The COVID surge has required some employees of UMass Memorial to cancel vacations, and therefore build up more time in their banks that they have not been able to use. You may have heard that management has therefore decided to temporarily increase the amount of time that an employee can accrue in their bank (Earned Time, Vacation Time, or Care Time).
The caps have changed to avoid punishing those who have worked through the COVID surge. This change primarily benefits employees and managers who already had lower caps, and who cannot carry over hours at the end of the year. Because SHARE’s contract agreement with the hospital doesn’t include this kind of “use-it-or-lose-it" stipulation about accrued time; because our Contract allows members to cash-out some of their unused time; and because most SHARE members have been able to take their scheduled vacations this year, most members will not find this policy change provides any additional benefit.
There are no accrual rate changes associated with this temporary policy. Also, the hospital intends for SHARE members to continue to schedule and take vacations as usual . . . no change there.
The new temporary policy is being applied retroactively to 5/3/2020. The caps will go back down to normal on 12/31/2022.