This section describes paid time off for individuals with research appointments (i.e., individuals in the ranks listed in Chapter 13 of this Handbook: Fellows, Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Associates, Research Fellows, Research Scientists/Research Scholars, Senior Research Scientists/Senior Research Scholars, Senior Research Fellows, Visiting Scholars, and Associates.
In addition to the leave policies described in Section 3H, all full-time researchers on annual appointments, iand whether paid by Harvard or not, are entitled to:
- 20 days of paid vacation per appointment year. (Paid vacation for partial-year researcher appointments are prorated accordingly.)
- All University holidays (please see https://hr.harvard.edu/holiday-calendar) with the proviso that, if a researcher is required to work on the holiday due to the research group/lab schedule, an alternative day off should be given at another time agreed with the faculty supervisor.
- Sick days: Sick leave may be taken as needed, up to 12 business days of sick leave per year (equivalent to one day per month). Time off for illness or family matters may also be covered under the MA PFML or FMLA.
- Death in the Family: 3 days.
Please note that:
- These policies apply to researchers who serve on a 12-month basis. If an appointment is less than full time, vacation and sick times are prorated.
- Unused vacation days, bereavement days, or sick days do not carry over from year to year.
- There is no payout of unused vacation, bereavement, or sick time when an appointment ends.
- All vacation must be approved in advance.