Holidays, Leaves of Absence and Vacation

Leave Types

An employee at the University of the Incarnate Word may be eligible for several leave types:

• Administrative Leave
• Medical Leave
• Family Medical Leave
• Military Leave
• Bereavement Leave
• Court Leave
• Holiday Leave
• Sick Leave
• Vacation Leave

Administrative Leave

Administrative leave is paid leave for Administrators or Staff employees which is not charged against vacation or sick leave benefits, and is granted for various purposes, including:

1. Closing due to inclement weather or disaster as determined by the President.
2. To vote in Municipal, State and Federal elections.
3. To attend conferences, conventions, or seminars with supervisory approval.
4. To represent UIW/SACHS at meetings related to our operations and with authorization of the department director.
5. Extended Jury duty or witnessing in court as defined in Court Leave (See Section 4.15, Court Leave).
6. Any other purpose deemed appropriate by the President or designee.

Administrative Leave must be approved by the department director and/or Vice President (where appropriate).

Medical Leave

Full time employees who do not qualify for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may apply for or be placed by UIW on a medical leave of absence for the treatment of their own or a family member's serious health condition. Employees will be eligible for medical leave after completing 6 months but no more than one year of continuous employment, except for on-the-job injuries, for which medical leave can begin immediately.

Medical leave is limited to a maximum of 12 weeks within a "rolling" 12-month period. Medical leave must be taken on a continuous basis, and may not be taken in intermittent periods or on a reduced work schedule except where medically necessary for absences due to a job-related injury or illness.

The complete policy can be found in the Employee Handbook.

To request a Medical Leave of absence, please complete the Leave of Absence Request Form and submit to Mallory Angier at angier@uiwtx.edu.

Family Medical Leave

To be eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), an employee must have been employed with UIW for at least 12 months (which do not have to be consecutive), worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12 months, and be assigned to a qualifying location (50 or more employees within a 75 mile radius). Eligible employees will be granted or placed on FMLA leave for up to 12 weeks within a "rolling" 12-month period for any of the following reasons:

• The birth or placement (adoption or foster care) of a child; or To bond with a child (leave must be taken within 1 year of the child’s birth or placement); or
• To care for a family member (the employee's spouse, child or parent, but not a parent-in-law) with a serious health condition (subject to certification by a health care provider); or
• For a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of his or her position (subject to certification by a health care provider).

Spouses who are both employed by UIW are limited to a combined total of 12 weeks leave under the FMLA within the "rolling" 12-month period for the birth or placement of a child or the care of a parent with a serious health condition.

Leave for the birth, placement, adoption or foster care of a child, or to care for a child after birth must be taken in a continuous time period, and may not be taken on an intermittent or reduced work schedule basis. Leave for a newborn must be completed within 12 months after the birth, adoption or placement of the child.

An employee may take leave for their own serious health condition, or the serious health condition of a family member in a continuous time period, in intermittent time periods (e.g., a period of working followed by a period of absence) or through a reduced work schedule (such as cutting back on work hours). Leave for a serious health condition is permitted only during the medically required absence period.

• The Employee's Guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act from DOL
• FMLA Rights and Responsibilities

The complete policy can be found in the Employee Handbook.

To request a Family Medical Leave of Absence, please complete the Leave of Absence Request Form and submit to Mallory Angier at angier@uiwtx.edu.

Military Leave under FMLA

Eligible employees whose spouse, son, daughter or parent is on covered active duty or call to covered active duty status may use their 12-week leave entitlement to address certain qualifying exigencies. Qualifying exigencies may include attending certain military events, arranging for alternative childcare, addressing certain financial and legal arrangements, attending certain counseling sessions, and attending post-deployment reintegration briefings. FMLA also includes a special leave entitlement that permits eligible employees to take up to 26 weeks of leave to care for a covered service member during a single 12-month period. A covered service member is:

1. a current member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness*; or
2. a veteran who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable at any time during the five-year period prior to the first date the eligible employee takes FMLA leave to care for the covered veteran, and who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy for a serious injury or illness.*

Below is helpful information on Military FMLA:

• FMLA Military Guide
• FMLA Rights and Responsibilities

The complete policy can be found in the Employee Handbook.

