Section R13-5-503. Annual Leave

A.      Computing length of service. For determining an annual leave accrual rate, an employee’s length of service shall begin on the first day of the first qualifying pay period of employment. Only a qualifying pay period is counted before and after a break-in-service. Previous periods of service as a state employee are counted toward annual leave accrual. Periods of military leave and active military service are included in com- puting annual leave if the employee meets the requirements of

A.R.S. § 38-610.

B.       Accruing annual  leave.  A full-time employee shall accrue annual leave under the following schedule:

Beginning	Completion	Biweekly accrual rate
1st year 6th year 11th year 21st year	5th year 10th year 20th year	4.62 hours 5.54 hours 6.47 hours 7.39 hours

C.      Progression of annual leave. An employee shall progress to the next higher accrual rate on the first day of the pay period fol- lowing completion of the required length of service.

D.      Using annual leave. An employee may use accrued annual leave under state and federal  law and agency policy. The employee shall schedule the use of accrued annual leave through the employee’s supervisor.

E.       Maximum accumulation and disposition. An employee may accumulate annual leave without limit during a year. At the

end of each year, an employee’s annual leave balance shall not exceed 360 hours. It shall be the responsibility of each employee to schedule annual leave to avoid having a balance over 360 hours at the end of the year. If an employee’s annual leave balance on January 1 exceeds 360 hours, the agency head may withdraw the excess and deposit the hours as sick leave in the employee’s sick leave balance. The agency head may authorize a later date for conversion of excess annual leave if an employee’s duty assignment, receipt of recognition leave, injury, or illness prevents timely use of annual leave.

F.       Compensation for unused leave. Upon separation from agency employment, an employee is paid for any unused annual leave remaining in the employee’s account at the average rate received by the employee in the last three years of the employee’s employment or the employee’s current rate of pay, whichever is higher.

Historical Note

New Section adopted by final rulemaking at 6 A.A.R. 2090, effective May 10, 2000 (Supp. 00-2). Amended by

final rulemaking at 6 A.A.R. 4495, effective November 7, 2000 (Supp. 00-4). Amended by emergency rulemaking at 10 A.A.R. 1163, effective March 4, 2004 (Supp. 04-1). Emergency expired after 180 days; the Section on file prior to the emergency has been restored (Supp. 05-4).

Amended by final rulemaking at 12 A.A.R. 1756, effec- tive July 2, 2006 (Supp. 06-2).