Vacation and Leave Accrual

Vacations are an important aspect of the continued working environment at Colorado College. Paid vacation is limited to the time accrued and may not be taken in advance.

All requests for vacation leave must receive prior approval by the supervisor.  Consideration will be given to all requests for vacation time and the staff member’s preference will be respected whenever practical.  However, the supervisor may deny vacation leave requests which conflict with the operation of the College or if the staff member does not have vacation leave available.  If scheduling conflicts arise due to more than one staff member requesting the same time, requests will generally be granted based upon an individual’s length of service.

If injury or illness occurs while on vacation, additional days of vacation will not be granted.  Time off during block breaks or spring break must be taken as vacation leave.

Exempt and non-exempt staff accrue and take vacation leave differently.  Following are guidelines applicable to each classification:

Vacation for Non-Exempt Staff

Full-time 9-12-month non-exempt staff accrue vacation leave based on the number of hours worked and years of service.  While vacation accrual begins at the time of hire, the accrued vacation leave may not be used until after completing 90 days of service. 

The following chart lists vacation hours to be accrued per pay period based on a 2080 hours a year work schedule.  Accruals are prorated based on hours worked. 

It is expected that all non-exempt staff will use their vacation each year; however, they may carry up to two full year’s vacation accrual, based on years of service (i.e. a maximum of 160 hours if less than 6 years service). Leave accrual stops once the maximum amount has been reached and will begin when the leave balance falls below the maximum amount.

Non-exempt staff report leave taken at the same time they report regular hours worked using the online timesheet.  These hours are included on each payroll check and will reduce the accrual automatically. The latest leave balance is listed on paycheck stubs.  Please contact the Payroll Office if your leave accrual does not appear to be correct.

Vacation leave taken does not count toward the calculation of overtime. 

Non-exempt staff are paid for all accrued vacation at the time of termination of employment. 

Vacation for Exempt Staff

The following chart lists vacation hours to be accrued per pay period based on a 2080 hours a year work schedule.  Accruals are prorated based on FTE. 

A continuous vacation period will not exceed 22 working days; however, ALL vacation leave is subject to the needs of the department and may be limited by the supervisor.

Exempt staff report leave by completing the online Leave Report every pay period.  Leave balances are adjusted in the payroll period following the month in which leave is taken, so leave balances shown on payroll check stubs may not be accurate if leave was taken. 

Upon termination, resignation, or retirement, the college will pay out all unused vacation.