Personal and Legal Holidays

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Policy Number:
UW-5050
Old Policy Number:
16.02
Responsible Office:
Office of Human Resources

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Personal and legal holiday administration policies for all UW–Madison employees will be provided for in this policy.

In 2025, University Staff leave schedule will transition from calendar year (January 1 – December 31) to fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). This policy ensures both employees and supervisors have a clear understanding of the transition period January 1 – June 30, 2025, and of the new fiscal year policy effective July 1, 2025. For additional details on this transition, visit University Staff Leave Schedule Change.

Definitions:
Rehired annuitant
A rehired annuitant is a UW–Madison employee who is currently receiving a Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) retirement or disability annuity. See UW-5009 Rehired Annuitants for additional information.
Scope:

This policy applies to full or part-time Faculty, Academic Staff, University Staff, and Limited Appointees in leave-eligible positions.

Policy:

  1. Personal Holidays

    1. Eligibility for Personal Holidays

      1. University Staff. All University Staff are eligible for personal holidays if they are:
        1. Not in a Temporary Employee appointment, or
        2. Not in a Crafts Worker appointment as defined in the UW-5028 Crafts Workers/Trades.
      2. Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees (annual-pay-basis employees only). All Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees are eligible for personal holidays if they are eligible to earn vacation based on the following criteria:
        1. In an annual-basis appointment; and
        2. Covered by the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS); or

        3. If not covered by the WRS, expected to work at least 440 hours (21% for annual-basis appointment) for at least one year.

      3. Rehired Annuitants. A rehired WRS annuitant is eligible to earn personal holiday if the eligibility requirements provided for in this policy are met.


        Note: Only time worked for UW–Madison or UW System after the employee’s WRS annuity effective date is included to meet the one-year duration requirement in Section (A)(I)(2) of this policy.

        1. If not initially eligible to earn personal holiday, a rehired annuitant can later become eligible through a change in expectations or meeting the above criteria during the immediately preceding 12-month period.
        2. Personal holiday hours earned as a rehired annuitant are subject to the same provisions outlined in Section (A)(IV) of this policy.

    2. Accrual of Personal Holidays

      1. Accrual Rate 
        1. Full-time eligible Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees are granted 36 hours (4.5 days) of personal holiday hours on July 1 per year, or upon hire. Part-time employees are granted a prorated amount based on appointment percentage.
        2. Full-time eligible University Staff are granted 36 hours (4.5 days) of personal holiday hours per year. Part-time employees are granted a prorated amount based on appointment percentage. 
          1. Through December 31, 2024 - Personal holiday hours granted January 1, 2024, will remain available to current employees, and will be granted to new employees upon hire. 
          2. January 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025 - On January 1, 2025, University Staff will be allocated half (18 hours) of their personal holiday hours. Between January 1 and June 30, 2025, new hires will be granted half of their personal holiday hours for use through June 30, 2025. 
          3. Effective July 1, 2025 - Annual personal holiday hours will be granted on July 1 each year, or upon hire, to eligible employees.
      2. Appointment Percentage Change after Personal Holiday Granted.
        1. If an employee’s appointment percentage permanently increases, the number of personal holiday hours generated for the employee will increase as of the effective date of the change. The increase in hours is based on the increased appointment percentage and is not affected by the amount of time remaining in the granting period.
        2. If an employee’s appointment percentage decreases, the number of personal holiday hours generated for the employee will not decrease until the next personal holiday allocation is granted.

