Administration

University sets end-of-year holiday schedule

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State has announced its end-of-the-year holiday schedule, including Thanksgiving and winter break for the University.

Thanksgiving holiday

The Thanksgiving holiday will be observed on Thursday, Nov. 27. The University also will not conduct normal operating business on Friday, Nov. 28. This day will be considered a close-down day, as the day after Thanksgiving was in 2012 and 2013.

“I am deeply appreciative of our University’s dedicated employees who provide our students with remarkable educational experiences,” President Eric J. Barron said. “This day off is one way I can acknowledge the time, talent and enthusiasm each employee brings to the University. Thank you for contributing to the success of the University.”

Friday, Nov. 28, will be a University close-down day and not considered a “holiday,” so provisions for premium pay and the like do not apply. Human Resources Guideline HRG10, “Handling ‘Weather Day’ Absences of Official University Closedowns Due to Weather Conditions,” provides the needed guidance for staff and technical-service employees. In general, the following will apply:

  • Employees who normally work Fridays and are not required to work, including wage payroll employees who are eligible for earned time, will receive pay for the day as if they had worked. Employees who had previously scheduled a vacation day or other paid time off will not have such time charged.
  • Employees who are required to work Thanksgiving Friday, including wage payroll employees who are eligible for earned time, will receive time off equivalent to the number of hours worked.
  • Full-time staff and technical-service employees whose regular day off falls on Thanksgiving Friday will receive an additional day of equivalent time off to be scheduled at another time mutually agreeable to the employee and the supervisor. Although this represents an expansion of the benefit provided for in the guideline, it is in keeping with the intention of the provision of this unique benefit.

December/January holidays

University offices and operations, except for essential services, will close at the normal end-of-business times on Tuesday, Dec. 23, and will resume at normal starting times on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. The official University holidays will be Wednesday, Dec. 24, through Friday, Dec. 26; and Monday, Dec. 29, through Thursday, Jan. 1. However, in order to provide a generally more desirable and efficient application of time off, University offices and operations, except for essential services, will be closed Jan. 2 as well.

Friday, Jan. 2, is not a University holiday and employees will need to account for this time appropriately, e.g., with vacation or no pay. Any employee choosing to work on Jan. 2 will be permitted to do so; however, temperature conditions in the work area may be less than ideal.

This schedule is not applicable for the College of Medicine at Hershey Medical Center. Questions regarding this holiday schedule should be directed to the appropriate human resources representative.

Last Updated September 9, 2014