Rice University grants staff members an amount of paid time off (PTO) during which an employee may be absent for any reason, including vacation, personal business, illness, or religious holidays.
Paid time off (PTO) must be scheduled in advance with supervisors, who approve requests according to departmental workload and staffing levels.
Basis of PTO Accumulation and Schedules
Effective January 1, 2025, the rate at which an employee accumulates paid time off depends on the employee's seniority date (years of benefits-eligible service).
On the staff member's anniversary of employment, he or she may carry forward a maximum of one year's accumulated PTO. He or she then begins accumulating additional days or hours of PTO toward the following anniversary date.
Postdoctoral research associates (postdocs), regardless of their length of service, accumulate benefit time at the same rate as staff members with less than 10 years of service.
Part-time employees accumulate PTO according to the percentage of a full year they regularly work.
To accumulate paid time off for any given pay cycle, the employee must work or be on PTO at some point during that pay cycle (semi-monthly for exempt staff, bi-weekly for non-exempt staff). PTO is not accrued during an employee's short-term disability, Worker's Compensation, or other leave of absence.
New employees who are in their Probationary Period may use accumulated PTO at the discretion of their supervisor, but are not entitled to a payout of unused PTO if they terminate their Rice employment before the end of their Probationary Period,
PTO Accumulation Schedules:
Full-Time, Non-Exempt Technical, and Support Staff
| Length of Continuous Benefits-Eligible Service | Number of Hours Accrued Per Employment Year |
|---|---|
| Zero (0) to less than ten (10) years | 168 hours |
| Ten (10) or more years | 208 hours |
Technical and support staff should take PTO in half-hour increments.
Full-Time, Exempt Professional, Executive, and Administrative Staff
| Length of Continuous Benefits-Eligible Service | Number of Hours Accrued Per Employment Year |
|---|---|
| Zero (0) to less than ten (10) years | 168 hours |
| Ten (10) or more years | 208 hours |
Professional, executive, and administrative staff should take PTO in four (4)-hour (half-day increments).
Paid Time Off FAQs
- How do I view my PTO?
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To check your available PTO, log into iO > Me Tab > Time and Absence > Absence Balance.
- Does Rice still offer sick pay/leave?
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Rice does not provide a separate sick leave plan. If you need to take time off when you are ill, benefits-eligible employees can use their PTO if they have available hours. Please contact your supervisor or a benefits team member at benefits@rice.edu if you have more questions.
- Can I take more PTO that I have accrued?
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iO does not allow employees to take more PTO than they have accrued. While the old system (Banner) allowed this to occur, the practice was discouraged and is no longer an option.
If you need to take more time off than what you have accrued, you will be unpaid for the time in excess of your accrued PTO balance.