HR Annual Leave Policy 1.03 [pdf]

Eligibility Requirements:

• Full-time and part-time (FTE), research grant (RGP) and time-limited (TL) faculty and staff positions, except faculty in less than 12 month pay basis.
• FTE positions = 20 standard hours or more per week.
• RGP or TL positions = 20 standard hours or more per week and funds must be allocated within the grant or project.

Monthly Accrual Rate:

• 9.375 hours for employees working 37.5 standard hours per week.
• 10.00 hours for employees working 40.0 standard hours per week.
• Pro-rated based on the average workday for employees who work schedules other than the normal five-day workweek of 37.5 or 40 hours per week, including part-time schedules.
• Employees in FTE positions with 10 years or more of state service (in FTE position) shall earn a bonus annual leave accrual of 1.25 workdays for each year of service over 10 years, up to a maximum of 30 days per year.
• Employees in RGP or TL positions with 10 years or more of continuous UofSC service (in RGP or TL position at UofSC without a break in employment) will earn a bonus annual leave accrual.
• Generally, employees may earn up to a maximum of 30 annual leave days each year, but only 45 days may be carried over into a new calendar year.  

Employee Procedure:

• Request for approval of annual leave should be submitted to your supervisor in the Time and Absence System.
• Requests for approval of annual leave over 30 days should be submitted to your department head or HR Contact using this paper form [pdf]. 

HR Sick Leave Policy 1.06 [pdf]

COVID-19 Sick Leave Advancement Request Form [pdf]

Eligibility Requirements:

• Full-time and part-time (FTE), research grant (RGP) and time-limited (TL) positions.
• FTE positions = 20 standard hours or more per week.
• RGP or TL positions = 20 standard hours or more per week and funds must be allocated within the grant or project.

Monthly Accrual Rate:

• 9.375 hours for employees working 37.5 standard hours per week.
• 10.00 hours for employees working 40.0 standard hours per week.
• Pro-rated based on the average workday for employees who work schedules other than the normal five-day workweek of 37.5 or 40 hours per week, including part-time schedules.
• Generally, employees may earn up to a maximum of 15 sick leave days each year, but only 180 days may be carried over into a new calendar year.  

Employee Procedure:

• Notify your supervisor and submit a request for approval of sick leave in the Time and Absence System.
• An expedited COVID-19 Sick Leave Advancement Form may be submitted by:
  • Employees who receive a positive COVID-19 test result; or
  • Employees who have an immediate family member who has received a positive COVID-19 test result

HR Family and Medical Leave Policy 1.07 [pdf]

Eligibility Requirements:

• Employed with the State of SC for at least 12 months, and the 12 months need not be consecutive.
• Have worked at least 1,250 hours during the 12-month period preceding request for FMLA leave.

Employee Procedure for Requesting FMLA for Leave Earning Employees

• Request FMLA through the Time and Absence System, using the Extended Absence tile in Employee Self-Service. You must upload a medical certification (completed ONLY by a Health Care Provider) or other required supporting documentation (based on the reason for the need for leave under FMLA).
• Your request will be sent directly to the Central Benefits Office for review. You will receive a notification regarding the approval, denial, or the need for additional information (typically within 5 business days upon receipt).
• Links and information regarding the required forms or supporting documentation for this procedure are available under the Required Supporting Documents section below, or by accessing the Extended Absence tile in Employee Self-Service.

Employee Procedure for Requesting FMLA for Non-Leave Earning Employees:

• Request FMLA by submitting an Employee Request for Leave Form (P-83) pdf AND a medical certification (completed ONLY by a Health Care Provider) or other required supporting documentation to your Department/Campus HR Leave Administrator. Do not submit completed medical certifications to your supervisor.
• Please do not include sensitive medical information on the Form (P-83).
• Links and information regarding the required forms or supporting documentation for this procedure are available under the Required Supporting Documents section below.

Required Supporting Documentation:

Choose which type of leave you are requesting to determine which certification and/or other type of supporting documentation you need to submit with your request. 

• Employee with their Own Serious Medical Condition:
  • Employee Certification of Health form [pdf]
• To Care for a Family Member
  • Family Certification of Health form [pdf]
• To Care for a Military Family Member
  • To request military leave for foreign deployment of your spouse, son, daughter, or parent, complete the Military Qualifying Exigency form [pdf]. 
  • To request leave to care for a family member who is a current service member with a serious injury or illness, complete the Military Caregiver Leave of a Current Service Member form [pdf].
  • To request leave to care for a family member who is a covered veteran with a serious injury or illness, complete the Military Caregiver Leave of a Veteran form [pdf] 

HR Paid Parental Leave Policy [pdf] (Being developed)

Employee Request for Paid Parental Leave Form [pdf]

SC Code of Laws 8-11-150 (A) provides six weeks of paid leave or two weeks of paid leave at one hundred percent of the eligible state employee’s base pay. Leave for part-time eligible state employees must be on a prorated basis corresponding to the percentage of hours they are normally scheduled to work.

