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Holidays, Vacation & Sick Time (University Employees)

For campus and medical center employees

Campus and Medical Center staff accrue benefit time using a traditional vacation, holiday, and sick time model. Please note: Duke Health System staff must schedule time off in accordance with the Paid Time Off policy.

Holiday Schedule

Duke provides paid holidays as part of its comprehensive benefits package to support staff in their effort to balance work and family responsibilities. University and Medical Center staff who are eligible for holidays will receive 14 paid holidays per year, including designated holidays and discretionary holidays, to staff scheduled to work 20 or more hours per week.

Vacation

Monthly Paid Employees

Vacation accrual rates increase dependent upon your fringe benefit category and length of service. The total amount of accrued but unused vacation may not exceed two times the staff member’s rate of annual accrual. The amount is determined at the end of each pay period.

Employees who work an abbreviated work schedule of at least 20 hours per week but less than 40 hours per week, or 80 hours per biweekly pay period, shall earn vacation on a pro-rata basis.

Employees scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for vacation.

Eligibility and Amount

Regular staff members employed on a 12-month basis accrue vacation from the first day of employment. Regular staff members who work at least 20 hours but less than 40 hours per week accrue vacation on a pro-rated basis. Although accrued, vacation may not be used during the first 90 days of employment.

All exempt employees accrue three weeks of vacation per year (1.25 days per month) during their early years of employment. This increases to four weeks per year (1.67 days per month) after a certain number of years depending on the benefit category. Employees in benefit category 1 (levels 16 and above) receive four weeks of vacation after one year of continuous service, benefit category 2 (levels 14-15) after three years, benefit category 3 (levels 11-13) after six years, and benefit category 4 (levels 10 and below) after eight years. For more information, please see the HR Policy Manual: Vacation.

Biweekly Paid Employees

  1. Employees with less than 4 years of service earn 3.077 hours of vacation for each biweekly pay period in which they are compensated for 80 hours at the regular rate of pay (10 days per year).
  2. Employees with 4 years of service but less than 9 years of service earn 4.615 hours of vacation for each biweekly pay period in which they are compensated for 80 hours at the regular rate of pay (15 days per year).
  3. Employees with 9 or more years of service earn 6.154 hours of vacation for each biweekly pay period in which they are compensated for 80 hours at the regular rate of pay (20 days per year).

Full-time employees are those who are regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week or 80 hours per biweekly pay period.  Employees who work an abbreviated work schedule of at least 20 hours per week but less than 40 hours per week, or 80 hours per biweekly pay period, shall earn vacation on a pro-rata basis.

Employees scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for vacation.

For more information, please see the HR Policy Manual: Vacation.

Sick Time

Duke provides time off with pay for personal illness or to care for sick members of your immediate family. Campus and Medical Center staff accrue twelve sick days per year. Unused sick leave may be accumulated without limit. There is no reimbursement of unused sick leave upon termination.

For more information, please see HR Policy Manual: Sick Leave.

Benefits