Each year, the University of Colorado asks employees to verify the accuracy of their sick and vacation leave in the employee portal, per Board of Regents Policy 11-E. This year’s Annual Leave Certification process will run from Aug. 8 – Sept. 7.

As part of the 2020 Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), leave certification expands to all employees enrolled in the new State Sick Leave plan. As a result, we ask HCM users to remind all faculty, staff, student employees, temporary staff and contracted lecturers to certify their leave.

Student employees receiving only a stipend are not leave eligible and therefore do not need to certify leave.

We’ve created some helpful tips to navigate this year’s Annual Leave Certification.

Tip #1 – Access the Leave Balances tile, then download the step-by-step guide.

All employees have access to their leave balances through the Leave Balances tile in the employee portal.  This is the recommended place to go to view current balances.  Follow these instructions to access and understand the Leave tile.

For other options on finding leave balances, download this step-by-step guide. The first page guides you through directions to certify your leave in the portal.

Note: For employees who have both University Sick hours and State Sick hours, the My Leave banner will not be accurate.  Please use the Leave Balance Tile or your Pay Advice to look at your current balances.

Tip #2 – Share the guide with supervisors

The step-by-step guide provides information for supervisors to approve an employee’s leave certification. Share it with supervisors, especially those who may be completing this step for the first time.

Tip #3 – Remind supervisors to approve their employees’ leave

Proxies may not approve the leave certification on behalf of a supervisor. Direct supervisors must do so, including faculty members who supervise student employees. Please reach out to your department’s supervisors about this requirement.

Tip #4 – Watch for an email in your inbox and take action

Eligible employees will receive emails notifying them of the leave certification process and deadlines, and they will stop receiving emails reminders once they certify.

Tip #5 – Reach out if you have questions

The HCM Service Center can answer any questions you may have at hcm_community@cu.edu or 303-860-4200, option 2.