Human Resources Guidelines

HRG14 Establishing Date of Termination of Employment Occurring Near December/New Year's Holiday

Policy Status: 

Active

Subject Matter Expert: 

Dovizia Long, 814-867-0041, dul10@psu.edu

Policy Steward: 

Vice President for Human Resources

GUIDELINE'S INITIAL DATE: April 10, 1970

THIS VERSION EFFECTIVE: October 1, 1992

Content:

PURPOSE:

To provide a reasonable standard for establishing the final date of pay status for a regular employee who indicates an intent to resign at a time near the December/New Year's holidays.

(NOTE: This Human Resources Guideline may be used for general guidance for retirement, but also see HR50 and HR51 for further information.)

UNIQUE ASPECT OF UNIVERSITY'S HOLIDAY CALENDAR:

Most employers other than educational institutions have holiday schedules providing a somewhat even distribution of paid holidays throughout the calendar year. However, because of the University calendar, a large number of established University holidays occur in the December/New Year's holiday period. It is not fiscally sound to grant an employee with relatively short University service a large number of paid holidays occurring at such a time, or to permit an employee regardless of the length of prior service to receive the New Year's Day holiday for a short period of work in the new year, when the employee does not intend to continue his or her employment relationship with the University following the holiday period.

ESTABLISHING FINAL DATE OF EMPLOYMENT:

If an employee indicates his or her intent to resign at a time near the December/New Year's holiday period and the employee began regular continuous employment prior to the preceding January, or if hired in the preceding January, worked sufficient days that January to earn vacation for the month, the following conditions apply:

  1. If the employee had continuous regular employment status through the calendar year, and
  2. If the employee works his or her last regular scheduled work day prior to the December close down (or if absent that last day, the absence is due to a bonafide illness), and
  3. If the employee is not required and does not work the balance of the month because of the University holidays or regularly scheduled days off, then
  4. The employee's termination date shall show as the end of December, rather than the last day the employee was physically at work.

If the employee was hired subsequent to the preceding January, or if hired in the preceding January and did not work enough days that January to earn vacation for the month, the final date of active pay status shall be the last day the employee is actively at work.

In either case, the employee should not be permitted to extend service into the next calendar year for the purpose of granting those University holidays in December or January to the employee.

Date Approved: 

October 1, 1992

Date Published: 

October 1, 1992

Effective Date: 

October 1, 1992