Time Off - Faculty & Staff

Only Benefits-eligible administrative faculty, library faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and research faculty are eligible for vacation.  Academic faculty is not eligible for vacation.

With the exception of Postdoctoral Fellows, this leave shall be earned according to the following formula:

The change in accrual rates will occur beginning with the first day of the month following the month in which employment period reaches the 108th month.

For Postdoctoral Fellows, leave shall be earned according to the following formula:

Full-time Benefits-eligible employees who work less than one full month and part-time Benefits-eligible faculty will earn annual leave on a pro rata basis.  Employees who wish to use annual leave must submit a request to their supervisor and receive approval.  Supervisors may deny use of annual leave.  Employees who use annual leave must report their usage monthly through the leave reporting system and submit their leave reports to their supervisor within the deadlines established by Payroll.  Employees may take paid annual leave only as earned or accrued.  While on paid leave, employees will accrue annual leave at the normal rate.  Employees on unpaid leave will not accrue annual leave. Any leave taken which has not been accrued will be treated as leave without pay.  The maximum carryover limits set forth above shall be effective at the end of each fiscal year.  An employee may accrue annual leave in excess of the applicable limit during the course of a fiscal year, but they must either use all leave accrued in excess of the limit during the fiscal year or forfeit the excess at the earlier of the end of the fiscal year or termination of employment.  An employee will be paid in full at their current rate of pay for unused hours of annual leave, up to the applicable maximum carryover limit, upon change from twelve-month to nine-month contract status, upon termination of employment, or at the time of retirement or death.  Upon the death of an employee, the estate of the deceased employee will be paid for the employee’s accrued annual leave, up to the applicable maximum carryover limit.

Colorado School of Mines observes 13 holidays.  Mines observes an alternate holiday schedule, which generally provides employees time off between Christmas and New Year’s.

See more information on paid holidays by checking out the Mines Holiday Calendar.

Sick leave provides Mines employees with paid time off from work to attend to their health and medical needs, as well as the health and medical needs of their spouses, parents, minor children, adult children who are incapable of self-care, legal dependents, or persons in the household for whom the employee is the primary caregiver.  Employees are expected to utilize sick leave to cover their time off from work for preventive care and diagnostic medical examinations, receipt of medical treatment, and recovery from mental or physical illnesses, non-work-related injuries, and health conditions.  Paid sick leave may be used when the employee or the employee’s spouse, parent, children, legal dependents, or persons for whom the employee is the primary caregiver are the victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment, and use of the leave is to seek medical attention for the domestic abuse, sexual assault, or harassment, obtain services from a victim services organization, obtain mental health or other counseling, or seek relocation or legal services (including participating in a related civil or criminal proceeding) due to the domestic abuse, sexual assault or harassment. Reasonable documentation for absences greater than four consecutive days may be requested by the supervisor.  Paid sick leave may also be used if a public health official has ordered closure of Mines, or if a public health official has ordered closure of the school or place of care for the employee’s child, and the employee needs to be absent from work to care for the child. Documentation may not be requested nor required for absences related to emergency leave.  For more information, please contact Mines Benefits at benefits@mines.edu.

Mines benefits-eligible employees shall accrue sick leave at the rate of ten hours for each calendar month worked.  The maximum annual carryover limit of paid sick leave shall be 720 hours.  Full-time benefits-eligible employees who work less than one full month and part-time faculty will earn sick leave on a pro rata basis.  Benefits-eligible employees on paid leave will accrue sick leave at the normal rate.  Benefits-eligible employees may take paid sick leave only as earned or accrued.  Any leave taken which has not been accrued will be treated as leave without pay.  The maximum carryover limit set forth above shall be effective at the end of each fiscal year.  A benefits-eligible employee may accrue sick leave in excess of the limit during the course of a fiscal year, but they must either use all leave accrued in excess of the limit during the fiscal year or forfeit the excess at the end of the fiscal year.

Non-benefits-eligible employees shall accrue paid sick leave at a rate of one hour for each thirty-hours worked, and shall not earn or use more than 48 hours of paid sick leave each fiscal year. Up to 48 hours of sick leave may carry over into a subsequent fiscal year, but a non-benefits-eligible employee may not use more than 48 hours of paid sick leave in a single year.  Employees may take paid sick leave only as earned or accrued.  A full-time, non-benefits-eligible employee who is exempt from overtime accrues sick leave based on the assumption that the employee works 40 hours per week.  If the employee works less than 40 hours per week, they will accrue sick leave based upon the number of hours that comprise a normal work week.

Sick leave shall be reported for any time away from Mines duties due to illness or medical or other appointments as set forth above. It is improper to use sick leave for the sole purpose of extending available funds from research or other externally funded accounts. Department Heads or equivalent directors may require a physician’s certificate for the use of sick leave.  Employees who use sick leave must report their usage monthly through the leave reporting system and submit their leave reports to their supervisor within the deadlines established by Payroll.

A benefits-eligible employee who is actively participating in the PERA Defined Benefit Plan at the time of separation from Mines service, after becoming eligible to receive a full or reduced retirement annuity pursuant to PERA guidelines, shall be paid for one-fourth of their unused sick leave at their current rate of pay, up to the maximum carryover limit set forth above. An employee is only eligible to receive this sick leave payout once, upon the original retirement event.

If a benefits-eligible employee dies prior to retirement or separation from Mines service, the estate of the deceased employee will be paid one-fourth of the employee’s unused sick leave at the time of the employee’s death, within the limits set forth in this paragraph.

Mines employees who separate and are rehired by Mines within six months after separation will have any accrued but unused paid sick leave reinstated.  If a benefits-eligible employee has been paid for one-fourth of their unused sick leave as set forth above, they shall only be entitled to reinstatement of three-fourths of any accrued but unused sick leave.