FY 21 Furloughs, Holidays, Comp Time, and Administrative Leave
Aug. 12, 2020 - 3:09 p.m.
TO: All Faculty and Staff
FROM: Scott Gordon, President
DATE: August 12, 2020
SUBJECT: FY 21 Furloughs, Holidays, Comp Time, and Administrative Leave
Dear Colleagues,
In my June 29 memo, I detailed the specific institutional expenses that were reduced to develop the FY21 balanced budget, which included a 12-day furlough for vacation-eligible employees. This initiative is estimated to reduce compensation liability by approximately $1.44 million in FY21. I also shared the 2020-2021 holiday schedule that was approved by the Board of Regents at the meeting on July 21. In addition to the 14 holidays allowed by the state, this holiday schedule requires vacation-eligible employees to take six additional days of paid leave in conjunction with the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break holidays. Together, the furlough requirement and holiday schedule will require vacation-eligible employees to use a total of eighteen (18) days of personal leave during FY21. While I understand this requirement may pose a challenge to each affected employee, I also want to assure you that university leadership is working to provide more flexibility in how we implement the leave-usage requirements. Considerations regarding each of the leave requirements are detailed below.
Furloughs – In response to concerns expressed during the July 8-10 Town Hall meetings, the vice president of finance and administration and his team have created new pay/leave codes in Self Service Banner and TimeClock Plus that will allow flexibility in scheduling the furlough days. As a result, the university will only mandate specific dates for five (5) of the furlough days:
- December 21 & 22 – Monday and Tuesday before Christmas break
- April 2 – Good Friday
- May 28 – Friday before Memorial Day weekend
- July 2 – Friday before Sunday, July 4th
The remaining seven (7) furlough days will be scheduled by the employee and recorded as a furlough day (details of time/leave reporting will be sent from the payroll department in September).
Holiday Schedule – The 2020-2021 holiday schedule requires that employees use six days of paid leave in conjunction with the 14 holidays. As has been past practice, employees may use vacation, comp time, or any previously awarded, unused paid leave for these days.
Comp Time – As the university gears up for the fall semester and year-end financial closing activities, I am reinstating the ability to accrue comp time for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week. As outlined in policy 12.14 Overtime and Compensatory Time, the earning of comp time must be approved in advance by the appropriate supervisor and should be utilized to benefit the university during periods of increased workload. The accrual of comp time may allow employees to plan for the additional six personal leave days during the holiday schedule.
Administrative Leave – In the past, supervisors occasionally have had the option to award 12-month employees with up to 32 hours of administrative leave based on performance. This will not be available for FY21.
A summary of the FY21 leave is as follows:
| Holiday | Personal Leave for Holidays | Furlough | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving Break | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| Christmas Break | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 1 | 1 | ||
| Spring Break | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| Good Friday | 1 | 1 | ||
| Memorial Day | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| July 4th | 1 | 1 | ||
| Flexible Furlough Days | 7 | 7 | ||
| 14 | 6 | 12 | 32 |
I thank each of you for the continued dedication, cooperation and commitment that you show.
| Scott Gordon President Stephen F. Austin State University | President's Office T 936.468.2201 | F 936.468.2202 Scott.Gordon@sfasu.edu |
The views and opinions expressed in this message are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Stephen F. Austin State University, its Board of Regents, or the State of Texas.