Leave and Retirement Benefits

Santa Fe County employees are provided with leave benefits to accommodate their busy lifestyles. 

Annual Leave Schedule for Probationary, Term, At-Will, and Classified Employees

Sick Leave – Each full-time, part-time, classified, probationary, term and at-will employee accrue sick leave for each hour actually worked excluding overtime and for each hour paid at 0.0385 per hour worked.

Holidays – Employees receive nine (9) holidays each year.

Personal Holiday – Employees receive one (1) personal day, per year.

Family Medical Leave (FMLA) – The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to:

Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for:

• the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth;
• the placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement;
• to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition;
• a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job;
• any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter , or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty;” or
• Twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness who is the spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin to the employee (military caregiver leave).

To be eligible for FMLA, an employee must have been with the County for 12 months and who have worked a minimum of 1250 hours within that 12 month period. FMLA runs concurrently with all other type of leave. While on FMLA the employee should use annual and sick leave to ensure their benefit premiums are covered. For foreseeable leave employees should contact HR at least 30 days before leave begins.

Military Leave – Each full-time, part-time, classified, probationary, term and at-will employee who is a member or reserve member of the U.S. Armed Forces or a state military group may obtain fifteen (15) days of military leave with pay when ordered to duty with the armed forces.

Bereavement Leave – Each full-time, part-time, classified, probationary, term and at-will employee is eligible to use up to three (3) days of bereavement leave in the event of the death of an immediate family member.

Mentorship/Volunteer Leave – A full-time, part-time, classified, term and at-will employee can receive one and one half hours per week of paid leave to participate in a County approved mentorship/volunteer program with approval from the County Manager.

Educational Leave – At the discretion of the immediate Supervisor, Division Director, Department Director or Elected Official, and the Human Resources Director an employee may be granted up to four (4) hours per week of educational leave to attend classes for a degree program during the normal business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. that is directly related to the employee’s job.

Retirement Benefits

• PERA Information »
• PERA Handbooks »