Policies
1. Appointments
The Confidential Support Staff are comprised of Executive Assistant and non-Executive Assistant positions in select areas of the University. All initial appointments will begin with a probationary period of six (6) months. After a staff member has satisfactorily completed the probationary period, the appointment is assumed to be continuing unless otherwise specified.
Appointments will be of four types:
1.1 Full-Time Staff
Regular full-time staff members are those whose normal schedule of work is thirty (30) hours per week or more on a regular basis.
1.2 Part-Time Staff
Regular part-time staff members are those who are scheduled to work twenty (20) hours or more but less than thirty (30) hours per week on a regular basis.
1.3 Job Sharing
Job share position is a full-time position that the University has determined would be suitable to sharing between two (2) people. Each working a regular schedule, determined by the University, between 40 and 60 hours in a two-week period.
A. It is understood that workspace will be shared.
B. If requested, employees sharing a position will coordinate vacation time and work full time on days that the other employee is on vacation.
C. The University may convert a job share position to a regular full time position. If it does, the University will give the employees a minimum of a one (1) month notice. If the position is converted to a full time position, the most senior employee shall be offered the full time position and the remaining employee may exercise their rights under Section 1.8.
D. Unless specifically addressed above, other provisions of the handbook apply to job share employees.
E. It is expected that the employee will work together to communicate daily work needs. It is understood that employees, at their discretion, may need to use unpaid time before or after their regular shift, or on days they are not scheduled to work, to effectively communicate.
F. It is acknowledged that the rights and benefits of part time employees shall not be negatively impacted by the more limited benefits of job share employees.
G. No full time position, held by an incumbent, shall be converted to a job share if the incumbent does not wish to job share.
H. Job sharing is purely voluntary on the part of the employee.
1.4 Temporary Staff
Temporary staff members shall be defined as those who work for a specified, but renewable period of time.
After a staff member has served the probationary period, they may be terminated for just cause. Such terminations will be communicated in writing along with the reasons for dismissal.
2. Working Hours
A regular full-time week shall consist of up to forty (40) hours* per calendar week and shall consist of five (5) consecutive days of eight (8) hours each followed by two (2) consecutive days off work. Other working schedules may be arranged by the University.
A full-time work day is normally a nine (9) hour time period of which one hour shall be used for a lunch period without compensation. A half hour lunch period may be substituted for the one hour lunch period with prior approval of the supervisor. With the approval of the staff member's supervisor and Human Resources, a schedule of less than forty (40) hours per week may be elected.
Full-time staff members will be eligible for a fifteen (15) minute break period near the middle of each half of a normal day. Part-time staff members will be eligible for comparable break periods.
*For Executive Assistants hired before January 2015 a regular full-time week shall consist of forty-five (45) hours per calendar week.
3. Job Vacancies
The University posts all job vacancies on the Grand Valley Bulletin Board and Human Resources Website. A staff member interested in any job vacancy may apply online at jobs.gvsu.edu. A Confidential Support Staff member will serve on the search committee for any open search.
4. Evaluation
Performance evaluations are completed annually by the supervisor for all staff. Evaluations reflect the performance over the past year and set goals for the coming year. Individuals with questions or concerns about evaluations should contact Human Resources. Evaluations are not subject to the grievance procedure.
6. Discipline
The University recognizes that all discipline must be work related and will only be given for just cause. Discipline includes warnings, (documented verbal warnings and written warnings), disciplinary layoffs, and reductions in rank or termination of employment.
Copies of official warnings for the employee's personnel file will be sent to the Human Resources office.
Table 1 outlines the types of documentation that may be required, where record of that documentation will be retained, and the parties who will be notified, if a course of formal discipline is taken and becomes part of the employee's permanent personnel file.
Table 1
Documented Verbal Warning Written Warning Disciplinary Layoff Termination Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)
Discipline Yes Yes Yes Yes No**
Supervisor File Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
HR Personnel File No* Yes Yes Yes Yes
HR Notified No* Yes Yes Yes Yes
*Documentation must be produced if escalating to a higher level of discipline
**Could serve as a written warning if unsuccessful
7. Resignation
When a staff member resigns their appointment for any reason, they will notify their direct supervisor in writing not less than four (4) weeks prior to departure. The staff member shall receive compensation for accrued but unused vacation (up to 160 hours) upon leaving the employment of the University provided that the staff member gives at least four (4) weeks notice of their intention to leave. The notification period may be reduced to two (2) weeks at the discretion of the department for non-Executive Assistant positions.
8. Responsibilities
8.1 University Responsibilties
The University reserves and retains its management rights and functions. Such rights, by way of illustration, include, but are not limited to:
A. Full and exclusive control of the management of the University, the supervision of all operations, the methods, processes, and means of performing any and all work, the control of the property and the composition, assignment, direction, and determination of the size of its working forces.
B. The right to change or introduce new or improved operations, methods, means or facilities;
C. The right to hire, schedule, promote, reassign, transfer, release, and layoff staff members;
D. The right to suspend, discipline, and discharge staff members for cause;
E. The right to establish rules and regulations which shall be published and issued to each staff member and it is understood that the rules include any illegal acts;
F. The right to subcontract such portions of the work which may be done by Confidential Professional Support Staff members as the University deems to be in its best interest.
