50.53 - Temporary Hourly Employment

A. General. Temporary employment (Temporary Hourly or TH) positions are paid on an hourly basis as the services are needed. TH positions are not board-appointed positions. Temporary hourly employees have no expectation of continuing employment and can be terminated at will. See FSH 3090 for additional information. (rev. 7-20)

A-1. Establishment of Temporary Hourly (TH) Positions. A Temporary Hourly (TH) position is established when there is a temporary or intermittent need for services not to exceed 1385 worked hours or one (1) year, whichever is less. If the temporary services are expected to exceed 1385 worked hours per year, the department establishes a temporary (contingent) board-appointed position that would be eligible for full subsidized benefits. Departmental administrators are authorized to engage temporary help to be paid from the department's budgets on an hourly basis. All TH positions are covered by FLSA, so hours worked over 40 per week are paid at 1.5 times the hourly rate. TH employees do not accrue compensatory time. (rev. 7-20, 12-21)

i) Short-term Clerical Positions. Departmental administrators seeking part-time, short-term intermittent or replacement TH clerical employees are encouraged to contact Human Resources regarding the Flexible Administrative Support Temps (FAST) Roster program. Application materials completed by individuals on the FAST roster seeking temporary or part-time employment are available for departmental administrators to review. (rev. 7-20)

ii) Exception. Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Research Assistants (RAs) serve pursuant to wage agreements which specify the hourly wage to be paid over the period of an academic or fiscal year. In all other respects, these employees are student TH employees whose terms and conditions of employment are described below.  

A-2. Fringe Benefits. TH employees may not be eligible for the same health benefits as appointed employees.  Benefits are determined by the benefit plan documents. Eligibility for a Vandal Card, annual leave, sick leave and pay for holidays on which the employee does not work is contingent on participation in the Public Employees Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI). (rev. 7-20)

i) Social Security. TH employees who are students enrolled half-time or greater do not participate in Social Security.

ii) Retirement. TH employees not working at least 20 hours a week are not eligible to participate in PERSI. Those working more than 20 hours a week are eligible if they work at least five consecutive months and are not full-time students. Those who are eligible are required to participate in PERSI.

a) If, at the time of initial employment, the employer anticipates that the employee will qualify for participation in PERSI (because the employee is not a student employee and employment is anticipated to average 20 hours or more a week for five months or longer), the administrator should authorize PERSI enrollment for the employee to avoid retroactive enrollment requirements. (rev. 7-20)

b) If the duration or amount of employment is not projected to exceed an average of 20 hours a week for five months, or if the amount or duration of employment are not known, the employee may defer participation until five months have elapsed.

c) In the event the employee actually works an average of 20 hours a week or more for five months or longer, he or she is required to enroll in PERSI. Retroactive contributions to PERSI for the five-month period is required by state law. Retroactive adjustments for annual and sick leave accruals are credited to the employee’s leave banks, but retroactive holiday pay is not.

d) If the employee elects to participate and then does not in fact work more than 20 hours a week for at least five months, he or she is entitled to a refund of the PERSI contributions.

e) Departmental administrators are responsible for notifying Benefit Services, in writing, when a TH employee who is expected to qualify for participation in PERSI is hired and which of the options above the employee has chosen.

f) Human Resources/Payroll Services will inform all departments and TH employees not already participating in PERSI that the TH employee is required to enroll in PERSI because he or she has worked 20 hours or more per week for five consecutive months. The departments and employees must then agree on one of the following options: (1) termination of employment, (2) a reduction of hours to less than 20 hours per week, or (3) enrollment of the employee in PERSI. (rev. 7-20)

iii) Sick and Annual Leave.

a) TH employees who are paid for 40 or more hours in a biweekly pay period of 80 hours and who participate in PERSI accrue vacation and sick leave on a pro-rata basis at the rate of .0462 hours of vacation leave and .0462 hours of sick leave for each hour they are paid. TH employees who do not participate in PERSI do not accrue sick or annual leave.

b) If an employee is transferred from TH status to a regular board-appointed position, the employee accrues vacation leave and sick leave, on the basis described above, from the date of initial employment or July 1, 1979, whichever is later. (rev. 7-20)

iv) Family Medical Leave. In compliance with the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, UI will provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons. Employees are eligible if they have worked for the UI at least one year and for 1250 hours over the 12-month period before leave begins. (Ed. 7-20)

B. Hiring Temporary Employees. The term "Temporary" includes student hourly positions.

B-1. Responsibilities. Deans and directors are responsible to ensure and be able to document that recruitment, employment, personnel actions and personnel policies for TH employees comply with legal requirements and are conducted in a manner which is consistent with the principles of affirmative action and equal opportunity. Human Resources provides assistance in classifying positions, determining compensation ranges, writing job descriptions, recruiting and hiring of positions if requested.  Human Resources verifies I-9 forms. To provide guidance with compliance of UI policies and legal requirements, and to assist with recruiting qualified candidates, Human Resources offers an online electronic recruitment system. For more information on how to post a temporary position, contact Human Resources at (208) 885-3737. (rev. 7-20)

B-2. Process.

i) Hiring managers, supervisors and departments may elect not to use the electronic applicant recruitment system and are responsible for following proper hiring policies and procedures as outlined in the Faculty Staff Handbook and Administrative Procedures Manual, as well as adhering to state and federal employment laws. [rev. 7-20]If desired, Human Resources can provide assistance in the development of the Job Description.  Contact your Affirmative Action Coordinator for assistance on posting your job and reviewing applications using the electronic applicant recruitment system.  Review applications, interview applicants, and select the best qualified candidate. Employment Services may have a roster of applications for some positions available for departmental administrators to review within 24 hours’ notice to reduce recruitment time.  For more information contact Human Resources at (208) 885-3638. (rev. 7-20) 

ii) Persons needing to hire employees for out-of-state positions through the University must contact the Risk Management Officer at (208) 885-7177 before hiring to ensure worker’s compensation coverage. Penalties can be assessed for failing to maintain worker’s compensation coverage. (ed. 7-20)

iii) Advise the selected applicant to visit Human Resources to present verification of eligibility to work and other required documents, and to receive information about UI employment, before beginning employment. (rev. 7-20) Appropriate alternate arrangements are made for persons employed at locations away from Moscow. (ed. 7-20)

iv) Appoint the employee by entering an online Electronic Personnel Action (EPAF) form (See APM 50.03), before employment begins and after a satisfactory criminal background check has been received from Human Resources if applicable, I-9 form processed, and other required new hire paperwork completed. (rev. 7-20)

B-3. Payroll Processing. See FSH 3090 for entering hours worked and APM 55.05 for information on Employee Pay Check Distribution. (rev. 7-20)

B-4. Sick and Annual Leave Reporting. See FSH 3090 for information on sick and annual leave reporting. For step-by-step instructions on entering leave taken and time worked, see HRIS Banner instructions distributed during HRIS module training. (rev. 7-20)

B-5. Information. Additional information regarding job descriptions, hourly rates, hiring, payroll processing, benefits and other conditions of employment for student and temporary hourly employees may be obtained from Employment Services at (208) 885-3638 or employment@uidaho.edu. (ed. 7-20)

B-6. Establishing Rate of Pay. The rate of pay for all TH should be based on a defined job description. Employees must be paid at or above the current minimum wage and at a rate consistent with the job responsibilities. Departmental administrators must be able to document that TH recruitment, employment and other personnel actions for TH employees are conducted in a manner consistent with the principles of affirmative action and equal opportunity and compliance with University policies and procedures. (rev. 7-20)

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