PRINT DISCLAIMER: Official version of this document is accessible in the online policy library at https://policyoffice.ku.edu/. Printed copies may not reflect the most recent updates.
DOCUMENT TYPE:
Policy
PURPOSE:
The University of Kansas provides paid holidays to employees to help balance work and family responsibilities.
APPLIES TO:
Eligible faculty and staff appointed to regular 12-month (fiscal year) positions.
CAMPUS:
Edwards, Lawrence, Juniper Gardens, Parsons, Topeka, Yoder
POLICY STATEMENT:
Holidays are designated by the Governor and the Kansas Board of Regents for eligible faculty and staff as shown in the University's Holiday Eligibility and Reporting Guide.
University offices are closed for the majority of holidays, and most employees are not required to work. Pursuant to Kansas Board of Regents policy, University offices must remain open if classes are in session during designated or observed holidays (i.e., Veterans Day).
Only those employees required to conduct necessary business should be required to work on a holiday.
To ensure appropriate staffing levels, in advance of the holiday the unit head/supervisor must inform employees of the requirement to work on the holiday. Employees must confirm their work status with their unit head/supervisor prior to working on a holiday.
Holiday Credit Eligibility
All eligible employees will receive paid hours (i.e., holiday credit) equal to the number of hours the employee is regularly scheduled to work on the day a holiday is taken. For example, an employee regularly scheduled to work ten (10) hours on the day a holiday is taken will receive ten (10) hours of holiday credit, and an employee regularly scheduled to work five (5) hours on the day a holiday is taken will receive five (5) hours of holiday credit. The employee must be in full pay status (work or paid leave) based on their schedule the workday before and after the holiday.
Part-time employees who are not assigned a regular work schedule or who are not regularly scheduled to work on the day a holiday is taken are not eligible to receive holiday credit. Refer to the Holiday Eligibility and Reporting Guide for specific details.
Holiday Compensatory Time Eligibility
Fiscal-year employees who are eligible for holiday credit and who are required to work on a holiday will be eligible for holiday compensation as denoted by their employment category and position status as described herein.
- Salaried (exempt) and hourly (non-exempt) university support staff (USS) and hourly (non-exempt) unclassified professional staff (UPS) earn one and a half (1.5) hours of holiday compensatory time for each hour worked on a holiday.
- Salaried (exempt) Non-USS earn one (1) hour of holiday compensatory time for each hour worked on a holiday.
An employee shall be paid for the remaining balance of holiday compensatory time upon transfer to another University department or state agency, change in Fair Labor Standards Act status, resignation, retirement, or death.
EXCLUSIONS OR SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
When a designated holiday falls upon a Saturday or a Sunday, the holiday will be observed on either Friday or Monday, as designated by the Governor.
Academic year faculty/academic staff, temporary employees (including student employees), and non-exempt, part-time, employees who work irregular schedules are not eligible for paid holidays.
To be eligible for the Discretionary Holiday, an employee must be appointed to a benefits-eligible (48% or more full-time equivalent) position and have worked for the state of Kansas with at least six months of continuous employment.
Employees who are suspended, furloughed, on leave without pay, or not in an active paid status on the designated holiday or the day before and after the holiday are not eligible for holiday credit.
Please review the Holiday Eligibility Reporting Guide for more information regarding holiday eligibility and reporting.
CONTACT:
Human Resources
103 Carruth-O’Leary Hall
1246 W. Campus Road
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-4946
hrdept@ku.edu
APPROVED BY:
Governor of Kansas, Kansas Board of Regents
APPROVED ON:
2008-02-02
EFFECTIVE ON:
2008-02-02
REVIEW CYCLE:
Annual (As Needed)
RELATED STATUTES, REGULATIONS, AND/OR POLICIES:
Discretionary Holiday
K.A.R. 1-9-1, K.A.R. 1-9-2
KBOR Policy Manual, Section II.C.10.f
RELATED OTHER:
The specific holiday dates are provided on the Human Resources Holiday Listing.
DEFINITIONS:
Standard Work Week: 12:00 a.m. Sunday through 11:59 p.m. Saturday.
Full-time Equivalent: Assigned 40 hours of work within the defined standard work week.
CHANGE HISTORY:
03/24/2025: Migration to TeamDynamix from Drupal.
10/29/2024: Updated the Holiday Eligibility and Reporting Guide for accessibility.
09/20/2024: Updated Human Resource Management to Human Resources.
09/13/2023: Updated broken links.
08/09/2022: Updated policy to clarify eligibility requirements.
07/16/2020: Updated policy.
03/08/2017: Updated Date Last Reviewed field.
06/21/2016: Updated DLR
11/03/2015: Corrected broken link for Holiday Reporting Guide
05/21/2015: Updated name to Holiday and Holiday Compensatory Time Policy from "Holidays. Updated Purpose and Applies to sections, expanded upon definitions, added discretionary day policy to related policies, updated exclusions section
04/03/2015: Removed link to outdated Holiday Compensation document.
12/05/2014: Policy formatting cleanup (e.g., bolding, spacing); updates to Applies to and Campus fields.