Use of Vacation Accruals

Adopted by Spokane Public Library Board of Trustees on March 17, 2009.

1. GENERAL

This document is divided into the following sections:

SECTION 1 – GENERAL

SECTION 2 – VACATION ACCRUALS

SECTION 3 – USE OF VACATION ACCRUALS

SECTION 4 – VACATION SELL BACK OPTION

SECTION 5 – PAYMENT UPON RETIREMENT OR TERMINATION

2. VACATION ACCRUALS

2.1 All regular full-time employees are entitled to a vacation allowance. Regular part-time employees who work a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week will accrue a vacation allowance on a pro rata basis.  Extra help employees working under twenty (20) hours per week and temporary or seasonal employees are not entitled to a vacation allowance.

2.2  The 2008 – 2010 accrual rates for full time bargaining unit employees are as follows:

Annual Hours                                             

                              Years of Service                     Accrued Bi-Weekly                 Accrual

                              First 4 Years                                       3.70                             12 days

                              Begin 5th through 10th                     5.24                             17 days

                              Begin 11th                                          5.55                             18 days

                              Begin 12th                                          5.85                             19 days

                              Begin 13th                                          6.16                             20 days

                              Begin 14th                                          6.47                             21 days

                              Begin 15th through 19th                   6.78                             22 days

                              Begin 20th                                          8.32                             27 days

2.3  Per Board policy, management and professional personnel accrue vacation on a bi-weekly basis according to the following schedules:

Professional and Confidential Employees

 Annual Hours                 

                              Years of Service                     Accrued Bi-Weekly                 Accrual

                              1st through 9th                                  5.54                             18 days

                              Begin 10th through 19th                7.39                             24 days

                              Begin 20th                                             9.23                             30 days

Branch and Department Managers

Annual Hours

                              Years of Service                     Accrued Bi-Weekly                 Accrual

                              1st through 9th                                    6.15                             20 days

                              Begin 10th through 19th                  8.00                             26 days

                              Beginning 20th                                    9.23                             30 days

Public and Support Services Managers

Annual Hours

                              Years of Service                     Accrued Bi-Weekly                  Accrual

                              1st through 9th                                    7.39                             24 days

                              Beginning 10th                                    9.23                             30 days

Library Director

Annual Hours

                                Years of Service                     Accrued Bi-Weekly              Accrual

                               1st through 9th                                    9.23                             30 days

                                 Beginning 10th                                  10.77                             35 days

2.4 Years of service are continuous.  Employees who leave library service do not receive credit for prior years of service upon resumption of active employment, except in the case of layoff and reinstatement.

2.5 Vacation time begins accruing from the first day of employment.

2.6  In order to accrue vacation, an employee must be in a paid status for 80% of that pay period.

2.7 The maximum vacation accrual at any time is two years’ vacation allowance, or 200 hours, whichever is greater.

3. USE OF VACATION ACCRUALS

3.1 Vacation accruals are available for use following six months employment.

3.2 Vacation time may be used on an hourly basis.

3.3 Management and professional level employees are exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Washington Minimum Wage laws and are paid on a salaried rather than an hourly basis.  It is generally understood that it may often be necessary for these employees to work more than 40 hours per week to complete their tasks.   If fewer than 80 hours are worked in a pay period deductions may be made from leave banks for one hour or more on the expressed or implied request of the employee for time off work.  Pay may be reduced accordingly if appropriate leave banks are exhausted.

3.4 Vacations are scheduled at the service area level at the beginning of each calendar year.  Those employees not entitled to paid vacation time should schedule unpaid leave requests at this time also.  All attempts will be made to accommodate each employee’s preferred vacation times.  Work load requirements and continuity of public service are the compelling factors in scheduling vacations.

3.5 Scheduling conflicts within a service area will be resolved by the head of the service area.  Seniority within job classification will be used to resolve conflicts during the sign-up process for represented employees, and may be used in resolving other conflicts at the manager’s discretion.  If the issue cannot be resolved, and if resources are available to do so, the head of the service area is encouraged to arrange for substitutes.  

3.6 Vacation requests that are not submitted during the initial sign-up process each year must be submitted, in writing, to the employee’s supervisor no less than five working days in advance.  Any request for time away from work that exceeds 30 consecutive calendar days must be submitted, in writing, to the employee’s supervisor no less than 30 days in advance, unless the leave is FMLA protected and the need for leave is not foreseeable in which case the request must be submitted as soon as practicable.  The application time frames may be waived by the manager when workloads permit and the absence will not impact service.

3.7 Full time employees are expected to use a minimum of ten vacation days per year.

4. VACATION SELL BACK

4.1  Per Article X, Section F, of the contract between AFSCME Local 270 and the Library, members of the bargaining unit may sell back up to two days of their earned vacation each year.  Application may be made by completing and returning the form provided for that purpose (see Appendix A) to Human Resources no later than November 1, with payment processed the first payroll in December each year.

• Employees must have accrued vacation time on the books and available for their use at the time the payment is processed in order to qualify for this option.
• Payment will be made at the current rate of pay and will be processed as a vacation payout.  Vacation hours paid out will not be counted as hours worked for overtime, vacation and sick leave accrual, retirement or for any other purpose. Standard payroll deductions for such items as FICA and federal tax will be taken from the payout.
• A “day” is eight hours for full time employees, and will be prorated for part time employees according to their normal weekly work schedule.

4.2 The vacation sell back option is not available to Management, Professional or Confidential employees. 

5. PAYMENT UPON RETIREMENT OR TERMINATION

5.1 Unused vacation accruals will be paid upon retirement or termination of employment to those employees with at least six months continuous service.