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Do IT this week: Layering
Lefton gives employees four more days of paid vacation over holiday break
By Carol Biliczky
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Dec 18, 2008
Kent State President Lester Lefton has reversed course and decided to give extra time off to employees during the holiday break.
He announced in an internal e-mail last week that staff and administrators will be paid for four additional days of vacation over the break between Dec. 24 and Jan. 1.
''Throughout the fall semester, I have noted the many impressive achievements you have undertaken to advance Kent State's excellence agenda,'' Lefton wrote. ''Your dedication to our students and the institution has been unwavering.''
KSU spokesman Tom Neumann said he did not know how many employees would get the extra days.
The policy does not affect faculty members because they do not have to be on campus when the university is closed. Nor does it apply to essential services, such as police, who will be paid time and a half for
the extra days.
Last year, Lefton followed the policy set by most other tax-supported universities in the state — to keep the university open and require employees to use vacation time or comp time if they wanted to be off extra days during the break.
This year, Lefton is following the lead of University of Akron Luis Proenza, who for the fourth year also is giving extra paid time off to employees during the holiday break.
Neumann said Lefton ''wants employees to take the time to be with family and friends and to recharge.''
At UA, the extra days off will elevate the number of vacation days for contract professionals, which includes most administrators, from 22 to 25.
At Kent State, nonteaching staff can receive as many as 25 vacation days a year, or 29 this year.
Proenza told employees by e-mail that he was rewarding them for the university's many successes in enrollment growth, fundraising and the start of a Confucius Institute to teach Chinese language and culture, among other achievements.
''I am pleased that even in a time of economic downturn, we are able to grant each of you three days of additional paid leave,'' Proenza wrote.
Carol Biliczky can be reached at 330-996-3729 or cbiliczky@thebeaconjournal.com.
Kent State President Lester Lefton has reversed course and decided to give extra time off to employees during the holiday break.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 06:58 AM, 12/18/2008
Keep in mind people, THIS IS ALL
TAX PAYERS MONEY !!!
Posted 07:09 AM, 12/18/2008
in the end it will most likely save the university money by closing for a week when campus is a ghost town!!
Posted 08:26 AM, 12/18/2008
Tis the season. I think this is great. It gives people extra time to be at home or with families. This is the one time a year when families matter the most, and Kent State giving the extra time off goes a long way, not to mention the extra money. I think that if you are upset over the "Tax payers money" then please don't post here. This is a great positive story and just take it as that
Posted 08:34 AM, 12/18/2008
Hey Teddy,
who made you the post police? You can post here along with those who do not share your point of view.
In this economy and state's projected shortfalls, it seems any rational person should question state expenditures. Costs like these are simply passed onto the students' tuition bills.
Posted 08:56 AM, 12/18/2008
It's easy to play santa when you don't have to foot the bill.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:54 AM, 12/18/2008
John,
Keep in mind that if the staff was working, they'd still be getting paid. The only difference now is that the university won't incur as much heating/electric costs for it's however-many hundreds of employees.
Posted 10:22 AM, 12/18/2008
The invocation of taxpayer abuse is a convenient diatribe when in reality it has not basis in fact and really serves only as a rallying cry for the small minded.
Given the comment on taxpayer abuse, the fact is your taxpayer dollars actually fund less than 25% of the University's operations, so you are in effect "paying" for about 6 hours of the vacation provided. However, I guarantee that over the course of a year, the employees you question spend far more than 6 hours doing their jobs outside the standard work day, so should they send you a bill for the time they are in effect working without compensation?
Akron, OH
Posted 10:49 AM, 12/18/2008
Well, we can't say that Lefton let Akron U outdo him.
Obviously we have some University cheeleaders here. Iff'n the University can pay their employees to take off more time than originally allowed, then the university doesn't need as much taxpayer dollars as they currently receive. It's as simple as that.
As for the employees workin' more without extra compensation, that is their choice to make. They aren't required to do so.
For those that think this is such a great thing, then feel free to pay the portion of tax dollars from the rest of us who disagree. Essentially, put y'alls money where y'alls mouth is.
