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The rate of vacation accrual for eligible employees is based on an employee’s length of continuous service. Regular/full-time employees earn vacation according to the information below.

• 0 – 5 Years of Service
  • Earns 10 Hours (1 1/4 Days) Monthly
  • Equivalent to 15 working days annually
•  5 – 10 Years of Service
  • Earns 12 Hours (1 1/2 Days) Monthly
  • Equivalent to 18 working days annually
• Over 10 Years of Service
  • Earns 14 Hours (1 3/4 Days) Monthly
  • Equivalent to 21 working days annually

When Your Annual Leave Accrual Starts

• If you start work on or before the 15th of the month:
  Your annual leave accrues from your first day of employment.
• If you start work after the 15th of the month:
  Your annual leave accrues starting from the 1st day of the next month.

Annual Leave Accumulation

• Maximum Accrued Leave:
  You can accumulate up to 360 hours (45 days) of annual leave.
• Excess Leave:
  Any leave time accrued over the 360-hour limit is lost at the end of the year (December 31).
  E.g. If you have 400 hours of annual leave on December 31, on January 1 you will have 360 hours of annual leave.
• Payment for Accrued Leave:
  When you end your employment, the University System of Georgia will compensate you for the annual leave you have accrued—up to a maximum of 360 hours.
• Retirement Credit:
  If you are planning to retire via the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Plan, please note that annual leave is not utilized to add to your years of service upon retirement.
  
• Breaks in Service
  If you have a break of service greater than 30 days, your annual leave accrual will start over as a new hire at 0 years of service. The accrual is for continuous years of employment.

Eligibility

• Regular/full-time Employees:
  Full-time employees earn vacation according to the chart at the top of the page.
• Temporary Employees:
  Temporary employees are not eligible to earn or accrue annual leave.
• Prorated Leave:
  If you work more than 50% of a full-time schedule (but less than 100%), your annual leave is adjusted (or prorated) based on your work commitment.

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All regular/full-time employees earn and accrue sick leave. Regular/full-time employees earn paid sick leave according to the information below.

• 0 – 10+ Years of Service
  • Earns 8 Hours (1 Day) Monthly
  • Equivalent to 12 working days annually

Sick Leave Accumulation

• Maximum Accrued Leave:
  Sick leave accrues continuously throughout your employment and is cumulative with no maximum limit.
• Payment for Accrued Leave:
  The University System of Georgia does not compensate employees for accrued sick leave at termination of employment.
• Retirement Credit:
  If you plan to retire via the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Plan, . (Annual leave is not used for additional service credit) Certain restrictions apply.
  

Eligibility

• Regular/full-time Employees:
  Full-time employees earn vacation according to the chart at the top of this section.
• Temporary Employees:
  Temporary employees are not eligible to earn or accrue sick leave.
• Prorated Leave:
  If you work more than 50% of a full-time schedule (but less than 100%), your sick leave is adjusted (or prorated) based on your work commitment.

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The Shared Sick Leave Program allows USG employees to donate  unused sick leave to a pool for possible use by another institutional employee who is experiencing a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) qualifying condition or whose immediate family member is experiencing a serious health condition and who has used all of their accumulated paid leave.

Enrollment in the program is available only during the annual benefits open enrollment period.

Enrollment requires a sick leave donation in increments of 8 hours, up to a maximum of 80 hours. Membership is open to regular, benefits eligible employees who have completed their 6 month provisional period. Joining employees must retain at least 40 hours of accrued sick leave after their donation, which will be collected in the January payroll.

Current members do not need to re-enroll but are welcome to make additional donations.

To enroll or donate additional hours to the Shared Sick Leave Program, please complete the .

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Shared Sick Leave Program Forms

Any full benefits eligible, non-temporary employee of the University System of Georgia,
may request to use and be considered for Educational Leave. Educational leave renews annually and does not accrue.

• 0 – 10+ Years of Service
  • Earns 8 Hours annually
  • Equivalent to 1 working day

Educational Leave Guidelines

Education Leave is used for activities that promote education in Georgia and may include, but are not limited to, some of the following:

• Attend Parent/Teacher conferences
• Participate in classroom activities, such as reading to a class or presenting on career day
• Tutor students without receiving compensation
• Proctor examinations
• Attend award and recognition ceremonies or graduation exercises
• Participate in field day activities or chaperone field trips
• Attend open house functions

Educational leave should not be used for the following:

• Education support leave may not be utilized by the employee for themselves or for their spouse.
• Employees must not receive pay for services they perform while using education support leave.
• Employees must receive prior approval from their supervisor before providing the services for which they are requesting education support leave.
• The USG institution or office has discretion to require written verification from a school administrator, teacher, or other official prior to approval.

