Holiday Policy

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Effective Date: November 2020
Issuing Authority: Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance
Policy Contact: Associate Vice President for Payroll and Benefits, payroll@mercer.edu, benefits@mercer.edu, 478-301-2699

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the official holidays recognized by Mercer University.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees of Mercer University.

Exclusions

Recognized holidays differ for MERC employees.

Definitions

As used in this policy, the following term(s) have the meaning specified below:

Employee: any faculty (including, but not limited to, regular, visiting, or adjunct), any individual who has an appointment at the University, and all regular and temporary staff.

Policy Statement

Eligibility for Holidays
In all schools, departments, and areas of the University, including MERC, the University extends paid time for Holidays to:

  • All Regular Full-time Faculty (not including Adjunct Faculty)
  • Regular Full-time Professional Staff
  • Regular Full-time Classified Staff
  • Part-time Staff only if the University is closed on a day they are normally scheduled to work and only for the number of hours scheduled to work that day. At MERC a work schedule must be on file in MERC Administration for the Part-time Staff to be eligible for Holiday pay.
  • Temporary and Student Employees are not eligible for paid time off for Holidays in any school, department or area of the University.

Auxiliaries of the University and off-site facilities/centers such as Mercer Medicine and MERC have varying operational hours during holidays.

 Recognized Holidays
For all areas of the University, excluding MERC, the University recognizes the following Holidays:

 New Year’s Day

  • Martin Luther King Day
  • Good Friday
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving Day & the Friday following
  • Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

At MERC, the University recognizes the following Holidays:

  • New Year’s Eve & Day
  • Martin Luther King Day
  • President’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Columbus Day
  • Veteran’s Day
  • Thanksgiving Day & the Friday following
  • Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Administrative/Regulatory

  1. Individuals must be in a with pay status the working day prior to and the working day immediately following the Holiday in order to be paid for the approved Holiday.
  2. Individuals are permitted to schedule in advance additional Vacation Days to be taken in coordination with a Holiday for additional time off; however, such Vacation Days must be scheduled in advance and approved by the individual’s supervisor prior to beginning the Holiday period.
  3. Holidays falling on a Saturday are normally observed on the preceding Friday. Holidays falling on a Sunday are normally observed on the following Monday. (Exceptions may occur i.e. New Year’s Day in order that days away for Christmas and New Year’s might be observed consecutively.) Administration will designate the specific day on which the Holiday will be observed.
  4. Employees required to work on a holiday will be paid for the Holiday when compensatory time off during the pay period is not possible.
  5. Administrators may work out special arrangements (compensatory time) or permit special use of Sick Leave up to a maximum of three days in a Fiscal Year for recognition of religious Holidays not observed by the University.
  6. The President of the University may elect to shift the date of the Holiday or designate other Holidays during the year.