Vacation

Accumulation Accruals

The maximum accumulation of vacation time is two hundred forty (240) hours for regular full-time employees, three hundred thirty-six (336) hours for fire personnel working a twenty-four (24)-hour shift, two hundred fifty-two (252) hours for fire personnel working a twelve (12)-hour shift, and one hundred twenty (120) hours for benefited part-time employees. Employees who have in excess of the above amounts on December 31st of each year will be paid for the excess amount of time after December 31st, provided the regular full-time has taken eighty (80) hours vacation time, one hundred twelve (112) hours for Fire personnel working a twenty-four (24)-hour shift, and forty (40) hours for benefited part-time employees during that calendar year. If the employee has not taken the required amount of time during the year, all excess time shall be forfeited. Donated time counts as used vacation time.

Credited Service

All periods of full-time service after the employee's anniversary date are counted as credited service for the purpose of determining the date of change in accrual rate, including military service pursuant to A.R.S. 26-168, 26-171, or 38-610, and any special leave without pay of thirty (30) days or less. If a special leave without pay exceeds thirty (30) days, the excess days over thirty (30) shall not be counted as credited service.

Eligibility

Employees accrue vacation time once they have met a minimum number of hours in a biweekly pay period. This hourly requirement may be satisfied through any combination of hours worked and paid time off. At the beginning of employment, if an employee works less than the minimum numbers of hours in his/her first pay period, he/she will not accrue vacation time for that pay period and will begin accruing on the next pay period provided the minimum number of hours is reached. The minimum number of hours is as follows:

  • Full-time employees must meet a minimum of 65 hours in a biweekly pay period.
  • Fire personnel working a 24-hour shift must meet a minimum of 54 hours in a biweekly pay period.
  • Fire personnel working a 12-hour shift must meet a minimum of forty point five (40.5) hours in a biweekly pay period.
  • Benefited part-time employees must meet a minimum of 32.5 hours in a biweekly pay period.

Full Time Employees with less than 2 years of service:

  • Three point five (3.5) hours per pay period * twenty-six (26) pay periods = ninety-one (91) hours.
  • An additional five (5) hours will be granted on January 1 of each year for a total of ninety-six (96) hours per calendar year.

Full Time Employees with 2+ years of service:

  • Five point five (5.5) hours per pay period * twenty-six (26) pay periods = one hundred forty-three (143) hours.
  • An additional one (1) hour will be granted on January 1 of each year for a total of one hundred forty-four (144) hours per calendar year.

Fire Personnel working 24- hour shift with less than 2 years of service:

  • Four point nine (4.9) hours per pay period * twenty-six (26) pay periods = one hundred twenty-seven point four (127.4) hours.
  • An additional Seven (7) hours will be granted on January 1 of each year for a total of one hundred thirty-four point four (134.4) hours per calendar year.

Fire Personnel working 24-hour shift with 2+ years of service:

  • Seven point seven (7.7) hours per pay period * twenty-six (26) pay periods = two hundred point two (200.2) hours.
  • An additional one point four (1.4) hours will be granted on January 1 of each year for a total of two hundred one point six (201.6) hours per calendar year.

Fire Personnel working 12-hour shift with less than 2 years of service:

  • Three point six seven five (3.675) hours per pay period * twenty-six (26) pay periods = ninety-five point five (95.5) hours.
  • An additional five point two five (5.25) hours will be granted on January 1 of each year for a total of one hundred point seven five (100.75) hours per calendar year.

Fire Personnel working 12-hour shift with 2+ years of service:

  • Five point seven seven five (5.775) hours per pay period * twenty-six (26) pay periods = one hundred fifty point one five (100.15) hours.
  • An additional one point zero five (1.05) hours will be granted on January 1 of each year for a total of one hundred one point two (101.2) hours per calendar year.

Benefited Part-Time Employees with less than 2 years of service:

  • One point seven-five (1.75) hours per pay period * twenty-six (26) pay periods = forty-five point five (45.5) hours.
  • An additional two point five (2.5) hours will be granted on January 1 of each year for a total of forty-eight (48) hours per calendar year.

Benefited Part-Time Employees with 2+ years of service:

  • Two point seven five (2.75) hours per pay period * twenty-six (26) pay periods = seventy-one point five (71.5) hours.
  • An additional point five-hour (.5) will be granted on January 1 of each year for a total of seventy-two (72) hours per calendar year.

Separation from Service

A regular or probationary full-time or benefited part-time employee who separates from Mesa employment by resignation, retirement, layoff, or death, shall be paid for all unused vacation leave.

Use of Vacation Leave

Vacation leave may be taken at any time approved by the supervisor and must be taken in units of one-quarter (1/4) hour. Vacation leave shall not be advanced to an employee nor may vacation leave be transferred between employees unless authorized by the Department Director in accordance with the Donated Leave Program.

Holiday Accruals

Eligible City of Mesa employees enjoy eleven (11) paid holidays each year. The holidays observed are:

  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day
  • President's Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Veteran's Day
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Day after Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Eve Day (December 24th)
  • Christmas Day

Unless required to maintain services and have been designated as a Critical City Services and/or Essential Personnel, all other employees are relieved from duty for their full shift if the holiday falls on a day they are normally scheduled to work; benefited employees shall be paid during their absence from work.

All benefited employees (except those designated as Critical City Services and/or Essential Personnel) on paid time off when a holiday occurs, will receive no additional pay and will not be charged any paid time off categories.

An employee who is on unpaid time off status (dock status) shall not be paid for a holiday unless the employee works a shift or submits paid time off on the employee's scheduled work day either the day before or the day after the holiday.

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