Leave benefits include: vacation, personal holiday, legal holidays, sick leave, as well as several other types of leave.
Below, please find brief descriptions of the various leave benefits offered to employees, and links to the UW System webpages that describe leave benefits, leave eligibility, and leave usage in greater detail.
Leave Summaries
UW System provides the following leave summary documents for each employment category.
Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees
University Staff
Leave Reporting
Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees
All leave-eligible Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees are required to submit a leave report on a monthly basis. If no leave is taken, a “No Leave Taken” report is still required.
Full time employees will report leave in full day and half day increments.
- 0 – 1 hour 59 minutes leave used: report 0 hours
- 2 hours – 5 hours 59 minutes leave used: report 4 hours
- 6 hours or more of leave used: report 8 hours
Part time employees may report absences in 15 minute increments.
Failing to report leave usage as required by UW System policy shall impact the accrual of sick leave.
Leave reports are submitted in the portal, in the Time and Absence app.
UW System provides a tipsheet for submitting “No Leave Taken” reports.
For summer leave reporting, for academic year Faculty or Academic Staff, please see:
Please see the UW System Leave Reporting webpage below for full details on leave reporting requirements.
University Staff
All leave-eligible University Staff are required to submit time worked and leave taken on a biweekly basis.
Exempt Employees: Full time employees will report leave in full day and half day increments.
- 0 – 1 hour 59 minutes leave used: report 0 hours
- 2 hours – 5 hours 59 minutes leave used: report 4 hours
- 6 hours or more of leave used: report 8 hours
Part time employees may report absences in 15 minute increments.
Non-Exempt Employees: Report time worked and leave in 15 minute increments.
Time worked and leave taken is reported in the portal, in the Time and Absence app.
Please see the UW System Leave Reporting webpage below for full details on leave reporting requirements.
Source: UW System Leave Reporting
Vacation
Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees
Faculty, Academic Staff and Limited Appointees are granted 176 hours of vacation at the start of the fiscal year.
The fiscal year is July 1 – June 30.
Vacation hours are prorated for part-time employment.
Vacation carryover rules are found in policy SYS 1210, part D.
Leave banking rules are found in policy SYS 1210, part E.
University Staff
University Staff are granted vacation based on their years of continuous service and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status.
Vacation hours are granted at the start of the calendar year. The calendar year is January 1 – December 31.
Vacation hours are prorated for part-time employment.
Vacation carryover rules are found in policy SYS 1210, part D.
Leave banking rules are found in policy SYS 1210, part E.
Crafts Workers
Crafts Workers are granted vacation hours according to UW System Policies SYS 1210 and SYS 1238. Please see the UW System Vacation Overview webpage below for more information.
Source: UW System Vacation Overview
Personal Holiday
Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees
Eligible Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees are granted 36 hours of personal holiday hours at the start of the fiscal year.
The fiscal year is July 1 – June 30.
Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees must use personal holiday hours by the end of the fiscal year, June 30.
Personal holiday hours are prorated for part-time employment.
Personal holiday hours cannot be carried over.
University Staff
Eligible University Staff are granted 36 hours of personal holiday hours at the start of the calendar year.
The calendar year is January 1 – December 31.
University Staff must use personal holiday hours by the end of the calendar year, December 31.
Personal holiday hours are prorated for part-time employment.
Personal holiday hours cannot be carried over.
Source: UW System Personal Holiday Overview
Legal Holidays
UW System recognizes nine days of the year as legal holidays.
- When a legal holiday falls on a Saturday, the employee is granted eight hours of floating legal holiday (prorated for part-time employment).
- When a legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the legal holiday is observed and all UW System campuses are closed on the Monday following the legal holiday.
For full details on eligibilty for legal holidays, and usage of legal holidays, please see the UW System Legal Holidays overview below.
| Legal Holidays for 2024 | Observed |
|
New Year’s Day |
Monday, January 1 |
|
Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
Monday, January 15 |
|
Memorial Day |
Monday, May 27 |
|
Independence Day |
Thursday, July 4 |
|
Labor Day |
Monday, September 2 |
|
Thanksgiving |
Thursday, November 28 |
|
Christmas Eve |
Tuesday, December 24 |
|
Christmas Day |
Wednesday, December 25 |
|
New Year’s Eve |
Tuesday, December 31 |
Source: UW System Legal Holidays Overview
Sick Leave
Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees
Eligible Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees receive an “Initial Entitlement” of 176 hours of sick leave for their first 18 months of employment. After the Initial Entitlement period, Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees may earn up to 96 hours of sick leave per fiscal year.
The fiscal year is July 1 – June 30.
Sick leave is prorated for part-time employment.
For full details on eligibility and usage of sick leave please see the UW System Sick Leave Overview below.
University Staff
Eligible University Staff project and permanent employees earn 5 hours of sick leave per biweekly pay period (130 hours per calendar year).
The calendar year is January 1 – December 31.
Sick leave is prorated for part-time employment.
For full details on eligibility and usage of sick leave please see the UW System Sick Leave Overview below.
Sick Leave Credit Conversion Program
Unused sick leave may be converted to credits to pay for State Group Health Insurance at layoff, termination with 20 years of service, retirement, or death.
For full details on the Sick Leave Credit Conversion Program please see the webpage below.
Source: UW System Sick Leave Overview
Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)
The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act (WFMLA) provide you with the right to take job-protected leave with continued medical benefits when you need time off from work for the following reasons:
- To care for yourself.
- To care for a family member who is seriously ill.
- To care for a newborn or newly adopted child.
- To attend to the affairs of a family member who is called to active duty in the military.
For full details on eligibility and usage of FMLA and WFMLA leave please see the UW System Family and Medical Leave Overview below.
Source: UW System Family and Medical Leave Overview
Catastrophic Leave
The Catastrophic Leave Program allows the continuation of salary and benefits for an eligible employee who has a catastrophic need and has exhausted all paid leave.
Employees may also donate earned paid leave credits (except for sick leave or compensatory time) to employees who have a catastrophic need at their own, or at a different, UW System institution.
For full details on eligibility and usage of Catastrophic Leave, and for information about donating paid leave credits, please see the UW System Catastrophic Leave Overview below.
Source: UW System Catastrophic Leave Overview
Bone Marrow and Human Organ Donation
Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited Appointees, and University Staff employees that earn sick leave, who request to serve as a bone marrow or a human organ donor, are eligible for a paid leave of absence. During the paid leave of absence, you are not required to use any paid leave.
For full details on requesting a leave of absence for bone marrow or human organ donation please see the UW System Bone Marrow and Human Organ Donation Overview below.
Source: UW System Bone Marrow and Human Organ Donation Overview
Military Leave
UW System employees who meet certain requirements are eligible for military leave benefits through the State of Wisconsin. Eligibility for military leave is determined by appointment type and the nature of the military leave.
For full details on eligibility and usage of military leave please see the UW System Military Leave Overview below.
Source: UW System Military Leave Overview
Miscellaneous Leave
For the following leave situations please see the UW System Miscellaneous Leave Provisions webpage for more information on eligibility and how to utilize leave.
- Jury Duty
- Time Off to Vote
- Bereavement (Death of a Family Member)
- Faculty Sabbatical
- Election Official Service
- Hostage Leave
Source: UW System Miscellaneous Leave Provisions
Unpaid Leave of Absence
An unpaid leave of absence will significantly affect benefits programs you are enrolled in. Please see the UW System Leave of Absence webpage below for full details on taking an unpaid leave of absence. Please also contact UWM’s Benefits Office (benefits@uwm.edu) for more information about the consequences of an unpaid leave of absence.
Source: UW System Leave of Absence