Do you have a plan for using your vacation/personal paid time off (PTO) this year? According to this  Forbes article, “American workers are notorious for being workaholics. Since March of 2020, an overwhelming majority of U.S. employees have shortened, postponed, or canceled their vacation time.” While most of us are aware that time away from work is crucial to maintaining mental health and supporting our relationships, we sometimes have a hard time truly disconnecting. 

While it may seem harmless to check in a couple of times while you’re away, to really benefit from a vacation you need to disconnect entirely. Review these tips for setting boundaries so you can get adequate rest and reset. Having a plan for setting boundaries with your team before, during, and after your vacation will help reduce pre- and post-vacation stress. 

We encourage everyone to work with their supervisor to schedule a well-deserved break. And don’t forget, employee discounts for travel are available through MSU Benefits Plus and the HR website. 

Your Top PTO Questions 

The following are the most common questions HR receives regarding PTO and answers vary based on the employee’s personal details. These answers are only applicable to regular, benefit-eligible employees working half-time or more. Please make sure to reference the appropriate policy page for further details: support staff, faculty and academic staff, librarians, and MSU extension. 

1. How do I find out how much PTO I currently have? 

• Log into the EBS Portal and select My Time & Payroll from the top navigation, then select the Time Quota Balances tile. For support using the application, please review the Time Quota Balances help page. 
   

2. How do I find out how much PTO I have used? 

• Log into the EBS Portal and select My Time & Payroll from the top navigation, then select the Time Quota Usage Monthly Report tile. For support using the application, please review the Time Quota Usage Monthly help page. 
   

3. How do I enter my PTO in EBS for supervisor approval? 

• Login to the EBS Portal and select My Time & Payroll from the top navigation, then select the Time Entries & Statement tile. Enter the number of hours in the cell for the correct date in the row with the appropriate absence type. For support using the application, please review the Time Entries and Statement help page. 
   

4. What is the difference between personal leave, personal observance days, and vacation PTO? 

• Eligible support staff are granted both personal leave and vacation PTO. Eligible faculty and academic staff are granted vacation PTO.  
   
  For support staff, up to 24 hours of personal leave PTO is granted each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). The amount granted is proportional to the employment percentage. You may not carry these hours over to the next year, so make sure you use this PTO before the fiscal year ends. Please review the support staff personal leave policy page for more details. Please note: POAM employees should review the POAM union contract for their unique personal leave policy. 
   
  Vacation PTO is granted to eligible employees and varies based on employee type, union affiliation, employment percentage, length of employment, and new hire status. Please review the appropriate policy for further details: support staff, faculty and academic staff, librarians, and MSU extension. 

Personal Observance Days are two additional days (16 hours, prorated based on the start date and percent time) of personal time that eligible faculty, support, and academic staff employees will be able to use each calendar year. As of January 2024, employees will be able to use the two additional days of personal time between January 1 and December 31. Please refer to the Personal Observance FAQ page for further details. 
 

5. I’m a new employee. Do I have access to my vacation PTO immediately? 

• This depends on your employee type. Eligible faculty, academic, and support staff have access to vacation PTO after 6 months of service. Eligible librarians and MSU Extension employees have access immediately upon employment. Please review the appropriate policy for further details: support staff, faculty and academic staff, librarians, and MSU extension. 
   

6. If I leave the university – such as through retirement or termination – what happens to my unused PTO? 

• Employees will receive payment for unused vacation PTO when they leave the university. Support staff will not receive payment for unused personal leave PTO. 
   

7. How much vacation time can I use at once? 

• It is up to each department to determine what is an appropriate amount of vacation time to be taken at once. Departments should make sure to consistently approve vacation requests fairly.  
   

8. For Time Entry Roles Only: What are the absence and attendance codes? 

• Please review the Absence and Attendance Codes page for specific employee groups for more information. 
   

9. Support Staff Only: How do I accrue vacation days? 

• Eligible support staff accrue vacation days monthly. The amount accrued depends on union affiliation, employment percentage, and length of employment. Please review the support staff vacation time policy page for more details. 
   

10. Support Staff Only: Is there a maximum amount of vacation PTO I can accrue? 

• Yes. The maximum amount eligible support staff can accrue depends on union affiliation, employment percentage, and length of employment. Please review the support staff vacation time policy page for more details. 
   
  Support staff cannot earn vacation time beyond the accrual limit. You are encouraged to use your PTO so you don’t lose out on valuable vacation time. 

More information about PTO for eligible employees can be found on the HR website (support staff and faculty/academic staff). We encourage you to review the appropriate policy pages thoroughly to help answer any questions you may have. If you need further assistance, please contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.