Classified staff leave rules are governed by the Colorado State Personnel Board rules.
Vacation
Classified staff members in regular appointments accrue vacation leave in the following way:
| Months of Service | Monthly Accrual (prorated for part time) | Maximum Accrual per Fiscal Year (July 1 - June 30) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 36 months | 8 hours | 192 (24 days) |
| 37 - 60 months | 9 hours | 216 hours (27 days) |
| 61 - 120 months | 11 hours | 264 hours (33 days) |
| 121 - 180 months | 13 hours | 312 hours (39 days) |
| 181 months or more | 16 hours | 384 hours (48 days) |
If you take unpaid time off work, CU will reduce your leave accruals for the timeframe in question. You cannot use leave until the beginning of the month following the one in which you earned it.
Vacation payouts
You cannot receive pay in exchange for vacation time while employed at CU. When you leave or retire from CU, you will receive a vacation payout of your earned, unused vacation time based on your years of service up to a maximum of 384 hours (48 days).
Annual leave should be used for personal needs; your supervisor or other appointing authority must approve your leave before you can take it.
Your supervisor may establish periods when annual leave will not be allowed or must be taken, based on business needs. These periods cannot place you in a situation where you must forfeit leave because you did not have a reasonable opportunity to use it. If your department cancels approved leave that results in forfeiture, it must pay you for the forfeited hours before the end of the fiscal year.
CU holidays and vacation days
If a CU-recognized holiday lands within the span of your vacation, you will not be charged vacation time for that day.
Leave Without Pay
Employees must be at work or on paid leave to earn monthly leave.
Sick Leave
Accruing sick leave
If you're a full-time classified staff member, you will accrue 6.66 hours of sick time per month. You can not accrue more than 360 hours (more for some employees with frozen sick leave balances; their allowed maximum accrual will be based upon the employee’s June 30, 1988, unused sick leave balance, plus an additional 360 hours).
The amount of leave that part-time employees earn is based on the pro-rated hours worked during the pay period month.
Sick leave payouts
See the State of Colorado's guideance on sick leave payouts.
When to use sick leave
Sick leave is for health reasons only, including diagnostic and preventive examinations, treatment and recovery. You may use accrued sick leave for your health needs as well as the health of:
- your child(ren) younger than 18
- an adult child who is disabled
- your parent, spouse, injured military service member (as established under rule 5-20), legal dependent, or a person in the household for whom you are the primary care giver
You may be required to present documentation of familial relationship.
Enforced sick leave
If an appointing authority determines that you're sick or injured while at work, or in a state that otherwise impacts your and your co-workers' ability to perform, he/she may send you home and charge you sick leave. If you have exhausted your sick leave, CU will charge you annual leave, or unpaid leave if the latter also is unavailable.
Extended sick leave
If you take sick leave for more than three consecutive days, for any health reason, you must provide a State of Colorado Medical Leave Form (or other official document containing the same information), which must be completed by a health care provider. The completed form must be returned within 15 days of being requested. If you fail to provide this documentation, you may be denied future leave, or receive disciplinary action.
Appointing authorities may also require a Medical Leave Form for absences of fewer than three days when they have a reasonable basis for suspecting abuse.
If an employee dies while actively employed, CU will compensate the widow(er) or estate for ¼ of the employee's unused sick leave, up to their maximum accrual.
Court and Jury Leave
Jury leave provides paid leave to all employees; however, temporary employees receive paid leave for a maximum of three days of jury leave.
Jury pay is not turned over to the department. Proof may be required.
Bereavement Leave
Bereavement leave is for your personal needs and use is subject to the approval of your appointing authority. The appointing authority may provide paid leave of up to 40 hours (prorated for part-time work or unpaid leave in the month) to permanent employees at the time of death of a family member or other person. Employees are responsible for requesting the amount of leave needed. Your appointing authority may require verification of the death.
