Time Tracking and Time Off
Holiday Comp Time & Discretionary Day Information
- Any employee with a holiday comp time balance as of 11/23/25 should claim holiday comp time off first to use up their balance before claiming vacation leave. Beginning April 1, 2026, any employee that has a holiday comp time off balance and attempts to request vacation leave will receive an error in Workday prompting them to use up their holiday comp time off first.
2025 Discretionary Day
- For eligible employees, whose work schedule includes their last workday of a week as Friday, the last day to use the 2025 Discretionary Day is Friday, December 19, 2025. For those whose last workday of a week is Saturday, the last day to use the 2025 Discretionary Day is Saturday, December 20, 2025.
2026 Discretionary Day
- The first day to use the 2026 Discretionary Day is Sunday, December 21, 2025. For eligible employees, whose work schedule includes their last workday of a week as Friday, the last day to use the 2026 Discretionary Day is Friday, December 18, 2026. For those whose last workday of a week is Saturday, the last day to use the 2026 Discretionary Day is Saturday, December 19, 2026.
Holiday Information
Veterans Day will be officially observed as a State of Kansas holiday on Tuesday, November 11th, 2025. Fort Hays State University will be holding classes that day. If your workload allows, please seek permission, and coordinate with your supervisor to take the day off to honor and remember our Veterans. For guidance on entering your timesheet in Workday for Veterans Day, click on the link below according to your employee type for specific instructions
IMPORTANT: The timesheet deadline for pay period 11/9/25-11/22/25 will be MOVED UP. All timesheets and time off requests must be submitted and approved by managers by Friday, November 21st at 10:00 a.m.
- All exempt and non-exempt employees that work on Veterans Day and/or receive holiday time off MUST enter and submit the appropriate entry on your timesheet to reflect that you worked. This must be completed by the timesheet deadline listed above. If the proper entry is not made by the employee, they will NOT be accrued the comp time for working on the holiday.
- Student employees need to submit their time for approval prior to the 11/21/25 deadline. Hourly students working 11/21 and/or 11/22 should NOT clock in or out on these days. Managers will need to add the time blocks to the student’s timesheet. See instructions and video for adding time blocks to student timesheets. Students attempting to clock in and out on 11/21 and 11/22 will result in unmatched time events that will not get picked up by the payroll run.
- If any corrections are needed to timesheets after the 10:00 a.m. deadline on 11/21/25, email Accounts Payable at apayable@fhsu.edu.
Exempt/Salary (including 12 month Faculty)
Fort Hays State University will close for the Thanksgiving holiday at the end of the business day on Tuesday, November 25th, based on your regular shift. We will reopen on Monday, December 1st, 2025. Any non-essential, temporary, or student employee needing to work during the Thanksgiving break (11/26-11/28) must seek PRIOR approval from the appropriate VP. If approved, the VP will notify Accounts Payable.
Wednesday, November 26th
Employees will submit one day of leave time (Comp time, Discretionary Day, Vacation). Employees who do not have enough time off to cover this day have two options:
- Time off without pay: any non-essential, benefitted employee without enough hours accrued who prefers to take time off without pay will enter Leave Without Pay time off.
- Employees who have not accrued enough leave to cover the day of leave may choose to accrue a deficit leave balance. To do so, the employee will enter Advanced Leave time off for this day. Your vacation balance will be negative until you accrue enough to catch up.
** Any essential employees scheduled to work or employees with VP approval to work will enter REG hours for the time worked.
Thursday & Friday, November 27th & 28th
These days are state holidays. Workday will generate the holiday time off entry for all employees that earn holiday credit. Any essential employees scheduled to work will enter REG hours for the time worked.
Fort Hays State University will close for the holiday break at the end of the business day on Friday, December 19th, based on your regular shift. We will reopen on Monday, January 5th, 2026. Any non-essential, temporary, or student employee needing to work during the holiday break (12/20-1/4) must seek PRIOR approval from the appropriate VP. If approved, the VP will notify Accounts Payable.
December 22nd, 23rd & 24th and January 2nd
Employees will submit one day of leave time (Comp time, Discretionary Day, Vacation). Employees who do not have enough time off to cover this day have two options:
- Time off without pay: any non-essential, benefitted employee without enough hours accrued who prefers to take time off without pay will enter Leave Without Pay time off.
- Employees who have not accrued enough leave to cover the day of leave may choose to accrue a deficit leave balance. To do so, the employee will enter Advanced Leave time off for this day. Your vacation balance will be negative until you accrue enough to catch up.
** Any essential employees scheduled to work or employees with VP approval to work will enter REG hours for the time worked.
December 26th, 29th, 30th, 31st
The Kansas Board of Regents has approved paid time off for these days. University holiday time off has been populated for all employees that earn holiday credit. The number of university holiday hours earned will be equivalent to the employee’s normally scheduled hours that day. Employees who have work schedules that do not require them to work these days of the week are not affected by the university holidays and will have no time off entry. If you do not see the university holiday time off entry on these days and you believe you should be eligible, contact Accounts Payable.
If you are an essential employee required to work on any of the declared university holidays, you will add an additional entry on your timesheet with the time entry type University Holiday Worked, equal to the number of hours worked. If you work a 2nd or 3rd shift, you’ll need to use the University Holiday Worked time entry code that matches your shift.
December 25th and January 1st
These days are state holidays. Workday will generate the holiday time off entry for all employees that earn holiday credit. Any essential employees scheduled to work will enter REG hours for the time worked.