Purchase extra days with new vacation purchase plan
Application due February 17; program starts April 1, 2016
Are you a new employee wishing for vacation time in your first year? Would you like to tack on extra days to your summer break or request an additional day off when your child’s school has an in-service?
These are questions to discuss with your supervisor when considering the vacation purchase plan. If your area’s operational needs are covered, you may be eligible to benefit from this new program.
The vacation purchase plan provides eligible employees with an opportunity to purchase 5 to 10 days of vacation in addition to their current vacation allotment. While unpaid leaves already exist, they impact seniority / service accrual, vacation accrual, pension contributions and other benefits, whereas these consequences do not occur with the new plan.
The vacation purchase plan is a pilot project that will run consecutively with the voluntary days off program. The new plan allows salary deductions to be spread throughout the year whereas the voluntary days off program deducts salaries within the pay period that the leave is taken. Both options will continue to be offered for maximum flexibility to employees.
The combined total of days between the two programs cannot exceed 10 days per fiscal year.
“Employees have asked us if the cost of extra days off could be spread equally over one year, so this program is a direct response to the needs of our community members, ” says Dave Muir, director of compensation and benefits, human resources.
The salary deduction model is similar to programs offered at the University of Winnipeg and government of Manitoba.
Muir adds, “Community members can enjoy flexible working arrangements by taking advantage of the program for additional days off. The benefit is consistent with our university’s Strategic Plan to provide healthy living options for staff and faculty.”
Application forms are to be submitted to supervisors by February 17, 2016; for more information about the program and eligibility requirements, visit the human resources website.
Questions? Call the HR Help Desk at 204-474-9400 or contact your HR Consultant.
Feedback? Email hrfeedback [at] umanitoba [dot] ca