5.03 Paid Vacation

All full-time and part-time staff of McPherson College are eligible for the paid vacation benefit as provided in this section. Date of eligibility and amount of vacation to which an employee is entitled depends upon the employee classification and length of service as follows:

All exempt employees begin accruing vacation time on the date of hire. All non-exempt employees begin accruing vacation time after the 60 day introductory period. The vacation allowance for all non- administrative staff employees is determined by the length of credited service accumulated through July 1st of each year as shown below:

Administrative staff are eligible for 20 days of vacation per year (15 days for 9 month contracts, 16.5 days for 10-month contracts, and 18 days for 11 month contracts).

All vacation allowance is credited to the employee on July 1st of each year. Vacation days must be taken during the twelve-month period ending June 30th, as vacation days may not be accumulated from one year to the next. When necessary for business operations, departments may specify certain periods during which no vacations shall be taken.

Exempt staff, who were reclassified to non-exempt due to the September 23, 2019, Department of Labor (DOL) OT regulations, will retain 20 days of vacation per year for 12 month positions, 18 days for 11 month positions, 16.5 for 10 month positions and 15 days for 9 month positions.

Exempt staff members record vacation hours if they are off work more than four (4) hours on any given work day. For example, the exempt staff member who works four (4) hours but no more the rest of the work day does not need to record vacation time. However, the exempt employee who works three (3) hours, taking off the remainder of the day, records five (5) vacation hours for that day. The exempt staff member who takes off an entire work day records eight (8) hours of vacation.

Vacations are to be scheduled in advance and approved by the department supervisor. If a paid holiday falls within a scheduled vacation period, the day will be treated as a holiday rather than vacation time. Employees do not have the option of receiving vacation pay in lieu of vacation time. As a vacation day is actually taken, an employee will receive their usual and customary wage for that day less usual and customary withholdings on their next regularly scheduled pay date.

If employment is terminated while an employee is on vacation, only the vacation days prior to the termination date shall be paid.  If an employee leaves the College and has taken more vacation days than accrued, there will be a corresponding adjustment on the final paycheck.   An employee’s supervisor has approve how many days of vacation a staff member may use upon submitting a voluntary resignation.  There is no expectation that the staff member utilize all of her/his annual unused vacation upon separating from the college.  Unused vacation will not be paid upon termination, with or without cause, voluntary or involuntary..

Except for vacation days actually taken, vacation time shall never be deemed to have been vested for any employee or former employee for any reason and will not be cashed-out or rolled-over. This vacation benefit is a use-it-or-lose it benefit.