1.1

To establish campus procedures regarding the Employment Policy for University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) employees.

1.2

Federal law, administrative practices of Central Administration, and Board of Regents policy, section 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 are the basis of the employment policy.

www.nebraska.edu/board/RegentPolicies.pdf

2.1

The UNMC Employment policy is applicable to all UNMC Office/Service and Managerial/Professional positions.  This policy is not applicable to Faculty, Academic Administration, and Other Academic positions.

3.1

Federal law, administrative practices of Central Administration, and Board of Regents policy, section 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 3.4 are the basis of the employment policy.

4.1

Human Resources, Strategic Staffing and Compensation, is responsible for all aspects of the hiring process for employees classified as "Non-Academic", otherwise designated as "Office/Service" and "Managerial/Professional".  Not included within the scope of this policy are the hiring activities for those employees designated as "Academic" and "Academic/Administrative", whose activities are the responsibility of Academic Support Services.

4.2

At the University system level, the Vice President of Business and Finance, upon the advice and consultation from the Council of Business Officers, is responsible for the content of the employment policy.

4.3

The Strategic Staffing and Compensation Division, is available for consultation on any employment transaction.

5.1

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Nebraska Medical Center declares and affirms a policy of equal educational and employment opportunities, affirmative action in employment, and nondiscrimination in providing its services to the public. Therefore, the University of Nebraska Medical Center shall not discriminate against anyone based on race, age, color, disability, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin, marital status, genetic information, Vietnam-era veteran status, or special disabled Veteran status. Sexual harassment in any form, including hostile environment and quid pro quo, is prohibited.

5.2

Appointments to Positions

Employees will be appointed to positions so that terms and conditions of employment may be established.  For the purpose of determining eligibility to participate in the University-wide insured benefits program, an appointee must be appointed to a Regular position that is a 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) or greater.  If employed in a 0.5 FTE Temporary position for more than six (6) consecutive months the employee must be given the opportunity to post into a Regular appointment or the Temporary position must conclude.

Appointments to UNMC positions will be on either a Regular or Temporary basis.  Appointments on either a Regular or Temporary basis will be full-time or part-time positions.  Full-time appointments require that the appointee be scheduled to work at least 2,080 hours per calendar year.  Part-time appointments required the appointee to be scheduled for a specific amount of time that is less than 2,080 hours per calendar year.

Managerial/Professional Positions (Exempt)

Managerial/Professional staff will include all personnel who are employed to perform duties and responsibilities that are general in scope and who possess the educational and professional qualifications so that the positions they occupy are considered by custom in business, industry, and other institutions of higher education as executive, administrative, or professional in nature.

Appointments to all Managerial positions will be Special Appointments.

Office/Service Positions (non-Exempt)

Office/Service staff will include all personnel who perform work that by custom in business, industry, and other institutions of higher education is managed on an hourly basis, with such work compensated according to hours worked.  See work schedules procedures at: http://www.unmc.edu/hr/Guidelines.htm (select W for work schedules)

Appointments

Appointments to all Managerial/Professional and Office/Service positions will be in writing and signed by the authorized representative.  The written document will specify the position as Managerial/Professional or Office/Service, Regular or Temporary, full-time or part-time, and identify the duties and responsibilities, the appointee's compensation, fringe benefits, and if applicable, the end date of the appointment.

Procedures

5.3

Recruitment

All positions classified as "Regular" full-time and part-time must be posted, unless a waiver of posting is requested, (refer to Job Posting Requirement Section).  Departments must complete a requisition, from an approved position description located in the Jobs@ on-line automated recruitment system at: jobs.unmc.edu/hr.  The requisition is submitted to Strategic Staffing for posting approval.  Departments will receive an email notification that the position has been posted.  For additional exposure, postings are also published on www.Careerlink.org, which is automatically linked to the Jobs@ application system.  Upon request of the department, recruitment may be limited to internal applicants only (UNMC employees). 

Based upon an analysis of both hiring department and campus objectives, Strategic Staffing may conduct a more expansive recruitment effort based on the availability of applicants for hard-to-fill positions.

All newspapers, journals, web postings and other additional advertising is coordinated through Strategic Staffing.  Departments will provide a draft of the advertisement, in the ‘Additional Information for Staff Postings Only', section of the requisition.  Cost for advertising is charged back to the applicable department.  All advertisements will reflect that UNMC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Temporary employees may be hired by a department to fill in for Regular employees' absences and/or to handle seasonal volumes and workloads.   These assignments may not exceed six months in duration.  Temporary positions are considered non-competitive and posting of such positions is not required.  If there is a need to post a temporary position, departments will follow the same procedure as with regular positions.

