Official Holidays

• Eligibility

  All employees who are appointed to work at least 20 hours per week (0.5–1.0 FTE) in a benefits-eligible position that does not require student status as a condition of employment are eligible to receive holiday credit.

• Holiday Schedule

  UTMB’s official holidays schedule will include 10 designated holidays each fiscal year. If a designated holiday occurs on a Saturday or Sunday, it will generally be observed the business day before or after the weekend.

  Alternate Holidays
  The official holidays schedule also will include approved alternate holidays. Employees may observe an alternate holiday by working on an official holiday that requires staffing, with their supervisor’s approval. If the department is not open and staffed to conduct business on the official holiday, then the employee may not work during the official holiday and must use their available accruals to observe the alternate holiday.

  Floating Holidays
  In addition to the designated holidays, hours equivalent to the amount of time granted for five floating holidays will be rolled into employees’ monthly PTO accrual rate each fiscal year. These hours have already been included in the monthly PTO accrual rates that are available online and in the Paid Time Off Fact Sheet.

  The hours reflect the time previously used for the UTMB winter holiday break and CMC specific holidays. Beginning in FY23, employees will be expected to use their PTO or other available accruals when wanting time off for any day not included in the official holidays schedule.

• Accruals

  Employees receive up to 8 hours of holiday credit for each official holiday. Hours are prorated based on FTE status and are automatically populated within the Kronos timekeeping system two weeks prior to each official holiday. 

• Working on Official Holidays

  Employees Paid Bi-Weekly
  Employees who are paid bi-weekly and required to work on an official holiday will receive their regular rate of pay for all hours worked and holiday pay for the amount of time granted for the holiday.

  Employees wanting to receive holiday compensatory time instead of holiday pay must submit a request through the Kronos timekeeping system within 72 hours of the holiday. Requests submitted after the 72-hour period (historical corrections) will not be accepted.

  Holiday compensatory time will be equivalent to the amount of time granted for the holiday and must be used within 12 months from the date of accrual.

  Employees Paid Monthly
  Employees who are paid monthly (Administrative & Professional, Faculty and Nonteaching) and work on a holiday they are not scheduled or required to work may do so with prior approval from their supervisor.

  Employees who work on an official holiday will receive 8 hours of holiday compensatory time, which will be stored in the employee’s holiday balance.

  Employees who work their appointed hours during the week but their regularly scheduled day off occurs on an official holiday, will receive eight hours of holiday compensatory time, which will be stored in the employee’s holiday balance. For example, if an employee’s regularly appointed hours are Tuesday – Friday and the official holiday is on a Monday, the employee will receive eight hours of holiday compensatory time. Holiday compensatory time must be used within 12 months from the date of accrual. 

• Official Holidays While on Leave

  If an official holiday occurs while an employee is out on previously scheduled PTO or EIB, the time is considered holiday leave and not charged against the employee’s available accruals.

  If an official holiday occurs while an employee is on an unpaid leave of absence, the employee is not eligible for holiday credit.

• Official Holidays on Regularly Scheduled Days Off

  If an official holiday occurs on a bi-weekly employee’s regularly scheduled day off, the employee will receive eight hours (prorated for FTE status) of holiday credit. The holiday credit will be paid on the next scheduled payday.

• Unscheduled Absence on Official Holidays

  If an employee is unable to work a scheduled shift on an official holiday, the holiday hours used should be recorded as unscheduled in accordance with UTMB’s Attendance Policy.

• Personal Holidays

  Personal holidays previously granted to employees are not affected by the transition to the myPTO program. Accrued personal holiday hours do not expire and may carry forward from one fiscal year to the next with no limits.

  Employees who separate from UTMB for any reason will receive a lump sum payment for the total number of personal holiday hours accrued but not used as of the last day of employment. Payment will be calculated at the employee’s monthly or hourly base pay rate at the time of separation.

• Status Change

  Holiday hours are based on an employee’s FTE status at the time the holiday credit is granted.

  Employees who move from a non-benefits eligible position to a benefits-eligible position will begin receiving holiday credit as of the date of the status change. Hours will be prorated based on FTE status.

  Employees who move from a benefits-eligible position to a non-benefits eligible position will no longer be able to receive or use holiday credit. Accrued but unused holiday hours are frozen until the employee returns to a benefits-eligible status or terminates employment.

• Separation of Employment

  Employees who separate from UTMB for any reason will not receive payment for accrued holiday compensatory time. However, employees who voluntarily separate from UTMB may be able to extend their separation date up to 40 hours to allow them to use their accrued time. Requests to extend a separation date should be submitted and approved in advance. Historical corrections will not be permitted.

  Employees will receive eight hours (prorated for FTE status) of PTO for each official holiday that is scheduled to fall within the period after the date of separation and the date which the employee could have used their PTO accruals and personal holiday leave. These PTO hours are eligible for payment upon separation.

  State Agency Transfers
  For employees transferring to UTMB from another state agency, their unused holiday credit may not be transferred as UTMB does not accept holiday leave balances.

  For employees transferring from UTMB to another state agency, their unused holiday credit may be transferred if the new agency accepts holiday leave balances.

  Death Benefits
  Upon the death of an active employee, UTMB will pay the estate of the deceased for accrued holiday compensatory time as of the last day of employment. Payment will be calculated at the employee’s monthly or hourly base pay rate at the time of their death.

  Please note that eight hours (prorated for FTE status) will also be added to the employee’s PTO balance for each official holiday that is scheduled to fall within the period after the date of the employee’s death and the date which the employee could have used their PTO accruals and personal holiday leave. PTO hours are eligible for payment to the employee’s estate.