Take Time to Recharge: Why Using Your Vacation Leave Matters

Vacation leave is an important part of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and supporting your overall well-being. Taking time away from work to rest and recharge can help reduce stress, improve mood, support heart health, and prevent burnout.

Research continues to show that employees who regularly use vacation time experience improvements in health and well-being. Studies* have found that vacations can help employees feel more relaxed, psychologically detached from work stress, and more engaged when they return to work.

⏳ Vacation Leave Reminders

Under Missouri State University policy, vacation leave is earned by full-time employees and accrues based on years of service. Vacation leave should generally be requested and approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor and used in a manner that minimizes disruption to departmental operations.

Vacation leave balances are also subject to maximum accrual limits. Once an employee reaches the maximum allowable balance, additional accrued vacation leave may be forfeited if not used before the end of the fiscal year.

Additional policy information can be found here:

💛 Consider Donating Excess Leave

If you are unable to use all of your accrued vacation leave, consider donating hours to the Shared Leave Pool. This voluntary program allows employees to support colleagues experiencing serious medical conditions, caring for immediate family members, or welcoming a child through birth, adoption, or placement.

Shared Leave Pool Reminders:

Donations may be made in single-hour increments
Maximum donation 48 hours
Only 8 donated hours required for future eligibility
Eligible employees may receive up to 80 hours of Shared Leave for Parental Leave without first exhausting their own leave balances

Employees can donate leave through MyMissouriState under the Time & Leave Resources card.

Taking time to recharge — or helping a colleague in need through the Shared Leave Pool — both contribute to a healthier and more supportive campus community.

Additional research on the benefits of taking vacation time can be found here:

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