Policy Section: 3.0 Leaves of Absence
Policy Number and Title: 3.17 Holidays
Applicable to: All Regular Employees
Effective Date: July 1, 1992 (Revised May 3, 2004)
The University provides eleven (11) holidays annually. Each fiscal year, the Vice President for Human Resources announces the dates on which holidays are observed. Normally, there are nine (9) scheduled holidays and two additional days are optional holidays. There are some years however, when a schedule of eight (8) designated and three (3) optional holidays is followed because of the day on which the Christmas and New Year holidays fall.
A. Designated Holidays
Holiday Schedules for Part-Time Employees and Those with Other Than
Normal Workweeks
There are employees whose established work schedules
would normally prevent them from benefiting from the recognized holiday
schedule, e.g., a workweek of Tuesday through Saturday or a part-time schedule
that consistently excludes Mondays. Supervisors should consult with the
Office of Human Resources when they have such situations so that appropriate
adjustments to work schedules can be made.
B. Pay Policy for Designated Holidays
Holiday Pay. All regularly paid full-time and part-time employees in pay status receive their usual pay for designated holidays which occur on their regularly scheduled workday.
Holidays during Paid Leave. Holidays which occur when an employee is absent because of a sporadic absence or vacation period are charged to holidays.
Holidays which occur during an employee's absence due to short-term disability or workers' compensation disability will be paid at the disability rate.
Holidays during Unpaid Leave. Employees on leave without pay will not be paid for the holiday.
Pay when Required to Work. Non-exempt (biweekly) employees who are required to work on a holiday will receive premium pay (time and one-half unless otherwise specified) for hours worked on a designated holiday, in addition to their usual day's pay. As an alternative, employees may request an alternate holiday. Employees who choose an alternative holiday are paid time and one-half for the holiday worked and regular straight time for the alternative day off.
New Employees. If a new employee is scheduled to start work on a designated holiday, the employee is paid for the holiday and begins work on his or her next scheduled workday. The holiday is the effective date of hire.
Terminating Employees. If the last available scheduled workday of a pay period falls on a holiday and the employee is terminating on the preceding workday, the employee is paid for the holiday, and the holiday is the effective date of termination of employment.
Union Employees. The union contract should be consulted for appropriate holiday pay for members of organized units.
C. Optional Holidays
All regularly paid full-time and part-time employees receive their usual pay for an optional holiday.
Optional holidays must be taken in the fiscal year in which they are allocated and cannot be carried over into the following fiscal year.
Supervisors must allow employees to schedule optional holidays during the fiscal year, taking into account operational needs.
New employees are allowed one (1) optional holiday during their 90-day Probationary Period.
Employees who are terminating employment are not compensated for optional holidays.
D. Number of Optional Holidays
Employees hired between July 1 and December 31 are allowed two (2) optional holidays for the fiscal year of hire.
Employees hired between January 1 and June 30 are normally allowed one (1) optional holiday for the fiscal year of hire. However, if a new employee starts work May 1 or after and the work schedule cannot easily accommodate time off, supervisors may choose not to approve the optional holiday during that fiscal year. (See: Conditions of Employment/Probationary Period.)
In years when three (3) optional holidays are provided
Employees hired between July 1 and December 31 are allowed three (3) optional holidays.
Employees hired between January 1 and June 30 are allowed two (2) optional holidays. However, if a new employee starts work May 1 or after and the work schedule cannot easily accommodate time off, the supervisor may choose not to approve the optional holidays during that fiscal year. (See: Conditions of Employment/Probationary Period.)
Procedure:
A. Designated Holidays
If request for an alternate holiday is approved, the employee receives time and one-half only for work performed on the alternate holiday.
Supervisor:
Enters holiday time into the Time Collection System, as appropriate, based on whether the employee works or does not work on a specific holiday.
B. Optional Holidays
Supervisor:
Referral:
From the:
Policy and Procedure Manual
Office of Human Resources
Princeton University
Last Updated: 5/3/04