Holiday Schedule FAQs
2025/2026 Holiday Schedule Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What will the holiday schedule be this year?
A: The holiday schedule will begin Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, at 10:30 p.m. and offices will re-open on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. 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 Jan. 2 (referred to as additional days in the following questions). The paid leave is in addition to the paid holidays of Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Normal business operations will resume with the start of the first shift on Monday, Jan. 5. Jan. 3 and Jan. 4 are not considered university closure days.鈥
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.
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. 24, 2025, in order to be paid during the holiday closure?
A: Yes, you must be in paid status on Dec. 23 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 31. 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 who are 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 10 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2026, and Payroll will make any necessary adjustments. If the list is not received by the Jan. 5 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 TimeClock Plus can add the pay code 鈥漇traight Comp鈥 equal to the number of hours worked. This pay code can be added just like you would add a 鈥漇ick鈥 or 鈥漋acation鈥 pay code. The 鈥漇traight Comp鈥 pay code will add the number of hours worked during the holiday break to the employee's comp bank to be taken as 鈥滳omp Used鈥 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. 26. The supervisor must enter five hours as "University Closure" and three hours of 鈥漇traight Comp鈥 in TimeClock 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 TimeClock Plus?
A: For the week of Dec. 14 through Dec. 20, all time should be approved before the end of the day on Dec. 22. Timecards will be locked by Payroll at 10 a.m. on Dec. 23.
Full instructions explaining how supervisors must handle timekeeping during the winter break can be found on Payroll鈥檚 Holiday Break Timekeeping Instructions page.
Note:
Holiday and university closure days for full-time employees have already been entered while those for part-time employees have not.
The instructions on Payroll鈥檚 page explain how supervisors must determine whether employees are eligible for holiday/university closure time and how to add, delete, or edit the time.
The deadline to enter time and approve timecards in TimeClock Plus for the week of Dec. 21-27 is 10 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2026. No exceptions to this deadline will be made and timecards will be locked at 10 a.m. on Jan 5. Employees who work on the university closure days over the break will be defaulted into the straight comp option if supervisors do not email Payroll by the Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. approval deadline.
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. 31. Hourly employees will be paid for the Nov. 30-Dec.13 pay period on Dec. 26 as scheduled.
For additional questions, contact:
- Payroll Office at payroll@kent.edu, or (330) 672-8640
- HR Records at hr-records@kent.edu, or (330) 672-8316