Balancing Sick Leave. Reconciling accrued sick leave for office/service employees at the end of each year to bring total accrual back to the maximum allowed.

Classification. Assignment of a position to a pay grade.

Corrective Probation. Special employment status imposed for conduct or performance reasons for a period of time normally not to exceed six months.

Demotion. Reassignment of an employee from one classification to another classification at a lower salary grade for corrective action reasons.

Dismissal. Involuntary separation of an employee, excluding layoffs.

Employee. For purposes of these policies one (excluding faculty, administrators, graduate assistants, and student workers) who works for UNL and receives a UNL paycheck with deductions for social security and for federal and state taxes.

Employee Organization. For purposes of these policies three UNL campus groups: Academic Senate for faculty, University Association for Administrative Development (UAAD) for managerial/professional employees, and University of Nebraska Office Personnel Association (UNOPA) for office employees.

Exempt Employee. One who is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Flextime. Flexible scheduling allowing employees to schedule work at times other than normal UNL hours with departmental approval.

FLSA. Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

Full-Time Employee. One scheduled to work 2,080 hours on a twelve-month appointment; 1,733 hours on a ten-month appointment; or 1,560 hours on a nine-month appointment.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). Amount of time up to 1.00 established for an employee to perform assigned duties. An FTE of 1.00 normally is equal to 2,080 hours per year.

Grievance Procedure. Internal review available to regular employees who are dissatisfied with an aspect of employment. This is in addition to the affirmative action appeal process and other appeals mandated by state and/or federal law.

Hiring Date. Date an individual was employed by UNL. If an employee is separated from employment more than twelve months, the hire date becomes the date the employee is reemployed.

Hiring Rate. The minimum rate of the pay grade range to which a position is assigned. Normally the starting rate of pay for new employees at UNL.

Immediate Family. Wife, husband, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, guardian, ward, stepfather, stepmother, stepdaughter, stepson, collateral dependent as defined for benefit purposes, or persons bearing the same relationships to the spouse.

Job Audit. Personal interview with an employee, conducted by Human Resources, for the purpose of evaluating classification.

Layoff. Involuntary separation of an employee due to discontinuation of a job or department, reduction-in-force, reallocation of funds, reduction in work hours, lack of work, reorganization of the department, or other circumstances that do not necessarily reflect negatively on the employee's performance.

Leave of Absence Without Pay. Time away from work without pay approved by the employing department and Human Resources. Except for unpaid family/medical leave, may not be granted until accrued vacation leave is exhausted. Departments may, however, choose not to pay an employee for an absence that is not appropriately requested or granted.

Leave Accrual Date. The date on which vacation and sick leave begin accruing.

Managerial/Professional Employee. One whose duties are primarily managerial or professional and who is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Exceptions to this include some technical and/or part-time employees.

Maximum Rate. The highest rate of a salary grade.

Minimum Hiring Rate. Beginning rate in each salary grade.

Minimum Regular Rate. Rate of pay usually five percent above the minimum hiring rate for office/service salary schedule.

Nonexempt Employee. One who is subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Normal UNL Hours. 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the academic year; 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during specified summer months.

Office/Service Employee. One who is paid hourly and who is subject to the state overtime law and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

On-Call Employee. One who works based on need only and who is eligible to work up to 693 hours in each fiscal year.

Original Probation. Considered an extension of the hiring process at UNL. The first months of employment (usually six) during which an employee is evaluated for suitability for UNL employment. An original probation employee may be dismissed without notice and has no grievance rights. (Assuming no break in employment, an employee serves only one original probationary period).

PAF. Personnel Action Form.

Pay Grade. Range of pay assigned to a classification or a position.

Pay Status. Time during which employee is on the job or is on an approved paid leave.

PDF. Personal Data Form

Position. Group of specific duties and responsibilities to be performed by one employee, which may be part-time, full-time, regular, temporary, or on-call. A position may be filled or vacant.

Promotion. Reassignment of an employee from one UNL position to another UNL position, within the same department or in another department, at a higher salary grade with increased duties and responsibilities without a break in service.

Reclassification. Process of changing titles of a position to reflect a change in the level of duties and responsibilties assigned to a position.

Regular Employee. One who has completed the required original probationary period (may be part-time or full-time).

Regular Position. A full-time or part-time position for which continuing appointment is expected.

Rehire. A former employee returning to employment at UNL.

Reinstatement. Rehiring of an employee who is in layoff status, placed in a lower position in good standing as a result of a layoff, or who has resigned and returned to UNL within one year; or the rehiring of a grievant who has been terminated and subsequently rehired as a result of administrative or judicial action.

Resignation. The voluntary separation of an employee.

Retired Employee. One who is at least age 55 and who has ended employment with UNL after at least ten years of employment.

Salary/Wage. Rate of pay for duties and services performed.

Service Date. Date of regular appointment used to calculate service to UNL. Because it is adjusted to reflect breaks in employment, it is not necessarily the same as the hire date.

Suspension. Involuntary leave of absence without pay for corrective action reasons.

Temporary Employee. One hired for a limited period of time, normally not exceeding six months.

Transfer Employee. One reassigned from one UNL position to another UNL position within the same department or in another department without a break in service.

Turnaround Document. Form received by departments after the working PAF and PDF have been entered into the system. The computer-printed form is considered the current information copy.

Unauthorized Leave. Employee absence not authorized or covered by these policies and procedures.

UNIFRMS. University of Nebraska Information System (the integrated payroll/human resources/benefits system).

UNL Grievance Committee. Standing committee consisting of twelve UNL employees who are appointed by the chancellor for three-year terms to serve on Grievance Panels on a rotating selection basis.

UNL Grievance Panel. A three-member panel from the UNL Grievance Committee to hear a work-related employee grievance and to recommend to the chancellor for its disposition.

UNL. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Workday. Number of hours for required performance of duties as designated by the department head. For full-time employees, the workday usually consists of eight hours of work with an unpaid meal period of at least 30 minutes. There are normally 260 work days (2,080 hours) scheduled per calendar year.

Workweek. Normally 40 hours beginning at 11:01 p.m. Thursday and continuing through 11:00 p.m. the following Thursday.

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If you would like more information about the department of Human Resources, visit the Human Resources website or call 402-472-3101. You may also email questions about Human Resources policies or procedures to hroffice2@unl.edu.