The State of Colorado currently offers employees a comprehensive leave program that includes, but is not limited to annual, sick, holiday, family medical, short-term disability and military leave. Employees earn annual and sick leave at varying accrual rates, based on years of service. Full-time employees begin earning annual leave at an accrual rate of 8 hours per month and sick leave at 6.66 hours per month. Leave for a part-time employee is earned on a pro-rated basis.
Holiday Schedules
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Monday, July 4, 2022 | Independence Day |
| Monday, September 5, 2022 | Labor Day |
| Monday, October 3, 2022 | Frances Xavier Cabrini Day |
| Friday, November 11, 2022 | Veterans Day |
| Thursday, November 24, 2022 | Thanksgiving Day |
| Friday, November 25, 2022 | Governor's Holiday (day after Thanksgiving) |
| Monday, December 26, 2022 | Christmas Day |
| Monday, January 2, 2023 | New Year's Day |
| Monday, January 16, 2023 | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day |
| Monday, February 20, 2023 | President's Day |
| Monday, May 29, 2023 | Memorial Day |
| Monday, June 19, 2023 | Juneteenth |
Printable PDF Holiday Schedules
Annual Leave Accrual Rates
The following accrual rates apply to Classified employees in the State Personnel System. Leave accruals are prorated for part-time employees.
| Years of Service* | Hours Per Month | Max Accrual |
|---|---|---|
| Years 1-5 (1-60 months) |
8 | 192 |
| Years 6-10 (61-120 months) |
10 | 240 |
| Years 11-15 (121-180 months) |
12 | 288 |
| Year 16 or greater (181 or more months) |
14 | 336 |
| Years of Service* | Hours Per Month | Max Accrual |
|---|---|---|
| Years 1-3 (1-36 months) |
8 | 192 |
| Years 4-5 (37-60 months) |
9 | 216 |
| Years 6-10 (61-120 months) |
11 | 264 |
| Years 11-15 (121-180 months) |
13 | 312 |
| Year 16 or greater (181 months or greater) |
16 | 384 |
*Years of service is computed from the 1st calendar day of the month following the hire date; except if the employee began work on the 1st working day of a month, include that month in the count. Employees with prior permanent state service, in or out of the state personnel system, earn leave based on the total whole months of service, excluding temporary assignments.
Public Health Emergency & Public Health Emergency Leave
Per Executive Order D2023-001, Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) expansion for flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory illnesses ended on Jan. 8, 2023.
While the expanded conditions are no longer covered, PHEL is still in effect for COVID-19 given that the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) was extended on Jan. 11, 2023. The 80-hour PHEL will continue until four weeks after all applicable PHE declarations end or are suspended. Based on the current federal Public Health Emergency, PHEL will continue at least into May 2023.
If you have any questions, please contact your agency human resources office.
New State Holiday: Juneteenth
With the signing of SB22-139 on May 2, 2022, Gov. Polis created the 11th legal State holiday, Juneteenth, on June 19.
The holiday is recognized like most day-specific holidays, either on the day of, or on the preceding Friday or the following Monday if the date falls on a weekend.
This holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of the Civil War and declare that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people were now free.
Despite the Emancipation Proclamation being issued on Jan. 1, 1863, many enslavers continued to hold enslaved people captive.
For more information, please contact your department's human resources or payroll office.