Policy: 5-102 Rev: 9
Date: July 9, 2009

Policy 5-102: Staff Employment Policy

  1. Purpose
    1. To outline the university's policy for employing noninstructional personnel.
  2. References
    1. Policy 5-105, Employment of Relatives
    2. Policy 5-106, Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Employment
    3. Policy 5-108, Transfer of Staff Members
    4. Policy 5-401, Staff Compensation
  3. Definitions
    1. Salaried personnel - persons ordinarily employed at 20 hours or more each week in positions expected to last longer than nine continuous months, or persons employed at 30 hours or more each week in positions expected to last longer than four months, and other specific groups of persons designated by Personnel Administration as holding salaried positions.
    2. Full-time hourly rated positions (also referred to as "fulltime temporary positions") are those positions requiring 30 or more hours of work per week which are expected to last not longer than four months.
    3. Part-time hourly rated positions (also referred to as "Parttime temporary positions") are those positions requiring 20 or more but less than 30 hours of work per week, which are expected to last not longer than nine months.
    4. Time card positions are those positions requiring less than 20 hours of work per week which are paid on a time card basis.
  4. General Policies
    1. Equal Employment Opportunity The University of Utah is fully committed to policies of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination. Accordingly, the university pursues a vigorous program of affirmative action in all its classifications of employment in order to prevent any form of discrimination, harassment, or prejudicial treatment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, or status as a handicapped individual, or protected veteran. See Policy 5-106.
    2. Administrative Responsibilities
      1. It is the responsibility of all administrative officers of the university to make decisions on staff employment matters in accordance with the policies, Procedures, and the affirmative action goals established by the university. Primary responsibility is placed with the employing unit, subject to accountability to the president through line management channels.
      2. To assist departments and organizational units in meeting university employment policy guidelines, a monitoring program administered by the Director of Personnel, in conjunction with the Director of Equal Opportunity, assures that qualified applicants are hired on the basis of their employment qualifications, that appropriate consideration is given to achieving EEO hiring goals, and that required applicant selection records are kept. Apparent deviations from policy guidelines will be called to the attention of the departmental hiring officers for resolution. If necessary, the final decision will be the responsibility of the cognizant vice president.
  5. Staff Employment Procedures
    1. Salaried Personnel
      1. Each department, as new or replacement job openings develop, shall send a Personnel Request to Personnel Administration for assistance in obtaining qualified applicants. Vacancies in salaried personnel positions, below the vice president level, must be posted with Personnel Administration for a minimum of seven calendar days. This time begins the day the position is posted on the personnel bulletin board. The posting time is designed to give equal opportunity to all candidates, and in some instances a posting time longer than seven calendar days will be required. Such instances may include positions underutilized. Such instances may include positions underutilized for specific protected groups, or positions which involve the use of search committees and/or national recruitment.
      2. Personnel Administration will refer qualified applicants to the hiring departments. An Applicant Flow Record listing all applicants will be completed by the hiring department and returned to Personnel. Employment offers may be made only after approval from Personnel.
      3. Reference checks are the responsibility of the hiring department. Personnel Administration may assist if requested.
      4. Nonselected applicants will be notified by Personnel unless the hiring department directs otherwise.
    2. Hourly-Rated Positions
      1. Personnel Administration offers a service of advertising, recruiting, and processing applications for full-time temporary positions, part-time temporary positions, and time card positions in accordance with Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action policies.
    3. Advertising of Positions
      1. Personnel Administration will advertise job information by distributing a weekly listing of all full-time, permanent, nonfaculty campus openings. This listing will be posted in various locations on campus, at Job Service, and in the community. Any additional advertisements, including position announcements, newspaper ads, or flyers, concerning staff employment must be approved by Personnel Administration prior to distribution or placement.
      2. Costs of recruiting, such as advertising, employment agency fees, interview and recruitment travel, and long distance telephone calls will be borne by the hiring department.
    4. Exceptions to Posting of Job Opportunities
      1. Intradepartmental Transfer/Promotion
        1. Candidates for the filling of vacancies may be limited to current salaried departmental employees if notice of the vacancy has been posted internally in a reasonable, visible, and timely manner. If a suitable qualified replacement is found within the department, the position need not be posted through Personnel Administration. In such cases, a Personnel Request with the name of the current employee considered for the promotion will be forwarded to Personnel Administration for approval, prior to the actual job offer.
        2. The related recordkeeping for the position, including the names of all employees who applied and the reasons for selection, will be retained by the hiring department, with a copy to Personnel Administration.
      2. Hourly to Salaried
        1. Posting is not required when a position is changed from hourly to salaried within a department, and (1) the position for which the hourly employee was originally hired was listed and filled through Personnel Administration, and (2) the new permanent salaried position is logically relevant to that original assignment.
      3. Waiver
        1. In exceptional situations, the cognizant vice president may, by written memorandum to the personnel director, waive the posting requirement.
    5. Promotions and Transfers
      1. It is the policy of the university to encourage internal promotions, and for this purpose preference will be given qualified university employees in filling vacancies.
      2. Each department's affirmative action goals are to be evaluated in relationship to any change in the work force.
      3. Interdepartment transfer-promotions will not usually be considered until after six months of continuous employment. Upon evidence of a mutual agreement between the department and the employee, an earlier transfer may be approved by Personnel Administration.
    6. Recruitment Procedures
      1. The university personnel department is the official university employment center and has the responsibility for the recruitment, screening, and testing of applicants for employment at the university. The university hospital personnel office has similar responsibilities for the hospital. Only approved University of Utah employment applicants are to be used. All recruiting actions must be in conformity with applicable university policies and Procedures, including the university's equal employment opportunity policy, as outlined below:
        1. Department Head or Director
          1. Forwards to Personnel Administration a Personnel Request stating position needs, and supplies all pertinent information to assist in recruiting qualified applicants.
        2. Personnel Administration
          1. Posts and advertises vacancies for a minimum of seven calendar days.
          2. Conducts a preliminary interview of applicants, screening and testing as necessary to assist in evaluating applicants.
          3. Prepares copy of application and routes applicants to appropriate department interviewer for interview and selection.
        3. Department Head or Director
          1. Interviews applicants to determine job-related qualifications, including education and work experience. Describes the work requirements, duties, and responsibilities to the applicants. Special care should be taken to discuss any shortcomings the position may have, as well as advantages. Any pre-employment tests administered by the departments must be submitted in advance of use to Personnel Administration for review and evaluation to ensure compliance with federal guidelines.
          2. Coordinates final selection and employee orientation with Personnel Administration.
          3. No job offer nor salary commitment shall be made until approved by Personnel. Notifies Personnel Administration immediately when a position is no longer open or when no further recruiting action is necessary.
  6. Contacts
    1. Policy Officer:
      1. Chief Human Resource Officer, 801-585-0928
    2. Policy Owner:
      1. Manager - Human Resources, 801-581-2119
  7. History
    1. Renumbering: Renumbered as Policy 5-102 effective 9/15/2008, formerly known as PPM 2-2.

    2. Revision history:
      1. Current version: Revision 9
        1. Editorially revised: July 9, 2009
      2. Earlier versions:
        1. Revision 8: effective date: July 1, 2009 to July 8, 2009
          1. Legislative History of Revision 8
        2. Revision 7: effective dates July 26, 1983 to June 30, 2009