Vacation Time & Sick Time

Staff Vacation Policy

The Vacation Policy is applicable to all staff employees of the University of Portland, including University leadership and staff whose primary positions are not faculty or academic administrator positions:

Vacation Policy for Staff Employees effective September 1, 2020

Vacation Policy for Staff Employees effective August 15, 2024

An employee’s use of vacation time needs to be approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor. Generally, an employee should ask a supervisor for approval to use vacation time about a week or more before the start of vacation absences. The employee’s supervisor has discretion to deny an employee’s request to use vacation days; generally, such denial should be based on operational needs related to the employee’s position and/or department, lack of sufficient notice before the start of the requested vacation time, or other reasonable basis. If a supervisor or employee has questions in this area, they should contact Human Resources at hr@up.edu or (503) 943-8484.

An employee must enter all vacation time used in 15 minute increments into the timesheet in Self Service Banner. If use of vacation time occurs after the deadline for a timesheet, the employee should email that information to payroll@up.edu.

Please note, vacation time can also be used during leaves of absences approved by Human Resources. More information about this is at www.up.edu/hr/current-employees/leaves. There may be certain exceptions to employee self entry provided by Human Resources when an employee is on leave.

Staff Sick Time Policy

The University's sick time policies are consistent with all applicable laws including the Oregon Paid Sick Time law. The link below has more information about the Oregon Paid Sick Time law. Please contact the Office of Human Resources if you have any questions or need assistance in this area.

Please click here to learn about Oregon's requirements for sick time: Oregon Paid Sick Time Law

Please click here to learn about disability-related accommodations: Disability Accommodations 

Please click here to learn about process related to work injuries: Work Injuries

Sick Time Policy for Staff Employees 

The University provides paid sick time to staff employees. The University's intent is to meet or exceed all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding sick time.

Eligible Employees

This policy is applicable to all non-faculty, non-student employees of the University and includes full-time and part-time employees. The employees subject to and covered by this policy are referred to as "staff employees."
(The sick time policy for faculty is set out in the Faculty Handbook. The sick time policy for student employees is set out in the Student Employment Handbook.)

Accrual

Regular staff employees accrue sick time as follows: full-time regular staff employees accrue one day of paid sick time per month, and part-time regular staff employees accrue a prorated amount based on full time equivalency.

Non-regular staff employees (i.e., temporary, casual, and seasonal staff) accrue sick time as follows: 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked.

If a staff employee is reemployed within 180 calendar days of separation from employment, previously accrued unused sick time shall be restored.

Use of Sick Time

Regular staff employees may use sick time as it is accrued. Non-regular staff employees must wait until the 91st day of employment before using sick time.

• For a staff employee's mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, need for medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition, or need for preventive medical care.
• For care of a family member (definition of family member is below) with a mental or physical illness, or injury or health condition; care of a family member who needs a medical diagnosis; care of a family member who needs treatment of a mental or physical illness, or injury or health condition; or care of a family member who needs preventive medical care.

For any leave covered under the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) and/or the federal Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), including, without limitation, the following:

• To care for an infant or newly adopted child under 18 years of age, or for a newly placed foster child under 18 years of age, or for an adopted or foster child older than 18 years of age if the child is incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability. Leave for this purpose must be completed within 12 months after birth or placement of the child, and an eligible employee is not entitled to any period of leave under this subsection after the expiration of 12 months after birth or placement of the child.
• To care for a family member with a serious health condition as defined under OFLA and/or FMLA.
• To recover from or seek treatment for a serious health condition of the employee as defined under OFLA and/or FMLA.
• To care for a child of the employee who is suffering from an illness, injury, or condition that is not a serious health condition as defined under OFLA and/or FMLA but that requires home care.
• To deal with the death of a family member within 60 calendar days of the date on which the eligible employee receives notice of the death of a family member by: attending the funeral or alternative to a funeral of the family member; making arrangements necessitated by the death of the family member; or grieving the death of the family member. (In addition, the University provides up to three days of bereavement leave.)

