Proposed change in paid time off for some UM System workers could happen in 2024
A proposed change in the number of days off for hourly and salaried staff members in the University of Missouri System was introduced at the June 23 Board of Curators meeting.
The proposal would do away with the idea of classifications for vacation, personal and sick days, instead opting for a single category of paid time off, said MU and system spokesman Christian Basi.
It would reduce by 10 the total number of days off for both hourly and salaried workers, but it would add parental or caregiver leave and short-term disability leave of up to four weeks for employees who need it.
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Currently a new hourly employee in their first year is allowed 12 days of vacation, 12 days of sick leave, four personal days, four days over winter break and nine paid holidays. That's 41 days if the employee were to take all of them.
Under the proposal, the new hourly worker in the first year would get 18 days of paid time off, four winter break days and nine holidays for 31 days.
Salaried workers in their first year now have 17 vacation days, 12 sick days, four personal days, four days for winter break and nine holidays, for a total of 46 days.
Under the proposed change, the new salaried worker would get 23 days of paid time off, nine holidays and four winter break days, for a total of 36 days.
"We're not forcing individuals to choose between taking a sick day or a vacation day" under the proposal, Basi said.
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Employees value the other forms of leave that would be added, he said.
"Parents could take time off for the birth or adoption of a child for child care in one-week increments for a maximum of four weeks in a 12-month period," Basi said.
That time could also be used to care for an ailing family member, he said.
"It provides more flexibility for workers," Basi said.
It makes the system more competitive in the job market, he said.
"It modernizes the needs of our staff in promoting a work-life balance," he said.
The schedule calls for the Board of Curators to consider the plan for approval at its September meeting, but Basi said that could change.
The literature about the proposal states that it provides more equitable time off, reduces abuse of sick time and promotes scheduling time off in advance.
It's more inclusive to the diverse needs of employees, the literature states.
Paid time off programs such as the plan being considered tend to have a higher perceived value, are easier to understand, and improve the system's ability to recruit and retain workers, the board documents state.
Employee education would take place in the transition before any new plan starts, Basi said.
He cautioned that there has been no action taken on the proposal and nothing is final.
Roger McKinney is the education reporter for the Tribune. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on Twitter at @rmckinney9.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: UM System workers could lose days off, gain other leave under proposal
