Leave
Annual Leave • Holiday Leave • Sick Leave • Paid Parental Leave • Other Leave • Leave Without Pay
Transferred Leave • Responsibility • Leave Verification Statement • Annual Leave (Payoff)
The College of Charleston offers a generous leave policy that falls under the State of South Carolina guidelines. Leave benefits are provided for permanent employees who are in administration, faculty, classified positions and for benefits-eligible temporary grant positions.
ANNUAL LEAVE - Vacation or Personal Leave
Full-time classified and non-faculty administrative employees accrue annual leave at the rate of 9.38 hours per month. After completion of 10 years of service, full-time classified employees earn additional time increasing each year up to a maximum of 18.75 hours of annual leave per month in the 22nd year. Part-time employees working at least half-time earn annual leave on a pro-rated basis. Leave accrued each month cannot be taken until the following month. An employee in a pay status one-half or more of the working days of the month will earn annual leave for that month and also while on sick or annual leave. No leave is earned while an employee is in a Leave Without Pay status.
Leave is requested, granted and recorded in the departments. There are specific departmental policies and procedures concerning leave, which must be followed. All leave requests are subject to departmental approval. Leave Request Forms should be completed in advance unless an emergency situation exists. In this instance, verbal approval should be obtained.
An employee may carry 337.50 hours of annual leave from one calendar year to the next and may use a maximum of 225 hours a calendar year. Employees are paid for up to 337.50 hours of annual leave upon retiring or leaving employment. Grant-funded employees may be required to use or forfeit leave upon separation. Leave may be transferred from one state agency to another under certain circumstances.
Annual Leave Earnings Chart
| Five Days 37.5 Hours per Workweek Schedule |
Five Days 40 Hours per Workweek Schedule |
Five Days 42 Hours per Workweek Schedule |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years of Service | Days Per Year | Hours Per Month | Years of Service | Days Per Year | Hours Per Month | Years of Service | Days Per Year | Hours Per Month | ||
| 1-10 | 15.00 | 9.38 | 1-10 | 15.00 | 10.00 | 1-10 | 15.00 | 10.50 | ||
| 11 | 16.25 | 10.16 | 11 | 16.5 | 10.83 | 11 | 16.25 | 11.37 | ||
| 12 | 17.50 | 10.94 | 12 | 17.50 | 11.67 | 12 | 17.50 | 12.25 | ||
| 13 | 18.75 | 11.72 | 13 | 18.75 | 12.50 | 13 | 18.75 | 13.13 | ||
| 14 | 20.00 | 12.50 | 14 | 20.00 | 13.33 | 14 | 20.00 | 14.00 | ||
| 15 | 21.25 | 13.28 | 15 | 21.25 | 14.17 | 15 | 21.25 | 14.88 | ||
| 16 | 22.50 | 14.06 | 16 | 22.50 | 15.00 | 16 | 22.50 | 15.75 | ||
| 17 | 23.75 | 14.84 | 17 | 23.75 | 15.83 | 17 | 23.75 | 16.62 | ||
| 18 | 25.00 | 15.62 | 18 | 25.00 | 16.67 | 18 | 25.00 | 17.50 | ||
| 19 | 26.25 | 16.41 | 19 | 26.25 | 17.50 | 19 | 26.25 | 18.38 | ||
| 20 | 27.50 | 17.19 | 20 | 27.50 | 18.33 | 20 | 27.50 | 19.25 | ||
| 21 | 28.75 | 17.97 | 21 | 28.75 | 19.17 | 21 | 28.75 | 20.13 | ||
| 22 and Over | 30.00 | 18.75 | 22 and Over | 30.00 | 20.00 | 22 and Over | 30.00 | 21.00 | ||
HOLIDAY LEAVE
- (view the current Holiday Schedule)
State holidays are observed with pay. Certain state holidays not observed by the College earlier in the calendar year are observed during the Christmas season holiday. Employees in permanent and grant-funded positions with benefits who are first employed during the calendar year before Christmas will receive the Christmas season holidays with pay.
SICK LEAVE
The sick-leave benefit is provided to administration, classified (staff), unclassified (faculty) and eligible grant employees who are unable to perform their job due to illness or injury. Sick leave is also used for medical and dental appointments during working hours.
Full-time employees earn 9.38 hours of leave a month. Employees working less than full-time earn sick leave on a pro-rated basis. Ten hours a month is the maximum monthly accrual and may be taken in the month following the first month of earned leave. The total accrual of sick leave that may be carried from one calendar year to the next is 1,350 hours. The number of Sick Family Leave days used (10 days max. a calendar year) is deducted from the sick leave balance. Employees are not paid for their sick leave balances upon retiring or leaving employment.
Advanced sick leave of 15 days may be requested by the employee under extenuating circumstances. The written employee request, along with medical documentation, must be approved by the department and Human Resources. Once the employee returns to work, no sick leave is used until the entire 15 days is repaid.
Sick leave is requested, recorded and approved in the department. Notification of a sick leave request should be done as soon as possible and should follow departmental guidelines. Written medical evidence to support the use of this leave may be requested by the department. Sick leave used for serious medical situations may fall under the guidelines of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (flag FMLA in HR Policies)and, if so, will run concurrently.
GENERAL INFORMATION
LEAVE WITHOUT PAY
This pay status may apply for extended military leave, hazardous weather or emergency situations. An Employee who has used all annual and sick leave may also be put in a leave without pay status. Hours used under this leave must be recorded on the employee's time report. Leave taken under this status may also be part of a FMLA situation. Leave without pay may be requested by the employee and must be approved by the department. Unauthorized leave without pay for three consecutive work days may result in dismissal based on abandonment of position.
TRANSFERRED LEAVE
If an employee transfers from another South Carolina state agency with no break in service, the sick and annual leave may be transferred to our agency. Supporting documentation from the former agency is required. Leave of employees not funded by state sources is not transferable to other South Carolina state agencies.
RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPUTATION OF LEAVE
Leave is authorized and recorded in the departments. Paid annual or sick leave should only be approved if it is available. The supervisor is responsible for this verification. The head of the department is responsible for the accuracy of leave taken and recorded on the employee time reports. Time reports are sent to the payroll office for computation and adjustments. The Office of Human Resources is responsible for interpretation of the leave policy. Abuse or violation of this policy may lead to disciplinary actions. (Please see Hours of Work Policy.)
ANNUAL LEAVE - Payoff
Upon leaving employment or at the time of retirement, an employee may be paid for up to 337.50 hours of annual leave.
Retirees hired by the state after June 30, 2005, will not receive payment for unused annual leave following termination.
Employees with benefits who are funded by other than state sources, such as grant funding, may not be entitled to payment for unused annual leave, nor is it transferable to another S.C. state agency.