Paid Time Off

Your Time Away simplifies your time off by having only one accrual type – paid time off (PTO). It’s now one bucket, so there’s no need for employees to specify vacation, an illness, a field trip with a child, or any other personal reason to take time off.

What are the main benefits?

• PTO is used for both personal time/leisure and sick/medical time away.
• Increased flexibility for employees to use paid time off for the purpose they choose.
• PTO accrues each pay period.
• Employee’s accrual rate increases for each year of service, up to 20 years of service.
• PTO balances are eligible for separation payout up to the maximum cap.

What are the significant changes compared to the previous plan?

• Instead of accruing vacation and sick time, employees will accrue a single bank of Paid Time Off (PTO), designed to allow them to use their accrual for the purpose they choose (personal time, leisure, or for illness or caring for an ill family member).
• The maximum cap for PTO accruals will be 135% of the annual accrual rate.
• Employees will stop accruing PTO once they reach the maximum cap.
• Once PTO is taken and the employee is again below the maximum cap, they will begin to accrue again, beginning with the following pay period.
• The annual process to take unused vacation hours over the maximum amount allowed and convert them into sick hours will happen at the end of this fiscal year (approximately Aug. 31, 2024).
• As of Sept. 1, 2024, any remaining sick and vacation accrual balances will be converted to a Prior Sick Leave Bank and a Prior Vacation Leave Bank. These hours will not expire and will be available for use once employees exhaust their PTO hours.
• Your PTO balance and Prior Vacation Leave Bank balance are eligible for separation payout up to the current maximum cap, based on years of service.

PTO Calculator

We are currently enhancing the PTO accrual calculator to better support our UTSW team. During this interim period, please see the PTO Accrual tables below.

Questions? hr@utsouthwestern.edu us for assistance.

Monthly PTO Accrual by Years of Service

For exempt (salaried) employees paid monthly, who receive PTO accruals at the end of each monthly pay period.

Bi-weekly PTO Accrual by Years of Service

For employees in the following categories who receive PTO accruals every two weeks at the end of each bi-weekly pay period:

• Non-exempt (hourly), paid monthly
• Non-exempt (hourly), paid bi-weekly
• Exempt (salaried), paid bi-weekly

This policy applies to all employees holding a position of at least 0.5 FTE (full-time equivalent), except for employees appointed to positions for which student status is a condition of employment, or temporary and PRN positions. Eligible part-time employees accrue PTO at the rate proportionate to their FTE and are subject to the Cap on the same proportional basis.