Faculty time off and leave

If you are a full-time nonexempt employee, you may be entitled to eight hours of holiday pay. (Under certain circumstances, an employee may earn additional holiday pay). To qualify, you must be in “paid status” for a portion of your scheduled shift before the holiday. As a part-time nonexempt employee, you may qualify for holiday pay if the holiday falls on your scheduled workday and you were in “paid status” during any portion of your shift immediately preceding the holiday. If this is the case, you will be paid the equivalent amount you would have been paid if there had not been a holiday. Check with your supervisor or personnel representative if you have a question regarding eligibility for pay. (NRS 236.015 and NAC 284.0742)

If you are a full-time nonexempt employee and your day off coincides with a legal holiday, your appointing authority may adjust your work schedule for the week, credit your account with eight hours of compensatory time at the straight-time rate, or pay you for the holiday.

Exempt employees receive their regular salary during a week in which a holiday occurs, regardless of whether they work or have the day off.

The State of Nevada and the University of Nevada, Reno offer 12 paid holidays. The following dates are paid holidays for all State of Nevada employees:

• January 1: New Year's Day
• Third Monday in January: Martin Luther King Day
• Third Monday in February: Washington's Birthday
• Last Monday in May: Memorial Day
• June 19: Juneteenth
• July 4: Independence Day
• First Monday in September: Labor Day
• Last Friday in October: Nevada Day
• November 11: Veterans' Day
• Fourth Thursday in November: Thanksgiving Day
• Friday following the Fourth Thursday in November: Family Day
• December 25: Christmas Day

If January 1, June 19, July 4, November 11, or December 25 falls upon a:

1. Sunday, the Monday following must be observed as a legal holiday.
2. Saturday, the Friday preceding must be observed as a legal holiday.

See NRS 236.015.

All faculty members on a full-time 12-month appointment ("A" contract) earn annual leave at the rate of two working days for each full calendar month of service. "A" contract faculty with a Full-time Equivalent (FTE) less than 1.0 FTE earn annual leave on a prorated basis. Prorated credit shall be accrued for partial months of service. Annual leave accrual is credited on the last day of the month. Annual leave may not be taken before it is accrued. Faculty on an academic year ("B" contract) appointment do not accrue annual leave.

If while on annual leave a faculty member becomes ill or injured, the employee remains on annual leave for the duration of the original request. Annual leave cannot be converted to sick leave after the annual leave has commenced unless an illness or injury is approved as FMLA leave.

Annual leave for full-time faculty is used in increments of a half-day or a full day. If a period shorter than one-half workday is requested, the supervisor can require a half-day increment of annual leave be taken and deducted from the leave balance.

Annual leave must be requested and approved in advance by the faculty member's supervisor. The supervisor or other appropriate administrative officer may also direct a faculty member to use annual leave.

Full-time faculty on an “A” or “B” contract will start their first year with 30 days. After the first year, two days per full month are accrued to a maximum of 96 days. A" and "B" contract faculty with a Full Time Equivalent (FTE) less than 1.0 accrue sick leave on a pro-rated basis. Sick leave accrual is credited on the last day of the month. Leave may not be taken in advance until it is accrued.

Sick leave may be taken for personal illness, disability, medical, optometric, or dental service or examinations, child-bearing or temporary disability upon the approval of the appointing authority.

Any sick leave must be approved by the faculty member's supervisor. Sick leave for full-time faculty is used in increments of a half-day or full-day (see BOR Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 19). If a period shorter than one-half work day is used, the supervisor can require a half-day increment of sick leave be requested and deducted from the leave balance. However, sick leave may be used in one-hour increments when it runs concurrently with approved intermittent Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Up to 15 days of sick leave per contract year may be used by the professional staff member to care for or assist family members for the following events: illness; injury, or medical, optometry or dental service or examination.

Annual time | Annual leave may be cumulative from year to year, not to exceed 48 days as of the first day of each fiscal year, and any annual leave in excess of 48 days is forfeited on that date. Maximum accrued annual leave balance shall be prorated for faculty with less than 1.0 FTE. No compensation will be authorized for unused or excess leave at the end of each fiscal year.

Employees shall be given an opportunity to use accrued annual leave in excess of 48 working days prior to the last day of the fiscal year provided a request for leave is given by the employee no later than April 1 to the supervisor or other appropriate administrative officer.

Sick time | Sick leave may be cumulative from year to year, not to exceed 96 days as of the first day of each fiscal year, and any annual leave in excess of 96 days is forfeited on that date. Maximum accrued annual leave balance shall be prorated for faculty with less than 1.0 FTE. No compensation will be authorized for unused or excess leave at the end of each fiscal year.

Sick time payout | Faculty are not eligible to receive payout of unused sick time off.