Leave for Job-Related Illnesses and Injuries
If you suffer an injury or illness in the line of duty that is covered by workers' compensation, you are entitled to 90 work days of paid injury leave. These benefits replace the more limited coverage of workers' compensation insurance, which you waive during your 90-day injury leave.
If you're unable to return to work after that time, you are eligible to take accrued vacation and sick leave in addition to workers' compensation.
Leave Without Pay
Unpaid leave may be approved by your appointing authority, unless otherwise prohibited.
Your appointing authority may also place you on unpaid leave for unauthorized absences and may consider corrective and/or disciplinary action. Probationary and trial service periods are extended by the number of days on unpaid leave and may be extended for periods of paid leave.
Unpaid leave is calculated based on the monthly hourly rate.
Military Leave
Military leave provides up to 15 paid workdays in a fiscal year to permanent employees who are members of:
- the National Guard
- the military reserves
- members of the National Disaster Medical Service required to attend the annual encampment or equivalent training, or who are called to active service, including declared emergencies
You will receive unpaid leave after you've used your 15 days of military leave. However, you may request using annual leave before being placed on unpaid leave.
Returning from military leave
Called on a state emergency: You must return upon release from active duty.
Called to federal service: You must apply to return to CU and will be entitled to the same position or an equivalent position, including the same pay, benefits, location, work schedule and other working conditions. This leave is not a break in service.
Administrative Leave
Your supervisor/appointing authority may place you on paid administrative to release you from your official duties for the good of the state. In determining what is for the good of the state, an appointing authority must consider prudent use of taxpayer and personal services dollars, and the business needs of the department.
Administrative leave is not intended to be a substitute for corrective or disciplinary action or other benefits and leave.
Work time vs. administrative leave
The following activities performed in an official employment capacity are not types of administrative leave:
- job-related training and meetings
- voluntary training
- conferences
- participation in hearings or settlement conferences at the direction of the board or director
- job-related testimony in court
- official government hearings required by an appointing authority or subpoena
Rules
- Administrative leave that exceeds 20 consecutive working days must be reported to the department head and director.
- An appointing authority may grant administrative leave up to five days for local emergencies, or 15 days for national emergencies, per fiscal year to employees who are certified disaster service volunteers of the American Red Cross.
- If a department head adopts a policy granting one period of administrative leave for an initial call up to active military service in the war against terrorism, it shall not exceed 90 days and applies after the employee has exhuasted his/her paid military leave. It is only used to make up the difference between the employee's base salary (excluding premiums), and total gross military pay and allowances. The employee must furnish proof of military pay and allowances. This leave does not apply to regular military obligations such as the annual encampment and training.
- A department shall adopt a policy to address whether or not to grant administrative leave for employee participation in community or school volunteer activities.
Administrative leave must be granted for the following:
- two hours to participate in general elections if the employee does not have three hours of unscheduled work time during the hours the polls are open
- up to two days per fiscal year for organ, tissue or bone donation for transplants
- to serve as an uncompensated election judge unless a supervisor determines that the employee's attendance on Election Day is essential (The employee must provide evidence of service.)
- up to 15 days in a fiscal year when qualified volunteers or members of the Civil Air Patrol are directed to serve during a declared local disaster, provided the employee returns the next scheduled workday once relieved from the volunteer service
Parent Academic Leave
Parental academic leave provides up to 18 hours (prorated for part-time classified staff) in an academic year for parents or legal guardians to participate in academic-related activities. Those activities are:
- parent-teacher conferences
- meetings related to:
- special education services
- response to interventions
- dropout prevention
- attendance
- truancy
- disciplinary issues
Each department shall adopt and communicate a policy on whether the leave will be unpaid or paid. If paid, the policy shall address the amount and type of paid leave, specifically the substitution of annual leave or use of administrative leave.
Furloughs
Voluntary furlough is unpaid job protection granted for up to 72 workdays per fiscal year when a department head declares a budget deficit in personal services.
