COVID-19 Booster Incentive Leave

Per the extension of Gov. Roy Cooper’s May 4 executive order, eligible UNC System employees who provide documentation of receiving their first COVID-19 booster by Aug. 31 will get an extra eight (8) hours of paid leave (prorated for part-time employees). This special leave was available for use starting June 6, 2022, and will expire March 31, 2023. 

Eligible employees qualify for this leave whether the first booster was administered before or after the date of the executive order and policy (May 4, 2022), so long as they provide documentation of a first booster by the Aug. 31 deadline.  To avoid penalizing employees who have already received boosters, and to encourage employees to receive future booster shots, the paid leave is available not only to employees who receive their first booster shot between the date the policy is issued and August 31, but also to employees who have already received their first booster shot. 


Eligibility

This leave is available only to employees who are:

  • Permanent, probationary, or time-limited, and
  • Either (a) full-time or (b) part-time with a schedule that is at least half-time from May to Aug. 2022. 

This leave is not available for:

  • Temporary employees
  • Interns
  • Contractors
  • Part-time employees who work less than half-time 


Terms of Leave

Full-time employees who meet these eligibility requirements will receive eight (8) hours of “CD-19 Booster Incentive” leave. Part-time employees will receive a prorated amount based on their number of hours compared to a full-time schedule. 

  • Employees are eligible only once for this leave, even if they receive multiple booster shots.
  • COVID-19 Bonus Incentive Leave has no cash value and cannot be converted into retirement credit; employees shall not be paid for unused leave at separation from the University.
  • The leave may not be transferred to another agency, except for employees transferred by a Type I or Type II transfer authorized by law.
  • Any unused leave will expire on March 31, 2023, and will not be carried into the next calendar year.
  • COVID-19 Booster Incentive leave may be used for any purpose.
  • All eight (8) hours of COVID-19 Booster Incentive Leave do not have to be taken all at once.
  • Employees should request this leave at least two weeks in advance, if possible. The supervisor or manager may require that the employee’s leave be taken at a time other than the time requested, based on the needs of the department.
     

Required Documentation

To qualify for this leave, eligible employees must submit documentation of having obtained their first booster on or before Aug. 31, 2022. (See the Policy Providing Details on COVID-19 Booster Leave Incentive for the definition of what counts as a “First Booster.”). Once the documentation has been received and verified by the Division of Human Resources, the appropriate hours of leave COVID-19 Booster Leave will become viewable and available for use on the employee’s leave report. 

Employees who knowingly provide false or inauthentic information and/or documentation under this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. Authorized Division of Human Resources staff may review materials provided for validity. Managers and supervisors will not have direct access to these confidential records.
 

Time/Pay Entry

A new earn code (“Booster Incentive Leave Taken”) has been created in the Employee Dashboard for all permanent, probationary, and time-limited leave-earning employees. Employees are eligible for eight (8) hours of leave (prorated for part-time employees), which does not have to be taken all at once.
 

Procedure for using COVID-19 Booster Incentive Leave

The following steps outline the process for using COVID-19 Booster Incentive Leave: 

  1. The employee must provide documentation of their first booster shot by August 31, 2022, to the Division of Human Resources. This medical documentation must be submitted to Human Resources via a special link via Aggie Secured Share. 
  1. The employee must select the earn code “Booster Incentive Leave Taken” on their leave report which is located on the Employee Dashboard. Employees should request this leave at least two weeks in advance, if possible.
     

For managers and supervisors

The supervisor or manager may require that the employee’s leave be taken at a time other than the time requested, based on the needs of the department. Managers and supervisors do not have direct access to employees’ confidential records. You may tell other workers that a particular employee is on leave. However, unless the employee consents, you may not say that a particular employee’s leave is due to the employee’s having received a COVID-19 first booster.

Questions

For questions about the COVID Booster Leave or other employee leave categories, please contact Shretha Arrington, FMLA & Leave Administrator, in the Division of Human Resources at via email or 336-285-3790.