Eligibility Requirements:

• An employee occupying any percentage of a FTE position. (Employees in temporary, time-limited, and research grant positions are not eligible for PPL.)
• An employee experiencing the birth of a newborn biological child to an eligible employee or after a co-parent’s birth of a newborn child or fostering a child in state custody or the initial legal placement of a child by adoption.
• The adoption, birth, or foster care placement must occur on or after October 1, 2022.
• No service requirement.

Amount of Paid Parental Leave:

• For a birth or adoption, the parent who is primarily responsible for the child receives six weeks and the other parent receives two weeks to be taken consecutively.
• For foster placement,  leave may be taken consecutively or upon request and approval in two, one-week increments. 

Required Documentation for Paid Parental Leave:

• For an adoption, the employee needs documentation reflecting the date of the initial legal placement of the child.
• For a birth, the employee needs a birth certificate or proof of birth, certified DNA results and custody order.
• For foster care, the employee needs a foster care placement agreement and a custody order.

Other Stipulations:

• An eligible employee does not receive more than one occurrence of six or two weeks of PPL for any twelve-month period, even if more than one qualifying event occurs. The entitlement to PPL expires at the end of the twelve-month period beginning on the date of the qualifying event.
• If the leave is not used by the eligible employee before the end of the twelve-month period after the qualifying event, the leave cannot be carried forward for subsequent use.
•  Any leave remaining at the end of the twelve-month period or at separation of employment is forfeited, and the employee is not paid out for the leave.
• PPL may not be donated.
• Employees do not have to exhaust all other forms of leave (sick or annual) before being eligible to take PPL.

PPL Frequently Asked Questions [pdf]

Paid Parental Leave Presentation 

HR Leave Without Pay Policy 1.12 [pdf]

Eligibility Requirements:

• Full-time and part-time (FTE), research grant (RGP) and time-limited (TL) positions.
• Should only be used when you have exhausted all applicable leave in accordance with UofSC leave policies.

Insurance Premiums 

• Employees are responsible for paying the employee share of their insurance premiums while out on Leave Without Pay (LWOP).

Staff Employee Procedure:

• Leave of Absence (LWOP) requests not exceeding 5 consecutive working days should be submitted (with the appropriate reason indicated) to your supervisor for approval through the Time and Absence System.
• Leave of Absence (LWOP) requests exceeding 5 consecutive working days requires approval from the Division of Human Resources. Submit your request to your supervisor for approval through the Time and Absence System and ask your HR Contact to submit a status change form through Peoplesoft HCM for approval by Central HR.
• For non-leave earning employees (excluding student employees), reach out to your HR Contact for guidance on LWOP requests.

Faculty Employee Procedure:

• Request Leave of Absence (LWOP) by completing the employee section of the Faculty Request for Leave Without Pay Form [pdf] and submit it to your academic administrator for approval.
• LWOP requests for personal reasons, up to 10 consecutive days, can be approved by the chair or dean.  
  
  • Submit LWOP requests not exceeding 5 consecutive working days for approval through the Time and Absence System.
  • Submit LWOP requests for more than 5 consecutive days through the Time and Absence System AND ask your HR Contact to submit a status change form through HCM PeopleSoft. 
• Please refer to the Faculty Manual for more information on requests exceeding 10 consecutive days.

HR Other Leave With Pay Policy 1.09 [pdf]

Eligibility Requirements:

• Full-time and part-time (FTE), research grant¹ (RGP), time-limited¹ (TL) and temporary² positions (see footnotes below).

Employee and Faculty Procedure:

• Requests should be submitted to your supervisor for approval through the Time and Absence System.
• Faculty should also refer to the Faculty Manual for additional leave guidelines.

¹Eligible for blood drives and blood donation leave, court leave and voting leave. Eligible for American Red Cross Certified Disaster Service leave and educational leave, as long as you are not faculty in a 9-month pay basis and you work at least 20 hours per week. Eligible for bone marrow donation leave, death in immediate family leave, extended disability leave and organ donor leave, as long as you work at least 20 hours per week.

²Eligible for bone marrow donation leave, if you work at least 20 hours per week.

HR Leave Transfer Policy 1.10 [pdf]

Eligibility Requirements:

• Full-time and part-time (FTE) positions working at least 20 standard hours or more per week are eligible to contribute to or apply for transferred leave.
• Employees applying for transferred leave must exhaust all accrued applicable sick and annual leave and all earned compensatory time before transferred leave may be used.

