Personal Leave
leave overview
Paid Personal Leave allows eligible employees to renew themselves physically and mentally and to remain fully productive employees. UNC Charlotte encourages employees to request and use their earned Personal Leave with supervisor approval during the year to achieve this goal.
The University of North Carolina System recently established a new Personal Leave program for vacation leave accrual for Exempt Professional Staff (EPS), leave-earning employees. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, all EPS employees hired on or after Jan, 1, 2025 in a leave eligible position will be subject to the new Personal Leave Program. Employees hired before Jan. 1, 2025, will have a one-time opportunity to opt in to the new Personal Leave Program in February of 2025; the decision to opt in will be irrevocable. Current EPS employees who do not opt in will continue to accrue Annual Leave as vacation time.
The new Personal Leave program only affects vacation leave for new EPS employees and current EPS employees who choose to opt in; the Personal Leave program does not affect any other leave programs. Employees under the Personal Leave program accrue and are entitled to other leave allotments (Sick Leave, Civil Leave, Personal Observance, etc.) per the policies already established for those leaves and in the same way as employees in the Annual Leave program.
Eligible Employees
New EPS employees
All permanent “eligible leave earning” EPS staff and EPS 12 month faculty whose effective date of employment at UNC Charlotte is on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will accrue leave in accordance with Personal Leave Program.
Employees transferring to an EPS position on or after Jan. 1, 2025
Any employee who transfers to an “eligible leave earning” EPS position from another UNC System school on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will be subject to Personal Leave Program.
Current EPS employees who choose to opt in
The following employees may choose to opt in to the Personal Leave Program or remain with the Annual Leave Program:
- Employees hired into a permanent EPS position at the University before Jan. 1, 2025.
- Employees hired into a permanent SHRA position at the University before Jan. 1, 2025, who:
- Accept an EPS position on or after Jan. 1, 2025, or
- Choose to convert to an EPS position on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
The decision to opt into the Personal Leave Program will be irrevocable. The UNC Charlotte Human Resources department will develop and distribute information about the opt-in dates and process in February 2025.
Amount of Leave
The annual accrual rate for Personal Leave is 26 days/208 hours (prorated for part-time).
- Personal Leave accrues at a monthly rate and is adjusted proportionately for permanent part-time employees who work halftime or more (0.50 – 0.99 FTE) or who are on a contract for fewer than twelve months.
- The monthly earnings amount is equal to one-twelfth of the annual rate.
- Leave is earned monthly when an employee works or is in approved paid status at least half the working days of a month.
Employees may carry forward up to 20 days/160 hours of unused leave into the next year. Any remaining unused leave is forfeited. Unused Personal Leave is never paid out. Personal Leave can be contributed as Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL), similar to Vacation and Annual Leave and subject to the requirements of the VSL policy.
New appointments within UNC Charlotte: If an employee receives a new eligible appointment within the University, then all Personal Leave and/or Annual Leave retained will transfer to the new appointment.
Transfer to another UNC System institution: If an employee transfers to another UNC System institution to an eligible EPS position, then up to a maximum of 20 days of Personal Leave will transfer to the new institution, and any excess leave will be forfeited. Annual Leave, up to 30 days, will be paid out prior to the transfer.
Personal and Annual Leave Comparison
Personal Leave and Annual Leave are accrued at a monthly rate and adjusted proportionately for permanent part-time employees who work halftime or more (0.50 – 0.99 FTE) or who are on contract for fewer than twelve months. The monthly earnings amount is equal to one-twelfth of the annual rate. Leave is earned monthly when an employee works or is in approved paid status at least half the working days of a month.
Below is a summary of the key comparison points of vacation leave under the Annual Leave Program and the Personal Leave Program.
Personal Leave
- Applies to:
- Eligible EPS employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
- Eligible EPS employees who choose to opt in to this program.
- Annual Accrual: 26 days/208 hours (prorated for part-time).
- Carryforward of unused leave: Employees may carry forward up to 20 days/160 hours of unused leave into the next year. Any remaining unused leave is forfeited.
