Transfer of Sick Leave and Vacation Credit

Sick leave and vacation credit may be transferred when an employee changes from an academic to a civil service position or from a civil service to an academic position.

When a staff member changes from a civil service position to an academic position or from an academic position to a civil service position, sick leave and vacation credit should be transferred as outlined below. For assistance in the application of these policies, contact IHR Data Operations, ihr-dataops@illinois.edu, (217) 333-2143.

1. Transfer of Sick Leave Credit

   1. Sick leave credit will be transferred when an employee changes to an academic appointment from a civil service position within the University.
      • Under the current academic sick leave provisions, effective January 1, 1984, an academic staff member may accumulate up to 240 days of sick leave credit at a rate of 12* compensable work days per year.
      • An employee transferring from civil service status to academic status must transfer all accumulated sick leave credit, but should that credit exceed the allowable maximum (i.e., 180 noncompensable cumulative days maximum before January 1, 1984; 240 compensable cumulative days maximum after 1984), no further sick leave may be accumulated. A civil service employee who changed to academic status prior to 1984 and who transferred more than the allowable noncompensable cumulative maximum for the pre-1984 period (i.e., 180 days), may still accumulate compensable sick leave credit to a maximum of 240 days.
      • Take as an example a civil service employee who transferred in 1980 to academic status with 258 noncompensable days of sick leave credit. Between 1980 and January 1, 1984, this employee did not accumulate any additional sick leave because the maximum was 180 noncompensable days. However, beginning January 1, 1984, the staff member began accumulating compensable sick leave and in 1988 retired with 58 days of compensable sick leave, in addition to the 258 noncompensable days of sick leave credit.
      • *NOTE: A maximum of 10 work days was compensable between January 1, 1984, and August 20, 1984. Starting August 21, 1984, a maximum of 12 compensable sick leave days could be earned per year.
      • This policy covers current academic employees who in past years have transferred from civil service to academic status. All transfers of sick leave credit require the presentation of appropriate records verifying sick leave accumulated under the civil service system.
   2. Sick leave credit will be transferred when an employee changes to a civil service appointment from an academic position within the University.
      • This policy covers current civil service employees who in past years have transferred from academic to civil service status. All transfers of sick leave credit require the presentation of appropriate records verifying sick leave accumulated under the academic system.

2. Transfer of Accumulated Vacation

   1. When an employee transfers from a civil service position to an academic position, any vacation earned under the civil service system
      • In cases in which the employee prefers vacation time but taking it prior to transfer would create a hardship, arrangements may be made for transfer of all or part of the accumulated vacation, provided that these arrangements are acceptable to the two administrative units and the employee. In no case can a transfer of accumulated vacation result in a loss of accumulated benefits.
   2. When an employee transfers from an academic position to a civil service position, any vacation earned under the academic system will ordinarily be taken or will be transferred to the civil service position.
      • In cases in which the employee prefers vacation time but taking it prior to transfer would create a hardship, arrangements may be made for transfer of all or part of the accumulated vacation, provided that these arrangements are acceptable to the two administrative units and the employee. In no case can a transfer of accumulated vacation result in a loss of accumulated benefits, except that at the time an employee retires, resigns, or otherwise terminates his or her employment with the University, his or her accumulated vacation may not exceed that provided for in the Policy and Rules – Nonacademic.
   3. Vacation time normally will not be transferred to a position requiring “A” (Academic Year), “B” (ten-month paid over twelve months), “E” (Academic Year), or “G” (Dates Indicated) service since these types of positions do not earn vacation time.