Job Posting Requirement

All positions which are classified as "Regular" full-time and part-time must be posted for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days beginning the day after the position is posted. Upon request of the department, recruitment may be limited to internal applicants only (UNMC employees).

Waiver of posting requests must be submitted to the Division Director of Strategic Staffing and Compensation.  The request of waiver is located within the requisition in the Jobs@ on-line recruitment system. The waiver is reviewed by the Division Director of Strategic Staffing and Compensation. The department will be notified of the results via email.

5.3.1

Applicant Referral

All applicants must complete an electronic application for vacant posted positions through the Jobs@ automated recruitment system located at: jobs.unmc.edu.  Resumes are not accepted as application for any posted staff position, but may be presented at the interview.  Applicants may copy/paste applicable information from a Word or Word Perfect document into the Jobs@ application.

Assistance with the on-line application process, including available computers, is provided at the Strategic Staffing Employment Office located in the Administration building at 40^th & Dewey. 

All applicants must meet the minimum qualifications, as defined in the job posting to qualify for review by the hiring manager.  Applicants can check the status of their application at: jobs.unmc.edu>Application/Profile Status.

All applications are the property of the University of Nebraska Medical Center Human Resources.

5.3.2

Employee Transfer

Employees are encouraged to seek positions for which they are qualified.  Transfers must meet the following conditions:

New hires must have completed six months of employment in their present positions at an acceptable level of performance (not on a corrective action plan). A new hire is defined as any employee who is starting employment with UNMC for the first time or returning to UNMC after a formal separation of employment.  Subsequent and concurrent transfers must have completed one year in the current position at an acceptable level of performance (not on a corrective action plan).  If an employee wishes to transfer early, he/she must submit a request to his/her immediate supervisor for approval.  The request must be approved by the employee's supervisor and the Division Director of Strategic Staffing and Compensation.  If approved the employee may then apply for posted positions.

5.3.3

Nepotism

An employee may not be appointed to a position in which the employee would supervise or be supervised by an immediate family member or significant other, unless reviewed by the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Executive Director of Human Resources and the Board of Regents.  Immediate family shall mean wife, husband, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, brother, sister, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, guardian, ward, stepfather, stepmother, stepdaughter, stepson, or persons bearing the same relationship to the spouse.

UNMC requires recusal (the relinquishment of the supervisory role), when supervisory or evaluative relationships exist between members of the UNMC community who share sexual, romantic, or domestic relationships.  This includes, but is not limited to, persons in the following professional relationships:  line officers and faculty; faculty and students; tenured and non-tenured faculty; graduate assistants and students; supervisors and the employees they supervise; and student or employee and administrator, advisor, counselor, or other staff member who has supervisory responsibility for that student or employee.  Recusal may occur without explanation, but it must occur, regardless of the status of the individuals involved.

http://www.unmc.edu/hr/Guidelines.htm (select R for Relatives and Employment)

5.3.4

Rehire Eligibility

 

 In accordance with UNMC Policy No. 1098 Corrective and Disciplinary Action Policy, persons dismissed for cause from UNMC or from any University of Nebraska campus are not eligible for rehire without prior approval of Human Resources.  Persons leaving UNMC while under corrective action or those whose performance is documented as below satisfactory may not be eligible for rehire.  Persons dismissed for gross misconduct from UNMC or from any University of Nebraska campus are not eligible for re-hire at UNMC.  Questions relative to an applicant's eligibility for rehire should be directed to Human Resources.  For additional information, contact Human Resources, Employee Relations, 402/559-2710 or 402/559-4217

UNMC reserves the right to verify rehire eligibility status of an applicant that has previously been employed by The Nebraska Medical Center, upon application of employment with UNMC, or at any other time during the employment process.

5.4

Hiring and Selection Process

Strategic Staffing will refer applicants who meet minimum requirements for the position.  The department will review applicants under the status of "Under Review by Hiring Manager".  The pool of applicants is narrowed down by the hiring manager and selected applicants are interviewed by phone and/or in person. 

