Holiday Schedule FAQs

2023/2024 Holiday Schedule Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What will the holiday schedule be this year?

A: The holiday schedule will begin Thursday, Dec 21, 2023, at 10:30 p.m. and offices will re-open on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. During that time all non-essential operations will be closed at all Kent State campuses. Eligible classified and unclassified employees will receive paid leave for any regularly scheduled work time from Dec. 26 through Dec. 29 (referred to as additional days in the following questions). The paid leave is in addition to the paid holidays of Dec. 22, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Normal business operations will resume with the start of the first shift on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Q: Does this mean the university will be closed between Christmas and New Year's?

A: All nonessential operations will be closed at all Kent State locations. In early December HR will publish a list of departments and their status during the holiday schedule.

Q: Is the holiday schedule for all Kent State locations?

A: Yes, including the College of Podiatric Medicine and the Regional Academic Center at Twinsburg.

Q: Does the holiday schedule include all staff employees? 

A: Full and part-time classified and unclassified employees who normally accrue vacation throughout the year are eligible to receive paid leave for the additional days. Employees not eligible for the paid leave include student employees, classified temporary staff, temporary agency staff, short-term unclassified appointments, unclassified intermittent appointments and employees in a lay-off status. 

Q:  Do I have to be in paid status prior to Dec. 21, 2023, in order to be paid during the holiday closure?

A:  Yes, you must be in paid status on Dec. 21 in order to be paid during the holiday closure period. Policy 6-09.3(c)(2)

Q: How will the holiday schedule apply to employees on a nontraditional workweek schedule?

A: An eligible employee on a nontraditional workweek schedule may receive alternate paid days during the period of Dec. 26 through Dec 29. to make their pay whole. Using established guidelines, Human Resources Records & Payroll will work with individual departments to create customized pay schedules as needed. 

Q:  What about faculty?

A. The impact of the holiday schedule for 12-month faculty who accrue vacation is the same as for unclassified employees who accrue vacation.

Q:  If my department is closed, how will I be paid?

A: Classified and unclassified employees not scheduled to work will be paid for the additional days. These employees do not need to take vacation or compensatory time. However, supervisors of hourly employees in this group must enter hours as "University Closure" in TimeClock Plus for the additional four days. The number of hours entered should correspond to the number of hours the employee is regularly scheduled to work. 

Q: If I work in a department that remains open, how will I be paid?

A: Hourly employees required to work must clock in and out as normal and can receive overtime payment or opt to take comp time for days off in the future:

  • To receive payment for actual time worked, at a rate of 1.5 times the normal hourly rate. (For example, if you work 4 hours you will be paid for 6; if you work 6 hours you will be paid for 9 etc.)  Employees should clock in and out as normal. Supervisors must send a list of all employees choosing this option to payroll@kent.edu no later than noon on Jan. 3, 2024, and Payroll will make any necessary adjustments. If the list is not received by the Jan. 3 deadline, no adjustment will be made and the employee will be given straight comp time equal to the number of hours worked.
  • To receive straight comp time employees should clock in and out as normal. Supervisors of employees using TimeCard Plus can add the pay code "straight comp" equal to the number of hours worked. This pay code can be added just like you would add a "sick" or "vacation" pay code. The "straight comp" pay code will add the number of hours worked during the holiday break to the employee's comp bank to be taken as "comp used" at a later date. All hours worked will be paid as straight time unless the total hours actually worked are over 40 or the actual holiday is worked (normal overtime rules apply if the holiday is worked).

All hourly employees working partial days should clock in and out for actual hours worked, and their supervisor must enter the remaining hours as "University Closure." For example, the normal shift is eight hours, but the employee only works three hours on Dec. 28. The supervisor must enter five hours as "University Closure" and three hours of straight comp in TimeCard Plus. If the employee wants overtime for the time worked that will need to be reported to Payroll.

Salaried employees required to work will be given the opportunity to take comparable time off at a later time, as approved by their supervisor.

Q:  I'm a supervisor. How do I enter time for my employees in TimeCard Plus?

A: For the week of Dec. 10 through Dec. 16, all time should be approved before the end of the day on Dec. 16 if the employee has completed working for the week. Timecards will be locked by Payroll at 10:00 a.m. on Dec. 17.

Supervisors may enter and approve the holiday and university closure days for the period Dec. 22 through Dec. 30, as early as Dec. 21 if the employee is not working during the break. Supervisors of areas that will be closed during the holiday schedule are strongly encouraged to do this. The deadline to enter time and approve timecards in TimeClock Plus for the weeks of Dec. 24 is end of the day on Jan. 2, 2024.

If the supervisor misses the payroll deadline, no overtime adjustment will be made and the employee will be required to use the straight comp option and take time off at a later date. Manual checks for overtime corrections will not be processed. 

Q: How will the holiday closing impact the Dec. 31 pay period? 

A: Faculty and unclassified employees with direct deposit who are scheduled to receive their second pay of the month on Dec. 31 will be paid on Dec. 21, as was done last December.  Hourly employees will be paid on Dec. 29 as scheduled.

For additional questions, contact:

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