Leave Accrual & Usage Policies

The following are policies regarding various types of leave. If you have questions, please contact the Human Resources office.

  • Accident Leave

    Accident Leave is leave with two-thirds of the employee’s regular pay. An employee who is injured while at work and is unable to return to work as a result of the work accident, may be eligible to receive up to six months of accident leave. Accident leave may be granted for up to an additional six months if a physician selected by FSU certifies that the employee continues to be disabled. In addition, an employee has the right to file a claim with the Workers’ Compensation Commission. For an employee to be eligible to receive consideration for accident leave, the following steps should be taken:

    • The injury is within the guidelines of the Maryland Workers' Compensation Act.
    • The employee reports the injury immediately to his or her supervisor. (The employee’s supervisor is responsible for submitting a report of the accident to the Office of HumanResourceswithin 24 hours following the injury.)
    • Within three workdays of the injury, a physician must examine the employee and certify the employee is disabled.

    Only leave-eligible employees in Regular status who work 50% full-time equivalent or more shall be eligible for accident leave.

    Complete Accident Leave Policy

  • Administrative Leave

    Administrative Leave is defined as the temporary removal from the work environment, with or without pay. This type of leave is rarely used and only in situations when an employee should not remain in the workplace. Common reasons for administrative leave include:

    • To secure particularly sensitive information or resources if warranted by the circumstances
    • To investigate allegations of misconduct, which, if true, could place people or University resources in jeopardy
    • To remove an employee from the workplace who is behaving disruptively (pending an assessment of the situation)

    Complete Administrative Leave Policy

  • Annual Leave

    Exempt Employees
    Full-time exempt employees earn 22 days of annual leave per calendar year accumulating on a bi-weekly basis from the beginning of employment. Beginning with the 21st year of USM and/or State of Maryland employment, annual leave will be earned at the rate of 25 days per calendar year. Part-time exempt employees working 50% or more will earn annual leave on a pro-rated basis.

    A maximum of 55 workdays of annual leave may be carried into a new calendar year by all full-time exempt employees. This maximum will be pro-rated for employees working 50% or more.

    Nonexempt Employees
    Annual leave for full-time nonexempt employees is earned on a prorated basis and can be used to the extent that it is accrued and available. Leave will be earned according to the following schedule. (Part-time employees in the bargaining unit working 50% or more will earn annual leave on a pro-rated basis.)

    • Beginning with the first month through the completion of the 1st year: 11 days
    • Beginning with the second year through the completion of the 2nd year: 12 days
    • Beginning with the third year through the completion of the 3rd year: 13 days
    • Beginning with the fourth year through the completion of the 4th year: 14 days
    • Beginning with the fifth year through the completion of the 10th year: 15 days
    • Beginning with the 11th year through the completion of the 20th year: 20 days
    • Beginning with the 21st year and thereafter: 25 days


    A maximum of 50 workdays of annual leave may be carried into a new calendar year by all full-time nonexempt employees. This maximum will be pro-rated for employees working 50 percent or more.

    Complete Annual Leave Policy

  • Family and Medical Leave

    FMLis not a separate form of accrued leave, like sick or annual leave. FML allows a qualifying employee to take employment-protected leave (by first using available sick and annual leave and then unpaid leave) for up to 12 weeks for any of the following reasons.

    • To care for the employee’s child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care;
    • To care for the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent who has a serious health condition;
    • For a serious health condition of the employee, including pregnancy and recovery time, that renders an employee unable to perform his or her job; or
    • Any other reasons stated in USM VII-7.50.

    To qualify for FML:

    • The employee must have worked for the University for at least 12 months, and
    • The employee must have worked at least 1040 hours in the 12 months immediately proceeding the date the leave is to commence.

    When an employee requests and is granted leave for reasons defined as “qualifying events” under FMLA, the employee may use accrued sick leave, to the extent it is accrued and available, for any portion of that leave.

    Faculty Family and Medical Leave Policy    Staff Family and Medical Leave

  • Holiday Leave

    Employees are eligible to earn 11 holidays per calendar year or 12 holidays during a year of congressional or general elections, and/or any other special observance as required by the Governor and Legislature.

    In addition, FSU employees receive three holiday leave days whose actual date of observance varies from year to year. Generally these holidays fall during the December break. Employees may find the current year’s listing of earned and observed dates on the University web page and in the campus directory.

    Part-time employees, who are employed on at least a 50% full-time basis, shall earn holiday leave on a pro-rated basis.

    When a holiday falls on Saturday, it is earned the previous Friday and when a holiday falls on Sunday, it is earned on the following Monday.

    All employees must be in paid employment status on the calendar date that the holiday is earned in order to be eligible for holiday pay when the holiday is observed.

    Holidays in 24/7 operations are pre-scheduled based upon the workweek schedule rotation and operational needs. Employees who do not adhere to a 24/7 schedule but who, based upon operational needs, find it necessary to work on a holiday must receive supervisory approval to schedule a substitute holiday or to receive holiday pay in lieu of the holiday.

    Complete Holiday Leave Policy

  • Leave Reserve Fund

    The Leave Reserve Fund provides paid leave to full-time and part-time employees who become temporarily medically disabled. A person authorized to act on the employee’s behalf may make the leave request on behalf of the employee when the employee is unable to do so.

    Only leave-eligible employees in Regular status who work 50% full-time equivalent or more shall be eligible for accident leave

    Complete Leave Reserve Fund Policy

  • Personal Leave

    All full-time staff employee shall receive three days (not to exceed 24 hours) of personal leave on January 1 in each calendar year. Part-time employees working 50% or more shall receive personal leave on a pro-rated basis.

    Personal leave must be used by the end of the first pay period which ends in the new calendar year. Any personal leave that is unused as of that time shall be forfeited by the employee and shall be contributed to the USM Leave Reserve Fund, in accordance with USM VII-7.11 Policy on Leave Reserve Fund for Nonexempt and Exempt Staff Employees. No employee shall be paid for unused personal leave. Each institution shall determine the availability schedule for new allotment of personal leave days.

    The use of personal leave requires prior notification to the employee’s supervisor.

    Complete Personal Leave Policy

  • Sick Leave

    Sick leave is earned at the rate of 15 days per year and is available to the extent earned. Employees who work part-time (at least 50%, but less than 100%, of full-time) earn sick leave on a pro rata basis. Sick leave may be accumulated without limit, and unused sick leave may be carried over from one calendar year to another.

    Earned sick leave must be granted if an employee is absent for any of the following reasons:

    • Illness, injury, or disability of the employee
    • An emergency medical appointment or a pre-scheduled and approved medical appointment for the employee with a practitioner or provider listed in Section V.A. of this policy, which cannot be scheduled during non-work hours
    • Illness or injury of or pre-scheduled and approved medical appointment for members of the employee's immediate family with a practitioner or provider listed in Section V.A. of this policy, which cannot be scheduled during non-work hours
    • Death of a relative
    • Pregnancy-related disabilities and childbirth
    • Care of a child immediately after birth or placement of a child with the employee for adoption

    In order to ensure that sick leave is used in accordance with the provisions of this policy, a supervisor may require an employee to submit written documentation of an illness, injury, or disability. If the supervisor determines that written documentation will be required, the supervisor must notify the employee in writing in advance of the requirement.

    Complete Sick Leave Policy