As a follow-up to our February 3, 2026 communication, the transition to an accrual-based vacation system in Workday is now complete as of April 16, 2026.

Vacation Time for Postdoctoral Fellows

Please refer to the terms and conditions of your fellowship for guidance on vacation time. Postdoctoral Fellows should coordinate time away from work with their PI and department and ensure that their schedule aligns with the requirements of their funding source. NRSA trainees and fellows may receive leave for the same vacations and holidays available to individuals in comparable training positions at the awardee or sponsoring institution.

To help Postdoctoral Fellows and faculty mentors, PIs, and/or department administrators plan for appropriate time off, Postdoctoral Fellows may accrue up to 22 days at any given time, with an annual maximum of 24 days (consistent with Postdoctoral Research Associates). However, the balance displayed in Workday is provided for tracking purposes only and does not indicate that the University provides vacation time as a formal benefit.

Once a Postdoctoral Fellow reaches the cap of 22 days:

• No additional vacation time will accrue until some time is used
• Any missed accrual cannot be recovered in a later period
• Faculty mentors, PIs, and/or department administrators are encouraged to monitor balances regularly to ensure appropriate usage
• No vacation time will accrue during pay periods in which the individual does not receive pay, including unpaid leaves of absence

Vacation time may be used as it is accrued; however, Postdoctoral Fellows may not borrow against future, unaccrued time.

Please note that Postdoctoral Fellows are not eligible for a payout of unused vacation time at the end of their appointment, as they are not considered employees of the University. 

Logging Vacation Time in Workday

All Postdoctoral Fellows in the bargaining unit should log vacation time in Workday, even though it is intended for tracking purposes only. Please refer to these step-by-step instructions for requesting time off in Workday:

Please note:

• Vacation time does not need to be applied to University holidays or Winter Break.
• All vacation requests should be submitted in advance to your faculty mentor, Principal Investigator, department chair, or dean and are subject to approval based on the program requirements of their laboratory, department, school, institute, or center.
• Vacation time should not be applied toward approved travel days for conferences or other professional development activities.

For additional details, see Article 18: Leaves of Absence and Time Off of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Last updated: May 1, 2026.