To request a Military Family Medical Leave of Absence, please complete the Leave of Absence Request Form and submit to Mallory Angier at angier@uiwtx.edu.

Military Leave under USERRA

The University of the Incarnate Word committed to protecting the job rights of employees absent on military leave. In accordance with federal and state law, it is the University's policy that no employee or prospective employee will be subjected to any form of discrimination on the basis of that person's membership in or obligation to perform service for any of the Uniformed Services of the United States. Specifically, no person will be denied employment, reemployment, promotion, or other benefit of employment on the basis of such membership. Furthermore, no person will be subjected to retaliation or adverse employment action because such person has exercised his or her rights under this policy. If any employee believes that he or she has been subjected to discrimination in violation of this policy, the employee should immediately contact Human Resources.

Below is helpful information on Military Leave:

• USERRA Military Leave Rights

The complete policy can be found in the Employee Handbook.

To request Military Leave under USERRA, please complete the Military Leave of Absence Request Form and submit to Mallory Angier at angier@uiwtx.edu.

Bereavement Leave

Employees will receive Bereavement leave with full pay, up to a maximum of five (5) working days, will be granted to employees in the case of death in the immediate family. Immediate family is defined as husband, wife, father, father-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandfather or grandmother. Proof of death, such as an obituary notice may be required. Note - five days is not automatic.

If an employee wishes to attend other funerals under bereavement leave, he/she must request approval from the department director and the Director of Human Resources.

Court Leave

The University recognizes that jury service is a public service in the administration of the American judicial experience. Administrator/Staff employees are allowed unlimited leave with pay for jury duty (employee must submit summons to his/her supervisor). An employee will receive leave with pay to appear in court as a party defendant or when he/she is subpoenaed to testify as a non-party witness if any of the incidents or matters about which he/she is expected to testify occurred while the employee was within the authorized course and scope of his/her employment. Administrator/Staff employees who are parties to litigation, or are subpoenaed to appear in court in other circumstances will not be paid unless they use vacation leave or other leave without pay alternatives.

Holiday Leave

View the 2024-2025 Official Holiday Schedule

UIW full-time regular employees receive the following paid holidays:

If a holiday occurs on a Saturday, it will be observed the preceding Friday. If the holiday occurs on Sunday, it will be observed the following Monday.

As many employees as possible will be given each holiday off, consistent with the need to maintain essential UIW/SACHS services. Employees who are required to work on a holiday will be paid for that day at their normal rate of pay.

An employee who is absent without paid leave on the day immediately preceding or following a holiday will not be paid for the holiday.

Floating holidays are available at the beginning of each fiscal year. The request must be scheduled and approved in advance by the employee's immediate supervisor. Floating holidays will not be carried over to the next fiscal year, nor may they be cashed out if not taken or paid upon termination of employment.

Sick Leave

All regular full-time employees will accrue sick leave at the rate of 8 hours per month. Employees may use sick leave only after it is earned. Sick leave accrues from year to year to a maximum of 480 hours (60 days). Employees will not earn sick leave while on unpaid leave of absence or during thirty (30) days of disability leave of absence.

The complete policy can be found in the Employee Handbook.

Vacation Leave

Vacation time provides employees with an opportunity to rest, relax, and refresh themselves, which benefits both the employee and UIW/SACHS. All full-time employees accrue vacation. Accrual rates vary depending on length of service and employee class. No vacation leave may be taken during the first six (6) months of employment.

Staff employees request time-off through WebTime Entry. Administrator employee request time-off through the leave request form.

The complete policy can be found in the Employee Handbook.