1. Background
Based on the Holiday Act, the State Personnel Handbook, and the collective agreements (Chapter 6), specific guidelines have been developed for employee holiday arrangements at the University of Agder (UiA).
2. Purpose
The purpose of these guidelines is to clarify the rights and obligations of both the employer and employees regarding holiday leave.
3. Responsibility
The Director of Personnel and Organisation is responsible for these guidelines. They must be used by all units within the organisation.
4. General information about holidays
4.1 Timing of holiday leave
The timing of holidays should be agreed with the immediate supervisor well in advance. For most employees at UiA, the main holiday should be taken during the summer (July). The deadline for applying for summer holiday is 1 May.
For employees over the age of 60, taking the 6th week of holiday or taking holiday outside the usual summer period should be arranged with the immediate supervisor at least two weeks in advance.
4.2 Right and obligation to take holiday leave
All employees are required to take 25 days (5 weeks) of holiday per year. Employees over 60 are entitled to 30 days (6 weeks). This applies even when employees change employers. The employer is legally required to ensure that the employee takes the full holiday entitlement. Employees are entitled to three consecutive weeks of holiday between 1 June and 30 September. If you join the organisation after 30 September, you are entitled to 5 days (1 week) off that year.
Holiday taken can be paid or unpaid, depending on the holiday accrual from the previous year (the accrual year).
All employees must take at least as many days as compensated by earned holiday pay, up to a maximum of 25 days (30 for employees over 60).
For those in teaching and research positions, the holiday (25/30 days) is subtracted from the work schedule unless otherwise agreed with the supervisor. This applies even if earned holiday pay was from a previous employer.
4.3 Payment of holiday pay and practical holiday deductions
Employees who have been employed for all or part of the accrual year will receive their earned holiday pay in June. When holiday pay is paid out, employees will not receive their salary for the same period, so salary is deducted accordingly for the number of holiday days earned.
For those in teaching and research positions, as mentioned, the holiday (25/30 days) is subtracted from the work schedule, and full holiday deductions are made in June. This must be approved by the supervisor before 1 May if increased workload on the work schedule results in reduced holiday deductions.
For employees in teaching and research positions with smaller working hours (part-time positions/II-positions), full holiday leave is deducted, as it is assumed that the employee will take their holiday at UiA alongside the main employer's holiday schedule.
4.4. Holiday for part-time employees
Part-time employees are entitled to the same amount of holiday as full-time employees, i.e., 5 weeks (6 weeks for employees over 60). In UiA's SAP system, part-time employees are registered with their daily working hours, except for those with fixed days off. The registered work schedule in SAP determines the number of assigned holiday days, but the total holiday period (the number of weeks) remains the same as for full-time employees.
4.5. Holiday transfer
If it has not been possible to take all or part of the holiday, a transfer of up to 14 holiday days to the following year can be requested, according to the Holiday Act § 7 (3).
This must be requested via DFØID/APP by 1 December.
1 The Holiday Act allows for 12 working days (10 weekdays). Additionally, requests can be made to transfer the 4 collectively agreed holiday days. In total, 14 working days.
5. Guidelines for holiday leave at UiA
5.1. Application procedures
All employees must apply for holiday leave via DFØID/APP. The immediate supervisor must approve the application. As mentioned in Section 4, most employees should take their main holiday during the summer (July).
When setting holiday dates, it is assumed that employees, together with their immediate supervisor, adjust their holiday dates and any "senior days" to the need for presence regarding administrative tasks, teaching, supervision, and research work.
5.2 Employees not registering work hours in DFØID/APP (employees in teaching and research positions)
Employees who have not applied for holiday leave via DFØID/APP by 1 May will be registered with 5 weeks (6 weeks) of holiday in SAP starting from the first Monday in July, and the holiday will be considered taken.
Any unused holiday appearing in SAP by 31 December will be considered taken unless there are special reasons or an approved request for holiday transfer.
6. Extra leave days for employees who turn 62 (senior leave days)
All public sector employees are entitled to eight extra leave days per year from the year they turn 62 (senior leave).
These leave days can be taken as full days, either in consecutive periods or as individual days. The leave can also be taken in the form of reduced daily, weekly, or monthly working hours by agreement with the supervisor.
Senior leave days are not considered holiday and cannot be transferred between calendar years. Unused senior days will not be paid out as salary under any circumstances.
Senior leave days are subtracted from the work schedule, and for part-time positions, the number of senior leave days is calculated proportionally based on the employment percentage and the work schedule recorded in UiA's SAP system.
7. Sickness and holiday
There are different rules for sickness during holidays depending on when the holiday was scheduled.
7.1 Sickness before the holiday
If you become 100% sick before your holiday, the holiday can be postponed. The request must be made with a doctor's certificate no later than the last working day before the holiday was due to begin.
If holiday days are postponed due to sickness, the holiday must be taken at a later time within the same holiday year.
Employees who have been 100% sick and unable to take all their holiday by 31 December will have the remaining holiday carried over to the next year.
7.2 Sickness during the holiday
Holiday days can be postponed if the sickness lasts for at least one working day.
The sickness must be 100% and documented with a doctor's note. If you are sick abroad, in addition to the doctor's note, you must submit a self-declaration for the foreign stay (NAV 08-09.06) so that UiA can apply for reimbursement of sick pay from NAV.
Self-certification cannot be used during the holiday period.
If holiday days are postponed due to sickness, the holiday must be taken at a later time within the same holiday year.
Employees who have been 100% sick and unable to take all their holiday by 31 December will have the remaining holiday carried over to the next year.
7.3 Long-term sickness absence
Employees on long-term sick leave who are transitioning to disability pension and/or work assessment allowance (AAP) should make an agreement with their employer to take their holiday during the sick leave period or before starting disability pension/AAP.
The total benefit period with the right to sick pay will be extended accordingly.