Paid Time Off (PTO)
Description: Benefits eligible employees earn Paid Time Off (PTO) through a leave accrual program as part of the comprehensive benefits package provided at OU. PTO is a combined leave bank of time for all approved time off, including vacation, personal time, bereavement, personal illness, and illness of a family member.
Employees Who Earn PTO: Paid leave benefits are available to staff and 12-month faculty who hold benefits eligible appointments. Leave for medical residents and post-doctoral fellows at HSC and 9-month faculty is described on the HSC Programs link under Leave Accrual Rates below. Students and temporary employees are not eligible for paid time off.
Maximum Accrual: Paid leave time can be accrued up to the maximum allowance described under the Leave Accrual Rates table below. Time accrued beyond the maximum allowance will be deposited in an Extended Sick Leave (ESL) account.
Reemployment - Leave Accrual Rate: Benefits-eligible employees who have two or more years of continuous service and who return to the University in a benefits-eligible position within 90 calendar days following termination under satisfactory conditions may have their previously accrued service time and remaining accrued benefits, including ESL balances, restored to their employment record. This action requires a recommendation from the department head and approval by the Chief Human Resources Officer. Employees who are terminated under unsatisfactory conditions may not be eligible for reemployment.
| Employment Type | Years of Service | Biweekly Paid Accrual Per Hour | Monthly Paid Accrual Per Month | Annual Accrual | Maximum Accrual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Officers, Administrative Officers, and 12-Month Faculty | Each year | 0.1269 | 22 Hours | 33 days (264 Hours) | 42 days (336 Hours) |
| All of Staff | 1st-5th year (0 - 60 months) | 0.1038 | 18 Hours | 27 days (216 Hours) | 42 days (336 Hours) |
| 6th-10th year (61-120 months) | 0.1154 | 20 Hours | 30 days (240 Hours) | 42 days (336 Hours) | |
| 11 or more years (121+ months) | 0.1269 | 22 Hours | 33 days (264 Hours) | 42 days (336 Hours) |
*Disclaimer: All Paid Time Off (PTO) calculations are based on full-time employment. For information regarding part-time accrural rates please visit the Human Resources PTO page.
Accrual rates for salaried employees are prorated based on Full Time Equivalenc (FTE) as described below. Paid leave does not accrue during leave without pay or Extended Sick Leave.
FTE and Multiplier for Leave
.50 - .59 FTE multiply the rate by .5
.60 - .74 FTE multiply the rate by .75
.75 - 1.0 FTE multiply the rate by 1.0
Example: A 12-month salaried employee in their third year of employment with .60 FTE would accrue 13.5 hours of paid leave for each full month worked.
Calculation: 18 hours (accrual for 3 year employee with 1.00 FTE) x .75 = 13.5 hours accrued.
Hourly employees accrue paid leave per hour paid. This includes regular hours worked, paid leave, and holidays, but excludes Extended Sick Leave and overtime hours.
Example: An houlry paid employee in their third year of employment with a 0.60 FTE would accrue based on thier Hours Worked x Biweekly Paid Accrual Per Hour x Leave Multiplier.
Calculation: 80 hours worked x 0.1038 (years 0 -5 of employment) x 0.75 (0.60 FTE) = 6.228 hours of PTO accrued for the biweekly payroll cycle.
Termination: Employees are paid their leave balances up to their annual accrual amount. Employees appointed to grants and contracts accounts will not be paid for accrued leave upon termination unless the grant or contract contains sufficient funds to pay for accrued leave.
Salaried employees terminating on the 15th of the month or before will not accumulate any leave for that month. Those terminating after the 15th of the month will accumulate a full month’s worth of leave.
Hourly employees receive paid leave accrual on the hours they are paid for.
Extended Sick Leave balances are not paid out upon termination.
Retiring: Employees are paid their full leave balances up to the maximum accrual amount; except that employees appointed to grants and contracts accounts will not be paid for accrued leave upon termination unless the grant or contract contains sufficient funds to pay for accrued leave. Extended Sick Leave balances are not paid out upon retirement.
New salaried employees hired on the 15th of the month or before will accumulate a full month’s leave. Monthly-paid employees hired after the 15th of the month will not accumulate any leave for that initial month.
New hourly employees receive paid leave accrual per hour they are paid for.
When an employee’s years of service move them to the next accrual level, the employee will receive the higher accrual rate beginning the next pay period.
Example: A monthly paid employee beginning their sixth year (61st month) of employment with an anniversary date of March 10 would receive an accrual rate of 20 (instead of 18) for the month of April.
Faculty appointed to 9-month positions* accrue 96 hours (12 days) of extended sick leave per year. There is no maximum accrual amount for full-time faculty members with the rank of instructor or above who hold continuous appointments.
9-month faculty do not accrue other paid leave. Absences of 9-month faculty for reasons other than personal illness will be charged as leave without pay.
Norman Faculty Handbook: Extended Sick Leave Policy for Nine-Month Faculty, Section 3.21.4
Employees appointed to grants and contracts accounts are expected to use all earned paid leave time during the specified period of their appointment unless:
- The grant or contract contains sufficient funds to pay accumulated leave time upon termination or
- The employee is transferring to a department that is willing to accept the accrued leave.
Additional Leave Information
For more information regarding PTO please visit the OU Human Resources web page
