Q: How do I access the portal?

To access VSL, please visit my.techservices.illinois.edu.

Q: How do I get set up in the portal?

A: Your access into the VSL system will be set up by your HR representative. 

Q: Can I see my accrued leave as of today?

Yes. It's recommended to add the leave reporting graph to your homepage. To do so, navigate to the bottom of the my.techservices.illinois.edu homepage, and click on the "Leave Reporting Graph" option under "Add content to above column" in the middle of the page. Once loaded, you'll be able to see your available time as of each day. This number will change each day as your accrue and use leave.

Q: How do I report time in the system?

A: To report time off in the system, please visit my.techservices.illinois.edu, and follow these steps:

1. Click on "report or request days off."
2. Select the date on the calendar for which you need to report time. Once the date has been successfully selected, the statement above the calendar graphic should say "Entering Information For [the date you selected]." 
3. Select what type of leave you are taking for that date - vacation, sick, floating holiday, other.
4. Select amount of time - full day or half day. Please note, floating holidays can only be taken in full day increments.
5. Add a note, if you wish.
6. Click the blue "Submit for Approval" button.

Q: What are the most common "other" options used by staff?

A: The most common "other" options used by staff include jury duty, parental leave, and funeral leave.

Q: What is the difference between "funeral leave," "family bereavement holiday," and "family bereavement unpaid?"

A: The "funeral leave" code is the paid benefit provided to employees which allows up to 5 days of University funeral leave for qualified family members. If an employee is experiencing a qualifying event entitling them up to 10 days of unpaid leave, and the employee would like to continue taking bereavement leave without pay, the employee would then use either the "family bereavement holiday" or "family bereavement unpaid" code. The "family bereavement holiday" code would only be used on days that fall on a recognized federal holiday, such as Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc. Read more about funeral leave here.

Q: Can I edit an entry after I submit it?

A: Yes. If the submission is in pending status, you are able to delete the entry yourself and resubmit something if needed. If the submission has been approved by your supervisor, please request your supervisor delete the entry for you. To check whether or not a submission has been approved or is pending, please review the entries under "Reporting activity for Period Ending in [date]" at https://my.techservices.illinois.edu/vacation/submitdays.asp.

Q: What does the Summary of Benefit Time chart mean?

A: The Summary of Benefit Time chart located at https://my.techservices.illinois.edu/vacation/submitdays.asp provides you with a synopsis of your past and future leave usage. 

• The Balance Forward from [date] is the amount of time rolled over from the previous reporting year.
• The Accrued through [date] informs you of all of the leave you will accrue through the end of the reporting year.
• The Used through [date] summarizes all of the leave entries you have submitted in VSL.
• The Balance on [date] then tells you your anticipated ending balance through the end of the reporting year, taking into consideration all of the leave time you will accrue minus the leave entries you have already submitted.

It is recommended you have enabled the "Display summary thru the end of year" when reviewing your time and balances to ensure your balances don't go negative at the end of the reporting year. This is the second blue link located directly below the Summary of Benefit Time chart.

Q: Why is my leave balance on my.techservices.illinois.edu homepage different than what I see in my Summary of Benefit time?

A: The leave balance seen on the my.techservices.illinois.edu homepage under "Available time (days)" tells you how much leave time you have accrued through that particular day, minus the leave you have used through that particular day. The balances seen in the Summary of Benefit Time at https://my.techservices.illinois.edu/vacation/submitdays.asp informs you of all of your leave accrued and used through the end of the reporting year. 

Q: I was recently approved for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave, but don't see FMLA leave as an option. What do I do?

A: Please contact your HR team to enable the FMLA function for FMLA reporting.