The University provides regular benefit-eligible administrative, service and support and certain non-regular academic employees as approved by the Chancellor and President flexible paid time off (PTO) to promote a healthy work-life balance. Employees may use approved PTO for any reason, including relaxation, vacation, volunteerism, other personal reasons, incidental illnesses, and doctors’ appointments.

Accrual summary chart (based on 1.0FTE):

HR-421 Paid Time Off (PTO)

Administrative leave is paid time off for an employee’s absence from work on those rare occasions when the employee is absent from the worksite at the direction of the University. Administrative leave is not an entitlement or benefit. Administrative leave for eligible employees must be authorized by the president, vice president, chancellor, or designee. In the event administrative leave is authorized, the employee will be granted the time off from work without loss of pay or other paid time off (e.g., vacation, sick or personal days).

HR-413 Administrative Leave

An employee will be granted a maximum of three (3) days, (twenty-four (24) hours), leave without loss of pay or vacation during the period starting on the date of death and ending on the tenth calendar day after the funeral or memorial service in accordance with this policy. The three (3) days need not be taken consecutively. Such time should be provided on a prorata basis for an employee who works 99 percent to 75 percent FTE. Any additional days required must be charged to accrued vacation or taken as excused leave without pay.

To learn more about this policy and using bereavement leave, read HR-412 Bereavement Leave.

The University provides paid leave to eligible University employees to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition, including the employee’s spouse, child, parent, sponsored adult dependent, or the child of a sponsored adult dependent with a serious health condition, as certified by a healthcare provider.

HR-422 Caregiver Leave Pay

This policy applies only to administrative, service and support employees. Development leave may be taken for a period of time up to a full year. Employees applying for development leaves should seek external fellowship or grant support whenever possible, but whether or not such funding is available, employees on development leave may receive up to full salary. Additional travel and expense funds may be provided as deemed appropriate. Development leave may be granted when the requirements of the department permit and when such leave is demonstrated to be in the best interests of the University.

HR-406 Development Leave

The following days have been designated as official University holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday following, Christmas Day, and other days as may be designated by the President. Holidays are considered to extend over a 24-hour period. When a holiday falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed.  When a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is observed.  Official holidays occurring during a vacation period are not counted against vacation time.

HR-401 Holidays

Employees involved in legal proceedings may receive time off to attend the proceedings depending on the nature of employee involvement.

HR-410 Legal Proceedings

This policy authorizes paid time off for eligible employees who are organ or bone marrow donors, up to specified limits. Such leave is considered paid leave and is not charged to accrued vacation, sick or personal days. Eligible employees include benefit-eligible faculty and staff. All requests are subject to approval by the appropriate university, MU Health or UM System Human Resources office.

HR-416 Organ and Bone Marrow Donor Leave

The University provides paid leave to eligible University employees for the purpose of bonding time due to the birth of the employee’s child(ren) or the placement of a child(ren) with the employee for adoption or foster care.

To be eligible, the qualifying event must have occurred while the employee is in an eligible University position.

HR-423 Parental Leave Pay

In compliance with the laws of the State of Missouri, all University employees may receive time off with pay for the purpose of voting. The term election shall be interpreted as including all elections which place local, state and national candidates and/or issues before the general public.

To learn more about this policy and restrictions, read HR-411 Voting.

The University will operate under a reduced operation plan during the period starting the day after Christmas Day holiday is observed and running through the end of the day before New Year’s Day holiday is observed. The dates of observation of those holidays shall be as specified in Section 340.040 of these Collected Rules and Regulations. This rule will not apply to the operations of University of Missouri Health Care or employees in that unit.

To learn more about this policy and restrictions, read HR-415 Winter Break Leave and CRR-340.045 Winter Break Reduced Operations.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law that provides employees the right to take leave for family, medical reasons and leave for military families while maintaining job protection. 

Learn more about taking qualifying or FMLA leave here

HR-407 Family and Medical Leave Act

A leave of absence without pay may be granted when the requirements of the department permit, when such leave is for prolonged illness or injury, or for any exceptional personal or institutional reason. Leaves of absence without pay may be granted only after all appropriate accumulated leave has been used. Such leave must be requested by the employee and recommended by the department chairperson or administrative head and approved in accordance with the current delegation of authority.

HR-408 Leaves of Absence

Any University of Missouri employee who is or becomes a member of the Armed Forces of the State or of the United States will be granted a leave of absence for military service. The leave can be for voluntary or involuntary enlistment, during which time the employee is engaged under official orders in the performance of duty or training subject to limitations as stated in the policy. Armed Forces shall include the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, National Guard or any reserve component, reserve units, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and any other category of persons designated by the President in time of war or emergency.

HR-405 Military Leave

The University provides employer-paid short-term disability benefits for a serious health condition that makes the eligible University employee unable to perform the essential functions of the employee's job as certified by a healthcare provider. Additional employee-paid short-term disability benefits are also available to supplement the University provided short-term disability benefits.

HR-309 Short-Term Disability Plan

To promote the University’s strong commitment to the prevention of domestic or sexual violence and protection of victims, the University is instituting this policy in accordance with the Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA), which will provide eligible employees with job-protected unpaid leave to address specified needs resulting from domestic or sexual violence.

HR-417 Victims Economic Safety and Security Act Leave (VESSA)

Accrual of personal days will be suspended as of 01/01/2024. Any remaining unused personal days will be available for use by employees prior to the end of the employee’s anniversary date in 2024. All unused personal days are lost at the end of the employee’s anniversary date in 2024, even if the employee is on leave.

HR-403 Personal Days (As of Jan 2024)

Regular benefit-eligible administrative, service and support positions and certain non-regular academic employees as approved by the Chancellor and President who have accrued available sick leave balances as of the effective date of Collected Rule and Regulation 340.025 Paid Time Off (PTO).

HR-404 Sick Leave (As of Jan 2024)

Accrual of vacation will be suspended as of 01/01/2024. Any remaining unused vacation will be available for use by employees, subject to appropriate supervisory approval, and, if not used, will be paid lump-sum as indicated in this policy. After payout is completed, the provisions of this rule will be suspended.

HR-402 Vacations (As of Jan 2024)