OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR -
HUMAN RESOURCES
July 17, 1995
DEPARTMENT KEY CONTACTS
SUBJECT: Short-Term Appointment Extensions
Short-term appointments are defined as positions established at 50 to 100 percent time for less than three months and for which an extension may be granted for an additional month. A frequent Campus practice has been to break service for a few days for an employee holding a short-term appointment and rehire the employee if the need for the position continues.
This practice has resulted in employees often being rehired several times with a few days of break in service, who do not become eligible for benefits normally associated with longer term appointments. This artificial break and rehire practice has resulted in employees working on long-term assignments without an appropriate appointment status.
The consequence of this practice impacts employees by rendering them ineligible for benefits that would normally accrue to the appointment; and also impacts the University's equal opportunity and affirmative action results by providing an unfair advantage to individuals hired by noncompetitive means. A recent compliance review by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs found that hiring decisions based on an applicant's experience in short-term assignments are problematic if the experience was obtained through a noncompetitive hiring process, such as a short-term appointment.
Effective immediately, short-term appointments must reflect the true duration of the appointment and extensions will be permitted only for specified reasons stated below. Please consult with your Human Resources Staffing Specialist to discuss staffing options which will ensure compliance with University policy. If there are current employees on short-term appointments in your department whose appointments must be extended for business-related reasons, open recruitments or requests for waivers should be initiated before the appointments' end date.
The following are examples of business-related reasons for which extensions
may be granted beyond the three months:
- An open recruitment is pending for the position and there is a definite appointment end date.
- There is a continuing need to temporarily replace an employee on approved
leave beyond the initial period requested.
- A temporary position is being established to extend the employment of a student (graduate or undergraduate) to complete a specific project.
- Extreme time and/or funding constraints exist for the completion of your project.
To request an extension of a short-term appointment, please submit a memorandum to your Human Resources Staffing Specialist explaining the need and the proposed end date of the appointment. Questions should be addressed to the Human Resources Staffing Specialist for your area as follows:
Susan Carroll
Extension 44116
School of Medicine
Kathy Phelan
Extension 46338
Academic Affairs
Student Affairs
Becky Platero
Extension 40279
Business Affairs
Resource Management and Planning
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University Relations and Development
Rogers Davis
Assistant Vice Chancellor -
Human Resources