UAMS ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDE

NUMBER: 4.6.02
DATE: 3/4/2005
REVISION:  05/04/2006 

POLICY

The State of Arkansas has mandated that all State employees will receive payment for twelve (12) holidays each year, subject to further review and definition by the University Board of Trustees and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Chancellor. Owing to the unique mission of the University of Arkansas System and each individual campus, the days observed may vary, but the total number of days observed remains the same for each agency or institution of the State. The UAMS Office of Human Resources (OHR) will notify all department directors and other appropriate department heads, and all division Deans, Executive Directors and Vice Chancellors of the holiday schedules each year via an attachment to this policy. Additional holidays proclaimed by the Governor will be observed on that day or another, subject to the approval of the Chancellor.

PROCEDURE

1. All regular, probationary, provisional, and part-time employees, regardless of percent of time worked, shall receive holiday time off in proportion to time worked.  A “holiday” is defined as an eight (8) hour period of leave time for a full-time (100%) employee; leave time does not vary according to the daily schedule (8, 10, 12 hour shift) of the employee.
   
   
2. Faculty on nine or ten month contracts who abide by the student time-off schedule shall observe student holidays in lieu of those on the attached Holiday Schedule.
   
   
3. Accrued holidays not taken are payable at the time of termination, but the sum of holiday and vacation hours cannot exceed 240 hours.1
   
   
4. To be eligible for holiday pay, an employee must be in a pay status on the last scheduled work day before the holiday, and at least one hour on the first scheduled workday after the holiday.
   Timekeepers will post holiday taken as HOL or HOLF (if counted for FMLA tracking).
   
   
5. When a holiday occurs while an employee is on vacation or sick leave, that day will be charged as a holiday and will not be charged against the employee's vacation or sick leave accruals.
   
   
6. When a holiday falls on an employee's regularly scheduled day off, the employee will be given equivalent time off.
   
   
7. Staff employees must work on any holiday when the needs of the institution require it.  The need will be determined by the employee's department director or other appropriate department head.
   
   
8. Days off in lieu of holidays worked may be taken at a time approved by the employee's department director or other appropriate department head.  Faculty and senior administrators required to work on a scheduled holiday or a Governor's proclaimed holiday are not eligible for compensatory time-off.
   
   
9. When a holiday, except December 25, occurs on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed as a holiday.  When December 25 occurs on a Saturday, the following Monday is observed as a holiday.  When the holiday, except December 24, occurs on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as a holiday.  When December 24, occurs on a Sunday, the preceding Friday is observed.
   
   
10. Holidays declared by Governor's Proclamation will be observed by departments not involved in patient care activities.  Employees who care for patients and are scheduled to work on these proclaimed holidays will not receive time-and-a-half pay.  However, they will be entitled to equivalent time-off at a time which is mutually acceptable to the employee and the department director or other appropriate department head.
    
11. Employees are to notify their department or other appropriate department head of their request to take their birthday and hire date anniversary time off within a reasonable amount of time.