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Human Resources
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  3. Holidays

Holidays

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SUBJECT: HOLIDAYS 
EFFECTIVE DATE: Oct. 20, 2022

POLICY STATEMENT

Vanderbilt University recognizes that there are many observed holidays celebrated by our employees. This policy defines the university’s designated/paid holidays, eligibility for paid holidays and eligibility for unpaid holidays.

THIS POLICY APPLIES TO

This policy applies to all staff

*For more information on the categories, please see the following link

POLICY

Designated/Paid University Holidays

Vanderbilt designates the following as official university holidays and winter break days each year:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King (MLK) Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • The day after Thanksgiving
  • Winter Break (six days). The exact dates of the six-day winter break vary by year and are posted on the University Official Holiday Calendar. Winter break includes the actual calendar holidays of Christmas Eve and the Christmas Day.

Although the university is closed on the designated/paid holidays, as a residential and research institution, the University can never entirely “close”. Even on designated University holidays some employees may be required to meet University operating requirements. Supervisors determine work schedules based on the operating requirements of their units. If a unit is closed for the holiday, employees may only work with prior written approval.

Eligibility for Paid Holiday

Employees in a paid status on both the scheduled workday before and after a designated University holiday, are immediately eligible for paid holidays as they occur, based on their position’s regularly scheduled work hours and/or fulltime equivalency (FTE). A "day" for the purpose of determining paid holiday time is equal to 1/5 of the employee’s regularly-scheduled hours/FTE per week. For example, if an employee’s regular work schedule is 30 hours per week (or 75% FTE), a day of holiday is the equivalent of 6 hours. 

Hourly-paid employees who normally work shifts of more than eight hours per day may use PTO to supplement the additional hours needed to meet their normal hours when taking a designated University holiday; however, they are not required to do so. For example, an employee who normally works 40 hours a week as four 10-hour days receives 1/5 of their regular work schedule as holiday pay (8 hours) and may use PTO to make up the other two hours if a holiday falls on a day they would ordinarily work.  

Designated/Paid Holidays Occurring During Leaves of Absence
    1. FMLA
      Employees in a paid status before and after the holiday, while on Family Medical Leave (FMLA) or other approved medical leave (e.g., using PTO, parental leave or legacy sick time), are eligible for paid University holidays. Employees in an unpaid status before and after the holiday do not receive the paid University holiday.

      If the University “closes,” and employees are not expected to report for work for one or more weeks (e.g., during winter break), the weeks that the University is closed does not count against an employee’s 12 weeks of FMLA entitlement. See the FMLA policy for more information.
    2. Short-term Disability
      Employees may receive paid University holidays that fall during the two-week (14 calendar day) waiting period for short-term disability insurance (STDI) as long as the employee is in a paid status on the day before and after the holiday, such as using PTO or parental leave.

      Employees are not eligible for paid University holidays when they are on STDI (which is technically an unpaid status, even though the employee is receiving an STDI benefit) or any other unpaid leave period.
Holiday Differential for Designated/Paid Holidays

Employees who are required to work on a designated/paid university holiday will receive an alternate day off before the end of the fiscal year (June 30) or be paid for the holiday in lieu of a day off, at management discretion. For example, an employee who works on Thanksgiving Day in 2018 and is given an alternate day off would have until June 30, 2019, to use the holiday. If employment ends before an employee takes the alternate day off, it will be paid out at the employee's rate of pay at the end of employment.

When hourly-paid (non-exempt) employees work on one of the actual calendar holidays, they are eligible to receive a $6.25 per hour holiday pay differential. The actual calendar holidays are listed below:

  • New Year’s Day (Jan. 1)
  • Martin Luther King (MLK) Day (Third Monday in January)
  • Memorial Day (Monday)
  • Juneteenth (June 19)
  • Independence Day (July 4)
  • Labor Day (First Monday in September)
  • Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday of November)
  • Christmas Eve (Dec. 24)
  • Christmas Day (Dec. 25)

Holiday differential pay is in addition to base pay, and in addition to any applicable shift differential. Each actual calendar holiday covers the 24-­hour period that begins at midnight on the actual holiday and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the same day. Holiday differential pay only applies to the hours worked during that 24­-hour period. Employees who work on other designated holidays (such as July 3, if July 4 falls on a Saturday, or the other days of winter break, such as December 27) are eligible for alternate time off (or straight time pay in lieu of the holiday) but not holiday differential, which only applies to the actual holidays noted above.   

