Do I automatically have time off for all state holidays? Yes and no. Yes, the contract is clear that you are entitled to time off with pay for each of the legal holidays listed in Article 8 of the UCPEA Contract. The contract also provides language that states if an employee is required to work on a legal holiday, that they will be granted holiday compensatory time for their work.
Do I need to request the day off for a holiday? No, you are entitled to the day off unless you have been told about a requirement to work. As always, good communication from supervisors and managers is vital to ensuring that expectations are clear. While it is not a contractual requirement, UCPEA recommends that if an office needs staffing on a holiday, that management seek volunteers before requiring an employee to come in on a holiday.
Can I request to work on a holiday so that I can earn the compensatory time? Yes, if your department is open, you can request to work on a holiday. At the last round of contract negotiations, the UCPEA bargaining team made it clear that state holidays do not represent the full diversity of religious and cultural holidays, celebrations, and observances within our membership; therefore, UCPEA members can and should request to work one or more holidays so that they can celebrate and observe in ways that are important to them.
When does holiday time expire? Holiday time expires at the end of the succeeding calendar year. For example, if you worked on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2025 that time will expire after December 31, 2026.
Download Your Guide to Earned Time Rates Under the Union Contract
The UCPEA Contract sets up separate accrual rates and expiration dates for each category of earned time. This is time that UCPEA members earn through their work and service to the University community, and the time should be used to avoid expiration.