I. Purpose
Anne Arundel Community College (“College”) provides Annual Leave to Eligible Employees. This Interim Procedure for Annual Leave (“Procedure”) establishes the eligibility criteria and accrual rates for such leave, and the process for administering such leave.
II. Scope and Applicability
A. This Procedure is adopted to implement the Interim Annual and Sick Leave Policy (“Policy”).
B. This Procedure applies to Eligible Employees.
III. Definitions
A. All capitalized terms in this Procedure have the meanings provided in the Policy.
B. All other capitalized terms in this Procedure have the following meanings:
1. Accrued Annual Leave means Annual Leave accrued by an Eligible Employee at the rates set forth in Section IV of this Procedure.
2. Contract with Benefits Employees are Employees hired pursuant to a contract who receive Annual and Sick Leave as defined in the contract.
3. Eligible Employees for purposes of this Procedure include ASO Employees, employees from the General Counsel’s office, PSSO Employees, Twelve-month Faculty, and the Vice Presidents, but does not include 10-month Faculty, Temporary Employees, Part-Time Faculty or the President.
4. Essential Employees are employees who work in positions that continue to function whether the College is open or closed and are designated as "essential."
5. Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, means 29 U.S.C. §§ 2601–2654 (2006).
6. FMLA Leave means unpaid leave to Eligible Employees for the birth or adoption of a child, placement of child for foster care, to care for a family member with a serious health condition, when the employee has a serious health condition, for military caregivers, and in certain exigent services related to military service.
7. Part-Time Basis means at least twenty (20) hours per week.
8. Unauthorized Absence means the following:
a. Absences for which proper reporting procedures have not been followed;
b. Absences without Supervisor approval;
c. Absences taken without Annual or Sick Leave, or other category of leave being available to the Employee;
d. Absences from work for which documentation is required by a College policy or procedure and has not been provided when requested by the Supervisor or HR; or
e. Absences from work as a result of not returning to work from an approved leave of absence on the date indicated in approved leave of absence paperwork.
IV. Annual Leave Accrual and Procedures
A. Accrual of Annual Leave
1. Full-time ASO Employees, employees from the General Counsel’s office, Twelve-Month Faculty and Vice Presidents, accrue twenty-two (22) days (176 hours) of Annual Leave each year, beginning on the first day of their employment at the College, accrued at the rate of 7.33 hours/pay period.
2. Full-time PSSO Employees accrue Annual Leave at the following rates:
a. Years of Service and Annual Accrual
First five (5) years: 15 days or 120 hours (5.00 hours/pay period)
Sixth (6th) year +: 22 days or 176 hours (7.33 hours/pay period)
b. The Sixth year of accruals begins on the day after the last day of the pay period in which the fifth anniversary of a PSSO Employee’s employment at the College occurs.
1) For example, a PSSO employee who begins working at the College on July 1, 2025, would begin accruing Annual Leave at the increased rate of 7.33 hours/pay period on the day after the end of the pay period in which July 1, 2030, occurs (July 16, 2030).
3. Annual Leave for Eligible Employees who are employed on a Part-Time Basis shall be accrued on a prorated basis.
4. An Eligible Employee’s maximum carryover of Annual Leave from one fiscal year to the next is one year of Annual Leave calculated at the Eligible Employee’s rate of accrual, i.e., twenty-two (22) days/176 hours for ASO Employees, employees of the General Counsel’s office, and PSSO Employees in their sixth and following years of employment at the College; or fifteen (15) days/120 hours in one year for PSSO Employees in their first five years of employment at the College. The maximum carryover of Annual Leave for Part-Time employees will be calculated at the prorated rate for that employee, e.g., 88 hours (for ASO Employees, employees of the General Counsel’s office, Vice Presidents and PSSO Employees in their sixth and following years of employment at the College, working 20 hours/week); or 60 hours (for PSSO Employees in their first five years of employment at the College working 20 hours/week).
5. An Eligible Employee may carry a balance of Annual Leave past the end of a fiscal year up to their maximum carryover amount. If an Eligible Employee’s balance is over the maximum carryover amount on June 30 of a fiscal year, the Employee will forfeit any amount over the maximum carryover at that time.
a. For example, an Eligible ASO Employee has earned 186 hours of Annual Leave by June 30 of the fiscal year. The Employee will forfeit ten (10) hours over the maximum carryover amount of 176 Hours of leave on June 30.
