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August 2013

Volume 11 | Issue 2

December Holiday Schedule

Kent State University will once again operate on a holiday schedule in December. The holiday schedule will run from Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. During that time, all nonessential operations will be closed at all Kent State campuses. Normal business operations will resume with the first shift on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014.

Classified and unclassified employees who accrue vacation will receive paid leave for four days, Dec. 26, 27, 30 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.

Salary Increase Announced for Unrepresented Employees

The Board of Trustees on June 27 approved the operating budget for Fiscal Year 2014. The budget included funding for 2 percent salary increases for classified and unclassified employees not represented by a union. This across the board pay increase will become effective on Sept. 1 for eligible employees. The Division of Human Resources has provided the following noteworthy dates as the salary increases are applied:

Classified Employee Pay Increase Timetable

  • The pay increase will take effect Aug. 25, 2013, since it is the start of the pay period that includes Sept. 1, 2013. The increase will be reflected in the Sept. 20, 2013, paycheck.
  • Employees hired on or after Aug. 25, 2013, will not be eligible for the increase. 
  • Upon completion of a probationary period employees hired between May 1, 2013, and Aug. 24, 2013, will be eligible for the pay increase.
  • To be eligible for a pay increase, classified employees must have a current satisfactory, signed performance evaluation on file in Human Resources. Employees who receive an overall performance rating of “needs to improve” on their evaluation will not receive any pay increase until they reach the “Usually Meets” level of performance.

Unclassified Employees Pay Increase Timetable

  • Pay increases for unclassified employees are effective Sept. 1, 2013, and will be reflected in the Sept. 15, 2013, paycheck.
  • Employees hired on or after June 1, 2013, will not be eligible for the increase. 
  • Employees with promotions, market, and/or salary adjustments effective on or after June 1, 2013, will not be eligible for the merit increase.
  • Continuing and intermittent unclassified employees will automatically be eligible for this pay increase. Grant funded and term positions will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the applicable department and approved by the appropriate appointing authority through the completion of applicable paperwork.
  • To be eligible for a pay increase, unclassified employees must have a current satisfactory, signed performance evaluation on file in Human Resources. Employees who receive an overall rating of “Unsatisfactory” on their performance evaluation will not receive any pay increase.

For questions regarding compensation, please contact Donna Sansonetti, senior manager for compensation, at 330-672-8333 or dsansone@kent.edu.

Newly Hired Employees Can Now Enroll in Benefits Online 

As part of its continuing effort to enhance employee “self-service” and to streamline the on boarding process for newly hired employees, the Division of Human Resources has launched its online benefits enrollment site. 

Now, new employees may view and select their medical, dental, life insurance and flexible spending account options, as well as add their spouse and/or eligible dependents. Employee contributions are also displayed for each available option. All newly hired employees must make their benefit elections within 30 days of hire in order to access the online system and avoid any delay in coverage. 

The system also includes multiple links to electronic forms, benefit summaries, insurance booklets and other information to assist new employees in their decision-making. Once the new employees have completed their enrollment elections, they may print a confirmation form for their personal records. 

To access the online benefits enrollment site, new employees will take the following steps: 

  1. Sign into FlashLine
  2. Select the My HR tab
  3. Select Enroll in Benefits (under the Job Flash – New Hire Requirements section)

Instructions for the New Hire Benefits Online Enrollment site can be downloaded here.  If you have additional questions, you may also contact the Benefits office at 330-672-3107 or benefits@kent.edu.  

The Search Is on for Excellence in Action

Nominations for the fifth annual President’s Excellence Award will be accepted from Aug. 12 through Sept. 13, 2013. The award program recognizes staff members who demonstrate exceptional performance in advancing the strategic goals of the university during the previous fiscal year.

To date, 39 staff members have been recognized with the President’s Excellence Award, and each received a check for $1,000. Past recipients have come from diverse areas within the university and include employees in varied positions, such as program manager, administrative support staff, maintenance repair worker, residence hall workers, director, coordinator, electronic technician supervisor, police officer and a head coach from Intercollegiate Athletics. You can view a complete list of past recipients on the President’s Excellence Award website.

In keeping with the purpose of the President’s Excellence Award, a nominee must demonstrate exceptional performance in advancing one of the following criteria that are aligned with the university's strategic goals. This includes actions, initiatives or projects related to the list below and must have occurred during the previous fiscal year (July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013). This includes actions, initiatives or projects related to:

  • Collaboration
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Effectiveness and Efficiency
  • Excellence in Customer Service
  • Serving as an Ambassador for the University
  • Student Success

Full-time classified and unclassified employees at all Kent State locations who have been employed by the university for a minimum of one year and are in good standing are eligible for nomination. Past recipients of the President's Excellence Award are not eligible to be nominated again for a minimum of two years following their award. Faculty are not eligible for this award.  

