Eligible employees are granted vacation, personal holiday, and legal holiday hours annually.

Faculty, academic staff, university staff, and limited appointees receive their hours on July 1 each year. 

Vacation, personal holiday and legal holiday hours are granted on a fiscal year basis (July 1 – June 30)

Please note: University Staff Leave Schedule Change

Beginning January 1, 2025, University Staff employees will begin the transition to receive vacation and personal holiday hours on a new schedule. To move to the new leave schedule, University Staff will go through a one-time transition period from January 1, 2025, to June 30, 2025. After this transition period, the new leave schedule becomes effective. 

Paid Leave Summary Charts

Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees

University Staff & University Staff Project Employees (excludes Temporary Employees)

Vacation 

UW-Madison Vacation Policy

Vacation provides employees with paid time off work for vacations and other personal purposes. For less than full time appointments, vacation hours are prorated. 

Personal Holiday 

UW-Madison Personal and Legal Holidays Policy

Personal Holiday grants eligible employees 36 hours (4.5 days) of personal holiday hours per year. Part-time employees are granted a prorated amount based on appointment percentage. 

Legal Holiday

Legal Holiday grants eligible employees nine paid legal holidays per year. UW-Madison follows the nine legal holidays recognized by the State of Wisconsin.

Floating Holidays

• Eligible employees are granted eight hours of floating legal holiday (prorated for part-time) when: (a) a legal holiday falls on a Saturday or (b) a legal holiday falls on a Sunday and the following Monday is also a legal holiday.
• When a legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the legal holiday is observed and UW–Madison is closed on the Monday following the legal holiday.
• Due to varying business needs throughout UW, some employees may be required to work on a legal holiday. Employees who are required to work on a legal holiday, or if the legal holiday is on an employee’s regularly scheduled day off, will be granted a floating legal holiday.
• Not all years have floating legal holidays

CHM HR - Legal Holidays: Academic & University Staff KB - listing of all legal holidays by fiscal year

UW Legal Holidays Schedule  - listing of all legal holidays by year

Sick Leave

UW- Madison Sick Leave Policy

Sick Leave provides eligible employees earned time off for absences related to the following:

• Personal illnesses, injury, disability, pregnancy, adoption, or exposure to contagious disease
• Care for an immediate family member
• Attend immediate family or personal medical or dental appointments
• Death of an immediate family member
• Absence covered by the WFMLA or FMLA

Unused sick leave accumulates from year to year, without limit, in employee sick leave accounts.

Other employment categories such as  Student Assistants (Graduate students) and Postdocs (Reaseach Associates) and other Employee-in-Training (ET) have seperate paid leave policies, please consult with HR for eligibility and details of your leave.