6. The date of hire as an Eligible Employee is used to compute length of service for purposes of determining accrual rates. In the case of a break in service of less than one year, the date of hire used reflects the length of regular employment as an Eligible Employee with the College.
a. For example, if an Eligible Employee begins employment on January 1 of a fiscal year, works through June 30 of the fiscal year, and then resumes employment within less than one year of June 30, the Employee will be credited with six (6) months of service towards their eligibility for Leave, as well as any service occurring after the resumption of employment.
6. An Eligible Employee who leaves the College and returns within one year is entitled to accrue Annual Leave at the same rate that the Employee was entitled to accrue Annual Leave when employment terminated. If the absence is longer than one year, the Employee is placed in the first year leave accrual category upon return.
B. Procedures for the Administration of Annual Leave
1. Annual Leave may be taken only with the prior approval of the Employee’s Supervisor or designee. Ordinarily, Supervisors shall grant leave requests that are submitted with reasonable notice and that will not interfere with the area’s function.
2. An Eligible Employee shall not be charged for Annual Leave when the College is officially closed, except for employees in the Offices of Public Safety and Police and Facilities ordinarily scheduled to work during such time period.
3. An Eligible Employee who becomes disabled or ill during a period of Annual Leave may apply to use Sick Leave for the term of the disability or illness, instead of Annual Leave.
4. An Eligible Employee not in another leave status who has an Unauthorized Absence will be placed on Annual Leave or Leave Without Pay Status, if the Employee has no accrued Annual Leave.
5. Eligible Employees who take Annual Leave of more than five (5) consecutive workdays to care for an immediate family member may be eligible for leave under FMLA. Supervisors or Eligible Employees should contact the Office of Human Resources to determine if leave should be designated as FMLA Leave.
6. Annual Leave may not be used during the last two (2) weeks of employment to permit time during that period for a smooth transition of duties. Exceptions, when necessary, may be granted by the Executive Director of Human Resources, or designee.
7. On termination of employment, an Eligible Employee shall be paid for unused Annual Leave accrued up to the date of termination to a maximum of the Eligible Employee’s annual rate as defined in Section IV.A. or shall repay the College for any unearned Annual Leave that has been used.
a. For example, the Employee earns 176 hours per year. Their balance on the date of termination is 186, only 176 hours will be paid for unused Annual Leave.
8. An Eligible Employee may not be granted an advance of Annual Leave except in exigent circumstances approved in advance by the Employee’s Supervisor and the Executive Director of Human Resources, or designee.
9. Accrued Annual Leave for Eligible Employees with faculty rank who return from ASO status to Ten-Month teaching faculty status will be paid out to the Eligible Employee upon transfer to faculty employment up to a total of the maximum of the Eligible Employee’s annual rate as defined in Section IV.A.
C. Unauthorized Absences and Leave Without Pay
An Employee who has:
a. exhausted all paid Annual Leave;
b. is not in another approved paid leave status (e.g., using Sick Leave) or approved unpaid leave status (e.g., FMLA Leave); and
c. has an Unauthorized Absence,
will be placed on Leave Without Pay status and will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal, pursuant to the College’s Employee Progressive Discipline Procedure, unless there is an extenuating circumstance that has been approved by the appropriate Vice President and the Executive Director of HR, or designee.
V. Exceptions
During the fiscal year July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026, and during their first year of employment at the College, Eligible Employees may receive a one-time exception to Paragraph IV.B.8 and granted the ability to maintain a negative Annual Leave Balance up to a total of eighty (80) hours subject to approval by the Executive Director of Human Resources.
Procedure Title: Interim Annual Leave Procedure
Policy Category: Human Resources
Policy Owner: Vice President of Learning Resources Management
Policy Administrator: Executive Director of Human Resources
Contact Information: Suzanne Boyer; 410-777- 2045; slboyer1@aacc.edu
Approval Date: June 23, 2025
Effective Date: July 1, 2025
History: N/A
Applies to: Eligible Employees
Related Policies: Interim Annual and Sick Leave Policy
Related Procedures: Interim Sick Leave Procedure
Forms/Guidelines: N/A
Relevant Laws: