Leave Time
- Leave Type Descriptions
- Annual (Vacation) Leave Time
- Sick Leave Time
- Holiday Leave
- FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)
- Catastrophic Leave Bank Program
- How to Enter Leave Time
- Leave Without Pay (LWOP)
Leave Type Descriptions
| Leave Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Vacation Leave | Paid time off for personal use, typically accrued based on employee classification and years of service. |
| Sick Leave | Paid leave used for illness, injury, medical appointments, or to care for a sick family member. |
| Holiday Leave | Paid time off for official university holidays (e.g., Independence Day, Thanksgiving, etc.). |
| Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) | Job-protected leave (up to 12 weeks) for medical or family-related reasons, under federal law. |
| Compensatory Time | Time off earned by non-exempt employees who work overtime. |
| Fitness Leave Time | A-State employees may make use of a three (3) hour per week release time benefit for physical fitness purposes. This is a year-round benefit for full-time, benefited employees. It may not be used with the educational benefit and must be taken in increments of 90 minutes or less. Supervisor approval is required, and a request form must be completed. |
| Education Leave Time | Employees may take one in-person course during regular working hours with supervisor approval. The Tuition Discount Form must be completed and approved prior to the beginning of the course. |
| Child Education Leave | Employees are allowed the opportunity to participate in their children’s educational activities by receiving eight (8) hours of leave per calendar year for this purpose. |
| Military Leave | Leave for active duty, training, or other military obligations—protected under USERRA. |
| Jury Duty Leave | Paid leave for required service on a jury or as a court witness. |
| Leave Without Pay (LWOP) | May be approved when paid leave is exhausted or for extended absences not covered by other types. |
| Sabbatical Leave | Typically for faculty; time off (often paid) to conduct research or professional development. |
Annual (Vacation) Leave Time
Annual leave eligibility, accrual, and use are governed by the ASU System Annual Leave Policy and each ASU System institution’s related campus operating procedure.
How much vacation/annual leave do I earn?
Full-time employees accrue vacation leave according to the number of years of employment for each complete month of service.
| Years of Employment | Monthly | Annually |
| Through 3 years (1 through 36 months) | 1 day (8 hours) | 12 days |
| 4th through 5th years (37th through 60th months) | 1 day, 2 hours (10 hours) | 15 days |
| 6th through 12th years (61st through 144th months) | 1 day, 4 hours (12 hours) | 18 days |
| 13th through 20th years (145th through 240th months) | 1 day, 6 hours (14 hours) | 21 days |
| Over 20 years (241st+ months) | 1 day, 7 hours (15 hours) | 22.5 days |
Two hundred and forty (240) hours of unused annual leave may be carried over at the end of the calendar year.
I have worked for another state agency - how does that impact my annual leave accrual?
Please contact Payroll@AState.edu to discuss your prior service with other state agencies.
? Questions? Reach out to Human Resources—we’re happy to help!
? A-State Human Resources
? 870-972-3454
? HR@AState.edu
Sick Leave Time
How much Sick Time do I earn?
Full-time benefits-eligible staff accrue sick leave at the rate of one day (8 hours) for each complete month of service. Nine hundred sixty (960) hours of unused sick leave may be carried over at the end of the calendar year. Benefits-eligible employees who work less than forty (40) hours per week accrue sick leave in the same proportion to time worked. Faculty accrue eight hours of sick leave per month based upon the contract period.
How can I use my Sick Leave?
Paid sick leave should be used when an employee is unable to work because of illness, injury, or medical, dental or optical treatment. Sick leave may not be used in place of annual leave or for non-health-related situations.
Sick leave may also be granted to employees due to the death or serious illness of a member of the employee’s immediate family. Immediate family shall mean the father, mother, individual acting as a parent or guardian, sister, brother, husband, wife, child, grandparents, or grand-child, of the employee or the employee’s spouse.
Do I receive maternity leave time?
Maternity leave shall be treated as any other leave for sickness or disability. Upon return from maternity leave, the employee will be given the same or a comparable position to the one she occupied prior to the leave. The employee is expected to give her supervisor as much notice as possible prior to beginning maternity leave and at least two weeks’ notice prior to returning to work.
More information can be found in the Staff Handbook.
? Questions about Sick Time Leave? Reach out to Human Resources—we’re happy to help!
?A-State Human Resources
? 870-972-3454
? HR@AState.edu
Holiday Leave
ASU System employees are eligible for eleven paid holidays per year. Generally, these days are observed on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving (2 days), and Christmas (5 days). In order to observe a two-week break at the close of the calendar year, a campus may charge employees with annual days. Employees should utilize annual leave for the purpose of observing holidays not established by the State of Arkansas, including religious observances.
