Annual Leave: Eligible employees with less than 15 years of service earn 120 hours of annual leave per year. Annual leave may be accumulated to a maximum of 240 hours. Eligible employees with more than 15 years of service earn 160 hours of annual leave per year with a maximum accrual of 320 hours. Permanent employees who work less than full- time shall accrue prorated annual leave based on the number of hours paid in the pay period.

New employees may not use annual leave until completing six months of employment. Requests for annual leave must be approved by an employee's immediate supervisor prior to the time of departure. Leave requests may not exceed the amount accumulated, and should be taken at such time as will least interfere with the efficient operation of the University. Employees absent without approval of leave may be subject to deductions from annual leave or salary, or disciplinary action. Upon retirement or resignation, an employee will be paid for accumulated annual leave. However, an employee is not eligible for payment of annual leave if he or she leaves employment during the probationary period.

Sick Leave: Full-time 12-month, regular employees accumulate 112 hours of sick leave per year. Accrual is unlimited and can be used any time after it's earned for personal illness or injury; or required health, dental or vision care. Permanent employees who work less than full time shall accrue prorated sick leave based on the number of hours paid in the pay period.

Employees must notify their immediate supervisor of illness or personal leave prior to the employees' normal starting time or as soon thereafter as possible. Failure to notify one's supervisor of absence may be cause for disciplinary action.

Employees who have been continuously employed for seven years and who voluntarily resign will receive payment for 25 percent of accumulated sick leave up to 480 hours at their final rate of pay. Employees who are terminated for just cause will receive no payment for unused sick leave.

Faculty members, generally on less than 12 month contracts, do not earn annual leave but receive the regular school vacations and holidays. They earn sick leave at the appropriate rate during their period of appointment.

Advanced Sick Leave: An employee who has been employed by the state in a permanent position for one year or more may request advanced sick leave for not more than 28 days once all other leave is exhausted. An employee requesting advanced sick leave must submit a signed request supported by a statement from their doctor. The request must be approved by the President and BOP Commissioner before advance sick leave is granted. An employee who terminates employment before advance sick leave has been repaid must repay the remaining advanced hours at the employee's final rate of pay.

Personal Leave: Personal leave may be granted for:

1. a death in the immediate family*,
2. the temporary care of members of the immediate family,
3. volunteer police or rescue work,
4. or a call to state active duty in the military reserve or national guard. Personal leave is deducted from the employee's accumulated sick leave and may not exceed 40 hours per calendar year.

*Immediate family includes the employee's spouse, child, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, stepchild, stepparent.

Family and Medical Leave: Family and medical leave is available to an employee of the state who has worked for twelve months or more and who has worked 1,250 hours or more. Up to twelve weeks of sick leave, personal leave, annual leave, leave without pay, or any combination of these leaves may be taken as family and medical leave. Leave usage must be consistent with State and Board of Regents policy, and the administrative rules governing leave usage. An employee may request family and medical leave for any of the following purposes:

1. the birth of a child of the employee and care for the newborn child;
2. the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care;
3. the need to care for the spouse, child, or parent of the employee if the spouse, child, or parent has a serious health condition;
4. or a serious health condition which makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the employee's position.

If the family medical leave event is foreseeable, employees must provide their supervisor with at least 30 days notification. For any request, please contact Human Resources for guidance,
or see BOR Policy 4:15.

Administrative Leave: Administrative leave shall be granted in the following situations, allowing an employee to receive compensation for the hours the employee would normally have worked with no loss of leave.

1. an office is administratively closed. (For example, in the case of inclement weather*, power outage, etc.)
2. an employee is a member of a volunteer fire department, reserve law enforcement unit, emergency search and rescue squad, or ambulance service and is called to duty during working hours.
3. Pending an investigation of charges made against an employee upon which disciplinary action could be taken.
4. For any other purpose that has been requested in writing and approved by the Executive Director of the Board of Regents.

* Storm Day Policy: If an institution closes under any circumstances, e.g., inclement weather, power outages, broken pipes, inoperable furnace/air conditioner, civil disturbances, etc., employees will be granted administrative leave. Hours accumulated during this time will not be used in computing overtime. In circumstances of inclement weather where the office is not closed, personnel who cannot reach work will be required to take annual leave, leave without pay, accrued compensatory time, or adjusting the workweek as approved by the supervisor. If the institution is closed, but essential employees are required to report to work, these employees will receive payment for the administrative leave hours (at straight rate) plus the hours they were required to work during the emergency. For more information, see BOR Policy 4:40 and / or “Weather” in this section.

Court and Jury Leave: If summoned to serve on a jury, you will be paid as if you were at work and you may collect mileage and per diem as provided for in SDCL 16-13-46. If an employee is subpoenaed to testify in court, the employee shall receive both the employee's regular salary and witness fees. If you are called to testify on behalf of the state, you cannot collect witness fees. If you are a party to private litigation you must use annual leave or leave without pay. A state employee summoned either as a witness or a juror shall notify the employer at once.

Military Training Leave: Permanent employees are entitled to Military Training Leave of up to 120 hours per calendar year. An employee requesting military leave for training must obtain a written order or letter from the commander of the employee's reserve or national guard unit showing the dates of the training period. This notice must be submitted to the appointing authority 15 days before the date of the employee's departure for training. Military leave for training may not be accumulated. Military leave for training shall not be granted to an employee who is on annual leave and terminating employment. A temporary employee is not entitled to military training leave.

For questions regarding the above leaves or additional leaves contact the Director of Human Resources.

Donations of Leave: An employee may be able to donate annual and/or sick leave to a fellow State employee who is terminally ill and unable to return to work, or who is suffering from an acutely life threatening illness or injury, and has exhausted his own accumulated leave. An employee may receive donated vested annual leave if the employee’s spouse, child, or parent has been certified by a physician as terminally ill or suffering from life-threatening illness or injury. The employee has to have exhausted all of the leave benefits that the employee is entitled to use. For information on donor and/or recipient requirements, contact the Human Resources Office.