    3. Personal Holiday Usage

      1. Personal holiday hours are available for use from the first day of employment, subject to approval by the employee’s supervisor.
      2. For Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees, personal holiday hours must be used by the end of the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) in which they are granted.
        1. If the hours are not used by the end of the fiscal year, the hours are lost and cannot be carried into the following year. Employees on a military leave are not subject to these provisions. See UW-5060 Military Leave of Absence and Benefits for details.
        2. If extenuating circumstances exist, the Division Human Resource Director at each college, school, or division (or the director’s designee) in consultation with the UW–Madison Office of Human Resources may approve the carryover of personal holiday hours if the employee was not permitted to use the hours during the year earned. Any personal holiday hours carried over must be used within 12 months or they will be lost.
      3. For University Staff:
        1. Through December 31, 2024 – Personal holiday hours granted before December 31, 2024 must be used by December 31, 2024. If the hours are not used by December 31, 2024, the hours will be lost and cannot be carried over. 
        2. January 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025 – Personal holiday hours allocated during this time must be used by June 30, 2025. If the hours are not used by June 30, 2025, the hours will be lost and cannot be carried over. 
        3. Effective July 1, 2025 - Annual personal holiday hours granted on July 1 of each year must be used by the end of the fiscal year (June 30). If the hours are not used by June 30, the hours will be lost and cannot be carried over. 
        4. Employees on a military leave are not subject to these provisions. See UW-5060 Military Leave of Absence and Benefits for details.
      4. The following are NOT allowable reasons for carryover of personal holiday hours:
        1. The employee is hired toward the end of the calendar or fiscal year and does not schedule time off before the hours expire; or
        2. The employee uses other paid leave during the year and chooses to wait until the end of the calendar or fiscal year to use personal holiday hours but runs out of time or is called into work on a day personal holiday was scheduled to be used.
      5. If an employee used other paid leave that can be carried into the following year, the institution should consider consulting with the employee to exchange personal holiday hours with the other leave used.
      6. University Staff requests to exchange the leave type used must be received by the institution by the end of the calendar year (through December 31, 2024) and thereafter by the end of the fiscal year (June 30) in which the absence occurred. Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited appointee requests to exchange the leave type used must be received by the institution by the end of the fiscal year in which the absence occurred.

    4. Personal Holiday Credits upon Retirement, Layoff, Termination, or Movement to Another Appointment

      1. At termination or retirement, employees are eligible to receive a lump sum payment for any remaining personal holiday hours. If the termination or retirement is not the result of layoff or termination for cause, the institution may allow the employee to extend their termination date beyond the last day worked by using personal holiday hours. Employees will need to have submitted all leave reports, on all active appointments, before any lump sum payment can be made or before the employee is permitted to extend their termination date beyond their last day worked.
      2. The institution, after sufficient notice to the employee, may require an employee to use all accrued personal holidays prior to retirement, layoff, or termination without cause or forfeit any unused leave balance.
      3. Movement to Another UW System Appointment.
        1. When an employee moves from one eligible Faculty, Academic Staff, University Staff, or Limited appointment to another eligible Faculty, Academic Staff, University Staff, or Limited appointment within UW-Madison, or to an appointment at a different UW institution, remaining personal holiday hours will transfer to the new appointment, provided the new appointment is eligible for personal holidays.
        2. Employees who move between employee classifications as outlined in this policy will be given consideration for leave accrual schedule differences; however, an employee will not receive more than two personal holiday allocations in an 18-month period.
        3. If an employee moves from a University Staff appointment to an eligible Faculty, Academic Staff, or Limited appointment, the following provisions apply:
          1. If the new appointment is effective at any time from July 1 to January 1, the employee will receive 36 hours of personal holiday (prorated if part-time). Any remaining personal holiday from the University Staff appointment must be paid out to the employee at the wage rate of the University Staff appointment.
          2. If the new appointment is effective at any time from January 2 to June 30, 2025, the employee will receive 18 additional personal holiday hours (prorated for part time). Any remaining personal holiday from the University Staff appointment will be transferred to the new appointment and must be used by June 30th following the begin date of the new appointment or it will be lost.
        4. If an employee moves from a Faculty, Academic Staff, or Limited appointment to an eligible University Staff appointment, the following provisions apply:
          1. Prior to December 31, 2024, if the new appointment is effective at any time from January 1 to July 1, the employee will receive 36 hours of personal holiday (prorated if part time). Any remaining personal holiday from the Faculty, Academic Staff, or Limited appointment must be paid out to the employee at the wage rate of the Faculty, Academic Staff, or Limited appointment.
          2. If the new appointment is effective at any time from July 2 to December 31, 2024, the employee will not receive additional personal holiday hours until the beginning of the next calendar year (January 1, 2025). Any remaining personal holiday from the Faculty, Academic Staff, or Limited appointment will be transferred to the new appointment and must be used by December 31, 2024 following the begin date of the new appointment or it will be lost.
          3. Between January 1 and June 30, 2025, the employee will receive 18 hours of personal holiday (prorated if part-time). Any remaining personal holiday from the Faculty, Academic Staff or Limited appointment must be paid out to the employee, at the wage rate of the Faculty, Academic Staff or Limited appointment.
          4. Effective July 1, 2025, personal holiday hours will be allocated at the same time for all eligible employees.
        5. If an employee moves to an appointment not eligible for personal holiday, any remaining personal holiday hours will be paid as a lump sum to the employee at the wage rate of the last position eligible to earn personal holiday.