5.4.1

Preferential Consideration

During the 12 months following a layoff due to a Reduction-in-Force and/or Grant Expiration, effected employees will receive preferential consideration during the application process. "Preferential consideration" will mean that laid-off employees will be referred to the department and interviewed, by phone or in person, for positions to which they apply and for which they are qualified.

http://info.unmc.edu/policy/employment.htm

5.4.2

Nebraska Veterans Preference

A preference shall be given to eligible veterans seeking employment.  (Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. 48-226, Reissue 1984)

The University of Nebraska does not select or qualify applicants for employment on the basis of an examination.  Therefore, in order to apply the preference accorded to veterans in the University's selection evaluation process, as required by Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 48-226, the University will recognize the preference upon determining applicants who qualify for employment and who are "preference eligible" as defined in subsection (H) of Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 48-225 shall be entitled to employment over other persons of equal qualifications in the final selection process. 

Applicants must self identify eligibility.  An application for employment from a veteran seeking to exercise his/her veteran preference right must include evidence that he/she is "preference eligible."  If an applicant for employment is a veteran who is "preference eligible" is selected as a finalist during the selection process and if the "preference eligible" veteran is "equally qualified" with non-veteran finalist candidates, the "preference eligible" veteran will receive preference in the selection decision.  "Equally qualified" means all factors considered in making the selection decision, including but not limited to, employment reference checks, work history, knowledge, skills, abilities and training.

http://www.unmc.edu/hr/Guidelines.htm (select N for Nebraska Veterans Preference)

Applicants who are not selected to continue through the interview process are changed to a "not hired" status, by the hiring manager, with applicable reason for decline. 

Once a satisfactory pool has been identified, the hiring manager must contact Strategic Staffing, by email, and request the position be placed "on hold" until the final selection has been made.

5.5

Hiring Steps

When an applicant has been interviewed and identified as a finalist for the position the following should occur:

5.5.1

Reference Checks

The department will complete professional reference checks on all prospective hires before an offer is made. 

5.5.2

(Appointment) Offer Letters

 Before a selected applicant can begin a new appointment they must sign and return an official letter of appointment (offer) to the hiring department.  Letter templates are available for departments on-line in the Employment section of the NU Values website located at: www.unmc.edu/nuvalues.

5.5.3

Salary Offers

Departments may want to contact Human Resources Compensation for assistance in determining appropriate salary for new hires or transferring employees. To establish a starting salary for a newly hired employee, the UNMC guidelines on classification and compensation can be utilized.  Information can be found in the

Compensation section of the NU Values website located at:  www.unmc.edu/nuvalues

5.5.4

Background Checks

In accordance with UNMC Policy No. 1010 Background Check Policy, all prospective new hires are required to successfully complete a pre-employment background check prior to starting work. This includes UNMC employees who transfer to a new position.  A background check is only done after an applicant has accepted the offer of employment.  For additional information regarding the background check process, please see the Background Check Procedures. 

5.5.5

Pre-Employment Physical Examinations

For certain identified positions, employment may be contingent upon the successful completion of a physical examination.  The physical examination is administered to ascertain the physical ability to perform the essential functions of certain positions.  The Pre-Employment Physical questionnaire must be completed by the applicant. The hiring department schedules the pre-employment physical examination with the Nebraska Medical Center's Employee Health department.  The prospective hire cannot begin work until the results of the physical are received and it has been determined that the applicant is qualified for work.  Results are communicated to the hiring department by Strategic Staffing.

If a new hire requests accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), forms can be accessed on-line at:http://www.unmc.edu/hr/Guidelines.htm (select A for ADA).

5.5.6

Applicant Notification

It is recommended that applicants who are interviewed and not selected for hire be notified in writing by the hiring department.  Letter templates are available for departments on-line in the Employment section of the NU Values website located at: http://www.unmc.edu/nuvalues.

5.5.7

Final Applicant Status and Documentation

The hiring department will complete all final status changes on remaining applicants on the requisition in the Jobs@ system and notify the applicable recruiter that the requisition is now ready to be closed.  All recruitment documentation must be maintained by the department for one year.

5.6

Employment Authorization (Form I-9)

In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 along with the Immigration Act of 1990, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is required to hire only persons who may legally work in the United States of America: citizens and nationals of the United States and aliens authorized to work.  To comply with the law, UNMC must verify the identity and employment eligibility of anyone hired (after November 6, 1986) and complete and retain a Form I-9.

