Gold Days

The information on this page applies to 226-day employees only.

Gold Days Ending After 2022-23 School Year

In July 2022, Mesquite ISD initiated Gold days, a new program designed to provide 226-day employees additional flexibility with their time off. Gold Days gave 226-day employees the option to work on school holidays so that they could use that time off elsewhere during the year. After careful evaluation and consideration, it is evident that Gold Days are not optimal for all departments and all 226-day employee roles. As a result, Mesquite ISD will end the Gold Days program on June 30, 2023.

Effective July 1, 2023, non-duty/vacation days will return for all 226-day employees. All 226-day employees will see 75 hours (the equivalent of 10 workdays) in their vacation “bucket” in KRONOS. Employees may use these hours at their discretion and with supervisor approval. Note that blackout days do not apply to 226-day employees.

226-day employees must work 226 days during the year. Because MISD added several holidays to the regular school calendar over the past couple of years, it is not possible for 226-day employees to be off on all school holidays and still work their required number of contract/calendar days. School holidays that are workdays for 226-day employees are shown with an asterisk (*) on the school calendar. 226-day employees will have fewer holidays than campus staff members, but as mentioned above, they will have 10 non-duty/vacation days to use at their discretion during the 2023-24 school/fiscal year.

Note that while non-duty/vacation day hours for the entire year appear in an employee’s accrual balances on July 1, non-duty/vacation days are earned throughout the year and prorated accordingly.

FAQs

On which days during the 2023-24 school year will 226-day employees be scheduled to work, but non-226-day staff members and students will be off?

How were the workdays listed in the above answer selected?

My children attend Mesquite ISD schools. What if I want to be off when they are off?

You may use up to 10 non-duty/vacation days and be off on the school holidays when your children are out of school, or you may use local or state days you have accrued. All discretionary absences require supervisor approval; however, employee requests for time off should be approved unless an employee’s absence on a particular day would create a hardship for the department or campus.

What if I have not used all of my Gold Days from the 22-23 school year by June 30, 2023?

Can I be paid for any unused Gold Day hours?

How many hours/days will Vacation Days be worth when the district is on summer hours?

For the 2022-23 school year, there was a separate calendar for 226-day employees indicating which days are Gold Days. (See the 226-day calendar below.) There is not a separate calendar for 226-day employees for the 2023-24 school year.

Click here to view or download a printable copy of the 226-Day Employee Calendar for 2022-23.

The following information regarding Gold Days applies to the 2022-23 fiscal year only.
Gold Days will not continue beyond the 2022-23 fiscal year. Any Gold Days not used by June 30, 2023, will roll over to the 2023-24 school year and expire Dec. 31, 2023.

Click on the image below to view an online presentation explaining how the 226-Day Employee Calendar and Gold Days work.

Understanding Contract, Red and Gold Days

Working (Contract) Days

Red Days

Gold Days and How to Use Them

226-day employees may select up to 25 days (187.5 hours, as shown in the Gold Days balance in KRONOS) to be off during the fiscal year.
226-day employees must select the Gold Days they choose to take off in KRONOS. (Some restrictions apply, as outlined under Restrictions below). KRONOS assumes you will work all Gold Days by default.
As of July 1, 2022, all 226-day employees who use KRONOS should notice 187.50 hours in the Gold Days section of their time-off balances in KRONOS. These hours represent 25 days off for the 2022-23 school year.
Days marked in gold on the 226-day calendar are default (or recommended) days off for 226-day employees because they coincide with student holidays and holidays for most staff members; however, 226-day employees must complete a Time Off Request in KRONOS to take these days off.
To enter a Gold Day as a day off, follow the steps to submit a Time Off Request and choose "Gold Day" from the dropdown list of Time Off Types.
As soon as your supervisor approves a Gold Day Time Off Request, your Gold Day balance will decrease by the number of hours you plan to use. If your plans change and you decide to work on a day you previously selected as a Gold Day, the Payroll Department must make a manual correction to restore those Gold Day hours to your balance. Contact Payroll to make such a correction.
All 226-day employees should select up to 25 days during the 2022-23 fiscal year to take off as Gold Days. Taking fewer than 25 Gold Days off will result in those unused days rolling over as additional Gold Days that must be used by Dec. 31, 2023.
226-day employees may select which days will be their Gold Days at any time throughout the year; however, an employee should create a Time Off Request prior to using a Gold Day as a day off. To correct errors (such as changed plans), ask your timekeeper to make the correction in KRONOS.
Remember, there are 21 default Gold Days on the calendar. 226-day employees who choose to be off on those default days may select up to 4 additional days off during the fiscal year, for a total of 25 optional Gold Days off.

NOTE: For the months of June and July 2023, all Gold Days an employee takes off will count as one (1) day, even though the summer workday hours are longer.

Working on Default Gold Days

226-day employees may choose to work on Gold Days marked on the calendar and substitute those default days off for other workdays during the year. (Some restrictions apply. See Restrictions below.
226-day employees MUST notify their supervisor or timekeeper in writing if they decide to work on a day designated as a default Gold Day on the 226-calendar. Supervisors, timekeepers and 226-day employees should keep records of these notifications. For convenience in documenting, a printable form is available here.
Employees who are required to clock in for regular workdays must clock in on any default Gold Days they choose to work. 226-day employees who want to apply hours from their Gold Day balance to days other than those designated as default Gold Days on the calendar should select Gold Day as the Time Off Type when entering their Time Off Request.