Classified staff members may request such absence to avoid more serious position reduction or abolishment. While on this leave, you will earn sick and annual leave, and continue to receive service credit as if the furlough had not occurred.
CU System Administration holiday schedule
| 2025 Date | Day of the Week | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 1 | Wednesday | New Year’s Day |
| Jan. 20 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| May 26 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| June 19 | Thursday | Juneteenth |
| July 4 | Friday | Independence Day |
| Sept. 1 | Monday | Labor Day |
| Nov. 27 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day |
| Nov. 28 | Friday | The day after Thanksgiving |
| Dec. 25 | Thursday | Christmas Day |
| Dec. 26 | Friday | In observance of Christmas Eve |
| Dec. 29 | Monday | Personal/Admin Day |
| Dec. 30 | Tuesday | Personal/Admin Day |
| Dec. 31 | Wednesday | New Year’s Eve |
Campus holiday schedules
Family Medical Leave (FML) is granted to eligible classified staff employees for:
- birth and care of a child, and it must be completed within one year of the birth.
- placement and care of an adopted or foster child, and it must be completed within one year of the placement.
- the serious health condition of an employee’s parent, child younger than 18, or an adult child who is disabled, or spouse for physical care or psychological comfort.
- an employee's own serious health condition
- active duty military leave when a parent, child or spouse experiences a qualifying event directly related to being deployed to a foreign country.
- military caregiver leave for a parent, child, spouse or next of kin who suffered a serious injury or illness in the line of duty while on active duty. Military caregiver leave includes time for veterans who are receiving treatment within five years of the beginning of that treatment. (See the State of Colorado's definitions of a serious health condition and health care provider.)
To be eligible, an employee must have 12 months of total state service as of the date leave will begin, regardless of employee type. A state temporary employee must also have worked 1,250 hours within the 12 months before the date on which leave will begin. Time worked includes overtime hours.
Full-time employees will be granted up to 520 hours per rolling 12-month period. The amount of FML is determined by the difference of 13 weeks and any FML leave taken in the previous 12-month period from the date of the most recent request. The amount of leave is prorated for part-time employees based on the regular appointment or schedule. Any extension of leave beyond the amount to which the employee is entitled is not FML and is subject to other applicable state rules.
All classified staff are eligible for 160 hours of Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) on the rolling 12-month calendar model, which will be prorated for percent of time. PFML will run concurrently with leave approved under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) as well as Parental Leave.
Please contact the appropriate HR office for procedures and forms:
Classified employees may be eligible for the following disability insurance program benefits:
The Standard Insurance Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit
All classified employees are provided short-term disability insurance as employees of the State of Colorado through The Standard Insurance Company.
There is a minimum 30-day waiting period, and the employee's sick leave balance must be exhausted before becoming eligible for short-term disability. If an employee does not have enough sick leave to cover the 30-day waiting period, annual leave must be used.
The maximum length of this insurance is 180 days, including the 30-day waiting period. The Standard STD benefits pay 60 percent of a classified employee's salary for the duration of the benefit.
Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) Short-Term Disability and Disability Retirement Insurance Benefit
PERA provides vested classified staff members (those with five years of service) with a two-tier disability program: PERA 22-month, short-term disability; and PERA disability retirement.
Classified employees who are vested may be eligible, based upon their medical condition, for either PERA's 22-month short-term disability insurance or PERA disability retirement, once they exhaust their Standard Insurance 180-day short-term disability insurance.
PERA's 22-month benefit pays up to 60 percent of a vested classified employee's PERA-covered earnings for a period not to exceed 22 months, and provides for retraining and rehabilitation services for members so they may gain future employment.
PERA disability retirement is for vested classified employees who become permanently disabled and unable to return to the workforce.
Unum is the disability program administrator for PERA's 22-month short-term disability insurance and PERA disability retirement. Employees may contact Colorado PERA for more information.
The Standard Insurance Long-Term Disability Insurance Benefit
Classified employees may also purchase long-term disability insurance through The Standard Insurance Company when hired or during open enrollment.