NJ Civil Service Navigator

N.J.S.A. 11A:6-2 Vacation leave; full-time State employees

Vacation leave for full-time State employees in the career and senior executive service shall be at least: a. Up to one year of service, one working d… Amended 2 times since 1986.

Title 11A · Chapter 6. Employee Leaves, Work Hours, and Career Development · Article 1

Current through the close of the 221st Legislature (L. 2025, c. 346). What that means

Reviewed as of July 28, 2026. Official text: njleg.state.nj.us.

In plain language

A floor, not a ceiling, and the word is "at least". Full-time State employees in the career and senior executive service earn one working day a month in the first year, then 12 working days after a year of continuous service, rising with length of service through the bands the section sets out. A negotiated agreement can do better and frequently does. Compare 11A:6-3, which sets a different and generally slower schedule for local employees doing the same work.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of this section. The statute itself is below, unabridged.

Vacation leave for full-time State employees in the career and senior executive service shall be at least:

a.Up to one year of service, one working day for each month of service;#

b.After one year and up to five years of continuous service, 12 working days;#

c.After five years and up to 12 years of continuous service, 15 working days;#

d.After 12 years and up to 20 years of continuous service, 20 working days;#

e.Over 20 years of continuous service, 25 working days;#

f.Vacation not taken in a given year because of business demands shall accumulate and be granted during the next succeeding year only; except that vacation leave not taken by an employee in the career and senior executive service in a given year because of duties directly related to a state of emergency declared by the Governor shall accumulate until, pursuant to a plan established by the employee’s appointing authority and approved by the commission, the leave is used or the employee is compensated for that leave, which shall not be subject to collective negotiation or collective bargaining; and#

g.Vacation not taken in a given year because of business demands shall accumulate and be granted during the next succeeding year only; except that vacation leave not taken by an employee in the unclassified service in a given year because of duties directly related to a state of emergency declared by the Governor shall accumulate until, pursuant to a plan established by the employee’s appointing authority and approved by the commission, the leave is used or the employee is compensated for that leave, which shall not be subject to collective negotiation or collective bargaining. Nothing in this subsection shall affect any rights to vacation leave which is subject to collective negotiation or collective bargaining.#

Enacted by L. 1986, c. 112. Last amended by L. 2008, c. 29, effective June 30, 2008, the most recent of 2 amendments.

An old amendment date alone does not mean a provision is obsolete. This mirror reflects the source watermark above; later laws and decisions can affect how the text applies.

Legislative history

Session laws, newest first

  1. L. 2008, c. 29, section 52Amended
    effective June 30, 2008
  2. L. 2001, c. 270, section 1Amended
    effective December 26, 2001
  3. L. 1986, c. 112Enacted
    no effective date given

How this section has been applied

1 reported decision cites this section. Citations only: the summaries in the source are the publisher's own writing, and where we describe a case we write it from the decision itself.

Appellate Division 1
  • New Jersey Ass'n of School Business Officials v. Davy409 N.J. Super. 467, 978 A.2d 295

Commission decisions resting on 11A:6-2

12 decisions of the Civil Service Commission since January 16, 2019 rest on this section: 12 cite it directly. The newest:

Search the 12 decisions citing 11A:6-2 directly

Effective-date provisions

Quoted from the session laws themselves.

  • Section 120 of L. 2008, c. 29 provides: “This act shall take effect immediately and any actions necessary to implement this act may be taken any time thereafter. General implementation shall be completed no later than 12 months following enactment.” Chapter 29, L. 2008, was approved on June 30, 2008.