May - 2013

May 2013
Volume 10 | Issue 11

Total Compensation: Understanding the Value of Your Paycheck

Please remind your employees that Total Compensation statements for calendar year 2012 are now available in FlashLine. Total Compensation statements are available to all full-time employees hired on or before Jan. 1, 2012. This annual statement provides faculty and staff with a complete picture of the financial value of their Kent State employment.

The statements include a summary of the employee's earned income (salary, vacation and sick leave), university contributions for health benefits, tuition waiver, workers' compensation, Medicare and employee retirement plans (Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, State Teachers Retirement System or Alternative Retirement Plan).  

Employees recently received an email with directions on how to access their individual statements from two access points in the My HR tab of FlashLine. The first access point is through the Employment Details channel; select Employee Menu and then click on the link to Total Compensation Statements. From that page, select the appropriate year and click Display. The statement can also be accessed through the Total Compensation channel by selecting the Your Total Compensation Statement link. From that page, select the appropriate year and click Display.

For assistance with technical problems accessing statements, contact the Helpdesk at 330-672-HELP. For questions regarding information contained in the statement, contact the Benefits office at benefits@kent.edu or 330-672-3107.


Annual Steam Shutdown

In order to perform necessary maintenance on the boilers, steam transmission systems and electrical distribution systems, Kent State University’s power plant will be shut down over the following dates:

  • Shutdown begins at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 12
  • Start-up begins at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 19

As a result of the steam shutdown, most buildings located on campus will not have hot water to sinks and showers and/or heat and/or air conditioning.

If you have any questions regarding the shutdown, please contact Frank Renovich at 330-672-0775 or email frenovi2@kent.edu.


Cellular Device Authorization Workflow Due in June

All employees authorized to have a university-owned cellular device or receive a stipend must complete the Cellular Device Authorization workflow for the 2014 fiscal year (see Administrative Policy 7-02.15). The workflow is available in FlashLine, in the Workflow & Utilities channel on the My Action Items tab.
 
The workflow must be completed, including all required approvals, by June 28. The paper authorization form used for previous years will no longer be accepted; the workflow must be used for cellular device or stipend authorizations. The payroll effective date for stipend renewals will be July 1
 
General questions regarding cellular device authorization should be directed to Procurement at 330-672-2276 or procurement@kent.edu. Questions regarding authorization for employees paid from a sponsored project should be directed to Debra Leonard, at 330-672-0988 or dleonard@kent.edu.


Posting On-Campus Student Jobs

Many new and returning students are searching now for on-campus jobs for summer and/or fall. Departments across all eight campuses are encouraged to post their anticipated/current position openings through the Career Services Center’s Experience Job & Internship Board. The On-Campus Employer User Guide is a helpful resource when using the Experience Job & Internship Board. Information you will need when posting includes: a detailed description of the duties and responsibilities, number of positions available, hourly pay rate (aligned with the Student Employment Pay Plan) and preferred work schedule, including anticipated work hours per week (in compliance with the Maximum 28 Work Hours Per Week Policy).  Supervisors posting for the first time or who have questions should contact Career Services at 22360 or campusworks@kent.edu.


New Tool for Hiring Top Talent

We all know what a great total compensation package faculty and staff enjoy at Kent State University. Now, hiring managers will have a way to show full-time potential hires what their salary and benefits package adds up to in real dollars and cents. The Total Compensation Calculator has been created to empower hiring managers to communicate and compete for talent. To use the tool, the hiring manager/candidate simply enters a few pieces of information (i.e. salary, single/family medical coverage, faculty or staff) into the calculator. The result is an instantaneous delivery of an estimated total compensation package that includes the annual salary, retirement paid by the university, estimate of university paid medical insurance and tuition fee waiver benefit for the candidate and eligible dependents. The tool can be used on a variety of laptop and mobile devices and may also be printed. No information is retained within the system once an estimate has run. 

The link for the Total Compensation Calculator can be found in the HR Forms Library.  For questions, contact Mark McLeod, Manager - Benefits, at 330-672-0392 or mmcleod3@kent.edu.


Unclassified and Classified Evaluation Periods

Don’t forget that all classified employee evaluations must be completed by May 24. Unclassified evaluations must be completed by June 12. Managers and supervisors received email notification with detailed information regarding the process and accessing instructions. For additional information regarding the classified evaluation process, please visit https://www.kent.edu/hr/purpose-and-objective-classified-employee-perfo…. Resources for unclassified evaluations can be found at https://www.kent.edu/hr/purpose-and-objective-unclassified-employee-per….

If you have questions, please contact Karen Watson, Employee Relations Manager, at 330-672-4636, or SheaRon Daniels at 330-672-2726.


20-Year Club to Welcome 13 New Members

The 2013 20-Year Club Service Awards program will be held on Wednesday, May 22, in the second floor dining room of the Kent Student Center. This annual program honors classified and unclassified employees who have completed 20 years of continuous service at any Kent State campus.

Previous 20-Year Club awardees are invited to celebrate with the 13 staff employees as they are welcomed into the club. Inductees' family and friends are also invited to join in the celebration of this milestone.

The program begins at 5:30 p.m. with cash bar followed by dinner and the awards program at 6:15 p.m. The event is open to the university community and reservations are required. 

The cost for the dinner is $10 for active and retired employees who are members of the 20-Year Club, and $18 for all other guests. You can visit the 20-Year Club website for registration information and a list of this year’s inductees. Please check the list and recognize those members of your staff who are being inducted, as well as employees who are reaching other milestone years of service (e.g., five years, 10 years, etc.).

For more information, contact Geraldine H. Nelson at 330-672-2901 or ghnelson@kent.edu; or Sandra Cole at 330-672-7501 or scole3@kent.edu.


Dates to Remember

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish-American Heritage Month
Older Americans Month

May 1 May Day
May 4 May 4 Remembrance Day. Visit the May 4 Task Force website for details.
May 5 Cinco De Mayo
May 10 Spring Advanced Degree Commencement, 6 p.m., Memorial  Athletic and Convocation Center, Kent Campus. Visit the Commencement website. Spring Commencement at Regional Campuses; contact individual campuses for times and locations.
May 11 Spring Baccalaureate Commencement, 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:15 p.m., Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, Kent Campus. Visit the Commencement website above for more information.
May 12 Mother's Day
May 15-16 Shavuot: Jewish observance begins at sundown
May 16 College of Podiatric Medicine Commencement, Cartwright Hall at 2 p.m.
May 22 20-Year Club Dinner, 5:30 p.m., Second Floor Dining Room, Kent Student Center. Reservations required. See article in this issue.
May 27 Memorial Day (university closed)


Tell Us What You Think

This e-newsletter is designed to keep you, the managers and supervisors, informed. Please take a few minutes to let us know what you think of it, along with any comments or suggestions. You may contact us at managersfeedback@kent.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.

For information about events and programs for university employees, please check out the Faculty and Staff calendar and share the information with your staff.