Employees who are on call during the 24­-hour holiday period receive holiday differential only for the hours they actually work if they are called in. 

Unpaid Holidays
  1. Veteran’s Day Off
    Employees who are veterans may request a non-paid holiday on Veteran’s Day (November 11th) in accordance with the Tennessee Veteran’s Day Off law. Employees must submit a request to their supervisor at least fourteen (14) days in advance and may be required to provide proof of their veteran status.

    Employees who are eligible and request the day off for Veterans’ Day can choose to take the day unpaid or use their Paid Time Off (PTO). A request for the day off may be denied if the absence alone or in combination with other absences cause significant economic or operational disruption as determined by the department.
Absences

If an employee calls out of work the day before, the day of, or the day after a holiday, the manager will review the circumstances of the absence. Based on this review, the manager in consultation with HR, may determine whether to count the incident as a regular occurrence of absence or to issue a written warning for an unauthorized holiday related call out.

DEFINITIONS

Designated/Paid Holiday
A designated university holiday is a holiday in which the university is “closed” and eligible employees receive holiday pay. Some departments are not able to close even on designated/paid holidays.

Unpaid Holiday
An unpaid holiday is a holiday in which the university does not close and employees do not receive holiday pay.

Veteran
A former member of the armed forces of the United States, or a former or current member of a reserve or Tennessee national guard unit who was called to active military service of the United States.

Proof of Veteran Status
A DD-214 or other comparable certificate of discharge from the armed forces.

CONSEQUENCES OF NON-COMPLIANCE

Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. 

PROCEDURES

These are the procedures for the Holiday Policy.

Holiday Pay Procedures
Holiday pay and holiday differential is recorded in Oracle. Exempt employees do not record holiday pay.

Veterans’ Day Off Procedures
These are the procedures for requesting Veterans’ Day Off.

  1. Department Notification
    At least fourteen days (14) in advance, notify your supervisor of your desire to take off Veterans’ Day and whether or not you want to take the day unpaid or use PTO.
  2. Recording in Oracle
    Exempt Employees: Depending on whether or not you are using paid leave, enter the appropriate absence type in Oracle (unpaid, PTO).
    Non-exempt Employees: Depending on whether or not you are using paid leave, enter the appropriate absence type in UKG(Kronos) (unpaid, PTO).
  1. Documentation
    Supervisors may ask employees to provide proof of veteran status. A DD-214 or other comparable certificate of discharge from the armed forces can be provided for proof.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: I am a part-time employee that works on Labor Day, do I receive the holiday pay differential?
A: Yes. Full and part-time hourly employees working the actual calendar holiday will receive the holiday pay differential.

Q: I observe a holiday that is not one of the designated/paid University holidays. Am I allowed to take this day off and receive pay?
A: As a diverse and inclusive community, Vanderbilt makes reasonable efforts to allow employees to observe the holiday of their faith that fall on days other than the designated University holidays. Employees may use their PTO to remain in a paid status if they request time off for such religious observations. 

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

Subject

Contact/Position

Office

Phone

Questions

Director, HR Consulting, Employee and Labor Relations

Human Resources

(615) 343-4788

RELATED POLICIES/DOCUMENTS

University Official Holiday calendar | https://hr.vanderbilt.edu/holiday-calendar.php

Paid Time Off (PTO) calendar | https://hr.vanderbilt.edu/policies/PTO.php

Hours of Work | https://hr.vanderbilt.edu/policies/hours-of-work.php

Attendance and Punctuality | https://hr.vanderbilt.edu/policies/attendance-punctuality.php

FMLA policy | https://hr.vanderbilt.edu/policies/fmla.php

 

HISTORY

Issued:                        DATE ISSUED

 

Reviewed:

Comment

 

Amended:
Comment

 

Disclaimer: The policies and procedures that guide employment practices are intended to assist in consistent administration and compliance.  Vanderbilt reserves the right to modify its policies and practices, in whole or in part, at any time.  Revisions to existing policies and procedures, and the development of new policies and procedures, will be made from time to time at the discretion of the University.   When new policies are implemented or existing policies are revised, the University will notify members of the University community as soon as practicable.  However, where differences occur, the most recent policy as reviewed and approved by the University will take precedence. Policies are not intended to apply to statements or actions protected under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. (NLRA) The policies and procedures do not create a contract, implied or expressed, with at-will employees at Vanderbilt.

KEYWORDS

Holiday Pay, Holidays, Short-term Disability Insurance, FMLA, Differential