Human Resource Services

Leave Payment > Appointments > HR Professional > HRS Home

Leave Payment

When employees retire or separate from the university, you'll want to make sure that they get paid for their unused leave and holiday time. Refer to the following resources for help in the process of paying out leave.

Eligibility for Leave Payment

Employees who separate from the university, transfer to another state agency, or become deceased may be eligible to receive payment for the following types of leave.

Vacation (Annual Leave) Payment

If an employee transfers to another State of Texas agency with no break in service, the vacation (annual leave) balance will be transferred to the other agendcy. In order to be eligible for payment of unused vacation, employees must meet the following requirements:

  • They must have six months continuous service in a vacation earning status.
  • They must have separated from university employment.

In accordance with state law, vacation payments must also include payment for holidays that fall after the employee's separation date, provided the vacation and floating holiday balance is sufficient to carry them through the holiday.

Floating Holiday Payment

Upon separation from university employment or transfer to another state agency, an employee shall be paid for any unused floating holiday balance. If the employee is also eligible to be paid for unused vacation hours, this payment should be made on the same voucher. Floating holiday hours should be listed as a separate item on the voucher, and not combined with the vacation balance.

Sick Leave Payment

If an employee dies, their estate is entitled to receive payment for half of the final sick leave balance or 336 hours, whichever is less. The payment should be made using an electronic voucher (OV6), and a single voucher should be used to pay any vacation, floating holiday, or sick leave owed. Sick leave should be listed as a separate item on the voucher, and not combined with the vacation or floating holiday balances.

top

How to Pay Employees for Unused Leave

In order to pay employees for vacation, floating holiday, or sick leave, your department must create a vacation voucher. You should create the voucher as soon as possible after an employee's separation in order to ensure timely payment. If an employee separates from the university or dies, take the following steps to pay them for unused vacation, floating holiday, and sick leave.

Leave-payment Steps

  • Complete and submit a separation form to Human Resource Services—a separation form is required in order to pay out separating/deceased/transferring employees.
  • End the employee's final appointment(s) in *DEFINE using the appropriate separation code from the Appointment Reason Codes
  • To pay separating or transferring employees: complete a vacation voucher electronically, using an OV6 electronic document in *DEFINE
  • Use account number 18-9999-0151 to make lump-sum payments for vacation, floating holiday, and sick leave
  • Determine the rate that will be used for payment:
    • The OV6 document will automatically calculate the rate used for payment
  • Figure out the correct number of hours to pay the employee for unused leave:
    • Check with the vacation/sick leave maintainer for your department to find out the employee's final balances
    • Verify that the employee has turned in all timesheets, and all deductions for time used have been made
    • Make sure that the employee's vacation and floating holiday balances in *DEFINE match the hours being paid on the voucher
  • Determine if any holiday pay (as it applies to lump sum vacation payments) is owed:
    • Determine the number of hours in the employee's workday by dividing the hours worked per week by five
    • Determine the number of days by dividing the final vacation and floating holiday balance by the number of hours in the employee's workday, and round up the result to the nearest whole number
    • Count forward this number of workdays, beginning with the first workday after the separation date. Skip over any holidays or weekends.
    • If any holidays were skipped over, the employee should be paid the appropriate number of hours for each holiday (eight hours for full time employees, four hours for half time employees, etc.)
    • Holiday pay should be listed as a separate item on the voucher, and not combined with vacation or any other balances
    • Note: Holiday pay in this context should not be confused with holiday pay for actual hours worked on a holiday. Hours worked on a holiday are not paid on the same voucher as a vacation, floating holiday, or sick leave payment
  • Submit OV6 electronic vouchers through *DEFINE

top

When to Complete Vacation Vouchers

Your department should complete a vacation voucher immediately upon termination, separation or death. If an employee will be returning to State of Texas employment with no break in service, then you shouldn't process a vacation voucher—the employee should simply transfer the vacation balance to the new State of Texas agency.

After HRS receives vacation vouchers, the payment is processed in the next semimonthly payroll. HRS needs to receive vouchers prior to the appropriate payroll deadline in order for vouchers to be processed and paid out on time. You can find payroll-processing deadlines and check-release dates listed in *DEFINE under command OVP.

Verifying Employees' Separation Dates

To figure out an employee's separation date, look at AL1 in *DEFINE. The ending date of the appointment is the official separation date. If the employee's appointment has not ended yet, contact the appropriate person in your department to make sure this is done. The separation date given on a voucher should match the ending date of the employee's appointment. If these dates do not match, it may cause delays in processing the voucher.

Leave Payment Checks

Leave payment checks will be distributed to employees the same way their previous payroll checks have been distributed unless employees make other arrangements with Payroll Services at the time of separation. Direct any questions regarding check distribution to Payroll Services at 512-471-5271.

Vacation Voucher Training

You can get training on the use of OV6 documents by enrolling in the class DE216- Payroll Vouchers, offered by the Office of Accounting.