Labor Relations

Meeting Summary: August 22, 2014

Topics Covered:

  • Communications Plan Overview
  • Leave Accruals

UW walked through the anticipated effects of HR/Payroll Modernization on the calculation of leaves of absence and employee length of service.

Present State

Under UW’s current system, employees accrue sick leave, vacation leave, and length of service credits on a monthly basis. With the move to a biweekly payroll, the month will no longer be a viable unit of measurement.

Sick and Vacation Leave – Employees earn sick and vacation leave at the end of the month, prorated according to an employee’s full-time equivalent (FTE).

Length of Service – Among other things, an employee’s length of service determines the rate at which an employee accrues vacation leave. Currently one length of service credit is measured as a month of service.

Complexities – Sick and vacation leave accruals and length of service credits are earned at the end of each month, provided that:

  • Leave without pay does not exceed 10 days during that month.
  • A new employee begins on or before the 15th of the month.
  • A separating employee leaves on or after the 16th of the month.

Future State

In Workday, accruals will would be calculated and updated on a biweekly basis. Sick leave, vacation leave, and length of service accruals would be calculated every pay period based on actual time worked, allowing employees to earn and use accrued leave sooner.

Sick and Vacation Leave – Sick and vacation leave accruals would be calculated by multiplying an employee’s regular hours worked and paid time off applied during a pay period by an accrual rate. The accrual rates would be formulated by translating current annual sick and vacation accruals into an hourly metric.

Length of Service – Hours that count toward length of service will be all regular hours worked, paid time off, and applicable unpaid time off. To earn one length of service credit in a pay period, these eligible hours must comprise at least 54 percent of an employee’s FTE (this equates to at least 43.2 hours in an 80-hour pay period for a full-time employee).

Next Steps

Questions that have arisen throughout these discussions can be found in the HR/P Labor Relations Frequently Asked Questions, and full details on the project are located on the HR/Payroll Modernizationwebsite. The date of the next HR/P Labor Discussion is currently being determined. Union participation and input in these meetings is strongly encouraged, and the University is providing paid release time for designated employees to attend.