption of the child. FMLA leave for the birth or adoption of a child shall run concurrently with any University parental leave, and may not be used to provide an additional period of leave beyond 6 months. In the event that an employee chooses to take available FMLA leave commencing after the first 6 months following the birth or adoption of the child, the University's six month leave policy will not apply.

Parental leave taken under the provisions of FMLA or the University's parental leave policy must be a consecutive period of time, and the employee must provide a minimum of 30 days notice prior to the leave period. Employees on parental leave may use up to six weeks of paid sick leave for the period of leave immediately following the birth of a child. Parental leave beyond the six week period may be covered by other accrued paid leave or remain a period of unpaid leave.

Check FAU's policy on Extended Leaves of Absence, for additional, specific information

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Special Circumstances Paid Leave 


Employees are provided paid leave, not to exceed 40 hours in the workweek, in the following special circumstances.  This special paid leave is not accrued.

  • Bereavement Leave 'paid leave up to three days shall be provided to an employee upon the death of a family member. If the leave extends beyond three days, sick leave or another form of accrued leave may be used. Family member is defined as spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the employee or employee's spouse.
  • Emergency Closing - paid leave shall be provided for official emergency closing of University facilities. Special Compensatory leave shall be provided to SP employees required to perform essential services during the emergency closing. Only employees scheduled to work during the time of the emergency closing shall be provided leave
  • Jury Duty - paid leave for jury duty shall not exceed the number of hours in the employee's normal workday. If jury duty does not require absence for the entire workday, the employee shall return to work immediately upon release by the court
  • Military Leave - paid and unpaid military leave and re-employment rights shall be provided to employees consistent with Federal and State laws.
  • Court Summons - paid leave shall be provided to an employee summoned as a witness in a matter not involving personal interests.
  • Voting Leave - The President or designee may provide paid leave up to two hours for voting in public elections, when the normal work schedule prevents the employee from voting.
  • Athletic Competition - paid leave for athletic competition in Olympic events may be provided in accordance with State Law.
  • Florida    Disaster Volunteers - paid leave may be provided in accordance with State Law.
  • Civil Disorder - up to two days of paid leave may be granted for civil disorder or disaster for an employee who is a member of a volunteer emergency response team.

Check FAU's policy on Special Circumstances Paid Leave , for additional, specific information

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Holidays

All State holidays shall be observed as official designated University holidays. All employees in established positions, who are in active pay status for that pay period will be paid for all official holidays. Employees on an extended approved leave without pay for medical leave, parental leave, or military leave, will get 8 hours of holiday compensatory leave.

All AMP and SP employees will earn one day of Personal Holiday each fiscal year. The Personal Holiday may not be used in the first thirty (30) days of employment.  The Personal Holiday must be used by June 30 each year or be forfeited. Personal Holidays must be used as a full day, and cannot be taken on an hour for hour basis. Personal Holidays cannot be accrued and unused personal holiday time will not be paid out upon termination of employment.

* Postdoctoral Fellows: Paid Holidays when the University is officially closed.

Holiday Schedule

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