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Voting Leave

The USG encourages employees to exercise their right to vote in all federal, state, and local elections.

All regular, fully benefited Georgia Southern employees may take up to two (2) hours of paid time off to vote in-person in municipal, county, state, or federal elections, either on election day or on a designated in-person early voting day. Employees should notify their supervisor, in advance, to coordinate with departmental scheduling.

Employees may use annual leave or compensatory time if more than two hours are needed. Voting leave is not cumulative; unused time does not carry over to future elections/years.

For those employees not eligible for paid voting leave, institutions should offer flexible scheduling to ensure all employees can vote within the two-hour limit.

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Jury Duty / Court Duty Leave

Georgia Southern employees are supported in fulfilling their civic responsibilities. All regular, fully benefited employees are eligible for paid time off when summoned for jury duty or required to appear in court as a witness by subpoena or court order. Please note that paid court leave does not apply to personal legal matters (such as if you’re a defendant, plaintiff, or attending voluntarily).

Employees must notify their supervisor, provide the official court subpoena to Human Resources and attach the documentation to the .

To submit your court subpoena and any further guidance on court duty leave, please email HREmployeeRelations@georgiasouthern.edu.

When submitting the Jury Duty / Court Duty leave request, you will utilize the Jury Duty leave type.

Jury Duty does not pull from your vacation or sick time. You will still receive your usual pay while using the Jury Duty absence type. Georgia Southern does not require that you pay back the stipend paid to you by the court for serving on a jury.

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Eligibility

Eligible employees are defined as:

•  Regular benefits eligible employees who work 30 hours or more per week and have at least 6 months of continuous service with USG. There is no requirement to work a certain number of hours within the 6-month period for these employees.
• Regular partially benefits eligible employees who work between 20-29 hours per week, have at least 6 months of continuous service with USG, and have worked a minimum of 700 hours over the 6 months.
• Regular non-benefits eligible employees who work less than 20 hours per week, have at least 6 months of continuous service, and have worked a minimum of 700 hours over the 6 months.
• Temporary non-benefits eligible employees who have at least 6 months of continuous service and have worked a minimum of 700 hours over the 6 months. 
• Rehired retirees who are receiving retirement benefits and students are not eligible for paid parental leave.

Qualifying Life Events

• The birth of a child of an eligible employee.
• The placement of a minor child for adoption with an eligible employee; and
• The placement of a minor child for foster care with an eligible employee.

Leave Administration

• Eligible leave amount: Up to a maximum of 240 hours of paid leave. (Effective 7.1.24)
• The maximum of 240 hour is the same, regardless of the number of qualifying events within the year and across USG institutions.
• Leave may be used on a continuous or intermittent basis.
• Unused leave does not carry over for future use.
• Parental leave has no cash value upon separation.
• The full leave entitlement must be taken within twelve months of the qualifying life event.

Requests for Paid Parental Leave

Employees should contact Human Resources with notice of the request for leave at least 30 days prior to the proposed leave date (or as soon as possible if the leave was unforeseeable) by calling 912-478-6947 or sending an email to HRBeWell@georgiasouthern.edu. Human Resources will then provide further instructions. The employee should also notify their supervisor of the request for paid parental leave.

• – Required of an employee when requesting to be placed on Family Medical Leave (FML)
•   (Revised 8/2021) â€“ Required from an attending physician to verify an employee’s serious illness
•  (Revised 8/2021)  â€“ Required for a family member’s serious health condition
•  â€“ Completed by the department and sent to the employee on the tenth (10) week of employee using Family Medical Leave
•  â€“ Required to determine the eligibility of the employee to return to work following a serious health condition
•  â€“ Required of management to notify Human Resources (Benefits) of approval of FMLA when no certification is required
•  â€“ Required of a faculty member to request permission to extend the probationary period, the faculty member shall complete the following form
•  â€“ Required for an employee seeking FMLA leave due to a qualifying exigency to submit a certification
•  â€“ Complete if you are requesting a reasonable accommodation. A majority of this form must be completed by the employee’s physician.