2026 Holiday Calendar
New Year’s Day January 1, 2026
Memorial Day May 25, 2026
Independence Day Observed July 3, 2026
Labor Day September 7, 2026
Thanksgiving Day November 26, 2026
12th Holiday if Proclaimed by the Governor November 27, 2026
Martin Luther King Jr Birthday Observed December 21, 2026
Veteran’s Day Observed December 22, 2026
Annual Leave #1 December 23, 2026
Christmas Eve December 24, 2026
Christmas Day December 25, 2026
Employee’s Birthday December 28, 2026
George Washington’s Birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day Observed December 29, 2026
Annual Leave #2 December 30, 2026
Annual Leave #3 December 31, 2026
New Year’s Day January 1, 2027
Return to work on January 4th, 2027
FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)
Life happens—and when it does, we’re here to support you. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) allows eligible employees to take time off to care for a family member or to manage their own health needs.
To qualify, you must have been employed at A-State for at least 12 months and have worked 1,250 hours in the past year.
What is FMLA?
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) provides time off for employees to care for family members or due to their own illness. To be eligible, employees must have been employed by Arkansas State University for a total of 12 months and have worked a total of 1,250 hours in the past 12 months.
Am I eligible for FMLA?
The FMLA entitles eligible employees to a total of 12 work weeks (480 hours) of leave during any 12-month period for one of the following reasons:
- The birth of a child, and to care for the newborn child;
- The placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care
- The care of the employee's spouse, child, or parent for a serious health condition; or
- A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the employee's job.
At the beginning of 2008, the President signed into law permission for an employee to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperating from a medical procedure, therapy, other outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list for a sickness or illness. The 12-month period used by Arkansas State University for determining eligibility is a rolling year forward, with the 12-month period beginning the first day of FMLA leave usage. (For example, if an employee begins leave for surgery on April 10 of 2008, the 12-month period begins on April 10, 2008, and ends on April 9, 2009.)
How do I file for FMLA?
If you think you may need to take leave under FMLA, we’re here to guide you through the process. Just reach out to the Human Resources Office to get started. We’ll help you understand your options, gather the necessary paperwork, and make sure everything is in place so you can focus on what matters most—taking care of yourself or your loved ones.
? Questions? Reach out to Human Resources—we’re happy to help!
? Michelle Summers: A-State Human Resources
? 870-972-2680
? msummers@astate.edu
Additional Information Regarding FMLA
Employee Rights and Responsibilities
Catastrophic Leave Bank Program
What would you do if a serious medical condition required an extended absence from work and resulted in the loss of income? What if all of your sick and annual leave would not cover your absence from work?
The A-State Catastrophic Leave Bank is here to help!
Learn about this program here
How to Enter Leave Time
Leave Without Pay (LWOP)
How does Leave Without Pay work?
Arkansas State University may grant an employee’s written request for a leave of absence without pay in certain circumstances. A leave of absence without pay cannot exceed a period of six months unless granted in accordance with the provision for military leave. Leave of absence without pay cannot to be granted until all of the employee’s accumulated annual leave has been exhausted, unless the leave without pay is requested for military or maternity leave. Any employee on leave of absence without pay does not accumulate annual leave or receive pay for any legal holidays. Leave of absence without pay will not be granted if such leave would create an undue hardship on the University or any division thereof.
How do I apply for Leave Without Pay?
- Employee completes the University Request Form for Leave of Absence Without Pay (located in Forms
under the Human Resource website) and submits to his/her supervisor. - Supervisor/Chair reviews the request and if the Supervisor/Chair supports the request, he/she must indicate
such on the form and must outline how the position will be covered while the regular employee is on leave
without pay. - The form is forwarded to Dean/Division Chief for approval. If the Dean/Division Chief supports the request
and the outlined plan to cover the employee’s responsibilities, the Dean/Division Chief indicates such on the
form. The form is then sent to the Vice Chancellor over that division for consideration. The Vice Chancellor
shall indicate as to whether he/she supports the requested leave, and the outlined plan to cover the
employee’s responsibilities. - When all signatures indicating review at each level have been obtained, the form is forwarded to Human
Resources. - Final approval or denial of leave without pay is determined by the Department of Human Resources in order
to insure equitable treatment of all employees. - Human Resources will notify the individual and all reviewing parties of the approval or denial of the
requested leave. If an individual is granted leave without pay, Human Resources will notify the employee of
the option to continue insurance elections by paying the total cost (employee and employer portions) of
insurance premiums. The employee may elect not to continue insurance, and in such a case, the employee
will not be responsible for the payment of those premiums during the leave period. If so, he/she will be
asked to sign a waiver.
Can I continue my benefits while on Leave Without Pay?
An employee may elect to continue with the group insurance programs in which the employee is currently enrolled at the time of the leave, provided arrangements have been made in advance with the Human Resources Department for the employee to pay the entirety of those costs. Arrangements for such are the employee’s responsibility. If the employee fails to pay for the entire costs associated with his/her participation in any group insurance program, such insurance shall be terminated.
*Employees who receive less than ten hours of pay in a given pay period and who do not have Workers’ Compensation Leave, Military Leave, or FMLA leave approved that pay period will be responsible for the employee premium as well as the employer portion of their medical insurance.
If an employee fails to return to work at the end of a period of leave without pay, the employee will be terminated.
If you have more questions about Leave Without Pay, please contact Payroll Services:
? A-State Payroll
? 870-972-3454
? Payroll@AState.edu