See also: Holiday Schedule
The University provides 13 holidays (8 observed and 5 floating holidays) a year to all regular employees. Holidays must be used within 12 months of being granted.
New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after, and Christmas Day. On these days, normal university operations are closed down. Five additional "working holidays" are provided, for which university operations continue as usual, with alternate holiday time off given as described below.
Holidays falling on the first day of the weekend will be observed on the day before; holidays falling on the last day of the weekend will be observed the following day. A weekend in this context is two consecutive days off, whether they be Saturday and Sunday or any other two consecutive days.
To receive holiday pay employees must be in pay status for all scheduled hours on both the last scheduled workday immediately prior to the holiday and the first scheduled workday immediately following the holiday.
Regular part-time employees receive holiday pay prorated according to the FTE as recorded on the PAF, regardless of whether the employee is scheduled for work on the holiday.
Holiday pay will be prorated for regular employees on workers' compensation who are using sick and/or vacation leave to supplement their pay.
Temporary employees are not eligible for holiday pay and, if required to work on a holiday, will be paid at the regular rate. Employees may be required to work on a University holiday.
Hourly paid regular employees required to work on a holiday will be paid for the holiday plus the hours worked, using one of the following options as determined by the department:
- Employee receives holiday pay (earnings type HOL) plus pay for hours worked on the holiday.
- Employee receives pay for the hours worked and takes the holiday (hour for hour) with pay at a later date. Departments should use earnings type BHOL (banked holiday) to record holiday hours on the time sheet and BKUS when this time is taken. Banked holiday time should be requested via Employee Self Service when used.
- Employee receives holiday pay (earnings type HOL) plus pay for the hours worked and takes the holiday at a later time without pay.
The latter two options require prior approval from the department. Time taken should be mutually agreed upon by the department and the employee, and the alternate time taken off must be taken within 1 year.
- Monthly paid employees required to work on a holiday should request that the holiday be banked for later use. Banked holiday time should be requested via Employee Self Service when used. The time taken should be mutually agreed upon by the employee and the supervisor, and must be taken within 1 year.
Working Holidays
Working holidays are: Presidents Day (third Monday in February), Arbor Day (last Friday in April), Juneteenth (June 19), Columbus Day (second Monday in October), and Veterans Day (November 11). Because university classes and offices are operational and staffed on these days, employees will normally take alternate holiday time off during the December campus closedown periods established by the academic calendar. Employees wishing to take time off for these holidays at times other than the December campus closedown must have departmental approval.
Employees who separate from the University prior to using this alternate holiday time will receive pay at the regular rate at the time of separation.
Employees who have not accrued sufficient alternate holiday time to cover the closedown period (i.e. employees hired after the occurrence of one or more of these holidays and prior to the campus closedown) will use vacation leave or leave without pay during the closedown period.
NOTE: At department discretion employees may be advanced up to five days of vacation leave to remain in pay status during the campus closedown.
In accordance with additional Juneteenth Floating Holiday, effective June 2022: Floating holidays will capped so that not more than 40 hours of deferred floating holiday balance may be accrued. Floating Holiday leave balances exceeding 40 hours will be adjusted to reflect a balance of 40 hours.
An employee separating from a leave eligible position to move to another University of Nebraska leave eligible position within 12 months will not be paid for any leave. Instead the leave will transfer to the new unit. Exceptions are employees who are reduced in force or who move to a non-leave eligible position.