Employee Procedure for Donating Leave:

• An employee may only donate up to half of the annual leave and/or half of the sick leave that was earned in a calendar year.
• Submit requests to donate leave through the Time and Absence System, using the Leave Transfer tile in Employee Self-Service.
• The Request to Donate Leave [pdf] reference guide provides step-by-step instructions.

Employee Procedure for Requesting Leave:

• Submit requests to receive donated leave from the transfer pool through the Time and Absence System, using the Leave Transfer tile in Employee Self Service.
• An expedited COVID-19 Sick Leave Pool Request Form [pdf]may be submitted by:
  • Employees who receive a positive COVID-19 test result; or
  • Employees who have an immediate family member who has received a positive COVID-19 test result.

HR Hazardous Weather and Emergency Leave Policy 1.18 [pdf]

During inclement weather or other emergency situations, USC follows the delay and closing determinations made by the county government officials where the university and its campuses are located, and not school district closures.

In accordance with S.C. Code of Laws § 8-11-57, the Governor may elect to provide state employees leave with pay for absences from work due to hazardous weather conditions for up to five days for each emergency. 

Eligibility Requirements:

• Full-time and part-time (FTE), research grant (RGP) and time-limited (TL) positions that earn at least one type of paid leave. 

Employee Procedure:

• Refer to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and Carolina Alert websites. 
• If the Governor declares a state of emergency for the county in which you work and grants leave with pay, and you were scheduled to work on the day(s) closed, you will be eligible for hazardous weather and emergency leave with pay.
• If the Governor does not grant leave with pay, you will need to make a decision as follows:
  • Submit a request for annual leave or compensatory leave to your supervisor in the Time and Absence System; or
  • Submit a request for leave without pay to your supervisor in the Time and Absence System; or
  • Make up time lost from work with your supervisor's prior approval.
• The Governor’s decision will be communicated by the Division of Human Resources.
• For additional information, please refer to the frequently asked questions regarding hazardous weather and emergency leave.

HR Holiday Leave Policy 1.15 [pdf]

The University of South Carolina observes thirteen (13) holidays each year.

You can submit an absence request as far in the future as leave calendars are built in the system, typically at least a year in advance.

You should submit leave requests in advance for absences that are foreseen or planned (i.e. vacations planned months in advance) as this system is designed to be an absence request system and not an after the fact reporting system.

You can submit absence requests for up to 30 days in the past and your manager or TL/ABS approver can do it on your behalf for up to 60 days in the past. Absences beyond that timeframe must be submitted by the Central Benefits Office.

You cannot edit an absence request once it's submitted. You will need to cancel the request and re-submit a new one.

 To cancel an absence request, including those that have already been approved, you must initiate an absence cancellation request through the Cancel Absence tile in employee self-service. Use this job aid [pdf] to walk you through the process. The cancel request will require your manager’s approval.

Leave balances do not update at the time of submission nor upon approval by the manager or TL/ABS approver. You will not see the leave balance updated until the date(s) on which the leave hours were taken have been extracted for payroll.

If you are a leave earning employee and you meet the criteria of being in paid status for more than half of the working days of the month, you will be credited your monthly accrual of annual and/or sick leave (typically between the 22^nd – 25^th of the month).

No, the system knows the dates you earned the leave and will not allow you to use those accrued hours for absences before the accrued hours were earned. You must have the adequate leave balances available at the time the leave is taken.

A Leave Transfer Donation must be submitted and approved in the pay period prior to your separation/retirement. This ensures it can be fully processed. Use this job aid [pdf] to guide you through this process.

Follow this job aid [pdf] to enter partial day leave hours. Please note that the default in the partial day menu is for a half-day (your scheduled hours for that day divided in half) – but that can easily be changed. Click the ‘Is Partial Day a Half Day?’ Yes/No toggle button to ‘No’. Upon clicking, the toggle will display ‘No’. A new duration field will open for you to type the hours of leave needed for that day.

Once you have been approved for an FMLA Extended Absence, you will need to enter the absence requests to cover the time. Use this job aid [pdf] to guide you through the process. 

In our system, it is best practice for employees to submit planned absence requests for leave to be taken in the future before it occurs. However, if needed, after the fact requests can be entered by the employee for up to 30 days, or by you for up to 60 days, after the absence. As a general practice, employees should submit all leave hours taken prior to the processing of the pay period in which the leave taken occurs.

Scroll all the way over to the right and click the Canceled Absence Request hyperlink. Requests to cancel absences from your employees will show there.  You can also cancel the absence on behalf of the employee, if that is necessary. Use this job aid [pdf] to guide you through the process.