Salary Resolution No. 95-0926 Revised August 2023 Section 22: Vacation

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What’s on this Page

• 22.1 Vacation – Maximum Accumulation
• 22.2 Vacation – Part-Time Employees
• 22.3 Vacation – Accrual Rates (Amended 12/15/09, 3/19/13, 6/14/16, 6/12/19, 7/11/23)
• 22.4 Vacation Accrual Upon Reappointment
• 22.5 Vacation Schedules
• 22.6 Vacation – Payment for Unused Vacation (Amended 6/12/19)
• 22.7 Vacation Savings Plan
• 22.8 Vacation – Extra Help Employees

Read Next: Section 23: Sick Leave

Each employee designated as Unrepresented Confidential and Unrepresented, other than Extra Help employees as defined in the Civil Service Rules, shall accrue and may use vacation leave with full pay providing that the maximum accumulation shall be no more than two hundred eighty (280) hours. Each employee designated as Unrepresented Administrative Management and appointed Department Heads, shall accrue vacation at the rate specified in the table in Section 22.3, and the maximum accruals are as specified in the same table.

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Part-time employees shall accrue vacation leave on a pro-rata basis; usage and accrual shall be governed by the same rules and regulations applicable to full-time employees.

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Effective the pay period beginning July 5, 2016, each employee who has completed the following in-service hours shall accrue vacation at the appropriate rate shown below. In-service hours include all hours in pay status up to a maximum of eighty (80) hours in a pay period. In lieu of overtime, during each year Unrepresented Administrative Management employees and Department Heads have seven and one half (7 ½) days (60 hours) of Administrative Leave added to their vacation accrual. Elected Department Heads shall accrue seventy-seven (77) hours of Administrative Leave per year. The equivalent days and the maximum accumulation columns below for Appointed Department Heads and Administrative Management employees include both vacation and administrative leave. Rates shown below will be adjusted to reflect any unpaid time in each pay period. The accrual rates and maximum accumulated hours are shown in the chart below: 

Vacation Accrual Rates
Unrepresented Confidential & Unrepresented Employees

Vacation Accrual Rates
Unrepresented Administrative Management, Appointed Department Heads

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Each employee with 10,435 in-service hours (five or more years) who resigned in good standing and is reappointed within two (2) years, shall be credited with 4,174 hours (2 years) of service for purposes of new vacation accrual. Each employee who was laid off and is reappointed within two (2) years shall be returned to the place on the accrual table (in Section 22.3, above) that the employee occupied when laid off. 

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Vacation schedules shall be arranged by appointing authorities with particular regards to the needs of the service, and whenever possible, with regard to the wishes of the employee. Every effort shall be made to arrange vacation schedules so that each employee will take as much vacation in a year as accrues to the employee in that year. Each employee's vacation time may be so divided as the needs of the service require or permit. No employee may take vacation without advance approval of the appointing authority. No employee may take vacation leave in advance of that actually accumulated at the time such leave is taken.

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1. Each Unrepresented Administrative Management, elected or appointed Department Head, Unrepresented Confidential, or other Unrepresented employee who is separated from County service shall be entitled to payment in lieu of all unused vacation leave and administrative leave which the employee accumulated as of the employee's last day of work and shall be computed on the base hourly rate at the time of separation of County service.
2. Any County employee who is subsequently appointed or elected into an elected County office, will  retain all vacation and/or administrative leave balances accrued through the date of assuming elected office.  Such leave accrual will remain available until such time as the elected official leaves office and/or is separated from County service, and will be entitled to payment of all unused leave as provided in Section 22.6.a, above.
3. Any County employee previously covered under a memorandum of understanding, who is subsequently appointed or elected into an elected County office, shall be eligible for distribution of unused vacation and/or administrative leave accruals in the same manner as provided by the memorandum of understanding which was in place at the time the employee assumed public office.

