Plan Ahead for December Holidays
Kent State University will once again operate on a holiday schedule in December. The holiday schedule will run from Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, through Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013. During that time, all nonessential operations will be closed at all Kent State campuses. Normal business operations will resume with the first shift on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013.
Classified and unclassified employees who accrue vacation will receive paid leave for four days, Dec. 26, 27, 28 and 31. This is in addition to the paid holidays of Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1. This also applies to 12-month faculty who accrue vacation.
Employees not eligible for the paid leave include student employees, classified temporary staff, temporary agency staff, unclassified nine- and 10-month term appointments, short-term unclassified assignments and employees in a lay-off status.
More information on the holiday schedule, including how employees should report time during that period, will be communicated in early December.
Vacation Reminders from Human Resources
Managers and supervisors are asked to share the information below with your staff that accrue vacation leave.
Vacation Cutback in September
Please remind classified and unclassified staff in your department to check their vacation balance and make sure they are not at risk of losing any accrued vacation time. According to the university policy regarding annual vacation leave for nonteaching unclassified and classified personnel, the maximum amount of vacation an employee can accrue is that which can be earned in a three-year period.
Employees who are over their accrual maximum must use the time by Sept. 30; if not, they will lose any vacation hours accrued beyond the maximum.
Vacation hours are earned each pay period and vary according to the employee’s years of service with Kent State and job appointment (i.e., classified or unclassified status). An explanation of vacation accrual rates, eligibility and usage is available at www.kent.edu/hr/benefits/leave/vacation.cfm.
Employees with more than 200 hours of accrued vacation time received an e-mail from Human Resources Records last week, reminding them to check their current vacation balance.
Report Your Leave Time
With the summer vacation season here, it is important to make sure your employees report and submit their vacation leave when it is taken and that they check their balances. You should also make sure that the leave reports are approved in a timely manner. Accurate and timely reporting is important to make sure the time is being deducted correctly and that employees are not exceeding their accrual maximum.
Employees can check their leave balance in the MyHR tab of FlashLine, in the Employment Details channel. Leave is recorded in the Time Reporting channels of the MyHR tab. Approvers will find the leave reports in the My Action Itemstab.
If you have questions, contact a member of the Human Resources Records team at 330-672-2901.
What Can the Office of General Counsel Do for You?
The Office of the General Counsel serves as more than just the legal representative of the university. The office is also available to provide legal advice and guidance on university-related matters to employees and departments at all campuses. This aligns with its mission to advance the university’s strategic goals while preserving the legal, ethical and financial integrity of the institution.
The attorneys and staff of the office, led by General Counsel Willis Walker, ensure that the university remains in legal compliance with numerous state and federal laws and regulations. The legal team also provides many other services to departments, including:
- Assist with the administration and negotiation of all third-party contracts;
- Provide notary services for university documents;
- Coordinate all public records requests for all eight Kent State University campuses;
- Assist in the development of university policy, as well as department-specific regulations;
- Provide advice on patent, copyright and technology-transfer information;
- Assist international employees with the permanent residency process; and
- Provide training in regulatory compliance and guidance when new laws go into effect.
Each attorney has several primary areas of responsibility. View the list of attorney responsibilities so you will know whom to contact if a legal issue arises in your area. If you are not sure whom to contact, call the office at 330-672-2982 or send your legal inquiries to legal@kent.edu.
You can also visit the Office of the General Counsel's website for a variety of resources including a compliance database, a records retention schedule and relevant information on immigration services.
Save Date for Steam Shutdown
University Facilities Management has set the dates for the 2013 annual steam shutdown. It will begin on Sunday, May 12, and run through Sunday, May 19 of next year. During that time many areas will not have hot water, heat, and/or air conditioning.
In addition, the annual Black Start and Island Mode test will be conducted between 6 a.m. and noon on Saturday, May 18, 2013. This may result in several electrical power interruptions and some parts of the Kent Campus may not have electricity and/or air conditioning.
Any questions should be directed to Frank Renovich at 330-672-0775 or frenovi2@kent.edu.
Dates to Remember:
National Grilling Month
July 1 Canada Day
July 3 Shab-e-Barat (Islamic holiday begins at sundown)
July 4 Independence Day (university closed)
July 7 Summer I classes end
July 9 Summer III classes begin
July 19 Ramadan begins at sundown (Islamic observance)
July 28 Summer II classes end
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 calendarand share the information with your staff.