Tax-Sheltered Annuity/Deferred Compensation Plans

The maximum annual contributions to tax-sheltered annuity 403(b) plans, and deferred compensation 457(b) plans, for tax years 2020 and 2021 is $19,500.00. Employees age 50 and older have the opportunity to contribute an additional $6,500 in 2020 and 2021 under the "50+ catch-up" provision for each plan. Elections and changes can be made through Retirement@Work. More information can be found on the .

Leave Earnings and Usage for Calendar Year 2019

Due to circumstances regarding the pandemic, 2019 carryover leave balances will continue to be extended through April 9, 2021, and at that time they will expire.

Leave Earnings and Usage for Calendar Year 2020

The Commonwealth of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Management Directive M530.7 defines the leave calendar year as "the first full pay period in January through the end of the pay period which includes December 31." Therefore, leave calendar year 2020 officially ends on January 1, 2021.

To effectively manage your leave earnings and usage, please consider the following:

  1. Calculate your personal, sick, and annual leave earnings through January 1, 2021, to determine the amount of leave you have available.

  2. All personal, sick and annual leave used through January 1, 2021, will be applied to available 2020 leave balances.

  3. The maximum amount of annual leave allowed to be carried into the new calendar leave year is 45 days or 337.50 hours for 75 hour bi-weekly employees. For 80 hour bi-weekly employees, the maximum amount of annual leave allowed to be carried into the new calendar leave year is 45 days or 360 hours. If your balance is over this amount, you have through April 9, 2021, to use the excess. Annual leave hours in excess of the maximum and not used by April 9, 2021, will automatically be converted to sick leave up to the maximum amount of permitted sick leave accumulation. The carryover hours will be exhausted first, as annual leave is used in the 2021 leave calendar year, beginning January 2, 2021. Excess carryover will be displayed on Employee Self-Service (ESS) as "Annual Leave Carryover." The following university employees are affected by this: AFSCME, Management, OPEIU, SEIU, SCUPA, POA, and SPFPA.

  4. APSCUF (12-month faculty) have not agreed to the automatic carryover of annual leave. Therefore, all annual leave in excess of 45 days must be used by January 1, 2020. For these employees to carry over any excess annual leave for seven pay periods, approval is required. If carryover has been approved any excess annual leave not used by April 9, 2021, will be converted to sick leave, but only to the extent of any sick leave used during the leave calendar year. If carryover has been approved, the excess will be displayed on pay statements and on Employee Self-Service (ESS) as "Annual Leave Carryover." These carryover hours will be exhausted first, as annual leave is used in the 2021 leave calendar year, beginning January 2, 2021.

  5. Coaches are not entitled to annual leave.

  6. Personal leave available for 2020 may be used through April 9, 2021. This applies to the following employees: Management, OPEIU, SEIU, SCUPA and SPFPA/POA. Any excess personal leave will be displayed on pay statements and on Employee Self-Service (ESS) as "Personal Leave Carryover." These carryover hours will be exhausted first, as personal leave is used in the 2021 leave calendar year, beginning January 2, 2021. Any 2020 earned personal leave not used by April 9, 2021, will be lost by all employees. Anticipated usage of personal leave for 2021 before January 2, 2021, is not permitted. Faculty must use all personal leave available for the year 2020 by January 1, 2021. After this date, unused personal leave from calendar year 2020 will be lost.

  7. If you have no leave available, you must contact the Office of Human Resources regarding your options for using leave without pay. Please remember you do not accrue any leave when using leave without pay, and an adjustment might have to be made to prior leave usage.

For more information on Benefits and Leave, please visit the IUP Human Resources Benefits website, select your appropriate employment group, then select Leave Plans.

Leave Usage Reminder

  • Please remember that all requests for leave must be submitted in a timely manner. When requests for leave are not submitted at the proper time, leave balances on the pay statement, the Payroll System, and ESS (Employee Self- Service) are incorrect. If questions arise, we cannot accurately answer inquiries regarding an employee's leave record without complete information. Supervisors must ensure that their employees are submitting leave through ESS and the leave is approved in a timely manner.
  • Temporary employees are not eligible to earn annual or sick leave unless they have met specific criteria.
  • Several factors may impact leave accruals and/or how leave is earned. Following review of the leave information provided on the IUP Human Resources Benefits website, and if you still have questions regarding your leave and/or accruals, please contact Kyle Schons in Benefits Services at x4873 for assistance.

Important Extended Leave reminders:

When on an extended FMLA leave of absence due to a serious health condition (i.e., Sick, Sick Family, Parental Leave, etc.), appropriate supporting medical documentation must be provided to Human Resources. When returning from an extended leave of absence, a release to return to full duty work, including the date of release, must be provided by the employee's healthcare provider and MUST be provided to Human Resources prior to returning to work. Supervisors that receive any confidential medical documentation should immediately notify the Benefits Manager and forward all documentation to Benefits Services in the Office of Human Resources. Additional information on FMLA/Leave of Absence can be found on the IUP HR Benefits website, and then by clicking on the appropriate bargaining unit, then clicking on Leave Plans.

It is mandatory that all leave requests be submitted through with the exception of SPFPA, Co-Gen, and temporary employees, who must submit paper leave requests.

Please contact Benefits Services with all other questions regarding benefits and leave by emailing human-resources@iup.edu.