HR shares important updates on new observance leave and legislative pay increases

This June brings important updates from the Office of Human Resources. Please carefully read this information on the new Personal Observance Leave and legislative pay increases for the upcoming fiscal year.

New Personal Observance Leave available to eligible employees

In recognition and celebration of a diverse workforce, UNC Charlotte will now annually offer eight hours of Personal Observance Leave. This leave is designed for leave-earning employees to use on a day of significance, including days of cultural, religious or personal observation.

The Personal Observance Leave will be made available by Friday, June 10. Employees may use this leave to observe Juneteenth on Monday, June 20, the date of the public holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, or another day of personal significance to them during the calendar year.

Here is what you need to know about this leave:

Leave highlights

• Eight hours of paid leave is available to SHRA and EHRA non-faculty staff and leave-earning faculty annually on a calendar year basis.
• If this leave is not used, it expires at the end of each calendar year.
• This leave is not paid out upon separation.
• Full-time employees will receive eight hours of leave each calendar year, and part-time employees will receive a prorated amount based on the number of hours worked compared to a full-time schedule.

Who is eligible for this leave?
Permanent, probationary and time-limited, leave-earning employees are eligible for this leave. Full-time and part-time employees who work at least a half-time schedule will receive the leave. Temporary employees are not eligible.

How can employees use this leave?
This leave will be reflected in Kronos under the category of Personal Observance Day.

Employees may request this leave for a day of significance, including days of cultural, religious or personal observation. The day used for Personal Observance Leave does not have to be a day from the employee’s own religious or cultural background. Employees may use this leave to recognize and learn about cultures and religions outside their own.

Is supervisor approval required?
As with all leave, supervisor approval is required in advance of using this leave. Supervisors are encouraged to accommodate employees, and employees do not need to explain or justify use of the Personal Observance Leave.

Does the leave have to be taken at one time?
Yes, this leave must be used in one work shift or calendar day of personal significance on which the employee is scheduled to work, including, but not limited to days of cultural or religious importance. The leave cannot be used across multiple days or shifts.

Important information about legislative pay increase in upcoming fiscal year

As announced in November, the General Assembly enacted a 5% pay increase for all eligible SHRA and EHRA employees to be paid over the course of the two fiscal years at 2.5% each year.

Here is what you need to know about the upcoming increase for FY 22-23:

When will I see the raise reflected in my pay?
The University received a directive from the System Office instructing all UNC campuses to await formal instructions before implementing the raises for the new fiscal year. We anticipate instructions to come soon after the legislative short session ends. This is in line with previous legislative increases and allows for any technical amendments from the legislative session to be addressed prior to implementation. This also means that the increase may be delayed past July 1. We recognize that any delay in implementation affects employees, and we are working with the System to ensure we can implement the pay increases as quickly as possible.

If the pay increase isn’t in the first pay period of the new fiscal year, is it expected I will receive retroactive pay to July 1?
Yes, it is expected the instructions we receive from the System will allow for retroactive pay to July 1.

Who is eligible for the pay increase?
Eligibility will be confirmed in the implementation guidelines provided from the System. However, typically, a legislative increase is provided based on employees hired and on payroll on or before June 30 and employed when the legislative increase is implemented. We will share the exact details after they are received from the System.

Are other pay adjustments allowed while we await direction from the state and System on the legislative increase?
Requests for adjustments deemed critical to proceed under campus delegated authority may continue. Once authority and direction are given to implement the legislative increase, that will become the priority until it is implemented for all eligible employees.

When can I expect to receive more information?
Human resources will provide another update through Niner Insider as soon as more information is available.