February 2014

Winter Weather Reminders

With the snow and extreme cold temperatures we have experienced so far this winter, this is a good time to remind faculty, staff and students that the university needs everyone’s help to keep our buildings safe and warm. Tom Euclide, associate vice president for Facilities, Planning and Operations, asks everyone to make sure all windows are closed, especially in classrooms. It only takes a light wind to drop the temperatures in a room to a point where the piping systems begin to freeze. If you notice a door or window that is not closed or will not close due to ice or snow accumulations, please contact the Kent Campus 24-hour emergency maintenance team at 330-672-2345.

Managers and supervisors should also remind employees that in general, the university does not close or cancel classes because of cold weather, winter ice and/or snow conditions. When classes are canceled or the university is closed, be sure and check Kent State’s Advisory Web page at www.kent.edu/advisory, the Flash Alerts text message system, FlashLine email and local TV and radio broadcasts for the latest information.

More information on closings and class cancellations can be found in the winter weather advisory message from the senior vice president for finance and administration.
 

“New” – Administrative Policy Regarding Volunteers

The Board of Trustees has approved policy 6 – 04.4, Administsrative policy regarding volunteers, effective Dec. 1, 2013.  This policy is intended to help promote a productive, safe and mutually beneficial environment for volunteers and the university alike. 

This administrative policy shall apply to all campuses and introduces the required “Volunteer Assignment Form and Release” that must be completed by the volunteer and returned to the coordinating department.  In addition, and dependent on the volunteer assignment, other procedural requirements are listed under section (E)(1) of the Administrative policy regarding volunteers.

All managers and supervisors using or anticipating the use of volunteers are asked to read through the policy so that you may comply with any such restrictions, limitations or procedures outlined within. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact Kim Hauge at 330-672-7505 or khauge@kent.edu.
 

Division of Human Resources Adds Employee Appreciation Events

The Division of Human Resources seeks to partner with various units and divisions across our eight-campus community to bring about appealing, family-friendly offers to our employees as part of its Employee Engagement and Outreach initiative. With that in mind, the division has recently launched its Employee Appreciation Web page to showcase appreciation events as they become available to our employees. This is just one way to say “thank you” and “we appreciate you” to Kent State faculty and staff. 

Current offers include:

• Six complimentary tickets to Kent State basketball (see schedule here)
• Buy One/Get One (BOGO) tickets for two upcoming productions, Legally Blonde and Movin’ On Up with the College of Arts. 

For more details on these events, visit the Employee Appreciation Web page or you may contact Geraldine Nelson, Ph.D., at 330-672-2901 or ghnelson@kent.edu.
 

Clocking-in Timekeeping Procedure

The information below has been previously communicated to supervisors, managers and their affected hourly employees via their kent.edu email accounts on Dec. 19. Managers and supervisors may also wish to review this information with your hourly staff. A reference copy of this notification can be found in the Payroll Forms and Information library at www.kent.edu/hr/forms/payroll/index.cfm.

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers are required to accurately record the time worked for hourly employees. At Kent State, hourly employees track time worked, as well as time absent from work, by clocking in or out utilizing their appropriate timekeeping system (Kronos/TMX).

Kent State's current timekeeping systems are programmed with a "rounding rule" which rounds to the nearest quarter hour. Currently, AFSCME bargaining unit employees and hourly dining services employees have a shift begin 7/8 minute rounding rule. All other hourly employees have a shift begin 14/15 minute rounding rule. Student employees, other than dining services' student workers, have no rounding upon clocking in. The following displays the effects of the differing rounding rules:

Example of Clocking in Using 7/8 Rounding:

Example of Clocking in Using 14/15 Rounding:

In an effort to create consistency and use best practices in the time-keeping process for all hourly employees, Kent State will be implementing a standard rounding practice, adopting the 7/8 minute rounding, effective Feb. 9, 2014. This applies to all hourly employees, including student employees.

For questions, please contact Lisa Heilman, payroll manager, at ext. 20987 for those using Kronos/TMX. For staff employees, you may contact Tia Laughlin, manager, Human Resources Records at ext. 28374. For student employees, please contact Ami Hollis, associate director for Career Services at ext. 28380.
 

