Personal Leave Program for EHRA employees

About the new program change

The UNC System Office recently established a new Personal Leave Program for vacation leave accrual for EHRA leave-earning employees. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, all EHRA employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will be subject to the new Personal Leave Program.

EHRA employees hired before Jan. 1, 2025, will have a one-time opportunity to opt in to the new Personal Leave Program in 2025 (date TBD); the decision to opt in will be irrevocable. Current EHRA employees who do not opt in will continue to accrue Annual Leave as vacation leave.

The establishment of the Personal Leave Program means that the vacation leave an EHRA employee earns is determined by the employee’s date of hire and/or whether the employee chose to opt in to the Personal Leave Program:

Annual Leave is the vacation leave for EHRA employees who were hired before Jan. 1, 2025, and who did NOT opt in to the Personal Leave Program.
Personal Leave is the vacation leave for:
- All EHRA employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
- EHRA employees hired before Jan. 1, 2025, who chose to opt in to the Personal Leave Program.

The new Personal Leave Program only affects vacation leave for new EHRA employees and current EHRA employees who choose to opt in; the Personal Leave Program does not affect any other leave programs. Employees under the Personal Leave Program accrue and are entitled to other leave allotments (Sick Leave, Civil Leave, Personal Observance, etc.) per the policies already established for those leaves and in the same way as employees in the Annual Leave Program.

For general guidance on how to manage your annual and personal leave choices, including information on leave transfers and frequently asked questions about the Personal Leave Program, please check the Personal Leave Guidance Documents from the UNC System Office.
For the full policy, see the Leave Programs for Faculty and Staff Exempt from the North Carolina Human Resources Act, UNC Policy Manual, 300.2.22.

When is this happening?

The new Personal Leave Program is effective beginning Jan. 1, 2025. All new University employees hired into EHRA positions on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will be subject to the Personal Leave Program for accruing vacation leave.

In the spring of 2025, current EHRA employees who are in leave-earning positions will have a one-time opportunity to opt in to the Personal Leave Program. The decision to opt in will be irrevocable. Look for communications from the Office of Human Resources with details about this opt-in opportunity in early 2025.

Who earns Personal Leave?

The new Personal Leave Program applies to the following employees:

New EHRA employees

All permanent SAAO, EPS, and Faculty with 12-month appointments whose effective date of employment at AppState is on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will accrue leave in accordance with the Personal Leave Program.

Employees transferring to an EHRA position on or after Jan. 1, 2025

Any employee who transfers to an EHRA position from another UNC System school after Jan. 1, 2025, will be subject to the Personal Leave Program.

Current EHRA employees who choose to opt in

The following employees may choose to opt in to the Personal Leave Program or remain with the Annual Leave Program:

Employees hired into a permanent EHRA position at the University before Jan. 1, 2025.
Employees hired into a permanent SHRA position at the University before Jan. 1, 2025, who:
- Accept an EHRA position on or after Jan. 1, 2025, or
- Choose to convert to an EHRA position on or after Jan. 1, 2025.

The decision to opt in to the Personal Leave Program will be irrevocable. The Office of Human Resources will develop and distribute information about the opt-in dates and process in spring 2025.

Personal Leave Details

Accrual Rate

The annual accrual for Personal Leave is 26 days/208 hours (prorated for part-time).

Personal Leave accrues at a monthly rate and adjusted proportionately for permanent part-time employees who work halftime or more (0.50 – 0.99 FTE) or who are on contract for fewer than twelve months.
The monthly earnings amount is equal to one-twelfth of the annual rate.
Leave is earned monthly when an employee works or is in approved paid status at least half the working days of a month.

Carryforward

Employees may carry forward up to 20 days/160 hours of unused leave into the next year.
Any remaining unused leave is forfeited.

Payout

Unused Personal Leave is never paid out.
Any remaining unused leave is forfeited.
Personal Leave can be contributed as Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL), similar to Vacation and Annual Leave and subject to the requirements of the VSL policy.

