Floating Holiday FAQs

What is the floating holiday?

The floating holiday allows eligible faculty and staff to designate one day per calendar year as a personal holiday. Providing flexibility to employees to choose their own holiday recognizes the diversity of our faculty and staff community, and allows employees to select a day of personal significance.  

Do I need to tell my supervisor why I am requesting the floating holiday, such as the specific holiday or occasion that I am choosing to celebrate?

No. Employees do not need to share the reason for taking the floating holiday, but do need to follow their unit’s process for requesting time off.  

Who is eligible for the floating holiday?

All regular employees, including probationary employees, with at least a 20% effort appointment are eligible. Faculty and staff covered by a collective bargaining agreement should consult their contract regarding eligibility for leave benefits.

How do I schedule my floating holiday?

Employees should follow their unit’s local practice for requesting and scheduling. In general, the floating holiday should be requested and approved for use in advance.  

What if I can’t use my floating holiday within the calendar year?

Unused floating holiday time does not carry over and is not paid out if not used during the 12-month calendar year. Because the floating holiday is a “use it or lose it” benefit, employees may consider submitting a scheduling request early in the calendar year to avoid losing access to the floating holiday benefit. 

Can my request for scheduling the floating holiday be denied?

Units have the discretion to establish scheduling guidelines, which, among other reasons, can include denying multiple requests for the same day or denying a request during a peak operating period.  

My request to use the floating holiday was approved in advance, but I had to work the day I had scheduled for my floating holiday due to unit workload needs. What happens now?

As with university-designated holidays, a unit may require employees to work to maintain minimum essential services. If an employee is required to work on a day that was previously approved as a floating holiday, the time is reported as regular time worked and the floating holiday is available for use. It must be approved and scheduled before the end of the current 12-month calendar year.  

What timekeeping code do I use?

The time reporting code for the floating holiday is HFT (Holiday Floating Time). 

For faculty and research fellows who do not report time, units are responsible for tracking floating holidays locally as they do for other types of time away for these populations.

Will I see the Floating Holiday on my timesheet?

For employees who report time in the timekeeping system, the floating holiday balance will display at the top of an employee's timesheet.  Therefore, both the employee and the supervisor who approves the timesheet will be able to see the balance at any given time.

What happens if I transfer into a job that doesn’t provide the floating holiday?

If you transfer to a position that is not eligible for the floating holiday, you lose access to the floating holiday as of the date of transfer to the ineligible position. This means the unused floating holiday is forfeited if not used prior to the date of transfer.  

Do I have two floating holidays if I have two appointments?

Only one floating holiday is available per employee. The maximum allowable number of hours is 8.  

Can I spread out my floating holiday (for example, taking two half days off)?

No. The floating holiday is only available as a single block of time, up to 8 hours for a full-time employee. Incremental scheduling, such as taking 2 four-hour blocks of time, is not allowed.  

I had a part-time appointment when I used my floating holiday, and have since transferred to a new full-time position that is also eligible for the floating holiday. Do I get additional time?

No. The floating holiday is available once during the 12-month calendar year. Once used, the day is no longer available for use.  

I work part-time; how much floating holiday time am I eligible for?

Regular employees with at least a 20% effort appointment will receive proportionate amounts of floating holiday time. For example, a 60% employee would receive 4.8 hours of floating holiday time (.6 x 8).

If I typically substitute a holiday of my own choosing for a university-designated holiday, do I now use the floating holiday instead?  

The holiday substitution process remains available for employees who wish to celebrate a holiday of more personal significance in lieu of a university-designated holiday. The floating holiday is an additional day off that employees may use to celebrate another day that is personally important, such as a birthday, an anniversary, the first day of school, or a holiday not recognized by the university.

I work a four-day, 10-hours-per-day schedule. How will I report the floating holiday on my timecard?

Employees who work a 4-10 schedule have two options for using the floating holiday (which is a maximum of 8 hours). Employees can continue to work a 4-10 schedule, reporting 8 hours of floating holiday (HFT) and either 2 hours of PTO/vacation or 2 hours of excused time without pay on the day of the floating holiday. Or, an employee may wish to revert to a 5 day-8 hour schedule, and report 8 hours of floating holiday (HFT) on the day of the floating holiday.  

Can I use the floating holiday on my last day of work? 

No. The floating holiday cannot be used as the last day of work.  

Can I use the floating holiday if I am out of sick time?

No. The floating holiday cannot be used in lieu of sick time and cannot be used to extend a medical absence from work.