Knowing Your MOU: Vacations, Personal Leave & Floating Holidays
It’s summertime and while kids are out of school and the weather is heating up, vacations are on the minds of many of us.
I thought this would be a good time to review some of the sections of the MOUs that are pertinent to everyone and a little bit different depending on their bargaining unit and MOU.
VACATION:
Trades Unit and Big Unit (Public Services, Supervisory and Clerical):
The maximum number of vacation hours an employee can accrue is 320 hours. To avoid finding yourself in the situation wherein you stop accruing vacation hours, you can cash out 40 hours of vacation one time in a fiscal year while maintaining a 200 hour minimum balance, plus you have to have coded at least 40 hours of vacation in the same fiscal year. This may be a great way to boost a paycheck and you can change your deductions in SAP to adjust your take home pay for that particular pay period.
Superior Court, Supervisory Unit:
The maximum number of vacation hours an employee can accrue is 400 hours. An employee with more than 5 years of service, may cash in 40 hours of vacation as long as they maintain a 200 hour balance after the conversion.
Los Osos CSD:
This bargaining unit uses a tiered accrual rate. For employees with up to five years or less years of service, the maximum accrual is 320 hours. Employees with over 5 years and up to 10 years of service can accrue up to 400 hours of vacation hours. Employees with more than 10 years of service can accrue up to 480 hours of vacation.
PERSONAL LEAVE DAYS OR FLOATING HOLIDAYS: These days do not accrue or carry over so you must use them up right away or lose them if not utilized during the fiscal year.
Trades Unit and Big Unit (Public Services, Supervisory and Clerical):
Employees earn 8 hours in a personal leave day per fiscal year which Probationary employees are also entitled to this personal holiday.
Superior Court, Supervisory Unit:
SLOCEA negotiated a generous benefit for the supervisory unit in that they receive 4 personal days (32 hours) during each fiscal year.
Los Osos CSD:
Employees in the Miscellaneous Unit receive 16 hours of floating holidays each fiscal year.
Get to Know Your MOU: The MOUS for each of our bargaining units can be found on our website at SLOCEA.Org under the “Collective Bargaining” drop down menu. They are a wealth of information that directly affects you and your job and lists all the benefits that have been negotiated over the years on your behalf.
By Theresa Schultz, Sr Labor Representative
