In an effort to provide flexibility to employees for the use of time off, Middlebury College created combined time off (CTO). CTO can be used for vacation, sick, or personal time, as well as for three floating holidays (Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day).
It is not necessary to distinguish how the time is being used (i.e. vacation, sick, or personal day). Departments will establish practices for providing notice of absences from work and scheduling time away.
Eligibility
Most full-time regular staff employees and benefits-eligible part-time staff employees accrue CTO in the first pay period in which the employees are paid. See Handbook section 2.3 Basic Information about Employment at Middlebury College for definitions of regular full-time and benefits-eligible part-time.
Faculty, temporary, seasonal, part-time employees in positions budgeted for less than 1,000 hours per year, as well as a small number of special jobs, are not eligible for CTO.
Accruals
CTO accrues in hours after each biweekly payroll is run. Accrual is based on length of service. The following chart outlines CTO accruals.
Length of Service |
Annual Accrual for 1 Full Time Equivalent |
CTO Accrual for Each Hour Paid |
Biweekly Accrual for Staff with Schedules of 77.5 Hrs./pay period |
Biweekly Accrual for Staff with Schedules of 80 Hrs./pay period |
0-2 Years |
26 days/yr. |
0.1 hrs. |
7.75 hrs. |
8 hrs. |
Over 2-10 Years |
31 days/yr. |
0.1192 hrs. |
9.24 hrs. |
9.54 hrs. |
Over 10-20 Years |
36 days/yr. |
0.1385 hrs. |
10.73 hrs. |
11.08 hrs. |
Over 20 Years |
40 days/yr. |
0.1538 hrs. |
11.93 hrs. |
12.31 hrs. |
CTO Maximum
The following chart outlines CTO maximum accruals.
|
Maximum at fiscal year end* |
Maximum at anyother time during the year |
Staff on 8 Hrs./Day Schedules |
192 |
288 |
Staff on 7.75 Hrs./Day Schedules |
186 |
279 |
*The fiscal year end maximum is applied in the last day in June of each year. Following June 30 any CTO over the maximum will be automatically moved to SLR.
At any other time of year, no automatic SLR transfer will occur and CTO accrual will stop when the maximum is reached.
To avoid lost CTO accrual, staff must manage their own CTO banks and transfer CTO to SLR before reaching the maximum.
Advance planning of time away, shifting of CTO time to Sick Leave Reserve, and requesting and reporting time off in a timely fashion is the employee's responsibility. Supervisors and managers are responsible for planning for appropriate coverage in their departments and giving timely responses to requests for time off. Supervisors are required to track time away and ensure it is recorded properly.
CTO Pay-Out
Accrued and unused CTO will be paid out at 100% of the employee's rate of pay when they terminate employment or their position is no longer eligible to accrue CTO. SLR is not paid out.
CTO Use
General CTO guidelines
The combination of CTO and regular worked hours each pay period should equal an employee's regular scheduled hours. Part-time employees may not enter CTO in excess of their scheduled hours. Employees not on a formal leave status must use CTO to cover absences from work unless their supervisor has granted an unpaid absence. Employees may not choose to take time unpaid.
Please refer to the Personal Leave of Absence Policy for Unpaid Absences in excess of a full pay period.
Non-exempt staff CTO Use
As required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt staff must record all work time. When non-exempt staff members use CTO they should record each hour or portion of an hour away from work as CTO.
Exempt Staff CTO Use
As required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), exempt staff are paid on a salaried basis. This dictates that their pay does not vary with regard to the number of hours worked. Exempt staff often work in excess of their normal scheduled hours and do not receive overtime or any additional pay beyond their salary. Therefore, occasional brief absences from work of less than a day will not be deducted from the CTO banks of exempt staff with the exception of approved leaves of absence under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). CTO will be recorded in full day increments when an exempt staff member is away from work for the entire day. Exempt staff hold regular schedules and deviations from these schedules must be approved by their supervisors. In situations of a reduced schedule or repeated or regular absences, managers and staff should make arrangements to enter CTO to adjust for absences. The use of half days may be a useful alternative in these cases. Issues related to productivity, meeting position responsibilities and appropriate office hours are performance matters and will not be managed through CTO use.