Annual time payout | Faculty on an "A" contract appointment who resign, retire or change their contract to "B" shall be paid for unused accrued annual leave up to a maximum of 48 days, unless the supervisor or other appropriate administrative officer directs the employee, in writing, to use all or a portion of the accumulated leave prior to the final date of the contract. Written documentation is to be uploaded into the Workday system when the termination is initiated. Failure to provide this documentation will result in the faculty member being paid any accrued annual leave upon termination.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a "rolling" 12-month period for specified family and medical reasons.  See Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Overview.

Eligibility

Must have worked:

• For the State of Nevada for 12 months or more (need not be continuous); and
• At least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months (all hours in "paid status" are used for calculation purposes).

Qualifying events include:

• The birth of a child, or to care for the newborn;
• Placement of a child with you for adoption or foster care, or to care for a child after placement;
• Care for a spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition; 
• Serious health condition that makes you unable to perform your job; or
• Qualifying exigencies related to the foreign deployment of a military member who is the employee’s spouse, child, or parent.

My pay and benefits

• FMLA leave runs concurrently with the use of eligible employee’s paid time off accruals (i.e., sick time, annual time, compensatory time).
• FMLA leave will be unpaid if the employee is not eligible for accrued time off.
• Group health insurance coverage will be maintained during FMLA leave. If you normally pay a portion of the premiums for coverage or have dependent coverage, these payments continue to be your responsibility.
• Upon return from leave, you must be restored to your job, or to an equivalent job with equivalent pay, benefits, and other terms and conditions (unless you would not otherwise have been employed in such a job). (NAC 284.5231 through 284.5239, 284.558, 284.566, 284.581 through 284.5813)

How to Apply

FMLA requests for the University of Nevada, Reno are initiated through Workday. The leave request can be initiated through the Time Off Worklet under Request and Leave of Absence. Once the request is submitted, the required medical certification will be delivered to the employee’s Workday inbox. The medical certification is to be printed and provided to the treating medical provider. Upon completion, the medical certification is to be uploaded into the employee’s Workday inbox task for final submission. Medical certification is due within 15 days of the initial request for FMLA.

Faculty leave of absence without salary, for periods up to 12 months, may be granted by the President to faculty who have been employed by the System for one year or more. Requests for leave of absence without salary for more than 12 months must be approved by the Board of Regents.

If an academic or administrative faculty member is absent from work without authorized leave, as defined in the BOR Handbook Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 10, the absence must be charged as unauthorized leave without pay. Unauthorized leave may be grounds for disciplinary action.

Being in "Leave without Pay" status affects an employee's pay and benefits.

Child-Rearing Leave is a form of unpaid leave and must have approval of the President.

See Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 13

Employees who are members of Federal Reserve forces or the Nevada National Guard are entitled to serve without loss of regular compensation for a period not to exceed 15 working days in any calendar year. Additional military leave may be granted for periods in excess of 15 working days.

See Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 20.

Civil leave with pay will also be granted for the following reasons:

• If you meet the conditions of NRS 293.463 and need time off to vote;
• If you meet the conditions of NRS 284.357 as a volunteer firefighter, emergency medical technician, volunteer ambulance driver or attendant, or reserve member of a police department or a sheriff's department;
• If your absence from the job is necessary to meet a disaster or emergency and it is approved by your appointing authority. (NAC 284.587)
• If you are required to perform active military service during your employment with the State of Nevada, you will be granted a leave of absence for the period of your military service plus a period up to 90 days. If your gross State pay is more than your gross military pay, you will be eligible to receive differential pay to supplement your military pay. If you serve less than 90 days of active military service, you will be restored to your same position, at the grade and step you would have held had you not served in the military. If you serve longer than 90 days, you must be reemployed in your former position or a comparable position having seniority and pay equal to that which you would have held had you not served in the military. (NRS 281.145, NRS 284.359)

Any academic faculty member who has served full-time on a 10-month or 12-month contract for six or more years may be eligible for sabbatical leave. A faculty member will receive two-thirds salary for one year or full salary for six months upon approval by the appropriate committee (Sabbatical or Faculty Development Program). Sabbatical leave may be granted once every seven years. Part-time academic faculty members may be eligible for sabbatical leave on a pro-rated basis.

Sabbatical leave is coordinated by the Office of the Provost. 

See Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 14.

Judicial leave will be granted to serve on a jury or when summoned to be a witness. The faculty member may retain any remuneration received. Additionally, a short-term leave may be authorized by the appointing authority for up to 30 calendar days without loss of salary when in connection with the faculty member's official capacity as a university employee at a trial or other court proceeding.

See Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 2.

May take up to 10 working days of sick leave in the event of the death of a person within the third degree of relationship.

See Board of Regents Handbook, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 19, number 5.