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The University will be closed from, December 25, 2025 up to and including January 1, 2026. The three days leave of absence with pay are December 29, 30 and 31. Individuals who may be required to work will be advised by their Supervisor.

Since it is only in exceptional circumstances that an employee is required to work during the closure, the supervisor must obtain approval in advance from the appropriate Dean or Director. Supervisors should then advise employees who are required to work and notify our Administrative Assistant to the AVP HR as soon as possible .

Regular employees on a sessional layoff (or scheduled layoff; e.g.: Food Services) between Boxing Day and New Year’s qualify for three days off in lieu to be scheduled during the following calendar year (at a mutually agreed date). Individuals must be employees during the Holiday Closure period to qualify.

Temporary employees with appointments who have commenced employment at least two months prior to and will continue to be employed following the Holiday Closure will receive three days prorated by the number of months worked to the end of the year. (e.g. A temporary appointment for seven months starts September 1, 2025 and ends March 31, 2026. The employee would receive 4/12 paid leave for three days. The additional time during the Holiday Closure could be taken as vacation or made up on a straight time basis during the remainder of the term). Temporary employees without appointments do not qualify for the Holiday Closure time off with pay.

Employees who work less than five days per week will receive the Holiday Closure days off with pay on a prorated basis (e.g. three days worked each week would entitle an employee to three Holiday Closure days off paid at FTE 0.6). Where it is approved by the Supervisor, employees may make up hours rather than having a payroll adjustment made. Where the Holiday Closure days fall on a scheduled day off, time in lieu may be taken on a prorated basis, at a later date.

Employees required to work during part or all of this period will be entitled to up to three days off with pay on a straight time basis as an addition to their annual vacation entitlement. Time off should be scheduled at a mutually agreed time in accordance with the appropriate policy or collective agreement.

Where a Holiday Closure day falls on a scheduled day off, a day off in lieu (at straight time) should be scheduled during the following calendar year at a mutually agreed date.

All employees, who have not already done so, are encouraged to enroll in direct deposit before December 18, so that they will receive their pay automatically on December 31, 2025. For those who have not made such arrangements, pay cheques will be mailed to their home addresses on December 30, 2025.

Regular employees on unpaid maternity/parental and adoption leave will qualify for three paid days off, which can be scheduled during the following calendar year at a mutually agreed date. Employees on an unpaid personal leave which begins prior to and ends following the Holiday Closure period will not qualify. Employees on paid sick leave during this period will not have their sick leave entitlement reduced.

Holiday Closure days off with pay will not count as time worked for modified days off (i.e. days are valued at 7 hours (Local 951), or 7.5 hours (Local 917)). Where a Holiday Closure day off with pay falls on a scheduled modified day off, a day in lieu may be scheduled at a later date.

Library employees on an Alternate Work Week schedule should make up the additional ½ or ¾ hour for each of the three Holiday Closure days, in the same manner as for Statutory Holidays (see Library Alternate Work Week Guidelines, paragraph 5).

Appointed employees paid on an hourly basis will receive three days’ time off with pay prorated by the average number of hours worked during the previous 30 calendar days.

An employee called out for emergency work on one of the Holiday Closure days off will receive the greater of four hours or time worked in addition to regular pay for the day, plus the number of hours actually worked as time off in lieu.

When an employee works during the closure, for a sessional employee or when a closure day falls on designated day(s) off, departments must advise the Benefits Office in writing at leave@uvic.ca of any days to be credited to a bargaining unit employee’s annual vacation entitlement by Friday, January 9, 2026.