8.1 Vacation/Annual Leave

1. Employees shall not be entitled to vacation leave credit for the first six (6) months of service. On the first day of the monthly pay period following completion of six (6) qualifying monthly pay periods of continuous service, all full-time employees covered by this section shall receive a one-time vacation bonus of forty-two (42) hours of vacation credit. Less than full-time employees shall be allowed, on a pro-rata basis, the fractional part of the bonus vacation credit. Thereafter, for each additional qualifying monthly pay period, full-time employees shall be allowed credit for vacation with pay on the first day of the following month as follows:
• 7 months to 3 years 7 hours per month
• 37 months to 10 years 10 hours per month
• 121 months to 15 years 12 hours per month
• 181 months to 20 years 13 hours per month
• 241 months and over 14 hours per month
2. Employees may elect to enroll in the Annual Leave Program to receive annual leave credit in lieu of vacation and sick leave credits. Enrollment into and out of the Annual Leave Program will occur annually during an open enrollment period during the month of April. All enrollments must be received by the employee's personnel office from April 1 to April 30. The effective date of the election shall be the first day of the June pay period.
3. Each full-time employee shall receive credit for annual leave in lieu of the vacation and sick leave credits of this Agreement in accordance with the following schedule:
• 1 month to 3 years 11 hours per month
• 37 months to 10 years 14 hours per month
• 121 months to 15 years 16 hours per month
• 181 months to 20 years 17 hours per month
• 241 months and over 18 hours per month
4. Employees who elect to move to the vacation and sick leave programs will have the employee's accrued annual leave balances converted to vacation. Employees shall have the continued use of any sick leave accrued as of the effective date of this Agreement.
5. A full-time employee who has eleven (11) or more working days of service in a monthly pay period shall earn Vacation/Annual Leave credits as set forth under subsection A above or C respectively. Absences from State service resulting from a temporary or permanent separation for more than eleven (11) consecutive working days which fall into two (2) consecutive qualifying pay periods shall disqualify the second pay period.
6. Less than full-time and hourly employees shall accrue proportional Vacation/Annual Leave credits, in accordance with the chart shown in section 7.1 (L) of this Contract.
7. Vacation/Annual Leave accrual for employees in multiple positions will be computed by combining all positions, provided the result does not exceed the amount earnable in full-time employment, and the rate of accrual shall be determined by the schedule which applies to the position or collective bargaining status under which the election was made.
8. Annual Leave that is used for purposes of sick leave is subject to the requirements set forth in section 8.2, Sick Leave, of this Contract.
9. Work Week Group 2 employees may take Vacation/Annual Leave credits in fifteen (15) minute increments.
10. Work Week Group 2 employees are authorized to use existing fractional Vacation/Annual Leave hours that may have been accumulated.
11. Subject to operational needs, the time when Vacation/Annual Leave shall be taken by the employee shall not be unreasonably denied. Employee Vacation/Annual Leave requests shall be submitted and granted or denied in writing in a timely manner. Vacation/Annual Leave can only be cancelled when unanticipated operational needs require it.
12. Vacation/Annual Leave requests must be submitted in accordance with departmental policies on this subject. However, when two (2) or more employees on the same shift (if applicable) in a work unit (as defined by each department head or designee) request the same Vacation/Annual Leave time and approval cannot be given to all employees requesting it, employees shall be granted the employee's preferred Vacation/Annual Leave period in order of seniority (defined as total months of State service in the same manner as Vacation/Annual Leave is accumulated). When two (2) or more employees have the same amount of State service, department seniority will be used to break the tie. Vacation/Annual Leave schedules, which have been established in a work unit, pursuant to the seniority provisions in this Article, shall not be affected by employee(s) entering the unit after the schedule has been established.
13. If an employee does not use all of the Vacation/Annual Leave that the employee has accrued in a calendar year, the employee may carry over the employee's accrued Vacation/Annual Leave credits to the following calendar year to a maximum of six hundred forty (640) hours. A department head or designee may permit an employee to carry over more than six hundred forty (640) hours of accrued Vacation/Annual Leave hours if an employee was unable to reduce the employee's accrued hours because the employee: (1) was required to work as a result of fire, flood, or other extensive emergency; (2) was assigned work of a priority or critical nature over an extended period of time; (3) was absent on full salary for compensable injury; (4) was prevented by department regulations from taking Vacation/Annual Leave until December 31 because of sick leave; or (5) was on jury duty.
14. By June 1 of each calendar year those employees whose Vacation/Annual Leave balance exceeds, or could exceed by December 31, the Vacation/Annual Leave cap of subsection M must submit to the employee's supervisor for approval a plan to use Vacation/Annual Leave to bring the employee's balance below the cap. If the employee fails to submit a plan, or adhere to an approved plan, the department head or designee has the right to order an employee to take sufficient Vacation/Annual Leave to reduce the employee's Vacation/Annual Leave balance or potential balance on December 31 below the cap specified in subsection M.
15. Upon termination from State employment, the employee shall be paid for accrued Vacation/Annual Leave credits for all accrued Vacation/Annual Leave time.
16. An employee who returns to State service after an absence of six (6) months or longer, caused by a permanent separation, shall receive a one-time vacation credit on the first monthly pay period following completion of six (6) qualifying pay periods of continuous service in accordance with the employee's total State service before and after the absence.
17. Employees may be permitted annually to cash out up to eighty (80) hours of accumulated Vacation/Annual Leave as follows:

On or before May 1 of each year, starting in the 2017 calendar year, each department head (Director, Executive Officer, etc.) or designee will advise department employees whether the department has funds available for the purpose of cashing out accumulated Vacation/Annual Leave. In those departments that have funds available, employees will be advised of the number of hours that may be cashed out, not to exceed eighty (80) hours. Employees who wish to cash out Vacation/Annual Leave must submit a written request during the month of May to the individual designated by the Department Director. Departments will issue cash payments for cashed out Vacation/Annual Leave during the month of June.