EXAMPLE: Jody chose to work on Fall Break (Oct. 10 and 11) and use those 15 Gold Day Hours on Oct. 27 and 28 instead.

Jody notifies her supervisor and timekeeper that she intends to work on Oct. 10 and 11. She is required to clock in on workdays, so she will clock in on Oct. 10 and 11.
Jody will log in to KRONOS, enter a Time Off Request for Oct. 27 and 28 and select Gold Days from the Time Off Type dropdown menu.

TIP: 226-day employees who would like to be off for the traditional two weeks during June and July must work on 4 Gold Days marked on the 226-day calendar. (Employees who clock in must remember to clock in if they work on a Gold Day.). Those 8 days (when used in June or July) will total two weeks off because the district is closed on Fridays during June and July.

Rolling Over Unused Gold Days

Any Gold Days not used by June 30 will automatically roll over to the next fiscal year, but the employee must use them by Dec. 31; otherwise, those days will expire Dec. 31.

EXAMPLE (looking ahead to summer 2023): Jane only uses 20 of the 25 Gold Days she received for the 2022-23 fiscal year. On July 1, 2023, her 5 unused days will automatically roll over and appear as 37.5 Gold Day hours in her Gold Day balance in KRONOS. She will have until Dec. 31, 2023, to use those 37.5 hours as time off. KRONOS will automatically apply any of Jane’s Gold Day time off requests to those rolled over hours first.

Any rolled-over Gold Day hours not used by Dec. 31 will expire and disappear from the employee's Gold Day balance on Jan. 1.

Restrictions

No 226-day employee may use more than 10 Gold Days (75 hours) consecutively on school days during the school year. “Using” more than 5 consecutive Gold Days on school days may require supervisor approval depending on the demands of the individual’s role and responsibilities.
226-day employees may not add personal days (Local or State) as additional time off beyond 10 consecutive Gold Days (75 hours) on school days.

EXAMPLE: Jim scheduled 10 Gold Days for the first two weeks of May (when school is in session). According to the restrictions, Jim cannot use more than 10 consecutive Gold Days on school days. He also cannot extend his time off by adding personal days. 10 is the greatest number of school days he can take off consecutively.

Blackout Days

Rolled-Over Vacation Days (applies to 2021-22 only)

Any 2021-22 vacation days not used by June 30, 2022, should have automatically rolled over in KRONOS on July 1, 2022. (If you do not see days/hours that should have rolled over in your Vacation balance in KRONOS, contact the Payroll Department.)

226-day employees will have until Dec. 31, 2022, to use any vacation days/hours rolled over from the 2021-22 fiscal year. Any rolled-over vacation hours not used by Dec. 31, 2022, will be deleted from an employee's vacation balance on Jan. 1, 2023.

226-day employees are not eligible to receive payment for unused vacation days/hours because those days are not paid days in the employee's contract/schedule.

Questions?

FAQs for 2022-23

How many days off will 226-day employees receive for the 2022-23 school year/fiscal year?

Do 226-day employees have to be off on the 21 default Gold Days marked on the 226-day calendar?

Can 226-day employees work on Red Days if they choose?

If I plan to be off on the default Gold Days on the 226-day calendar, is there anything I need to do?

What should I do if I plan to work on a default Gold Day rather than take it off?

In writing, notify your supervisor or timekeeper that you plan to work on a default Gold Day.
If you are an employee who clocks in, be sure to clock in (and out, if applicable) as you usually would for any Gold Day you work.
Keep a copy of the written notification for your records.
For your convenience, a printable form you can download is available here. Print and complete the form and give it to your supervisor or timekeeper. Keep a copy for your records. (You are not required to use this form, but you MUST notify your supervisor in advance if you plan to work on any of the default Gold Days shown on the calendar. It is also a good idea to inform your timekeeper.)

Can I apply Gold Day hours to Blackout Days and be off on a Blackout Day without penalty?

If I don’t use all of my Gold Day hours as time off, can I be paid for those hours at the end of the year?

Do I have to enter all of the Gold Days I plan to use during the year into KRONOS or Aesop at one time?

Can I work from home if I decide to work on a default Gold Day?

Will 226-day employees always receive 25 Gold Days each fiscal year?

Are Gold Days the same as personal days?

No. In addition to Gold Days, all 226-day employees receive 5 Local Days (formerly Local Personal and Local Sick Days) and 5 State Personal Days each year. These days (hours) appear as hours in your Local Day and State Personal balances at the start of each fiscal year (July 1). Local and State Personal Days not used during a fiscal year automatically roll over at the end of the fiscal year. These days accumulate during your tenure with Mesquite ISD and do not expire.

NOTE: Early resignation or termination

Gold Day, Local Day and State Personal Day hours are reflected in KRONOS balances for those categories at the beginning of the fiscal year (July 1); however, employees earn those hours throughout the fiscal year. If a 226-day employee resigns or is terminated from Mesquite ISD before the end of the fiscal year, he/she may be docked accordingly if he/she has used more Gold Days, Local Days or State Personal Days than he/she has earned at the time of his/her separation from Mesquite ISD.