Leave and Accommodations

UAS employees receive the designated holidays each year as follows:

• New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1, 2026
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19, 2026
• Memorial Day: Monday, May 25, 2026
• Juneteenth: Friday, June 19, 2026
• Independence Day Observance: Friday, July 3, 2026
• Labor Day: Monday, September 7, 2026
• Thanksgiving Holiday: Thursday &; Friday, November 26 & 27, 2026
• Winter Holiday: Wednesday, December 23, 2026 (duration TBD)

Normally, if a holiday falls on a Saturday, it shall be observed on the previous Friday. If it falls on a Sunday, it shall be observed on the following Monday.

The University of Alabama System Office (UAS) employees are eligible for annual leave (vacation). Exempt and non-exempt employees accrue 22 days per year at the time of employment. Part-time employees accrual rate is prorated based on full-time equivalency (FTE). Employees in each employment category must be employed by the 15th of the month to accrue the full amount of leave. If hired after the 15th of the month, the accrual will be prorated.

Employees should submit leave requests via iSolved as soon as is practical. Supervisors must approve or deny leave requests before payroll processes for the period in which the leave will be taken. Only accrued unused vacation may be taken, and vacation hours or days cannot be advanced. Vacation must be approved by the employee’s supervisor before actual absence except in an emergency.

Recognized holidays or administrative leave occurring during vacation will not be charged to vacation time.

Eligible employees are granted sick leave due to absences as a result of personal illness or injury, or serious illness within their immediate households to the extent of available sick leave. Immediate household includes any relative living in the employee’s home.

All employees earn sick leave at the rate of one day for each full month worked.

Part-time employees accrual rate is prorated.

UAS Employees receive five personal days per fiscal year (October 1 – September 30) used at the discretion of the employee and approved by their supervisor. New employees will be prorated according to hire date.

Personal holidays must be taken between October 1 and September 30 and are NOT accumulated or rolled over.

Part-time employees accrual rate is prorated.

UAS is committed to nondiscrimination and employment of qualified individuals with physical and mental disabilities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and state and local laws and ordinances. Specifically, the ADA prohibits discrimination against a qualified individual with a disability in employment practices such as job application procedures, hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, training, benefits and other conditions of employment, and requires that employers provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals.

A qualified individual is one who can perform the essential functions of their job with or without a reasonable accommodation. An individual is considered to have a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such an impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment. A reasonable accommodation is designed to assist an employee in the performance of their job without placing an undue hardship on UAS or posing a direct threat to the employee or to other individuals.

Please reach out to the HR Department at 205-348-4251 if you are an applicant or employee of UAS and are in need of accommodation or have questions pertaining to a current accommodation.

Religious Accommodations: The University of Alabama System Office is committed to non-discrimination and to supporting its employees, regardless of religious affiliation or non-affiliation, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. UAS will accommodate an individual’s sincerely held religious belief and practice unless providing an accommodation would result in undue hardship to the University of Alabama System Office. Religious accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis. Contact the HR Department for additional information at 205-348-4251.

Pregnancy Accommodations: If you are a pregnant applicant or employee of the University of Alabama System Office, please contact the HR Department at 205-348-4251 regarding accommodations.

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 applies to all eligible employees of the University of Alabama System Office. Eligible employees may take up to 12 work weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in a rolling 12-month period for medical and family-related reasons. In addition, eligible employees may qualify for up to 26 work weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for seriously ill or injured covered service members.

Upon return from FML, an employee will generally be returned to the position held when the leave began, or to an equivalent position with equivalent benefits, pay and other terms and conditions of employment. If it appears that an employee will be unable to return to work at the conclusion of a leave, they should contact the UA System Office to determine what other benefits and/or leave options may be available to them. Approval of other types of leave is subject to the appropriate supervisor.

An employee who has not been approved for any other type of leave or sought a reasonable accommodation to extend the leave and who fails to return to work after an FML leave may be treated as having voluntarily resign.

Procedure to Request FML:

1. Eligible employees who are unable to come into work for three (3) or more consecutive work days due to illness or injury of themselves or a qualifying family member should apply for FML by completing an FML Request Form. This form will need to be submitted to the supervisor and the HR Department.
2. After the request form, the employee will need to submit the coordinating certification of leave within at least 15 calendar days:
   • Certification of Healthcare Provider for an Employee's Serious Health Condition
   • Certification of Healthcare Provider for a Family Member's Serious Health Condition
   • Certification of Military Family Leave for a Qualifying Exigency
   • Certification of Military Family Leave for Military Caregiver Leave for a Current Servicemember
   • Certification of Military Family Leave for Military Caregiver Leave of a Veteran
3. Once the certification is received, the HR Department will review and provide the employee with a Final Designation Letter.
   • If the employee has requested intermittent leave, they will need to submit a time sheet (Exempt and Non-Exempt) to the HR Department for all coordinating pay periods that FML leave occurs in.

The University of Alabama System Office will provide up to four work weeks (20 days/160 hours maximum) Paid Parental Leave (PPL) to an Eligible Employee who is the birth, adoptive or foster parent of a newborn child, newly-adopted child or newly-fostered child. An Eligible Employee may use Paid Parental Leave only for recovery from childbirth and/or to bond with a newborn, newly-adopted or newly-fostered child under the age of 19. Paid Parental Leave does not reduce an Eligible Employee’s balance of any accrued benefit time such as sick leave, annual leave, personal leave, or UA System Office approved holidays).

A multiple birth, adoption or foster placement (e.g., the birth, adoption or fostering of twins or siblings) does not increase the length of Paid Parental Leave available to an Eligible Employee.

If both Parents are employed by the UA System Office, each Parent may receive up to four work weeks (20 days/160 hours maximum) of Paid Parental Leave within the 12-month period immediately following the date of the child’s birth, date of adoption, or date of placement of a child for adoption or foster care.

Procedure to Request PPL:

1. Eligible employees who qualify under the policy should apply by completing an PPL Request Form. This form will need to be submitted to the supervisor and the HR Department.
2. Once the form is submitted, the HR Department will review and provide the employee a Final Designation Letter.
   • If the employee has requested intermittent leave, they will need to submit a time sheet (Exempt and Non-Exempt) to the HR Department for all coordinating pay periods that FML leave occurs in.

An employee utilizing the PPL benefit must return to active work after the leave of absence for a period of six months and must physically work a minimum of 600 hours. If the employee leaves prior to the required commitment, they must repay the leave.

UAS employees will be placed on administrative leave and excused without loss of pay, based on their eligibility, for the reasons listed below. If any of the following administrative leaves fall within annual or sick leave, they will be taken as administrative leave and not charged against annual or sick leave.

• Jury Duty
• Witness Summons
• Bereavement Leave
• Suspension of Normal Business Operations