Dear Colleagues,
GW greatly values its employees and the time they spend advancing our academic and research missions. GW’s progress would not be possible without our staff. At the same time, we recognize that taking time away from work is important too, whether to rest and recharge or to attend to personal matters. GW offers a variety of paid time off programs, including vacation time, sick time, parental leave and university holidays. These are described in the Time Off & Leave Guide.
Today I write to share three updates to our vacation and time off programs: a new cap on vacation time payout at separation, three new early dismissal dates and a new two-day Spring Break Recharge time off period for employees.
The new payout cap applies to eligible full-time and part-time staff and postdocs. The additions to the time off program apply to eligible full-time and part-time faculty and staff and postdocs.
These programs do not apply to faculty and staff covered by a collective bargaining agreement unless (i) such agreement expressly permits the programs or (ii) a collective bargaining representative reaches a separate written agreement with the university regarding a program. The Postdoc Time Off and Leave Guide is currently under review and any further changes will be communicated by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs.
New cap on vacation time payout at separation
Effective July 1, 2026, the university will cap the vacation time balance eligible for payout upon separation at 80 hours for eligible full-time staff (40 hours for eligible part-time staff) while allowing staff to retain and use their existing accrued vacation balances.
This new cap applies solely to the payout of unused vacation time upon separation from the university. There are no changes to the vacation time accrual rates, maximum accrual limits or employees’ ability to use accrued vacation time during active employment.
Recognizing the need to adjust to this new cap, the university will provide a three-year transition period related to the payout of existing accrued balances. Here are some important aspects of this transition period:
-
For full-time staff hired before July 1, 2026, who separate from the university before July 1, 2029, the payout will be the greater of:
- their vacation time balance as of June 30, 2026, minus time taken through their separation date; or
- a maximum of 80 hours (40 hours for eligible part-time staff).
- If during this three-year period an employee’s balance drops below 80 hours due to usage, they may continue to accrue and use hours above that amount, but their payout amount at separation will be capped at a maximum of 80 hours (40 hours for eligible part-time staff).
-
Employees hired on or after July 1, 2026, are subject to the 80-hour payout cap (40 hours for eligible part-time staff) regardless of separation date.
- Effective July 1, 2029, all employees will be subject to the 80-hour payout cap at separation (40 hours for eligible part-time staff).
Further information and examples for employees in different situations can be found in the Time Off & Leave Guide, which has been updated to reflect this program change.
While we recognize that vacation time is important, we are implementing this new payout cap to address the growing financial liability associated with unused vacation time. University leaders decided to make this change to achieve the FY27 budget and begin planning for future years while avoiding other actions that might have a greater negative impact.
Lastly, on behalf of university leaders, we strongly encourage you to use your vacation time. We particularly encourage our staff with 10+ years of service with the ability to accrue up to 288 hours to use their vacation time. Please remember to record your time accurately via the Time Reporting System (TRS). For TRS instructions, including how to access the system and review and request vacation time, please visit the GW Time Reporting System website.
Early paid time off dismissals
During discussions with the Workplace Flexibility Discussion Group, we heard a clear request to set a standard for early dismissal before certain holidays and to expand the list of holidays to which this applies.
The university currently provides early dismissal at 2 p.m. on the day before Thanksgiving. Recognizing that different staff have different working hours, that will be amended going forward to “early dismissal three hours before your regularly scheduled dismissal time.”
In addition to the day before Thanksgiving, the university will now also provide early dismissal three hours before regularly scheduled dismissal time to eligible staff on the workdays before Memorial Day, Juneteenth and Independence Day. These four days are the only four holidays before which early dismissal will be permitted, and the three-hour time is to be applied consistently across the university, as long as the office’s essential functions are performed and the needs of students, faculty and staff are met.
Early dismissal time is subject to the “University Time Off Compensation Guidelines” found in the Time Off & Leave Guide, which have been updated to reflect this program change. These include guidelines pertaining to employees scheduled to work during early dismissal time, employees not regularly scheduled to work during early dismissal time, and timing for using substitute time.
New two-day paid Spring Break time off
The Workplace Flexibility Discussion Group made a compelling case for more flexibility during Spring Break, considering how lightly populated our campuses are at that time. As we considered the options discussed around Spring Break, we have decided to add the Thursday and Friday of Spring Break week as paid time off for eligible staff. The exact dates of this new Spring Break Recharge time off will be added to the University Holiday Schedule moving forward, beginning in 2027. Eligible staff who work in academic units with Spring Break dates that differ from the university’s standard Spring Break will receive the same Thursday/Friday time off during their respective unit’s break, instead of the university Spring Break week.
This new Spring Break Recharge time off is subject to the “University Time Off Compensation Guidelines” found in the Time Off & Leave Guide, which have been updated to reflect this program change. These include guidelines pertaining to employees scheduled to work during Spring Break Recharge time, employees not regularly scheduled to work during Spring Break Recharge time and timing for using substitute time.
If you have questions, contact the Benefits team at 571-553-8382 or timeoff@gwu.edu.
* * * * *
As I conclude this memorandum, let me reiterate how much the university values each one of you. We are grateful to have you as colleagues and know how vital your collective and individual contributions are to the success of GW.
Sincerely,
Sabrina Minor
Vice President and Chief People Officer
