{"id":18724,"date":"2025-01-21T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=18724"},"modified":"2025-12-18T11:59:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T16:59:55","slug":"qa-vacation-personal-paid-time-off-pto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=18724","title":{"rendered":"Q&A: Vacation\/Personal Paid Time Off (PTO)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you have a plan for using your vacation\/personal paid time off (PTO) this year? According to\u202fthis<\/a>\u202f Forbes article, \u201cAmerican 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.\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it may seem harmless to check in a couple of times while you\u2019re away, to really benefit from a vacation you need to disconnect entirely.\u202fReview these tips for setting boundaries<\/a>\u202fso 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We encourage everyone to work with their supervisor to schedule a well-deserved break. And don\u2019t forget, employee discounts for travel are available through\u202fMSU Benefits Plus<\/a>\u202fand the\u202fHR website<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Top PTO Questions<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following are the most common questions HR receives regarding PTO and answers vary based on the employee\u2019s personal details.\u202fThese answers are only applicable to regular, benefit-eligible employees working half-time or more<\/em>. Please make sure to reference the appropriate policy page for further details:\u202fsupport staff vacation pay<\/a>,\u202ffaculty and academic staff vacation<\/a>,\u202flibrarians handbook<\/a>, and\u202fMSU extension handbook<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Support Staff Only:<\/strong> How do I find out how much PTO I currently have?<\/strong>

    Log into the\u202f    EBS Portal<\/a>\u202fand select\u202fMy Time & Payroll<\/strong>\u202ffrom the top navigation, then select the\u202fTime Quota Balances<\/strong>\u202ftile. For support using the application, please review the\u202fTime Quota Balances help page<\/a>. 

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2.  Support Staff Only:<\/strong> How do I find out how much PTO I have used?<\/strong>

    Log into the\u202f    EBS Portal<\/a>\u202fand select\u202fMy Time & Payroll<\/strong>\u202ffrom the top navigation, then select the\u202fTime Quota Usage Monthly Report<\/strong>\u202ftile. For support using the application, please review the\u202fTime Quota Usage Monthly help page<\/a>. 

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Support Staff Only: How do I accrue vacation days?<\/strong> 

    Eligible support staff accrue vacation days monthly. The amount accrued depends on union affiliation, employment percentage, and length of employment. Please review the\u202f    support staff vacation time policy page<\/a>\u202ffor more details. 

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Support Staff Only: Is there a maximum amount of vacation PTO I can accrue?<\/strong> 

    Yes. The maximum amount eligible support staff can accrue depends on union affiliation, employment percentage, and length of employment. Please review the\u202f    support staff vacation time policy page<\/a>\u202ffor more details. Support staff cannot earn vacation time beyond the accrual limit. You are encouraged to use your PTO so you don\u2019t lose out on valuable vacation time.

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5.  Support Staff Only: How do I enter my PTO in EBS for supervisor approval?<\/strong>

    Login to the\u202f    EBS Portal<\/a>\u202fand select\u202fMy Time & Payroll<\/strong>\u202ffrom the top navigation, then select the\u202fTime Entries & Statement<\/strong>\u202ftile. 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\u202fTime Entries and Statement help page<\/a>. 

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. What is the difference between personal leave, personal observance days, and vacation PTO?<\/strong> 

    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 \u2013 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\u202f    support staff personal leave policy page<\/a>\u202ffor more details.\u202fPlease note<\/strong>: POAM employees should review the\u202fPOAM union contract<\/a>\u202ffor 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:\u202f    support staff<\/a>,\u202ffaculty and academic staff<\/a>,\u202flibrarians handbook<\/a>, and\u202fMSU extension handbook<\/a>. 

    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<\/a>. 

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. I\u2019m a new employee. Do I have immediate access to my vacation PTO?<\/strong> 

    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:\u202f    support staff vacation pay<\/a>,\u202ffaculty and academic staff vacation<\/a>,\u202flibrarians handbook<\/a>, and\u202fMSU extension handbook<\/a>. 

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. What happens to my unused PTO if I leave the university \u2013 such as through retirement or termination? <\/strong>

    Employees will receive payment for unused vacation and personal PTO when they leave the university.

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. How much vacation time can I use at once?<\/strong> 

    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.  

    <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. For Time Entry Roles Only: What are the absence and attendance codes?<\/strong>\u00a0

    Please review the\u202f    Absence and Attendance Codes\u202f<\/a>page for specific employee groups for more information.\u00a0


    Resources<\/strong>

    More information about PTO for eligible employees can be found on the HR website (    support staff time off and leave<\/a>\u202fand\u202ffaculty\/academic staff<\/a>). We encourage you to review the appropriate policy pages thoroughly to help answer any questions you may have. Support staff may contact the HR Solutions Center at\u202fSolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu<\/a>\u202for 517-353-4434 with questions. Questions from faculty and academic staff may be directed to FASAffairs@msu.edu<\/a>. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Do you have a plan for using your vacation\/personal paid time off (PTO) this year? According to\u202fthis\u202f Forbes article, \u201cAmerican workers are notorious for being workaholics. Since March of 2020, an overwhelming majority of U.S.… Continue Reading… Q&A: Vacation\/Personal Paid Time Off (PTO)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":17851,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0},"categories":[2],"tags":[894,895,896,605],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pto-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1344&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb1fcA-4S0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18724"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18724"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19780,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18724\/revisions\/19780"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}