HRAR-6.03 - Vacation

General

City of Portland employees shall accrue vacation leave as provided in this Rule. Vacation shall be accrued biweekly in conformity with the payroll period. Any vacation time accrued may be taken by an employee in accordance with procedures established by this Rule and bureau rules.

Persons not Entitled to Vacation Benefits

No person employed as a consultant or expert on a contract basis, employed on a seasonal basis, or temporarily employed in a non-budgeted position shall accrue vacation leave.

Basis for Computing Vacations

The rate that vacation leave accrues shall depend upon the number of years of total service for the City, whether or not the total was broken. Except as otherwise provided in a labor agreement, if in a calendar year an employee will have attained the following number of years of total service, then beginning on January 1 of that year, the employee's vacation leave shall accrue at the rate indicated in the following appropriation schedules.

Vacation Appropriation Schedule – Full-Time Employees and Bureau of Police Uniformed Personnel of Rank Lieutenant and Above

Schedule for full-time personnel:

New Rates effective 1/10/2019

Vacation Appropriation Schedule –51.9223. - Hour Uniformed Members of the Bureau of Fire and Rescue

Members of the Bureau of Fire & Rescue assigned from a 51.9223 hour week to a 40 hour week or a 40 hour week to a 51.9223 hour week shall have vacation leave credits divided or multiplied respectively by the factor of 1.2981 at the time of such change of assignment.

Total Service

As used in this administrative rule, total service:

1. Includes time taken while on leave of absence without pay for military service or Family Medical Leave;
2. Includes time under temporary appointment considered upon permanent appointment to City service, and employment by Prosper Portland (formerly known as the Portland Development Commission);
3. Includes any continuous absence because of injury in the line of duty. For employees in the Bureau of Fire and Rescue and in the Bureau of Police, total service shall include any time on a leave of absence because of occupational or service-connected disability approved by the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Fund Board if, after that absence, the employee returns to his duties on a full-time basis for a continuous period of at least 30 days;

Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this Subsection, total service excludes time in City service for which an employee receives pension benefits.

Vacation Accrual for Job Sharing Employees

Benefits eligible job-share employees who share a full-time position and serve for 36- 40 hours each pay period shall be allowed one-half the accrual rates outlined in Vacation Appropriation Schedule for full-time employees. Vacation may be used:

1. for non-represented employees, after 173 hours of continuous job-sharing employment;
2. for employees represented in collective bargaining, after 1,040 hours of continuous job-sharing employment.

The progression to higher accrual rates will be based on years of service as indicated for full time employees in the vacation appropriation schedule, without regard to actual hours worked.

Vacation Accrual for Part Time Employees

Part-time employees who serve at least 40 hours but less than 72 hours each pay period shall accrue pro-rated vacation in accordance with the percentage of full-time work. Vacation may be used;

1. for non-represented employees, after 173 hours of continuous part-time employment;
2. for employees represented in collective bargaining, after 1,040 hours of continuous part-time employment, unless otherwise designated in a collective bargaining agreement.

The progression to higher accrual rates will be based on years of service as indicated for full time employees in the vacation appropriation schedule, without regard to actual hours worked.

Time Annual Vacation May Be Taken

Vacation credits shall accumulate from the first day of employment. With supervisor approval, vacation may be used by employees as follows:

1. for non-represented employees, after continuous employment for one month;
2. for employees represented in collective bargaining, after continuous employment for six months, unless otherwise designated in a collective bargaining agreement. 

Vacation Carry-Over

Under normal conditions, all employees are expected to take their vacation in the calendar year following the year in which credits were earned. Vacation credits may be accumulated up to a maximum of two year’s earnings as of the end of the first pay period in January (the accrual amount is determined based on the employee’s accrual rate at the end of the first pay period in January).

For Directors listed below and for employees assigned as Assistant Chief in the Police Bureau and as Fire Division Chief, Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal or Deputy Fire Chief in the Bureau of Fire and Rescue vacation credits may be accumulated up to a maximum of three year’s earning as of the end of the first pay period in January of any year.

Chief Administrative Officer
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Bureau of Human Resources
Bureau of Technology Services
Office of Community and Civic Life
Office of Government Relations
Office of Equity and Human Rights
Office of the City Attorney
Bureau of Environmental Services
Portland Bureau of Transportation
Water Bureau
Bureau of Development Services
Bureau of Parks & Recreation
Bureau of Emergency Communications
Portland Bureau of Emergency Management
Bureau of Police
Bureau of Fire & Rescue
Bureau of Revenue and Financial Services
Bureau of Fire, Police & Disability Retirement
Portland Housing Bureau
Bureau of Planning and Sustainability
City Budget Office

Leave in Excess of Maximum Accrual Hours for Workers' Compensation

See HR Administrative Rule on Workers' Compensation.

Employment While on Vacation

While on vacation, City employees shall not perform service for the City for compensation in any other capacity.

Transferred Employee

When an employee is transferred permanently by promotion or otherwise from one bureau to another, the employee's vacation shall become the obligation of the bureau to which the employee transfers. Postponed holidays shall be treated in the same manner as accrued vacation.

Donation of Vacation Leave

An employee, having a minimum of six months of city service, may voluntarily donate vacation leave in accordance with the HR Administrative Rule on Catastrophic Leave.

Separation from Service

All accrued, unused vacation must be paid out, as part of the final paycheck, to an employee who leaves City service for any reason. Employees who are leaving City service for any reason may not elect to use accrued vacation, rather than have their vacation paid out, to extend their employment with the City. For example, if an employee states they wish to resign at some date in the future but stay on City payroll using accrued vacation until that date, that request must be denied.