Transfer

New Appointments within AppState | If an employee receives a new appointment within the University, then all Personal Leave and/or Annual Leave retained will transfer to the new appointment.
Transfer to Another UNC System Institution | If an employee transfers to another UNC System institution to an eligible EHRA position, then up to a maximum of twenty (20) days of Personal Leave will transfer to the new institution, and any excess leave will be forfeited. Annual Leave, up to 30 days, will be paid out prior to transfer.

Personal & Annual Leave Comparison

Personal Leave and Annual Leave are accrued at a monthly rate and adjusted proportionately for permanent part-time employees who work halftime or more (0.50 – 0.99 FTE) or who are on contract for fewer than twelve months. The monthly earnings amount is equal to one-twelfth of the annual rate. Leave is earned monthly when an employee works or is in approved paid status at least half the working days of a month.

Personal Leave

Applies to:
- Eligible EHRA employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2025.
- Eligible EHRA employees who choose to opt in to this program.
Annual Accrual: 26 days/208 hours (prorated for part-time).
Carryforward of unused leave: Employees may carry forward up to 20 days/160 hours of unused leave into the next year. Any remaining unused leave is forfeited.
Payout upon separation: Unused Personal Leave is never paid out. Any remaining unused leave is forfeited. Personal leave can be contributed as Voluntary Shared Leave (VSL), similar to Vacation and Annual Leave and subject to the requirements of the VSL policy.

Annual Leave

Applies to: Eligible EHRA employees hired and who remain in active leave-earning status on or before Dec. 31, 2024.
Annual Accrual:
- 24 days/192 hours for EPS employees.
- 26 days/208 hours for SAAO employees (prorated for part time).
Carryforward of unused leave: Employees may carry forward up to 30 days/240 hours of unused leave into the next year. Any remaining unused leave is converted to sick leave.
Payout upon separation: Employees may be paid out up to 30 days/240 hours of unused Annual Leave under a qualifying event like separation.

Personal and Annual Leave Comparison Chart

	EHRA employees hired before 01/01/2025 who stay at the same institution and do not opt into the new personal leave program	EHRA employees hired on or after 01/01/2025
Leave Program	Annual (Vacation) Leave	Personal Leave
Accruals	26 days per year for SAAO 24 days per year for EPS	26 days per year for all leave-earning EHRA
Carryforward/Rollover	Max carryforward 30 days (240 hrs) Excess rolls over to sick leave on Dec. 31	Max carryforward 20 days (160 hrs) Excess is forfeited (no rollover to sick leave)
Transfer/Payout if moving to a Covered Position within Institution	All ANNUAL LEAVE transfers to new appointment	All PERSONAL LEAVE transfers to new appointment
Transfer/Payout if moving to a Covered Position at other Institution	ANNUAL LEAVE is paid out (max 30 days; excess is forfeited; 12-month faculty are ineligible for payout) As a new hire at a new institution, continuing employees would be subject to the PERSONAL LEAVE policy at the new institution	PERSONAL LEAVE: Transfers (maximum 20 days) to new institution Excess leave is forfeited
Transfer/Payout if moving to a Non-Covered Position within State Employment (University or Agency)	ANNUAL LEAVE is paid out (max 30 days; excess is forfeited; 12-month faculty are ineligible for payout)	All PERSONAL LEAVE may be transferred subject to approval of the receiving institution; otherwise, it is forfeited
Separating from State Employment	ANNUAL LEAVE is paid out (max 30 days; excess is forfeited; 12-month faculty are ineligible for payout)	All PERSONAL LEAVE is forfeited

Personal Leave Opt-In for Eligible Employees

In 2025, eligible University EHRA employees hired before Jan. 1, 2025, will have the opportunity to opt in to the Personal Leave Program established by the UNC System Office for EHRA leave-earning employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2025. Please note that the decision to opt in to the Personal Leave Program is irrevocable.

The Office of Human Resources will post and distribute information about the opt-in dates and process in spring 2025. Check back here for more details at that time.