      4. Movement From Another State of Wisconsin Agency.

        When an employee moves from another State of Wisconsin Agency to a UW–Madison appointment, they will be granted personal holiday hours, provided the new appointment is eligible for personal holidays.

      5. Movement to Another State of Wisconsin Agency.

        When an employee moves to another State of Wisconsin agency, remaining accrued personal holiday will be paid out by the unit as a lump sum.

  2. Legal Holidays

    1. Paid Legal Holidays

      UW–Madison grants eligible employees nine paid legal holidays per fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) for the following legal holidays:

      • July 4 (Independence Day)
      • First Monday in September (Labor Day)
      • Fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day)
      • December 24 (Christmas Eve Day)
      • December 25 (Christmas Day)
      • December 31 (New Year's Eve Day)
      • January 1 (New Year's Day)
      • Third Monday in January (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
      • Last Monday in May (Memorial Day)

    2. Eligibility for Paid Legal Holidays

      1. All employees who earn sick leave are eligible for paid legal holidays provided the employee is actively employed on the date of the legal holiday and meets one of the following criteria:
        1. Works or uses paid leave on the last scheduled work day immediately before the legal holiday; or
        2. Works or uses paid leave on the first scheduled work day immediately following the legal holiday; or
        3. Works on the legal holiday; or
        4. Is on an approved military leave of absence; see UW-5060 Military Leave of Absence and Benefits for details.
      2. For employees with alternate work schedules whose scheduled work days do not fall on or after the legal holiday, a legal holiday will be granted.
      3. For employees in a part-time appointment, legal holiday will be granted based on the number of hours in pay status during the pay period in which the legal holiday falls.

    3. Administration of Legal Holidays

      1. Full-time employees earn eight (8) hours of paid leave for each legal holiday. Part-time employees earn a prorated amount based on their hours in pay status, including both hours worked and paid leave hours used, during the pay period that includes the legal holiday.
      2. If a legal holiday falls on a Sunday, the legal holiday is observed and UW–Madison is closed on the Monday following the legal holiday.
      3. Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees in academic-year-basis appointments are not eligible for floating legal holidays.
      4. Faculty, Academic Staff, Limited Appointees in annual appointments, and University Staff may earn floating legal holidays in the following situations:
        1. If a legal holiday falls on a Saturday, the employee will be granted eight (8) hours of floating legal holiday (prorated if part time).
        2. If a legal holiday falls on a Sunday and the following Monday is also a legal holiday, the employee will be granted eight (8) hours of floating legal holiday (prorated if part-time).
        3. A floating legal holiday is granted to employees who are required to work on the legal holiday or if the legal holiday is on an employee’s regularly scheduled day off.
      5. An employee may use floating legal holiday hours prior to the date on which the legal holiday occurs.
      6. Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees must use the hours on or before June 30 of the fiscal year granted. If the hours are not used by the end of the fiscal year, the hours will be lost and cannot be carried into the following year.
      7. For University Staff, floating legal holiday hours must be used as follows:
        1. Through December 31, 2024 – Floating legal holiday hours granted before December 31, 2024, must be used on or before December 31, 2024.
        2. January 1 – June 30, 2025 – Floating legal holiday hours granted between January 1 and June 30, 2025, must be used during this time.
        3. Effective July 1, 2025 – Floating legal holiday hours granted July 1 or thereafter must be used by the end of the fiscal year in which they are granted (July 1 – June 30).
        4. If floating legal holiday hours are not used by the end of the designated year, the hours cannot be carried into the following fiscal year.
          1. Through December 31, 2024, if a University Staff employee is called in to work December 24, 25, and/or 31, and the employee is unable to schedule time off prior to the end of the calendar year, the legal holiday hours could be carried into the following year to be used by June 30, 2025.
          2. If the employee used other paid leave that can be carried into the following year, the institution should consider consulting with the employee to swap legal holiday hours with the other leave used.