- Payout upon separation: Unused Personal Leave is never paid out. Any remaining unused leave is forfeited. Personal leave can be contributed as Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL), similar to Vacation and Annual Leave and subject to the requirements of the VSL policy.
Annual Leave
- Applies to: Eligible EPS employees hired and who remain in active leave-earning status on or before Dec. 31, 2024.
- Annual Accrual:
- 24 days/192 hours for EPS employees.
- 26 days/208 hours for Senior Academic and Administrative Officers (SAAO) employees (prorated for part time).
- Carryforward of unused leave: Employees may carry forward up to 30 days/240 hours of unused leave into the next year. Any remaining unused leave is converted to sick leave.
- Payout upon separation: Employees may be paid out up to 30 days/240 hours (prorated for part-time employees) of unused Annual Leave under a qualifying event like separation.
Personal and Annual Leave Comparison Chart
| Topic | EPS Employee hired before 01/01/2025 who stay at the same institution and do not opt into the new personal leave program | EPS Employees hired on or after 01/01/2025 |
| Leave Program | Annual (Vacation Leave) | Personal Leave |
| Accruals | 26 days per year for SAAO 24 days per year for EPS | 26 days per year for all leave-earning EPS |
| Carryforward/Rollover | Max carryforward 30 days (240 hours) Excess rolls over to sick leave on Dec. 31 | Max carryforward 20 days (160 hours) Excess is forfeited (no rollover to sick leave) |
| Transfer/Payout if moving to a Covered Position within institution | All Annual Leave transfers to new appointment | All Personal Leave transfers to new appointment |
| Transfer/Payout if moving to a Covered Position at other institution | Annual Leave is paid out (max 30 days; excess is forfeited) As a new hire at a new institution, continuing employees would be subject to the Personal Leave policy at the new institution | Personal Leave transfers (maximum 20 days) to new institution Excess leave is forfeited |
| Transfer/Payout if moving to a Non-Covered Position within State Employment (University or Agency) | Annual Leave is paid out (max 30 days; excess is forfeited) | All Personal Leave may be transferred subject to approval of the receiving institution; otherwise, it is forfeited |
| Separation from State Employment | Annual Leave is paid out (max 30 days; excess is forfeited) | All Personal Leave if forfeited |
Kronos Information for Supervisors
For EPS employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2025:
- A new accrual, EPS Personal Leave, will be assigned in Kronos.
- These employees can earn up to 17.33 hours (26 days a year) of EPS Personal Leave when an employee works or is on approved paid leave at least half of the work days of the month.These employees will have access to the new EPS Personal Leave pay code in Kronos to take the Personal Leave hours they have accrued.
- No Personal Leave hours are paid out to employees at separation.
- Up to 160 hours of Personal Leave may be retained at the end of the calendar year.
- All hours over 160 at the end of the calendar year will be forfeited.
- Remaining unused Personal Leave will not convert to Sick Leave.
For EPS employees hired before Jan. 1, 2025, or who qualify under specific conditions:
- These employees will continue to earn and take Annual Vacation hours and to use the current Vacation pay codes in Kronos.
- The limit for Vacation Leave payout at separation will remain at 240 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees).
- Vacation hours over 240 at the end of the calendar year will still carry forward to Sick Leave.
- The amount of Annual Vacation hours currently earned will not change.
New EPS Employees, and current EPS employees who opt into the Personal Leave program will use Personal leave for the same reasons Annual Vacation is used. If they have remaining Annual Vacation it will be considered “Legacy” Annual Leave (Vacation) and is not frozen. No additional accruals will be made for the “Legacy” Annual Leave. However, an employee can use it at any time, similar to how bonus leave is used. The “Legacy” Annual Leave (Vacation) must be paid out when the employee separates from employment at the institution or moves to a position that is not subject to the personal leave program.
Note: Exempt Professional Staff (EPS), was formally addressed as Exempt from the Human Resources Act (EHRA)
Resources
Questions
Contact Benefits at Benefits@charlotte.edu