Guidelines on Faculty Leave Payout or Transfer

The following summarizes guidelines for annual and bonus leave payout and transfer eligibility for faculty members.

There is no payout of annual or bonus leave for twelve-month faculty members when separating from employment from UNC-Chapel Hill. Nine-month faculty members earn no leave and therefore also have no eligibility for payout.
 
Twelve-month faculty members may negotiate the use of any remaining annual or bonus leave with their Department Chair prior to separation from the University. Department Chairs may set the final separation date taking into account the granting of such leave; however, this is at the Chair's discretion based on the budgetary and operational limitations of the department.

Any remaining leave that may not be used prior to termination is forfeited. Forfeited leave may be donated to the University's Voluntary Shared Leave Program if desired by the faculty member.

There is no payout or transfer of annual leave or bonus leave for faculty members entering the Phased Retirement Program. Although faculty members will earn pro-rata leave once they enter phased retirement based on their 1/2 time appointment status and leave accrual will start anew. 

Faculty members may negotiate the use of any remaining annual or bonus leave with their Department Chair prior to entry into the Phased Retirement Program. Department Chairs may but are not required to grant such leave based on the budgetary and operational limitations of the department.

Any remaining annual or bonus leave that may not be used prior to termination is forfeited. Forfeited leave may be donated to the University's Voluntary Shared Leave Program if desired by the faculty member.

Twelve-month faculty members transferring to an EPA non-faculty or SPA position are not eligible to transfer or payout of any remaining annual or bonus leave. Nine-month faculty members earn no leave and therefore also have no eligibility for transfer or payout.

Twelve-month faculty members may negotiate the use of any remaining annual or bonus leave with their Department Chair prior to separation from the University. Department Chairs may set the final termination date taking into account the granting of such such leave; however, this is at the Chair's discretion based on the budgetary and operational limitations of the department.

Any remaining leave that may not be used prior to termination from the faculty position is forfeited. Forfeited leave may be donated to the University's Voluntary Shared Leave Program if desired by the faculty member.

Annual leave and bonus leave do not transfer to UNC-Chapel Hill from other State agencies or UNC System campuses and should be paid out by such agency or campus in accordance with their specific policies. Note that each State agency or UNC System campus may have different policies with regard to acceptance of leave from other agencies.

While faculty members are not eligible for pay out of annual or bonus leave upon separating from UNC-Chapel Hill, the transfer of a twelve-month faculty member's unused leave when moving to another State agency or UNC System campus may be governed by different policies of that agency or campus. If such agency or campus wishes to receive a letter certifying the amount of leave forfeited by a faculty member upon their separating from UNC-Chapel Hill, they should contact the Academic Personnel Office at 962-1091.

A twelve-month fixed term, tenure track, or tenured faculty member who shall die while in active or on-leave status with the University will have earned annual leave up to a maximum of 240 hours and all earned bonus leave paid to their estate as part of the final disbursement of pay owed.

^{Note: This policy was originally established by the Office of the Vice Chancellor and General Counsel and was reaffirmed and is now applicable to all departments of the University by the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost on February 7, 2007.}