    4. Pay for University Staff Employees and Nonexempt Academic Staff Holding Nonexempt Job Titles Required to Work on Actual or Observed Legal Holidays

      1. When employees in these categories are required to work at any time during a legal holiday (defined as 12:00 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. of the actual legal holiday) they will receive either compensatory time or wages, either of which will be at the premium rate of time and one-half, for all hours worked on the holiday. Refer to UW-5026 Additional Pay Components for further information. The employee will also be granted a floating legal holiday per the provisions of this policy.
      2. When employees in these categories are required to work on the Monday following a Sunday legal holiday they will be paid at regular hourly rate. The employee will also be granted a floating legal holiday per the provisions of this policy.

    5. Pay for Temporary Employees Required to Work on Actual or Observed Legal Holidays

      1. Pay for time worked on a legal holiday or the Monday following a Sunday legal holiday will be in accordance with UW-5022 Temporary Employee .
      2. Temporary Employees will not be granted a floating legal holiday.

    6. Legal Holiday Credits upon Retirement, Layoff, Termination, or Movement to Another Appointment

      1. At termination or retirement, employees are eligible to receive a lump sum payment of any remaining floating legal holiday hours. If the termination or retirement is not the result of layoff or termination for cause, the institution may allow the employee to extend his or her termination date beyond the last day worked by using floating legal holiday hours.
      2. The institution, after sufficient notice to the employee, may require an employee to use all accrued floating holidays prior to retirement, layoff, or termination without cause, or the employee will forfeit any unused leave balance.

      3. An employee may use regular or floating legal holiday hours prior to the date on which the legal holiday occurs. If the employee leaves university employment prior to the date on which the legal holiday occurs, the employee must repay any legal holiday hours used in advance of the legal holiday. In lieu of paying back over-used legal holiday hours, the employee is eligible to swap other available accrued leave, if available.

        Note: Sick leave may only be used per UW-5051 Sick Leave and may not be used in this situation unless the original absence is eligible for sick leave.

      4. When an employee moves from one appointment to another within UW-Madison, or to an appointment at a different UW institution, remaining floating legal holiday will transfer to the new appointment, provided the new appointment is eligible for floating legal holidays. If the employee moves to a different appointment type, the floating legal holiday hours transferred will be subject to the floating legal holiday expiration rules of the new appointment type.
      5. If an employee moves to an appointment not eligible for floating legal holidays, any remaining floating legal hours will be paid as a lump sum to the employee at the wage rate in effect on the termination date of the last position eligible to earn floating legal holidays.
      6. When an employee moves to a State of Wisconsin agency, remaining floating legal holiday hours will be paid as a lump sum to the employee at the wage rate in effect on the employee’s UW–Madison termination date.

  3. Reporting and Recording Leave

    See UW-5052 Vacation.

  4. Consequences for Non-Compliance

    Failure to appropriately report personal and legal holiday leave usage may result in the denial of leave or the loss of paid leave hours.

Responsibilities

Table 1. Responsibilities
Office of Human Resources (OHR)
  • Maintains the personal and legal holidays policy
  • Supports the campus in applying the provisions of this policy
Deans and Directors
  • Supports this policy by ensuring colleges, schools and divisions appropriately administer the provisions of this policy
College/School/Division HR
  • Supports this policy by overseeing the administration of this policy within their division
  • Ensures that Supervisors and Employees are appropriately trained on this policy
  • Supports employees and supervisors in understanding and administering leave in compliance with this policy
  • Consults with OHR as needed
Supervisor
  • Understands the Personal and Legal Holidays policy
  • Supports policy compliance by monitoring employee Personal and Legal holiday usage
Employee
  • Follows appropriate procedures for reporting time off and personal and legal holiday usage based on this policy
Related UW-Madison Policies:
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:

University Staff Leave Schedule Change

External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
Policy Manager:
Associate Vice Chancellor/Chief Human Resources Officer
Contact:
Employment Relations Director -- Megan Dzyuba, wr@ohr.wisc.edu, (608) 890-3663
Effective Date:
06-30-2015
Date Issued:
06-30-2015
Revised Dates:

03-24-2020, 04-25-2021, 01-10-2022, 10-24-2022, 10-07-2024

Reviewed Dates:

02-17-21

Retrieved:
03-07-2025 13:43:45