For the following purposes related to domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, or stalking:

• To seek legal or law enforcement assistance or remedies to ensure the health and safety of the staff employee or the staff employee's minor child or dependent, including preparing for and participating in protective order proceedings or other civil or criminal legal proceedings related to domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking.
• To seek medical treatment for or to recover from injuries caused by domestic violence or sexual assault to or harassment or stalking of the staff employee or the staff employee's minor child or dependent.
• To obtain, or to assist a minor child or dependent in obtaining counseling from a licensed mental health professional related to an experience of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, or stalking.
• To obtain services from a victim services provider for the staff employee or the staff employee's minor child or dependent.
• To relocate or take steps to secure an existing home to ensure the health and safety of the eligible staff employee or the staff employee's minor child or dependent.

In the event of a public health emergency which includes but is not limited to:

• Closure of the staff employee's place of business or the school or place of care of the staff employee's child, by order of a public official due to a public health emergency;
• A determination by a lawful public health authority or by a health care provider that the presence of the staff employee or the family member of the staff employee in the community would jeopardize the health of others, such that the staff employee must provide self-care or care for the family member; or
• The exclusion of the staff employee from the workplace under any law or rule that requires the staff employer to exclude the staff employee from the workplace for health reasons.

Definition of Family Member

In alignment with state regulations and requirements, the University leave policies which include Bereavement Leave, Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) and Paid Leave Oregon, a "family member" is defined as:

• an employee's spouse or domestic partner (including same-gender domestic partner);
• an employee’s biological, adopted, foster child, or stepchild or the child of an employee's domestic partner, and that child’s spouse or domestic partner. An employee's child in any of these categories may be either a minor or an adult;
• an employee’s biological parent, adoptive parent, foster parent, stepparent, and that parent’s spouse or domestic partner. A parent may be a custodial or non-custodial parent;
• an employee’s parent-in-law, or a parent of an employee's domestic partner;
• an employee’s sibling or stepsibling, or the sibling’s or stepsibling’s spouse or domestic partner;
• an employee's grandparent or the grandparent’s spouse or domestic partner;
• an employee’s grandchild or the grandchild’s spouse or domestic partner;
• an individual related by blood or affinity who is the equivalent of a family member to the employee;
• or a person with whom the employee is, or was, in a relationship of in loco parentis (acted in the place of a parent).

Notice & Verification

Staff employees should comply with department procedures regarding providing notice about sick time use. For more information about department procedures, a staff employee should speak with the staff employee's supervisor. Department procedures will be consistent with the following guidelines:

• If the need for sick time use is foreseeable, the staff employee should provide advance notice to a designated person in the department (usually the supervisor and/or a leave administrator/coordinator), and the staff employee should schedule the use of sick time in a manner that does not unduly disrupt the operations of the department. For foreseeable sick time absences, departments may request that staff employees provide up to 10 calendar days of advance notice or notice as soon as otherwise practicable.
• If the need for sick time use is unforeseeable, the staff employee should provide notice to a designated person(s) in the department as soon as practicable.
• When providing notice about the need for sick time use, whether foreseeable or unforeseeable, the staff employee should state the anticipated duration of the sick time use, if possible.
• The University may request verification of sick time use consistent with all applicable laws. Verification requests must be made by Human Resources and not by departments, and verification documents must be returned to Human Resources. Verification of ability to return to work, with or without accommodations, also may be required by Human Resources, and such verification documents also must be returned to Human Resources.

Other Information

Sick time absences that exceed accrued sick time may be charged to accrued vacation time if approved by Human Resources.

Sick time absences that exceed accrued sick time and approved use of accrued vacation time will be unpaid.

Employees are not expected to find coverage when absent due to use of sick time.

Abuse of sick time and/or failure to follow customary notice and procedure requirements of the University or department for sick time absences or for requesting time off may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Employees are not compensated for accrued unused sick time upon termination, resignation, retirement, or other separation from employment.

Staff employees shall be provided with written notification of accrued and unused sick time consistent with applicable laws.

Consistent with all applicable laws, the University and its employees shall not deny, interfere with, restrain, or fail to pay for sick time use to which a staff employee is entitled, nor shall the University and its employees retaliate or in any way discriminate against an employee with respect to any term or condition of employment because the employee inquired about or invoked the Oregon Sick Time Law, submitted a request for sick time, took sick time, or participated in any manner with an investigation, proceeding, or hearing related to the Oregon Sick Time Law. Any conduct prohibited in this paragraph may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.