Completion of the Form I-9 occurs within UNMC hiring unit and is to be completed no later than the end of the third day of employment.  Once completed the Form I-9 is to be forwarded to the Strategic Staffing & Compensation Division (Employment Office).  As in all new-hire paperwork this submission occurs at the earliest possible time, coinciding with the entry of the Form I-9 completion date field in SAP.

Retention of the Form I-9 occurs in the UNMC Strategic Staffing & Compensation employment office.

Additional information can be found on-line at: http://app1.unmc.edu/hr/intra/pandp/policies/i9.htm

Form I-9 Procedures 

5.7

Age Requirements in Employment

It is the policy of the University of Nebraska Medical Center to comply with provisions that are designed to protect young workers by limiting the types of jobs and the number of hours they work as outlined in "Child Labor Requirements in Nonagricultural Occupations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act", Child Labor Bulletin 101, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division, WH-1330, revised March 2001.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center requires that applicants be at least 16 years of age. This applies to any person to be employed by the University, in any capacity, in any type of position and involves all earning-type categories, including regular, temporary and on call. For some occupations deemed to be hazardous, federal law requires that applicants be 18 years of age.

            Restrictions on Types of Work Activities

There are two sets of regulations applicable when hiring individuals that are 16 or 17 years of age:

First are the federal regulations that restrict what 16 and 17 year olds can do on the job. The regulations specifically prohibit certain types of hazardous activities for 16 and 17 year olds.  The following are specific to UNMC: 

·         Driving a motor vehicle and being an outside helper

·         Exposure to radioactive substances and to ionizing radiations

·         Power-driven hoisting apparatus

·         Power-driven paper-products machines

·         Power-driven circular saws, band saws, and guillotine shears

The Department of Labor web site that further explains these restrictions is located at:

http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/Title_29/Part_570/Subpart_E.htm

Secondly, federal law prohibits on-the-job driving by employees less than 18 years of age with one exception. Under certain restrictions, employees who are 17 years of age may do occasional or incidental driving. In this context, the term "driving" means using either a personal vehicle or a University vehicle for job related reasons. We strongly advise utilizing only persons 18 years of age or older.

However if this is not practical, the following site explains more in detail conditions under which 17 years olds are permitted to drive.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/whdfs34.htm

5.7.1

Recordkeeping Requirements For Employees Under 18 Years Of Age

In addition to the types of activities in which under age 18 employees can participate, there are also record keeping requirements. By regulation, employers must maintain certain information for employees who are under the age of 18 years old, including, the employee's date of birth, daily quitting times, daily and weekly hours of work, and the occupational activities in which they are involved. While the date of birth is maintained in the employee's SAP personnel record, each manager should ensure that the time sheets for "under 18" employees are completed in their entirety including daily starting and quitting times. Each hiring unit should also maintain, at the department location, a list of activities in which the "under 18" employee is participating.

5.7.2

Additional Information

For additional information, please refer to the Federal and State websites on these topics listed below:

U.S. Department of Labor

http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/Title_29/Part_570/toc.htm

State Department of Labor

http://www.dol.state.ne.us/nwd/pdf/laws/childll.pdf

5.7.3

Implementation & Administration of Procedure:

Strategic Staffing and Compensation is responsible for coordinating the proper education and communication related to this procedure to managers and administrators.

Before hiring any individual who is 18 years or under, managers and administrators are required to outline the tasks of the position and verify that they are not included in the hazardous occupations category as outlined in this procedure and to comply with record keeping requirements.

Positions in which individuals have been hired who are under 18 years of age will be audited for compliance to this procedure.

5.7.4

Compliance Responsibility

When hiring any person under the age of 18, the hiring unit must identify the essential activities in which the under 18 employee will be performing and document same for the department record.  In addition, the hiring unit will assure that the time sheets for said employee is completed in its entirety, to include starting and quitting times. 

Each hiring unit administrator has the responsibility for monitoring their unit's compliance with this procedure as part of the hiring process.

5.8

Exceptions To The Employment Policy Procedure

Under normal operating circumstances there will be no exceptions to this procedure.  Should the situation warrant, an exception request to this procedure must be submitted in writing to the Division Director of Strategic Staffing & Compensation; who will then review the request, gather additional information as appropriate to the circumstances, and thereafter in a reasonable time period, prepare and submit a recommendation to the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Executive Director of Human Resources; who shall have final authority to approve or disapprove the exception.