University Times

Full-time staff who work at Pitt year-round could voluntarily reduce their appointments to nine or 10 months a year, under the latest draft of a Human Resources office proposal.

Such a reduction would entail a proportionate cut in salary and vacation, and it would require approval from the employee's supervisor. But the staff member would retain medical coverage and most other benefits throughout the year. The staff member would receive his or her salary in 12 equal, monthly payments.

Previous drafts of the proposal specified that employees could take their "non-employment" period only during the summer. But the latest version (dated April 20) states that the two or three consecutive months off from work could be taken any time during Pitt's fiscal year, which runs July 1 through June 30.

The appointment-reduction policy is aimed at trimming personnel budgets while avoiding layoffs, said Darlene Lewis, associate vice chancellor for Human Resources.

She said Human Resources hopes to get the policy approved by Pitt senior administrators by the end of June.

The Staff Association Council has endorsed the policy, and it has preliminary approval from the Business and Finance Working Group of the Deans Council. The document also will be presented soon to the full Deans Council and to University Senate groups for their consideration, Lewis said.

Separate guidelines for involuntary reductions of staff from 12-month to nine- or 10-month appointments will be part of a new policy that also will govern staff layoffs, Lewis said. That policy — which Lewis hopes to get approved by September — will tie together existing guidelines and procedures for cutting staff, she said.

According to the voluntary appointment-reduction proposal, the affected staff member would initiate the reduction and it would have to be agreed upon mutually each year by the employee and his or her department head, in consultation with the responsibility center head.

"For employees hired to fill new or replacement positions, terms of employment status will be defined in the job description," the document states. Just because an outgoing staff employee had 12, 10 or nine-month status would not mean the replacement employee would have the same status.

Compensation for those employees who are on nine- or 10-month status would be paid in 12 equal payments. The monthly rate would be determined by dividing by 12 the annual salary that would be offered if the position were on a 12-month status and multiplying by nine or 10. The nine-month or 10-month status salary would become effective July 1.

For example, one-twelfth of a $25,000 annual salary is $2,083.33. Multiplying $2,083.33 by nine equals a nine-month appointment salary of $18,749.97. The employee would receive the $18,749.97 in 12 equal, monthly paychecks.

Multiplying $2,083.33 by 10 equals a 10-month salary of $20,833.33. The employee would likewise get the latter salary in 12 equal, monthly paychecks.

Staff on reduced appointments would accrue vacation based on length of service and a pro-rated formula.

For nine-month appointments, vacation would be pro-rated as follows: * Up to five years of service — 10 vacation days x .75 = 7.5 days annually.

* Six to 10 years — 15 days x .75 = 11.25 days annually.

* Over 10 years — 20 days x .75 = 15 days annually.

For 10-month appointments, the formula would be to multiply the number of vacation days by .83. Thus, staff with up to five years of service would get 8.3 days annually. Those who have worked here for six-to-10 years would get 12.5 days (15 days times .83), and those with over 10 years of service would get 16.6 days (20 days times .83).

The proposal states: "Earned vacation days must be taken during the nine-month or 10-month assignment; earned vacation may not be carried over. Employees on nine-month or 10-month status receive two personal days which also must be taken during the employment period. Vacation and personal days are not payable as a cash benefit. Employees receive pay for all University paid holidays and recesses that occur within the employment period. Holidays that occur outside of these time frames are not reimbursed.

"Sick time is accrued at the rate of one sick day per each month worked. The maximum sick time accumulation that can be carried over from one employment period to the next is 120 days." Staff with reduced appointments remain eligible for Pitt health care and optional insurance programs, with no pro-rated reduction. Both the University and the employee contribute to these programs over the 12-month pay cycle.

However, staff on nine- or 10-month status would not be covered under certain University insurance programs — liability, travel accident, and workers' compensation — during the non-employment period.

Such staff also would not be eligible for unemployment compensation during the non-employment period.

Long-term disability benefits are payable the first month following six months of continuous disability.

Pitt will contribute to the employee's retirement program throughout the 12-month pay cycle, and the staff member remains eligible for employee, spouse and dependent scholarships for all academic terms, year-round. The employee's ID card remains valid during the non-employment period.

Salary raises for employees on nine- and 10-month status coincide with the beginning of the academic year, and such staff are eligible for the same annual rate of increase as year-round staff. Nine- and 10-month employees are evaluated annually on the same schedule as other classified staff.

If an employee on nine- or 10-month status is asked to work during the non-employment period and agrees to do so, the employee will be paid at an hourly rate calculated by dividing the annualized salary by 1,950 hours. For example, an employee who would be paid $25,000 for working year-round would be paid $12.82 per hour ($25,000 divided by 1,950).

"During the period of non-employment, if an employee on nine-month or 10-month status wishes to pursue a temporary assignment at the University, this must be done through the Temporary Employment Pool," the document states. "These temporary assignments must be outside of the department in which the employee holds nine-month or 10-month status, and will be at an hourly rate determined by the assignment."

— Bruce Steele