Nominations may come from peers, supervisors or other divisional leaders, faculty or students and must be submitted by Sept. 13. Nominations will be reviewed, and a final list will be submitted to the Office of the President. The final decision resides with the president; award recipients will be announced in December.

The nomination form, along with detailed information on the award criteria and the nomination process, is available on the president’s website. The nomination forms may be printed and mailed or submitted electronically once the nomination period opens on Aug. 12.

If you have questions regarding the award or nomination process, please contact Geraldine Hayes-Nelson, Ph.D., executive director, HR Outreach and Initiatives at 330-672-2901 or ghnelson@kent.edu. 

Things to Know for Student Employees

POSTING ON-CAMPUS JOBS and INTERNSHIPS
Departments across all eight campuses are encouraged to post their anticipated or current position openings through the Career Services Center's Experience Job and 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 either a job or an internship 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). Keep in mind that students who are participating in an internship must be paid and/or earn course credit for the experience to ensure compliance with Internships Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Supervisors posting for the first time or who have questions should contact Career Services at 330-672-2360 or campusworks@kent.edu.

OPERS REFUND REQUEST
Upon termination of public employment in Ohio, students and alumni can apply for a refund of accumulated OPERS contributions. State law requires that three months elapse from the last day of public service before a refund can be made. However, applications for a refund can be made any time after the last day of employment. Eligible individuals should visit the OPERS Refund FAQ to apply online. If you have questions, contact OPERS at 1-800-222-7377.

MINIMUM WAGE
The state of Ohio will announce in early October whether the minimum wage will increase for 2014. If there is an increase, it will go into effect Jan. 1, 2014. Please keep in mind that if the minimum wage does increase, all levels of the Student Employment Pay Plan will be adjusted accordingly. Supervisors will not have to take action. Career Services will update the hourly salaries for only those students who fall below the minimum in each of the three hourly pay levels. 

STUDENTS @ WORK
We encourage all supervisors to remember to incorporate at least one guided conversation with all of their student employees during the students’ tenure in their department. By participating in this program, together we will reach even more student employees who will reflect on the skills they are building; engage further with campus resources; and see connections between work, school and future careers. Once you and your student employee have met, we ask that the completed Conversation Questionnaire be forwarded to the Career Services Center so that we may follow up as requested. The Conversation Questionnaire and helpful handout for students, Crafting Careers Through Student Jobs, can be found at the Career Services Center Students @ Work website.

From the Office of General Counsel:  Ohio Ethics Law – Can I Do That?

Kent State University management and staff are invited to attend a seminar on Ohio Ethics. The two-hour seminar will be held on Friday, Aug. 2, at 10 a.m. in Franklin Hall on the Kent Campus.
Sponsored by the Office of General Counsel, the seminar will be conducted by a representative from the Ohio Ethics Commission, and will include information about Ohio Ethics Law that pertains to all public sector employees.

Topics to be covered include identifying and acting on potential conflicts of interest, understanding ethics prohibitions related to public contracts, identifying potential post-employment requirements, and general information about complying with the Ohio Ethics Law and related statutes.

University employees are expected to be informed of Ohio’s ethics laws and university policies regarding ethics. Employees are encouraged to attend this training and ask questions to expand their knowledge of Ohio Ethics Laws.

Registration is required for the seminar and seating is limited. The RSVP deadline is Thursday, Aug. 1, at 5 p.m. You can register here.

If you are unable to attend the seminar on Aug. 2, you can attend one of the free webinars offered by the Ohio Ethics Commission. For a schedule of those webinars and to register, go to www.ethics.ohio.gov, click on the education link, education sessions at the bottom of the page.

For more information, contact Angela Bertka in the Office of General Counsel at abertka@kent.edu or 330-672-8520.

Still Time to Use Your Vacation Leave

Managers and supervisors are asked to share the information below with their staff members who 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. 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 Items tab. Please check the My Action Items tab frequently for pending actions.

If you have questions, contact a member of the Human Resources Records team at 330-672-8316.

Dates to Remember:

 Aug. 3
 Summer II classes end
 Aug. 12 International Youth Day
 Aug. 14 V-J Day
 Aug. 16
 Geauga Campus Commencement
 Aug. 17
 Summer III classes end Summer Commencement, 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center. Visit www.kent.edu/commencement for more information.
 Aug. 19
 National Aviation Day
Aug. 21
 National Senior Citizens Day
Aug. 22-25
 Destination Kent State: Welcome Weekend
 Aug. 26 Woman’s Equality Day
Fall Semester 2013 classes begin at Kent and Regional campuses

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.