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Under Vacation Savings Plan (VSP), each eligible (permanent or probationary) Unrepresented and Confidential full-time employee may elect to set aside up to twenty (20) hours of base rate pay each plan year during years 3 through 5 (4,174 to 10,434 service hours) of permanent, probationary, or unclassified employment. Part-time Unrepresented and Confidential employees will be eligible to set aside hours on a pro-rata basis, based on their allocated FTE (full time equivalent) position.  

Employees enroll during an annual open enrollment period in October/November for the subsequent plan year. The plan year runs from January 1 – December 31. Eligibility to enroll, for full-time and part-time employees, will begin when, as of the start of open enrollment, the employee reaches 4,174 service hours. Eligibility to enroll ends upon completion of 10,434 in-service hours as of the start of open enrollment. 

Unrepresented and Confidential employees new to the Salary Resolution who have between 4,174 and 10,434 in-service hours may enroll within their first 60 days for the current plan year. Information on the plan will be provided by the payroll clerk. Deductions for current plan year enrollments must be completed by the end of the final pay period in December of the current plan year. Failure to submit an Opt Out form does not extend employee entitlement to the special enrollment.

Regular annual enrollments for employees who have reached 4,174 hours by the beginning of annual enrollment but have not exceeded 10,434 hours will complete their election through the County’s self-service program during the open enrollment period.  Employees indicate the number of hours (up to 20) to purchase, and the number of pay periods over which the deductions will occur beginning on the first pay period of the new plan year. Deductions for regular and special enrollments will be in equal amounts over the number of pay periods selected at the base hourly rate as of the time of enrollment.  

Deductions must be completed by the end of the final pay period in December.  Employees may submit one enrollment per plan year.  Elections must be in whole hour increments. 

At the end of the plan year, up to 20 hours may roll forward to the subsequent plan year until the last pay period in April.  Any unused hours from the prior year on account at the end of the last pay period in April will be paid back to the employee in May.

Time may be used in one-tenth hour increments. The dollar value and hours available in the VSP bank will appear on the employee’s pay stub, the County’s self-service program, and Timesaver.  

Deductions are made on an after-tax basis. If there are insufficient funds to cover the deduction, the deduction will not be taken and the amount will automatically recalculate the deduction amount to the remaining elected pay periods in the plan year.  

Employees may cancel participation in the program by notifying the Auditor Payroll Division in writing by completing a Vacation Savings Plan Enrollment/Cancellation/Opt-Out Form. The employee designates whether the amount accrued to date will be paid out to the employee or will carry forward under the plan provisions. Balances being paid back to the employee will be paid off as soon as administratively feasible.

In the event the employee separates from County employment or has a change in eligibility status for the plan, unused VSP will be paid to the employee as soon as administratively feasible. Reaching 10,434 hours during the plan year is not considered a “change in status” under this provision.

Use of VSP hours are subject to the following guidelines:

1. VSP hours shall be used before other accrued leave except for sick leave or mandated time off under an Unpaid Furlough, Mandatory Time Off, or similar program.
2. Use of VSP hours is subject to the same provisions in Section 15.6, Vacation – Schedules, and require the same pre-approval process as accrued vacation hours. 
3. When paid, VSP hours are not taxed and are paid at the same hourly rate of pay as they were deducted. 
4. If the value in the VSP bank is not sufficient to cover the employee’s payroll deductions, the employee must arrange for payment with Auditor Payroll.
5. VSP hours will count toward seniority and merit, and will be considered “paid status” for the purposes of health benefits, vacation and sick leave accrual, and holiday pay only.
6. VSP hours will not be credited to retirement service hours, or be included in retirement final annual salary calculation. 
7. VSP hours will not be considered paid status hours for shift pay, premium pay, or cash allowance. 
8. VSP hours must be depleted prior to receiving Catastrophic Leave or Disaster Leave; Short Term Disability plans may also require depletion of leave, if applicable.
9. VSP hours may be used in conjunction with Workers’ Compensation benefits in the same manner as accrued leave. 
10. VSP hours may not be used to extend a date of separation from County employment.

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Extra Help employees are not covered by Section 22.

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