Section 124.134. Vacation leave - employees exempt from collective bargaining

(A) Each full-time permanent state employee paid in accordance with section 124.152 of the Revised Code and those employees listed in divisions (B)(2) and (4) of section 124.14 of the Revised Code shall be credited with vacation leave with full pay according to length of service and accruing at a corresponding rate per biweekly pay period, as follows: Length of ServiceAccrual Rate Per Pay Period

Less than4years3.1 hours

4 but less than9years4.6 hours

9 but less than14years6.2 hours

14 but less than19years6.9 hours

19 but less than24years7.7 hours

24 yearsormore9.2 hours

Fifty-two weeks equal one year of service.

The amount of an employee's service shall be determined in accordance with the standard specified in section 9.44 of the Revised Code. Credit for prior service, including an increased vacation accrual rate and longevity supplement, shall take effect during the first pay period that begins immediately following the date the director of administrative services approves granting credit for that prior service. No employee, other than an employee who submits proof of prior service within ninety days after the date of the employee's hiring, shall receive any amount of vacation leave for the period prior to the date of the director's approval of the grant of credit for prior service.

Part-time permanent employees who are paid in accordance with section 124.152 of the Revised Code and full-time permanent employees subject to this section who are in active pay status for less than eighty hours in a pay period shall earn vacation leave on a prorated basis. The ratio between the hours worked and the vacation hours earned by these classes of employees shall be the same as the ratio between the hours worked and the vacation hours earned by a full-time permanent employee with the same amount of service as provided for in this section.

Vacation leave is not available for use until it appears on the employee's earning statement and the compensation described in the earning statement is available to the employee. An employee may begin using accrued vacation leave upon completion of the employee's initial probation period. A probationary period that follows a separation from service that is less than thirty-one days is not considered an initial probation period for purposes of this section.

(B) Employees granted leave under this section shall forfeit their right to take or to be paid for any vacation leave to their credit which is in excess of the accrual for three years. Any excess leave shall be eliminated from the employees' leave balance.

(C) Except as provided in division (D) of this section, beginning in fiscal year 2012, an employee may be paid for up to eighty hours of vacation leave each fiscal year if the employee requested and was denied the use of vacation leave during that fiscal year. No employee shall receive payment for more than eighty hours of denied vacation leave in a single fiscal year. An employee is only eligible to receive payment for vacation leave when the employee's vacation leave credit is at, or will reach in the immediately following pay period, the maximum of the accrual for three years and the employee has been denied the use of vacation leave . An employee is not entitled to receive payment for vacation leave denied in any pay period in which the employee's vacation leave credit is not at, or will not reach in the immediately following pay period, the maximum of accrual for three years. Any vacation leave for which an employee receives payment shall be deducted from the employee's vacation leave balance. No employee is eligible to receive payment for denied vacation leave in either fiscal year 2010 or fiscal year 2011.

(D) The supreme court, general assembly, secretary of state, auditor of state, treasurer of state, and attorney general may establish by policy an alternate payment structure for employees whose vacation leave credit is at, or will reach in the immediately following pay period, the maximum of accrual for three years and the employee has been denied the use of vacation leave. An employee is not entitled to receive payment for vacation leave denied in any pay period in which the employee's vacation leave credit is not at, or will not reach in the immediately following pay period, the maximum of accrual for three years. Any vacation leave for which the employee receives payment shall be deducted from the employee's vacationleave balance.

(E) Upon separation from state service, an employee granted leave under this section is entitled to compensation at the employee's current rate of pay for all unused vacation leave accrued under this section or section 124.13 of the Revised Code to the employee's credit. In case of transfer of an employee from one state agency to another, the employee shall retain the accrued and unused vacation leave. In case of the death of an employee, the unused vacation leave shall be paid in accordance with section 2113.04 of the Revised Code, or to the employee's estate. An employee serving in a temporary work level who is eligible to receive compensation under this division shall be compensated at the base rate of pay of the employee's normal classification.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 7/17/2009 and 8/30/2009.

Effective Date: 03-30-1999; 06-30-2006; 07-01-2007