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General Benefits

Leave Benefits

​State employees enjoy the benefit of many types of leave. Leave can be paid or unpaid. Some examples of leave include annual, sick, compensatory (also known as 'comp'), and even family medical leave.

Military Leave

Active member of the United States Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, Public Health Service Reserve, or the Nation Guard are credited with 21 working days of military leave for the purpose of fulfilling state and/or federal active duty orders, provided your orders require your absence from your state job.

You are entitled to any pay raises that would have been granted, as well as seniority that would have accrued, and your increment date does not change. You will be credited with the appropriate months of service upon presentation of a DD-214 to your human resource administrator. Please note that while you are entitled to months of service for the purpose of leave accrual, you do not accrue annual of sick leave while on military leave without pay.

If you are wounded or disabled and unable to perform your job upon return, the state must offer a position similar in status and pay to the previous job for which you are qualified and able to perform. You may read more about military leave in the Employee Handbook (starting on page 23).

Military Spousal Leave

Any state employee who is the spouse of an active member of the Reserves listed above, who is called upon to serve under Federal orders (deployment) shall be granted one day paid leave prior to deployment and one day paid leave upon return from deployment, per federal fiscal year (October - September), according to KRS Chapter 18A.190.

State Holidays

Team members receive eleven and a half paid holidays each year, in addition to monthly sick, annual, compensatory leave, and a number of special leave options.

  • Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
  • 1/2 day on Good Friday
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving Thursday & following Friday
  • 2 Days at Christmas
  • 2 Days at New Year's

Annual Leave

All full-time employees accumulate annual leave throughout the year. However, part-time and interim employees do not. Your length of service will determine the amount of annual leave you earn

Blood Donation

Employees who donate blood during work hours receive four hours of leave time with pay to donate and recover. Any unused portion of leave time will be credited as compensatory time.

Compensatory and Overtime

If your job is determined to be non-exempt according to the Fair Labor Standards Act guidelines and you are paid on a salaried basis, you will be given compensatory leave time for any hours you work beyond your usual hours of duty.

Court Leave

All employees of Kentucky stat government receive paid leave time whenever they must serve as jurors or comply with a court of administrative subpoena.

Educational Leave

Special leave of absence may be granted with pay (if the employee contractually agrees to a service commitment) or without pay, for up to 24 months. Annual leave and sick leave cannot be earned while on special leave with pay. If you leave is without pay, you can arrange through the payroll officer to continue your health and life insurance, however you must pay the total premiums.

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The Family Medical Leave Act provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for family and medical reasons. Enhanced FML benefits are also available in some areas.

Leave Sharing

Help support your coworkers by sharing leave. An employee suffering a catastrophic loss to property may qualify for Annual Leave Sharing, and, in the event of extended illness, Sick Leave Sharing may be an option.

Funeral and Bereavement

Upon the approval of the appointing authority, an employee who has lost an immediate family member by death may utilize five (5) days of accrued sick leave, compensatory leave, annual leave, or leave without pay if the employee does not have accrued leave, or a combination thereof. The appointing authority may approve additional leave at the request of the employee. For purposes of funeral and bereavement leave, an immediate family member shall include the employee's spouse, parent, grandparent, child, brother or sister, or the spouse of any of them, and may include other relatives of close association if approved by the appointing authority.

Sick Leave

Full-time employees earn one day of sick leave per month. After each 120 months of service, ten addition days are earned. Sick leave my be used if you are sick or injured, and to attend doctor's appointments.

Voting Leave

Up to four hours of voting leave is provided to employees wishing to vote during general elections. In order to be eligible, and employee must be registered to vote in the county holding the election, be scheduled to work on Election Day, and notify their immediate supervisor prior to receiving leave. Employees who are authorized to work in lieu of taking voting leave will receive four hours of compensatory leave.

Adverse (Inclement) Weather Leave

While state offices will remain open during adverse weather and essential services will continue, flexible options are available to employees when weather conditions prevent them from reporting to work at the normal time. You can read more about Adverse Weather Leave in the Employee Hand​book.