Total Compensation Calculator – A Great Tool for Hiring Top Talent

The Division of Human Resources, in collaboration with Information Services, has developed a unique compensation calculation tool to assist hiring managers in demonstrating the robust compensation package faculty and staff has at Kent State University. By using the Total Compensation Calculator, hiring managers have a way to demonstrate to full-time potential hires what their salary and benefits package adds up to in real dollars and cents. To use the tool, the hiring manager/candidate simply enters a few pieces of information:

• Annual salary
• Single, family or opt out for medical coverage
• Type of position (faculty or staff)

The result is an instantaneous delivery of an estimated total compensation package that includes the annual salary, estimated employer contributions towards the candidates’ retirement account, estimated costs paid by the university toward medical insurance, and an estimated tuition fee waiver benefit for the candidate and/or their eligible dependents. The Total Compensation Calculator is a great tool to empower hiring managers to communicate and compete for top talent!

The calculator 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 or by entering the following link into a Web browser: www.kent.edu/hr/compcalc.html. For questions, contact Mark McLeod, manager, Benefits, at 330-672-0392 or mmcleod3@kent.edu.
 

HR Training and Development Webinar Series

Double your learning experience this month by attending one of the February webinar offerings provided by Human Resources Training and Development.

Hiring for Excellence (Feb. 5, 10 - 11 a.m.)
Ever have a question about the Kent State hiring process? Here's your chance to get answers as Renee Romine and Talent Acquisition team members discuss steps to the hiring process, including necessary forms, interview guidance and more. Click here to register.

Communicating Across Four Generations (Feb. 26, 2 – 3 p.m.)
Four generations - Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y make today’s workplace more dynamic than ever. How do you navigate the boundaries? Join Renee Romine, senior training and development specialist, as she shares insights on understanding the communication preferences of each generation and what you can do to build a stronger workplace climate. Click here to register. 

Questions or requests for more information should be directed to Ron Smith at rsmith5@kent.edu or 330-672-2602.
 

Institute for Excellence 2014

January kicked off the fourth year of programming for the Institute for Excellence (I4E).  The I4E is the university’s 10-month leadership development initiative geared to help high-performing leaders take their leadership skills to the next level. This program is offered by the Training and Development unit in the Division of Human Resources. 

The Institute for Excellence has two program tracks: one for administrators and one for individual contributors who are not currently in a managerial role. This year’s class is split evenly with 40 total participants: 20 in the administrator track and 20 in the individual contributor track. You may view a list of this year’s I4E participants here.

The Institute for Excellence groups will meet monthly for either a full- or half-day session. A partial list of session topics includes discussions with members of the President’s Cabinet, increased financial literacy, emotional intelligence, 360° assessments to benchmark skills, diversity in higher education and understanding team dynamics.
 
For questions, contact Bob Hall at 330-672-0894 or rhall4@kent.edu.
 

City Income Tax Increase Impacts Kent Campus Employee Paychecks

This is a reminder that the voters in the city of Kent approved an income tax increase in the November 2013 election. As a result, on Jan. 1, 2014, the income tax rate for the city of Kent increased from 2 percent to 2.25 percent.

This means that Kent State University employees at the Kent Campus will have an additional amount withheld from their paycheck for Kent City taxes. The increase began with the first pay in January for faculty, classified, unclassified and student employees on the Kent Campus.

Supervisors and managers on the Kent Campus, please make sure employees in your area, including any student workers, are aware of this change. Also remind any Kent Campus employees who live in a taxing municipality outside of Kent that they should contact their city’s tax office to see if the increase will impact any taxes that may be owed to their city of residence.

Questions about the change in city income tax should be directed to Lisa Heilman, payroll manager, at 330-672-8640 orlheilman@kent.edu.
 

Dates to Remember:
Black History Month
Feb. 4 Rosa Parks Day
Feb. 7 National Wear Red Day
Feb. 12 Employee, Family and Friends men’s basketball vs. BGSU  at 7 p.m. Get tickets athttp://kenstatesports.com/emloyee.
Feb. 14 Valentine's Day
College of Podiatric Medicine Spring Classes End (third-year students)
Feb. 17 President’s Day (university open)
Feb. 17- 28 College of Podiatric Medicine Spring Finals (third-year students)
Employee, Family and Friends men’s basketball vs. Buffalo at 12 p.m.Get tickets athttp://kenstatesports.com/emloyee.
Feb. 22 Legally Blonde, the musical, 8 p.m,.  E. Turner Stump Theatre
Employee Buy-One, Get One Free Ticket Offer. For details, click here.
Feb. 28 College of Podiatric Medicine spring classes end (fourth-year students)

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 atmanagersfeedback@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.