Leaving CU

Vacation Payout

You will receive a vacation payout for total accrued hours up to the maximum balance, usually two years-worth of accruals. For example, if your accrual rate is 10 hours per month, your maximum eligible balance for payout is 240 hours.

Federal and state taxes are withheld at the supplemental tax rate. Medicare tax, if applicable, and PERA retirement will be deducted.

Sick Payout

If you meet PERA age-and-service requirements for a full or reduced retirement, you are eligible for a partial payout of unused sick leave.

The maximum allowed payout for sick is 25% of the unused current balance up to the maximum eligible sick balance. For state classified employees hired July 1, 1988 or later, the maximum eligible sick leave balance is 360 hours (45 days).

For employees who had a frozen sick balance on June 30, 1988, the maximum accrual may be higher than 360 hours (360 hours plus the frozen sick balance). Twenty-five percent of the employee's remaining balance (up to his/her maximum allowed) will be paid out at termination.

Vacation Payout

You will receive a vacation payout for total accrued hours up to the maximum balance, 352 hours (14.67 hours per month multiplied by 24 months).

If you transferred to an academic-year appointment, you are eligible for a vacation leave hours accrued as a university staff member, subject to the maximum limits above.

For these payouts, federal and state taxes are withheld at the supplemental tax rate. This payment is also subject to retirement, OASDI (Social Security) and Medicare tax, as applicable.

Send an email to systemhr@cu.edu if you would like to donate excess hours to a leave bank.

Sick Leave

If you meet age-and-service requirements for your retirement plan (either CU 401(a) or PERA), you are eligible for a payout of unused sick leave. The maximum allowed payout for sick time is one-fourth of the unused current balance, up to a maximum of 240 hours (one-quarter of the 960 hours/120 days maximum hours allowed). See Regent Policy 11-E for more information.

Frozen Sick Leave Balances for Retirees

If you have more than 960 unused sick hours upon retirement, you are entitled to receive 25% of your sick leave balance as of May 1, 2001. This frozen sick leave balance is informational only and helps us determine your payout at retirement.

Here are some examples:

• Dr. Smith had 1,500 hours of sick accrued as of May 1, 2001. In August 2006, he retired with a sick balance of 1,600 hours. His sick leave payout at retirement would be 25% of 1,500 (375 hours).
• Dr. Jones had 900 hours of sick accrued as of May 1, 2001. By the time she retired in August 2006, her balance was 1,000 hours. Her sick leave at retirement payout was 25% of 960 hours (240 hours), since that is the maximum that may be paid when the employee had fewer than 960 hours of accrual as of May 1, 2001.
• Dr. Davis had 1,000 hours of sick accrued as of May 1, 2001. Over the next few years, he used a large number of sick leave hours, and his balance was 700 hours at retirement. His sick leave payout at retirement was 25% of 700 hours (175 hours).