Benefits Administration for Employees Changing Staff Classification
Procedure
An employee whose position is reclassified (University-initiated) to a different staff classification will receive no lesser benefits than he/she is presently receiving, as specified in the following paragraphs.
An employee who voluntarily transfers or changes to a position which is classified on a different staff will be entitled to participate in staff benefits only as detailed in the following paragraphs.
Clerical/Service reclassified to Administrative/Professional
Vacation
Employees whose positions are reclassified or who transfer or change from the clerical and service staff to an administrative staff are entitled to the vacation benefit of that administrative staff.
In other words, an employee will begin accruing vacation on the date of transfer or reclassification at the rate appropriate to the classification assigned and the years of continuous employment. (For example, an employee who is transferred or whose position is reclassified from the clerical and service staff to the administrative and supervisory or professional assistant staff who has worked continuously for one full year would begin accruing vacation at the rate of one month or 22 days per year from the date of transfer).
All accrued and unused vacation is transferable when any change of staff classification is made. In some cases where a reduction in CUL is invovled, a payout of vacation may be required to align with maximum accrual levels for the new position.
Sick Leave
Employees whose positions are reclassified or who are transferred or changed from the clerical or service staff to the administrative staff are entitled to the sick leave benefit of the administrative staff. Since the sick leave benefit is greater for the administrative staff for all years after the first, an employee would, immediately upon reclassification, begin on the administrative sick leave plan.
Group-Insurance Programs
Staff members who are participating in the Group insurance Programs and who are reclassified or transferred to an "ineligible" position (less than half time) are eligible to elect COBRA coverage, life insurance continuation, and continuation in some voluntery benefits.
Personal Holiday
Employees whose positions are reclassified from the clerical and service staff to the administrative staff are eligible to use an accrued personal holiday for the year if it has not already been used.
Retirement
An employee transferring or changing positions, or whose position is reclassified from the clerical and service staff (participating in PERF) to the administrative staff eligible for the defined contribution and mandatory plans. shall be eligible to participate in the plans immediately with no three-year waiting period applied.
The employee may, at his/her option, elect to defer participation in the administrative plans until he/she has completed ten years of creditable service under PERF or he/she may elect to waive eligibility to participate in the administrative plans, altogether. This election must me made within 90 days after the date of change to the administrative classification. Participation in PERF will be discontinued the day prior to the date the employee begins participation in the administrative plans.
Administrative/Professional reclassified to Clerical/Service
Vacation
The vacation benefit for any individual whose position is reclassified (University-initiated) from the administrative staff to the clerical and service staff or another administrative staff with less vacation benefits will not be affected. The employee will continue to participate in the vacation benefits of the position before reclassification.
Employees transferring or changing to a position with a different vacation allowance, or reducing CUL will be entitled to any accrued and unused vacation, but will begin earning or accruing vacation on the date of transfer at the rate appropriate to the staff classification of his/her new position and years of service. In some cases, this may involve a payout of vacation to align with maximum accrual levels for the new position.
Sick Leave
The sick leave benefit for an individual whose position is reclassified from an administrative staff to the clerical and service staff will continue to receive sick leave benefits appropriate to his former administrative classification.
Employees transferring or changing from the administrative staff to the clerical and service staff may transfer the maximum sick leave that they accrued at the rate of 80 hours per year or proportionate if employed less than full time, less all sick leave used since the date of employment. The transferred sick leave can not exceed 910 hours or 13 weeks of full pay and 13 weeks at 3/4 pay. Transferring employees will be eligible for sick leave benefits under the policies effective for the clerical and service staff at the date of change in staff classification.
Group-Insurance Programs
Staff members who are participating in the Group insurance Programs and who are reclassified or transferred to an "ineligible" position (less than half time) are eligible to elect COBRA coverage, life insurance continuation, and continuation in some voluntary benefits.
Retirement
An employee whose position is reclassified (University-initiated) from an exempt administrative/professional staff classification to a clerical and service staff classification or a nonexempt operations/technical classification will continue to participate in the same retirement plan as prior to reclassification.
An employee voluntarily transferring or changing from a position eligible for the defined contribution and mandatory plans to a position with a different retirement program will begin participation in the program associated with their position effective the date of transfer.