Vacation Requests

Davidson College provides generous vacation time and library employees are encouraged to take earned time to relax and recharge. Human Resources maintains the campus policy, which provides the following guidance around scheduling of vacation time: 

Although the college seeks to schedule vacations at the times sought by staff members, it is not always possible to do so and accommodate the department's work cycle. Arrangements to take vacation must be made with the supervisor prior to use.   Due to specific operational needs, some college departments may adopt specific guidelines for requesting and scheduling  vacation (for example a department may adopt a guideline requesting two weeks prior notification and approval for normal vacation requests). Any staff member who believes that he or she has been unfairly prevented from taking vacation should discuss the issue with the second level supervisor or with Human Resources. Supervisors should counsel staff members to take advantage of the vacation benefit.


Employees should communicate all vacation plans to their team leaders as a courtesy. The leadership team requests 1-2 weeks' notice for every week of vacation requested, so there is adequate time for the requester to arrange coverage and ensure that core services are maintained. It is important that back-up coverage is arranged for all requests; proper documentation is critical to ensuring that colleagues can cover for one another and maintain a high quality of service. It is the responsibility of the requester to communicate their plans to colleagues, arrange proper coverage, and ensure that services can continue without interruption. 


To avoid burnout, employees are encouraged to take vacation time throughout the year. Employees should work closely with their team leaders to balance workloads so that earned time can be taken and enjoyed.


Please keep in mind that there should be no vacation taken the week preceding the start of each new semester and during the first week of classes, except under special circumstances. 


All vacation time needs to be shared via the following ways: