November 26, 2024
            

TO: HR Business Partners and UCPath Initiators/Approvers

FR: Kathy Moore, Director of Compensation, Human Resources

Corena Herrera, HRIS and Data Analytics Manager, Human Resources

RE: 2024 Holiday Pay Eligibility and General Curtailment Information for Staff Employees

 

 

With the Thanksgiving holiday and winter break quickly approaching, questions regarding eligibility for holiday pay may arise.  The information provided below summarizes holiday pay eligibility for each employee group, by employee category. For more information and guidance on holiday pay, please reference the applicable policies that govern your employees (policy covered staff - PPSM 2.210  Absence from Work, Article III, Section H or represented staff - the applicable collective bargaining agreement).  

 

Eligibility for Holiday Pay:

 

Unlike vacation and sick leave, holiday pay is earned in FULL hour increments only and holiday pay eligibility is dependent on the employee’s total appointment percentage and exemption status. 

 

GROUP #1:  Holiday Eligibility for Policy Covered (99), CX, DX, HX, K8, NX, PA, RX, and TX Employees

Employee Category*

Monthly Paid

Bi-Weekly Paid 

Full Time Exempt

Eligibility: Must be on pay status** during the week in which the holiday occurs.

 

Pay: Receives full holiday pay.

N/A

Full Time Non-Exempt 

N/A

Eligibility: Must be on pay status** on their last scheduled workday before the holiday and on their first scheduled workday following the holiday.

 

Pay: Receives full holiday pay.

Part-Time Exempt 

Eligibility: Must be on pay status** during the week in which the holiday occurs.  

 

Pay: Receives holiday pay for the number of hours in proportion to the percentage of their appointment during the month in which the holiday occurs, rounded to the nearest full-hour increments.

N/A

Part-Time Non-Exempt

N/A

Eligibility: Must be on pay status** 50% time or more of the QWC, *** defined as the two BW pay periods preceding the pay period in which the holiday occurs.  

 

Pay: Receives holiday pay (rounded to nearest full-hour increments) for the number of hours in proportion to the percentage of time they are on pay status during the two BW pay periods immediately preceding the BW pay period in which the holiday occurs.


 

GROUP #2:  Holiday Eligibility for EX and SX Employees

Employee Category*

Monthly Paid 

Bi-Weekly Paid 

Full Time Non-Exempt

N/A

Eligibility: Must be on pay status** on their last scheduled workday before the holiday and on their first scheduled workday following the holiday.

 

Pay: Receives full holiday pay.

Part-Time Non-Exempt

N/A

Eligibility: Must be on pay status** 50% time or more of the QWC,*** defined as the BW pay period immediately preceding the pay period in which the holiday occurs plus the BW pay period in which the holiday falls.  

 

Pay: Receives holiday pay for the number of hours in proportion to the percentage of time they are on pay status during the QWC in which the holiday occurs, rounded to the nearest full-hour increments.

 

NOTE: Holiday eligibility and compensation for a holiday are two separate issues. First, determine if an employee is eligible to receive holiday pay and then determine the number of holiday hours to pay based on the instructions in the chart above. 

  • ERIT - employees on ERIT on the day of a holiday would be considered “part-time” employees for the purposes of determining eligibility and pay for that holiday.
  • LNS - employees on LNS on the day of a holiday would only be eligible for pay if their LOA was approved and less than the time period specified in the contract or policy.

 

*Applies to Career, Partial-Year Career, Limited, and Casual/Restricted Employees.

**Pay Status, for the purposes of holiday pay eligibility, generally includes time on vacation leave, sick leave, or approved leave (if less than the time period specified in the contract or policy). 

*** Please note that the definition of the Quadriweekly cycle (QWC) is different between the two sets of employee groups above.

- For 99, CX, DX, HX, K8, NX, PA, RX, and TX – the QWC is defined as the two BW pay periods preceding the pay period in which the holiday occurs. 

- For EX and SX – the QWC is defined as the BW pay period preceding the pay period in which the holiday occurs, plus the BW pay period in which the holiday falls.

 

An expanded version of the chart above, including examples, is located on the HR Website (Holiday Pay Eligibility Chart 2024). Also located there, are additional resources that you might find helpful in determining leave accruals (i.e. Holiday and Hours Chart, Bi-weekly Holiday Earnings Table, Manual Holiday Calculation Information for Students and Limited Employees, etc.).

 

General Curtailment (Winter Closure) Information:

 

Some campus departments may close during the period of December 23, 2024 - January 1, 2025. The paid holidays during this period are December 24, 25, 31 and January 1.  Departments that close additional days during this period (e.g., December 23, 26, 27 and 30) will have obtained prior approval for curtailment from their control point.

 

For departments with curtailment dates, the Curtailment Leave/Period provisions in PPSM or the applicable collective bargaining agreement apply. In general:

 

  • Employees have the option to use vacation, compensatory time (if available), or leave-without-pay.  
  • Those employees who are required to wait six (6) months before using accrued vacation will be permitted to use their vacation hours even if the required waiting period has not been completed.
  • An employee electing to take leave-without-pay during the curtailment closure may continue to accrue vacation and sick leave credits. 
  • Policy-covered staff may use up to four* days of vacation leave in advance of actual accrual in situations where employees may have insufficient vacation accruals to use during the curtailment closure.  
  • Represented staff may be advanced vacation leave in accordance with the terms of the applicable collective bargaining agreement.    

 

*Per the Chancellor’s memo “Planning for Winter Break” dated November 6, 2024. 

 

If you have additional questions regarding holiday pay, please contact Human Resources by submitting an HR/Service Now ticket (HR Services > HRIS > Workforce Admin Question). You may also contact the compensation analyst that supports your department.

 

Thank you and happy holidays!
 

 

 

If you have other questions, contact one of the following offices: