Reminders about using leave in 2024

At the beginning of each new calendar year, leave-earning employees should be aware of how they can use their leave. Take time to also review the holiday schedule.

Sick Leave

Sick Leave may be used for illness or injury, medical appointments, temporary disability due to childbirth, to care for a member of the immediate family, death in the immediate family, donations to a member of the immediate family who is an approved voluntary shared leave recipient and adoption of a child (limited to a maximum of 30 days for each parent).

As a reminder, you cannot use Sick Leave for vacation, other periods of absence for personal reasons, absences due to adverse weather conditions and time lost for late reporting.

To use Sick Leave with supervisor approval, make a request in Kronos under the category SICK.

More information on Sick Leave can be found on the HR website.

Vacation Leave

Vacation Leave may be used with supervisor approval for vacation, other periods of absence for personal reasons, absences due to adverse weather conditions, personal illness (in lieu of sick leave), illness in the immediate family, donations to an employee who is an approved voluntary shared leave recipient and time lost for late reporting.

To use Vacation Leave with supervisor approval, make a request in Kronos under the category VACATION.

More information on Vacation Leave can be found on the HR website.

Community Service Leave

In recognition of the state’s diverse needs for volunteers to support schools, communities, citizens and nonprofit organizations while honoring the commitment of University employees to engage in volunteer service, UNC Charlotte offers eligible employees paid Community Service Leave each year.

Employees must enter their Community Service Leave requests in Kronos under the appropriate COMSVC category.

When requesting the leave, you are required to include the following information in the comment section:

• Name of the school or organization and indication if it is a 501(c)3 agency or eligible human service organization
• Type of service/participation (i.e. meeting with your child’s teacher, servicing food at the soup kitchen)

Employees must provide supporting documentation to their supervisor if requested. Supervisors should review and approve/deny requests based on the information provided and University policy, consulting with the Benefits Office as needed.

Eligible activities include:

• Attending a conference with your child’s teacher
• Volunteering for a non-athletic school activity or function
• Serving with no pay inside a polling facility
• Working in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter
• Volunteering to provide service at an approved 501(c)3 agency or eligible human service organization (ex. Habitat for Humanity and American Cancer Society)
• Disaster relief with a recognized eligible organization (ex. American Red Cross)
• Attending your child’s K-12 graduation ceremony

Ineligible activities include:

• Eating lunch with your child or grandchild
• Selling tickets or concessions at an athletic event
• Fundraising, campaigning or accepting pay for work for a political cause
• Fundraising or activities designated to actively promote religious beliefs
• Playing in a golf tournament or attending a luncheon
• Disaster relief with private industry (ex. local grocery store collecting bottles of water)
• Attending your child’s college graduation, college tours or move-in
• Time spent training to be a volunteer
• Time spent in administrative duties such as attending organization meetings, electing officials or attending social events sponsored by an organization

More information about Community Service Leave can be found on the HR website.

Personal Observance Leave

In recognition and celebration of a diverse workforce, UNC Charlotte offers eight hours of Personal Observance Leave for eligible full-time employees (pro-rated for part-time employees). This leave is designed for leave-earning employees to use on a day of significance, including days of cultural, religious or personal observation. The total amount of Personal Observance Leave allotted to an employee must be used on a single work shift.

Supervisor approval is required in advance of using this leave, but employees do not need to provide a reason for using this leave. As with other forms of leave, employees should request use of leave at least two weeks before the leave is needed unless such notice is impractical.

To use Personal Observance Leave with supervisor approval, make a request in Kronos under the category PERSONAL OBSERVANCE DAY.

More information about Personal Observance Leave can be found on the HR website.

Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)

Employees who are out of work longer than three days due to a serious health condition or the need to care for a family member with a serious health condition may qualify for FMLA. More information on FMLA and the application process can be found on the HR website.

Parental Leave

UNC Charlotte is committed to promoting the health and well-being of employees and their families. Our Paid Parental Leave policy provides eligible state employees dedicated leave time for care and bonding with a newborn or a child under the age of eighteen (18), newly placed for adoption, foster or other legal placement.

More information on Parental Leave can be found on the HR website.

Voluntary Shared Leave

There are times when an employee needs to be absent from work for a prolonged period of time due to a medical condition. The Voluntary Shared Leave Program provides the opportunity to donate leave to employees approved to receive leave because of a medical condition of the employee or member of their immediate family, that will require the employee’s absence for a prolonged period of time, resulting in a possible loss of income due to accumulated leave. More information is available on the HR website.

Leave Without Pay

Leave without pay may be granted to an eligible employee for various reasons, including family and medical leave, extended educational purposes, vacation, illness, workers’ compensation, military service or personal reasons.

Employees who need to be out and have exhausted their accrued leave must enter Leave Without Pay daily as occurred in Kronos. More information is available on the HR website.