SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

HUMAN RESOURCES POLICY B-4

HOLIDAYS

REVISED 01/20/2004

                                               

 

 

SUBJECT:   Holidays

 

PURPOSE:   To establish a standard policy for employees to regulate the administration of holidays.

 

POLICY:  It is the policy of Sam Houston State University to provide regular employees time off with pay for holidays that are authorized by the State Legislature.

                 

CONTENTS:            

1.  Eligibility

2.  Holiday Schedule

3.  Determination of Holiday Pay

4.  Holiday Worked

5.  Varying Work Schedules

6.  Observing Religious Holidays

7.  Time Reporting for Non-Exempt and Exempt FLSA Status

 

 

1.   Eligibility

 

a.   All regular employees, employees who are employed to work at least twenty (20) hours per week for a period of at least four and one-half (4 1/2) months excluding students employed in positions which require student status as a condition of employment, are entitled to time off with pay in recognition of approved holidays as follows:

 

(1)   A regular employee is entitled to a paid day off for the day the holiday is observed if the employee is not on unpaid leave. 

 

(2)   A regular employee who begins employment on the first workday of a month is entitled to be paid for observed holidays in that month that fall before the first workday.

 

(3)   A regular employee who ends employment on the last workday of a month is entitled to be paid for observed holidays in that month that fall after the last workday.

 

b.   Lump sum vacation payments for terminating employees with at least six (6) months state service credit are computed as though the employee actually worked, and any state or national holiday that falls within this period is not charged against accrued vacation time; that is, holidays that fall on a recognized workday have the effect of extending the accrued vacation time.

                       

c.   In the event that a state or national holiday falls between the dates that an employee separates from one state agency and begins employment in another state agency without a break in service, the agency to which the employee transfers is responsible for paying the employee for the holiday.

                                   

2.   Holiday Schedule

 

a.   Holidays are identified into three (3) types: national, state, and optional holidays.  The recognized holidays by types are:

                       

(1)   National Holidays - Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.

 

(2)   State Holidays - Day After Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve Day, Day After Christmas, Confederate Heroes Day, Texas Independence Day, San Jacinto Day, Emancipation Day, and LBJ's Birthday.

 

(3)   Optional Holidays (in lieu of another holiday) - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Good Friday, and Cesar Chavez Day.

 

b.   Eligible employees are entitled to a paid day off from work on each recognized national, state, and optional holiday if the holiday(s) does not fall on a Saturday or Sunday, and if the General Appropriations Act does not prohibit state agencies from observing the holiday.

                       

c.   The Texas Legislature determines the holidays each biennium, and then the specific university holiday schedule is prepared and approved so as not to interfere with classes.  The total number of holidays to be observed by eligible university employees is the same as is entitled by law for employees of any state agency; holidays are just not all scheduled on the same days by different agencies.  Refer to the current holiday schedule for specific days.

 

3.   Determination of Holiday Pay

 

All eligible full-time employees shall receive pay for the day the holiday is observed equal to eight (8) hours or one day at the regular straight time rate.  All eligible employees who work less than full-time shall receive pay for the day the holiday is observed on a proportionate basis.

 

4.   Holiday Worked

 

All eligible employees who are working on the day a holiday is observed shall be entitled to: (1) compensating time off during the twelve-month period following the date of the holiday worked to be taken as mutually agreed upon by the employee and their supervisor, or (2) pay in lieu of time off for the hours worked equal to the employee's straight time rate when taking the time off would be disruptive to normal teaching, research, and other critical functions.  When an employee is scheduled to work on a holiday and becomes ill, he/she may use sick leave that day and receive the holiday in compensatory time.

 

Compensatory time earned in lieu of a holiday, which is not taken within twelve (12) months, will be lost.  Employees are required to give reasonable advance notice when taking compensatory time, however, do not have to specify the reason for the request.

 

5.   Varying Work Schedules

 

Departments with work schedules other than the normal Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., will insure their eligible employees working unusual schedules observe the proportionately equivalent number of holidays each year as do employees working normal schedules.

 

6.   Observing Religious Holidays

 

Employees are entitled to observe the optional religious holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Good Friday in lieu of any state holiday.

 

7.   Time Reporting for Non-Exempt and Exempt FLSA Status

 

A non-exempt employee's "Personnel Time Report" must reflect the number of hours worked during a pay period in which a holiday falls, including hours worked on a designated holiday.  If an employee works on a holiday, the time worked should be reported in the appropriate time earned column following current “Personnel Time Report” guidelines.  When the employee later uses the time, it is likewise recorded on the “Personnel Time Report”.  If an employee is to be paid for working on the holiday in lieu of compensatory time off, the hours worked on the holiday should be recorded in the appropriate time paid column.  Those hours will be paid in the next regular check after the "Personnel Time Report" is submitted.

 

Although employees exempt from the FLSA do not submit time reports detailing hours worked, the provisions of this policy regarding compensatory time off for employees who are required to work on a holiday will apply to all employees equally.  Records concerning holiday compensatory time for exempt employees should be maintained at the departmental level.

                 

Approved:

James F. Gaertner, President

Sam Houston State University