Personal Leave for EHRA Employees

The UNC System Office recently established a new Personal Leave Program for vacation leave accrual for EHRA leave-earning employees. Effective January 1, 2025, all EHRA employees hired on or after January 1, 2025, will be subject to the new Personal Leave Program.

EHRA employees hired before January 1, 2025, will have a one-time opportunity to opt in to the new Personal Leave Program in 2025; the decision to opt in will be irrevocable. Current EHRA employees who do not opt in will continue to accrue Annual Leave as vacation leave.

The establishment of the Personal Leave Program means that the vacation leave an EHRA employee earns is determined by the employee’s date of hire and/or whether the employee chose to opt in to the Personal Leave Program:

  • Annual Leave is the vacation leave for EHRA employees who were hired before January 1, 2025, and who did NOT opt in to the Personal Leave Program.
  • Personal Leave is the vacation leave for:
    • All EHRA employees hired on or after January 1, 2025.
    • EHRA employees hired before January 1, 2025, who chose to opt in to the Personal Leave Program.

See the Personal & Annual Leave Comparison section below for details about both programs.

The new Personal Leave Program only affects vacation leave for new EHRA employees and current EHRA employees who choose to opt in; the Personal Leave Program does not affect any other leave programs. Employees under the Personal Leave Program accrue and are entitled to other leave allotments (Sick Leave, Civil Leave, Personal Observance, etc.) per the policies already established for those leaves and in the same way as employees in the Annual Leave Program.

For general guidance on how to manage your annual and personal leave choices, including information on leave transfers and frequently asked questions about the Personal Leave Program, please check the General Personal Leave Guidance document from the UNC System Office.

For the full policy, see the Leave Programs for Faculty and Staff Exempt from the North Carolina Human Resources Act, UNC Policy Manual, 300.2.22.

 

When is this happening?

The new Personal Leave Program is effective beginning Jan. 1, 2025. All new University employees hired into EHRA positions on or after January 1, 2025, will be subject to the Personal Leave Program for accruing vacation leave.

In the spring of 2025, current EHRA employees who are in leave-earning positions will have a one-time opportunity to opt in to the Personal Leave Program. The decision to opt in will be irrevocable. Look for communications from The Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity (formerly Human Resources) with details about this opt-in opportunity in early 2025.

 

Who earns Personal Leave?

The new Personal Leave Program applies to the following employees:

New EHRA employees

All permanent SAAO, EPS, and Faculty with 12-month appointments whose effective date of employment at East Carolina University is on or after January 1, 2025, will accrue leave in accordance with the Personal Leave Program.

Employee transferring to an EHRA position on or after January 1, 2025

Any employee who transfers to an EHRA position from another UNC System school after January 1, 2025, will be subject to the Personal Leave Program.

Current EHRA employees who choose to opt in

The following employees may choose to opt in to the Personal Leave Program or remain with the Annual Leave Program:

  • Employees hired into a permanent EHRA position at the University before January 1, 2025.
  • Employees hired into a permanent SHRA position at the University before January 1, 2025, who:
    • Accept an EHRA position on or after January 1, 2025, or
    • Choose to convert to an EHRA position on or after January 1, 2025.

The decision to opt in to the Personal Leave Program will be irrevocable. The Department for People Operations, Success, and Opportunity (formerly Human Resources) will develop and distribute information about the opt-in dates and process in spring 2025.

 

Personal Leave Details

Learn more about the new Personal Leave Program for EHRA employees:

Accrual rate

The annual accrual for Personal Leave is 26 days/208 hours (prorated for part-time).

  • Personal Leave accrues at a monthly rate and is adjusted proportionately for permanent part-time employees who work halftime or more (0.50 – 0.99 FTE) or who are on contract for fewer than twelve months.
  • The monthly earnings amount is equal to one-twelfth of the annual rate.
  • Leave is earned monthly when an employee works or is in approved paid status at least half the working days of a month.

Carryforward

  • Employees may carry forward up to 20 days/160 hours of unused leave into the next year (prorated for part-time).
  • Any remaining unused leave is forfeited.

Payout

  • Unused Personal Leave is never paid out.
  • Any remaining unused leave is forfeited.
  • Personal Leave can be contributed as Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL), similar to Vacation and Annual Leave and subject to the requirements of the VSL policy.

Transfer

  • New Appointments within ECU | If an employee receives a new appointment within the University, then all Personal Leave and/or Annual Leave retained will transfer to the new appointment.
  • Transfer to Another UNC System Institution | If an employee transfers to another UNC System institution to an eligible EHRA position, then up to a maximum of twenty (20) days of Personal Leave will transfer to the new institution, and any excess leave will be forfeited. Annual Leave, up to 30 days, will be paid out prior to transfer.

 

Personal Leave and Annual Leave Comparison

Personal Leave and Annual Leave are accrued at a monthly rate and adjusted proportionately for permanent part-time employees who work halftime or more (0.50 – 0.99 FTE) or who are on contract for fewer than twelve months. The monthly earnings amount is equal to one-twelfth of the annual rate. Leave is earned monthly when an employee works or is in approved paid status at least half the working days of a month.

Personal Leave

  • Applies to:
    • Eligible EHRA employees hired on or after January 1, 2025.
    • Eligible EHRA employees who choose to opt in to this program.
  • Annual Accrual: 26 days/208 hours (prorated for part-time).
  • Carryforward of unused leave: Employees may carry forward up to 20 days/160 hours (prorated for part-time) of unused leave into the next year. Any remaining unused leave is forfeited.
  • Payout upon separation: Unused Personal Leave is never paid out. Any remaining unused leave is forfeited. Personal leave can be contributed as Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL), similar to Vacation and Annual Leave and subject to the requirements of the VSL policy.

Annual Leave

  • Applies to: Eligible EHRA employees hired and who remain in active leave-earning status on or before December 31, 2024.
  • Annual Accrual:
    • 24 days/192 hours for EPS employees (prorated for part-time)
    • 26 days/208 hours for SAAO employees (prorated for part-time).
  • Carryforward of unused leave: Employees may carry forward up to 30 days/240 hours (prorated for part-time) of unused leave into the next year. Any remaining unused leave is converted to sick leave.
  • Payout upon separation: Employees may be paid out up to 30 days/240 hours of unused Annual Leave under a qualifying event like separation.

 

Timekeeping Information for Kronos Administrators

For EHRA employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2025:

  • A new accrual, EHRA Personal Leave, will be assigned in Kronos.
  • These employees can earn up to 17.33 hours (26 days a year) of EHRA Personal Leave on the last day of each month based on their FTE percentage.
  • These employees will have access to the new EHRA Personal Leave pay code in Kronos to take the Personal Leave hours they have accrued.
  • No Personal Leave hours are paid out to employees at separation.
    • Kronos Administrators will enter the new Termination EHRA Personal Leave pay code and hours to remove the EHRA Personal Leave balance at termination in Kronos.
    • These hours will not be sent to Payroll.
  • Up to 160 hours of Personal Leave may be retained at the end of a calendar year.
    • All hours over 160 at the end of the calendar year will be forfeited.
    • Remaining unused Personal Leave will not convert to Sick Leave.

For EHRA employees hired before January 1, 2025, or who qualify under specific conditions:

  • These employees will continue to earn and take Annual Vacation hours and to use the current Vacation pay codes in Kronos.
  • The limit for Vacation Leave payout at separation will remain at 240 hours.
  • Vacation hours over 240 at the end of the calendar year will still carry forward to Sick Leave.
  • The amount of Annual Vacation hours currently earned at the end of the month will not change.