Library: Policy

OKDHS:2-1-35. Annual leave

Revised 1-1-12

(a) Statement of policy. Annual leave is an employee benefit to be used for vacations, personal business, and other approved time off work not covered by other paid leave or holiday provisions. Annual leave is planned, requested in advance, and approved by the employee's supervisor or granting official prior to being taken. Approval of annual leave for unscheduled absences is not automatic. An unscheduled absence is subject to disciplinary action.

(1) A senior administrator, as defined in this Section means a chief officer, advocate general, general counsel, inspector general, or designee. A senior administrator may place an employee on annual leave, when such action is in the best interest of Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS). An employee is not required to reduce accrued annual leave below five working days, 40 hours. Leave taken under the provisions of this paragraph is neither returnable nor reimbursable.
(2) Annual leave may be utilized to supplement the receipt of temporary total disability (TTD) payments in accordance with Section 2e of Title 85 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Regardless of the type of supplemental leave option utilized, an employee receiving TTD payments must promptly report in writing to OKDHS and CompSource Oklahoma any change in:
- (A) a material fact;
- (B) the amount of income he or she is receiving; or
- (C) his or her employment status.
(3) An employee who is ill or requires enforced leave during a scheduled period of annual leave may charge the absence to sick or enforced leave by submitting Form 10AD001E, Leave Approval Request.
(4) Per OAC 530:10-15-10(f), OKDHS may terminate an employee who is absent from work after the employee has exhausted all of his or her sick and annual leave accumulations unless the absence is covered by OKDHS:2-1-47 or OAC 530:10-15-49. Termination of a permanent classified employee under this Section is subject to the pretermination hearing requirements of Section 840-6.4 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. This Section does not prevent the granting of leave without pay in accordance with OKDHS:2-1-38.

(b) Employee's responsibility. Each employee is responsible for:

(1) submitting a written request in advance to his or her immediate supervisor for annual leave, using Form 10AD001E;
(2) obtaining appropriate approvals prior to taking annual leave;
(3) when advance planning of annual leave is not possible, notifying his or her supervisor of the reason(s) for the absence within the time frames established by local office procedure, but not later than two hours after the employee's scheduled reporting time;
(4) submitting a written request for approval of annual leave on Form 10AD001E as soon as practical; and
(5) submitting a written request for any cancellation or change in scheduled annual leave.

(1) approving or disapproving advance requests for annual leave based on needs of the office, staffing requirements, and status of employee's workload. When, due to staffing requirements, a decision must be made between two or more employees who have requested annual leave for the same time period, the decision is based on the date the completed Form 10AD001E is received by the supervisor. If the requests are received on the same date, the decision is based on seniority with OKDHS; and
(2) approving or disapproving advance requests with respect to the length of requested annual leave:

(A) one to ten consecutive working days - immediate supervisor;
(B) 11 to 30 consecutive working days - local administrator; and
(C) 31 to 80 consecutive working days - division director.

(d) Supervisor's responsibility. Supervisors are responsible for:

(1) approving or disapproving requests for unscheduled annual leave based on the reason(s) for the unplanned absence;
(2) imposing appropriate corrective discipline for unscheduled absences; and
(3) ensuring that any leave taken is accurately reported.