Paid Annual Leave and Accrual
Paid Annual Leave
The rate of vacation accrual for eligible employees is based on an employee’s length of continuous service. Regular/full-time employees earn vacation according to the chart below:
| Years of Service | Monthly Earnings | Annual Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 5 Years | 10 Hours (1 1/4 Days) | 15 Working Days |
| 5 – 10 Years | 12 Hours (1 1/2 Days) | 18 Working Days |
| Over 10 Years | 14 Hours (1 3/4 Days) | 21 Working Days |
When Your Annual Leave Accrual Starts
- If you start work on or before the 15th of the month:
- Your annual leave accrues from your first day of employment.
- If you start work after the 15th of the month:
- Your annual leave accrues starting from the 1st day of the next month.
Annual Leave Accumulation
- Maximum Accrued Leave:
- You can accumulate up to 360 hours (45 days) of annual leave.
- Excess Leave:
- Any leave time accrued over the 360-hour limit is lost at the end of the year (December 31).
- E.g. If you have 400 hours of annual leave on December 31, on January 1 you will have 360 hours of annual leave.
- Payment for Accrued Leave:
- When you end your employment, the University System of Georgia will compensate you for the annual leave you have accrued—up to a maximum of 360 hours.
- Retirement Credit:
- If you are planning to retire via the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Plan, please note that annual leave is not utilized to add to your years of service upon retirement.
Not sure of your retirement plan? See retirement options here.
- If you are planning to retire via the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Plan, please note that annual leave is not utilized to add to your years of service upon retirement.
- Breaks in Service
- If you have a break of service greater than 30 days, your annual leave accrual will start over as a new hire at 0 years of service. The accrual is for continuous years of employment.
Eligibility
- Regular/full-time Employees:
- Full-time employees earn vacation according to the chart at the top of the page.
- Temporary Employees:
- Temporary employees are not eligible to earn or accrue annual leave.
- Prorated Leave:
- If you work more than 50% of a full-time schedule (but less than 100%), your annual leave is adjusted (or prorated) based on your work commitment.
You can review the Annual Leave Policy here.
Paid Sick Leave
All regular/full-time employees earn and accrue sick leave. Regular/full-time employees earn paid sick leave according to the chart below:
| Years of Service | Monthly Earnings | Annual Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 10+ Years | 8 Hours (1 Day) | 12 Working Days |
Sick Leave Accumulation
- Maximum Accrued Leave:
- Sick leave accrues continuously throughout your employment and is cumulative with no maximum limit.
- Payment for Accrued Leave:
- The University System of Georgia does not compensate employees for accrued sick leave at termination of employment.
- Retirement Credit:
- If you plan to retire via the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Plan, sick leave credit can be added to your years of service upon retirement. (Annual leave is not used for additional service credit) Certain restrictions apply.
Not sure of your retirement plan? See retirement options here.
- If you plan to retire via the Teachers Retirement System (TRS) Plan, sick leave credit can be added to your years of service upon retirement. (Annual leave is not used for additional service credit) Certain restrictions apply.
Eligibility
- Regular/full-time Employees:
- Full-time employees earn vacation according to the chart at the top of this section.
- Temporary Employees:
- Temporary employees are not eligible to earn or accrue sick leave.
- Prorated Leave:
- If you work more than 50% of a full-time schedule (but less than 100%), your sick leave is adjusted (or prorated) based on your work commitment.
You can review the Sick Leave Policy here.
Shared Sick Leave Program
The Shared Sick Leave Program allows USG employees to donate unused sick leave to a pool for possible use by another institutional employee who is experiencing a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) qualifying condition or whose immediate family member is experiencing a serious health condition and who has used all of their accumulated paid leave.
Enrollment in the program is available only during the annual benefits open enrollment period.
Enrollment requires a sick leave donation in increments of 8 hours, up to a maximum of 80 hours. Membership is open to regular, benefits eligible employees who have completed their 6 month provisional period. Joining employees must retain at least 40 hours of accrued sick leave after their donation, which will be collected in the January payroll.
Current members do not need to re-enroll but are welcome to make additional donations.
To enroll or donate additional hours to the Shared Sick Leave Program, please complete the Shared Sick Leave Program donation form.
You can review the Shared Sick Leave Program Policy here.
Educational Leave
Any full benefits eligible, non-temporary employee of the University System of Georgia,
may request to use and be considered for Educational Leave. Educational leave renews annually and does not accrue.
| Years of Service | Annual Earning | Annual Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 10+ Years | 8 Hours | 1 Working Day |
Education Leave is used for activities that promote education in Georgia and may include, but are not limited to, some of the following:
- Attend Parent/Teacher conferences
- Participate in classroom activities, such as reading to a class or presenting on career day
- Tutor students without receiving compensation
- Proctor examinations
- Attend award and recognition ceremonies or graduation exercises
- Participate in field day activities or chaperone field trips
- Attend open house functions
Educational Leave Guidelines
- Education support leave may not be utilized by the employee for themselves or for their spouse.
- Employees must not receive pay for services they perform while using education support leave.
- Employees must receive prior approval from their supervisor before providing the services for which they are requesting education support leave.
- The USG institution or office has discretion to require written verification from a school administrator, teacher, or other official prior to approval.
You can review the Educational Leave Policy here.
Voting Leave
The USG encourages employees to exercise their right to vote in all federal, state, and local elections.
All regular, fully benefited Georgia Southern employees may take up to two (2) hours of paid time off to vote in-person in municipal, county, state, or federal elections, either on election day or on a designated in-person early voting day. Employees should notify their supervisor, in advance, to coordinate with departmental scheduling.
Employees may use annual leave or compensatory time if more than two hours are needed. Voting leave is not cumulative; unused time does not carry over to future elections/years.
For those employees not eligible for paid voting leave, institutions should offer flexible scheduling to ensure all employees can vote within the two-hour limit.
You can review the Voting Leave Policy here.
You can review the USG Voting and Court Duty Leave policy here.
Jury Duty / Court Duty Leave
Georgia Southern employees are supported in fulfilling their civic responsibilities. All regular, fully benefited employees are eligible for paid time off when summoned for jury duty or required to appear in court as a witness by subpoena or court order. Please note that paid court leave does not apply to personal legal matters (such as if you’re a defendant, plaintiff, or attending voluntarily).
Employees must notify their supervisor, provide the official court subpoena to Human Resources and attach the documentation to the OneUSG leave request.
To submit your court subpoena and any further guidance on court duty leave, please email HREmployeeRelations@georgiasouthern.edu.
When submitting the Jury Duty / Court Duty leave request, you will utilize the Jury Duty leave type.
Jury Duty does not pull from your vacation or sick time. You will still receive your usual pay while using the Jury Duty absence type. Georgia Southern does not require that you pay back the stipend paid to you by the court for serving on a jury.
You can review the USG Voting and Court Duty Leave policy here.
Last updated: 4/15/2025