Most likely, we will now see those cheerleaders become world class backstrokers.
Posted 11:07 AM, 12/18/2008
....as much as 29 days of vacation this year for non-teaching staff....
I need an extra 29 days of work to help START to pay for my kids Kent tuition!
These people will never get it.......
Akron, oh
Posted 01:04 PM, 12/18/2008
Kent State following in Akron's footsteps once again....
Posted 01:28 PM, 12/18/2008
I am sure Kent State will pass this cost on to their students.
Posted 01:49 PM, 12/18/2008
Jimmy,
You seem to be the one who is small minded and not thinking the issue through. Taxpayer abuse is never justified no matter the percentage or amount. Perhaps you're one of those who travel with Lefton?? Hmm....
Posted 02:32 PM, 12/18/2008
Merry Christmas to all, even the grinches and scrooges whom try to take everyone down with them. Wish positivity was as contageous as some' negativity. Tax payers money or not. I think it is a nice gesture and those whom don't think so aka Johnny boy, must be jealous and jealousy is......
Posted 02:34 PM, 12/18/2008
And for those whom have a problem with thier tax paying dollars... feel free to not pay your taxes. It's still an option, or is it easier just to complain...
Posted 03:04 PM, 12/18/2008
For all you posters out there that think this a bad thing. I will pay your share of the "extra" payroll and you pay my share of the heating, electric, and water bills for the four days if all the employees would be working at the university if vacation was not given.
My cost is $0. Your cost would probably be several thousand dollars. In the future please think before you post.
Akron, OH
Posted 03:05 PM, 12/18/2008
Hey, if we can choose how our tax dollars are spent, I'll gladly take the money from my dollars which go toward the Iraq war and apply them to the KSU staff members instead.
Akron, OH
Posted 03:15 PM, 12/18/2008
Gotta remember to check job posting there.....
Posted 03:23 PM, 12/18/2008
Ahh yes, tis the season to begrudge people what they are given because those begrudgers have not been given the same. Just a little knowledge for ya! The employees at KSU are also tax payors and I'm sure alot of them have paid taxes for many, many years, donate to the college itself and donate to community charities. This is the first time KSU has given their employees extra time off and I'm sure it is greatly appreciated. An employee gives back to their employer sooo much more when they know they are appreciated!! Maybe you should get into the same profession and you can have 29 days off too!! Happy Holidays!!
Posted 03:55 PM, 12/18/2008
Thank-you to all whom appreciate the good things that happen to people. I just wish I worked there so that I could get the time off. I will print this and give it to my boss. LOL would be nice tho.
Posted 04:53 PM, 12/18/2008
How would YOU feel if You worked at KSU. Would you be upset over the Taxpayers $? Would you still go to work, or would you take the time off. How would you feel if you worked there and read all of this?
Posted 06:23 PM, 12/18/2008
wake up the third shift over there so they know about this.
Posted 12:20 PM, 12/19/2008
I just graduated from Kent State last year and I will say this again, everything that happens on that campus is backwards. When the Ohio economy fails us, what do the teachers do? They get paid to sit around-almost what they get paid to do in the first place. How many professors have you heard lately to make ground breaking discoveries, studies, or cures? The university system in Ohio has big issues, including those who are the leaders. Take it from me, I walked up and down the halls for five years, spending every last cent on an education to pay teachers to be off. OUR GOVERNOR NEEDS TO REFORM HIGHER EDUCATION BEFORE THE STUDENTS REFORM AND DONT ATTEND COLLEGE ANYMORE.
akron, oh
Posted 01:11 PM, 12/19/2008
@Dan - If you expect your professors to be making 'ground breaking studies or cures' then you should have worked harder in high school and got accepted at a better university. Instead, you ended up at Kent State.
Posted 07:34 PM, 12/20/2008
@ Archie-If you think that I got bad grades in HS and thats the reason I went to Kent then you have no clue. I've owned my business for 3 years, while going to Kent State and now have assets over 5 million dollars. Let's think before we talk. Kent has invented LCD technology, business studies have changed companies such as Goodyear and Cleveland Clinic. Don't bash the school-Bash the people teaching there.
