Discretionary Day

The Discretionary Day is an additional day with pay provided eligible university support staff, unclassified staff and fiscal year faculty for observance of a religious holiday, family event or other special occasion. This holiday is subject to an employee's advance request and subsequent supervisory approval.

To be eligible for the holiday an employee must 1) hold a regular position and 2) be eligible for and/or participate in either group health insurance or a retirement program (they must be 50% or more FTE) and 3) must have worked for the state with at least six months of continuous service with no breaks in employment.

All eligible employees shall receive hours equal to the number of hours regularly scheduled to work for a discretionary holiday. (e.g. If the employee is regularly scheduled to work 10 hours on the day this holiday is taken, the day is worth 10 hours, if the employee is regularly scheduled to work 5 hours on the day this holiday is taken, the day is worth 5 hours.) All hours for a discretionary holiday shall be taken on the same day and in no case will an employee earn more than one discretionary holiday in a designated year. An employee shall not be paid for the discretionary holiday in lieu of taking the time off and balances cannot be carried forward to the next calendar year.

The discretionary holiday must be taken prior to certain pay period dates that occur during the last part of December or the first part of January. The specific dates will be provided each year on the HR/EO Holiday List:  http://www.hreo.ku.edu/policies_procedures/leaves_holidays/holiday_listing.

Departmental heads and supervisors shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that all eligible personnel receive the holiday during the calendar year.

Regarding the portal and Discretionary Day.  The portal does not display hours just the designation.  The portal only shows the words “Discretionary Day” if the employee has not used it.   Once it has been used and processed the words will no longer display on the portal.

rev 01/2008