Employees who earn vacation are eligible to bank unused vacation or vacation carryover hours into their banked leave time off plan once eligibility requirements are met. Once vacation is banked, the hours do not expire. Banked leave can be used in any circumstance where paid leave can be used upon supervisor approval. There is a limit to how many hours may be banked per year, but there is no upper limit on the total hours in the employee’s banked leave account.

Vacation converted to banked leave reduces the employee’s 6/30 vacation carryover balance first and then reduces the 6/30 vacation that would become vacation carryover on 7/1.

The vacation banking election period for 2026 will run from July–September 30. Employees who do not make their election by September 30 will not have vacation banked.

Employees’ eligibility to convert vacation to banked leave is based on a number of factors. See the applicable policy below for more details.

If you have any questions, visit the GetHelpUW Portal to get support.

Universities of Wisconsin Policy: https://www.wisconsin.edu/uw-policies/uw-system-administrative-policies/vacation-paid-leave-banks-and-vacation-cash-payouts-2

UW-Madison Policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-5052

Employee Banked Leave Election Job Aid: https://kb.wisconsin.edu/workday/internal/161012#toc6