HR Policy Updates: Executive Summary

September, 2016
HR Policy Review

• Goals
– Revise policy to reflect current landscape and align with best practices
– Delineate between policy and procedure (i.e., clearly define framework vs
flexibility)
– Continue to optimize and enhance strategic delivery of HR initiatives to campus
– Protect University and minimize potential legal exposure (i.e., strengthen
compliance efforts)
• General features of the policy revisions:
– Add “definitions” section to policies
– Specify roles & responsibilities
– Integrate Workday processes and terminology
– Take into account best practices of Ivy+ Peers

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HR Community Engagement

• The following pages summarize the major HR Policy changes and updates
• The Office of Legal Counsel reviewed and approved the draft policies
• Draft policies were published to HR community in May, 2016 with a request for
comments
• We have received and considered comments
• The only policy revision that generated comment was the requirement that
temporary staff employees undergo criminal history checks like those performed on
regular staff employees
• The comments were complaints about the time it takes for a criminal history check
(about 48 hours) and the cost ($25)
• We plan to publish the new policies in final form and to begin enforcing them on
October 3, 2016

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HR Policy Review Update: Executive Summary of Changes
Policy Update
203 Temporary/Seasonal  Defines and establishes parameters surrounding temporary staff and temporary
Employment (formally Temporary seasonal employees.
Employment)  Clarifies service bridging (i.e., ERIP enrollment eligibility only) for temporary
employee transitioning to regular benefits-eligible employee. Effective date of all
other service dates and benefits are date of regular benefits eligible position.
 Requires criminal history check for all temporary employees.
 Additional Workday report created to identify assignment length for temporary
employees.

204 Reference and Background  Clarifies definition of covered population.

Checks  States that a background check report must be conducted within six months of the
hire date (to eliminate use of expired background checks).
 Eliminates past employment verification as a required component of the background
check – note: employment verifications should be part of reference checks by the
department. Departments can still request employment verification by the vendor as
an a la carte service.

205 Re-employment of University  Includes insufficient notice as a reason for ineligible to re-hire.
Employees
207 Layoff  Eliminates severance period language. Note: severance payments made in lump
sum format are recognized; anything outside of this format must be explicitly stated in
the individual severance agreement.

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HR Policy Review Update: Executive Summary of Changes
Policy
208 Termination of Employment
209 Staff Employee Hires to the
University of Chicago from the
University of Chicago Medical
Center
211 Sponsorship of Foreign
Nationals for Permanent
Residency (formally Sponsorship
of Foreign Nationals)
214 Regular Non-Benefits Eligible
Employment
215 Probationary Periods for Staff
Employees (New)
302 Job Descriptions
Update
 Aligns policy with Workday termination reasons field (a “data element”).
 Clarifies timeline for termination processing.
 Eliminates hyperlink to the UCMC Employment Process policy, which is not
available to the public.
 Updates timeframe from immediately to seven day period.
 Aligns policy to match Policy 212 Sponsorship of Foreign Nationals for H-1B
Specialty Occupation Visas.
 Updates to reflect Workday process.
 New. No changes to intent or language; previously included in policy 202
Recruitment and Selection Process.
 Clarifies responsibility for job descriptions: Employee & Labor Relations to focus on
union staff, Compensation to focus on non-union staff.
 Aligns policy with practice; job profiles are reviewed and updated quarterly
throughout Performance Management dialogue and Annual Compensation Process.
 Clarifies retroactive period for job profile updates to three months.
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HR Policy Review Update: Executive Summary of Changes
Policy Update
502 Attendance (Absenteeism,  Clarifies time approver’s role and responsibilities in absence management
Tardiness and Job Abandonment) procedures.

506 Bereavement Leave  Modifies language to include son-in-law and daughter-in-law.

508 Personal Leave of Absence  Eliminates travel as a circumstance that is eligible to be covered by PLA.
(PLA)  Adds Leave Administration’s email address and authority to approve PLAs.
 Clarifies that PLA is not an alternative to termination.
 Clarifies that vacation and personal holiday accruals will be paid in full at the
beginning of the PLA.
509 Vacation  Eliminates three month waiting period before employees can use vacation.
 Clarifies vacation accrual pay out procedures when a reduction of work hours occurs
and employee is at or over new accrual balance.
 Defines vacation accrual rate maximum.

510 University Holidays  Eliminates the statement indicating that university holiday time is paid out at the time
of termination.
511 Personal Holidays  Eliminates three month waiting period before employees can use personal holiday
time.

519 Monthly Absence Report  Clarifies time approver’s role and responsibilities in absence management
guidelines.
 Aligns policy and current process (UChicago Time).

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HR Policy Review Update: Executive Summary of Changes
Policy Update
705 Personnel Records (formally  Defines accountability and location for employee personnel files.
Employee Access to Personnel  Reflects new procedures for employees to access his/her personnel files.
Records)

1002 Staff Employee Recognition  Clarifies service recognition definition; based upon fiscal year, not calendar year.