The University reserves the right to change, supplement, or rescind any or all of the provisions of the Confidential Professional Support Staff Personnel Policies upon notice to its staff members.
8.2 Discrimination
The University will not discriminate against any qualified staff member in matters of employment, promotion, demotion and assignment because of age, color, disability, familial status, height, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex/gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, veteran or active duty military status or weight as required by law. The University will work to take all actions necessary to comply with all applicable laws, including as they apply to the matters of reasonable accommodation.
9. Reduction in Force
9.1 Procedure for Reduction. Should a reduction in force be required, and the University is unable to accomplish the necessary reduction by attrition, the University shall select the area(s) of reduction. If no reassignment to another position is made at the time of reduction the staff member affected shall be put on layoff status. Staff members on layoff or reassigned to another position shall be entitled to recall to an available open position in the same job title for eighteen (18) months, or the length of their employment, whichever is lesser. Should the University reassign a staff member to a position in a lower classification range, the staff member's salary shall be maintained for nine (9) months after which the staff member's salary shall be reduced to reflect the decreased responsibilities. Recall and reassignment notices shall be made in writing to the last address furnished Human Resources. A staff member refusing recall or reassignment or failure to respond under these provisions shall be considered to have quit.
9.2 Notice of Reduction. Non-probationary staff members will be given a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days notice prior to reduction in force. If thirty (30) calendar days notice cannot be given, severance pay in the amount of thirty (30) calendar days pay will be provided in lieu of notice.
9.3 Staff Members on Layoff. Staff members on layoff shall be entitled to purchase health and/or dental benefits in accordance with applicable COBRA guidelines.
10. Grievances
10.1 Definition. A grievance is defined as a disagreement concerning the interpretation and application of the Confidential Professional Support Staff personnel policies.
10.2 Statement of Grievance
A staff member with a grievance shall first talk with the direct supervisor about the grievance. If this does not resolve the grievance, and the staff member wishes to proceed further, the staff member shall submit the grievance in writing to the direct supervisor and shall identify the provision which has been violated. The written grievance may also be sent to other persons having supervisory authority over the staff member. The staff member has ten (10) calendar days in which to have the discussion and submit the written grievance after learning of the incident upon which the grievance is based.
The direct supervisor then has ten (10) calendar days in which to
answer the grievance in writing. (If the grievance involves a
termination, the staff member will go directly to the appeal step.)
10.3 Appeal
If the grievance is not resolved in the Statement of the Grievance step, and the staff member wishes to proceed further, the staff member has ten (10) calendar days to appeal the grievance to Human Resources. If the staff member is a member of Human Resources, they appeal the grievance to the Vice President for Finance and Administration. The Human Resources representative or Vice President has ten (10) calendar days after receipt of the appeal to hold a meeting with the staff member to discuss the grievance. The staff member has the right to include, if desired, a member of the Confidential Professional Support Staff group in this discussion. After the meeting is held, the Human Resources representative or Vice President will communicate an answer in writing, to the staff member within ten (10) calendar days. The decision and remedy resulting from the appeal step shall be considered final.
11. Monetary Compensation
11.1 Basis for Pay
Confidential Support Staff who are not Executive Assistants shall be paid in accordance with the Professional Support Staff Compensation Schedule. Executive Assistant staff members shall be paid in accordance with the market rates provided by Human Resources. A staff member's rate shall be determined based on the position title and the compensation range to which that position is assigned. The staff member's established rate of pay shall be used in determining overtime pay, lost time, group life insurance premiums and other benefits.
If faculty and AP staff are given salary increases, Confidential Support Staff are also awarded salary increases effective October 1. The percent increase allocation is determined and approved by the President's Cabinet. Human Resources provides current pay information to Executive Officers to review, prior to the increases, to determine if any additional increases need to be provided for market, equity or compression issues.
Salary letters are sent to Confidential Support Staff from Human Resources on or before October 1, notifying them of their increase. Any questions involving the annual increase are encouraged to be discussed with their Executive Officer at that time.
All compensation shall be based only on time worked or on the application of appropriate benefits. Bi-weekly pay is based on the normal hours a staff member is scheduled to work.
An exception, such as, vacation, lost time, salary continuation and overtime (in excess of the employee's regular hours) must be reported via electronic mail to the Payroll Office with a copy to the supervisor. For approved overtime, a staff member shall be compensated at the rate of one and one-half their hourly rate.
11.2 Commencement
Those staff members who are required to work Commencement ceremonies outside their normal work hours, will be guaranteed a minimum of three hours work on that day at the appropriate rate of pay (e.g. overtime pay where applicable). The staff member also may be required to work more than three hours. If the staff member wishes to work less than three hours, they may work less with the approval of the supervisor. Those staff members granted approval to work less than three hours will be paid for hours actually worked at the appropriate rate of pay (e.g. overtime pay where applicable).
11.3 Pay Adjustments
Advancement within the compensation classification range shall normally be scheduled annually, effective October 1.
11.4 Promotions
A promotion occurs any time a staff member moves to a higher classification. (The minimum rate of the compensation range shall be the factor which determines the higher classification.) A promotion shall normally be accompanied by an increase in salary.
11.5 Transfers
A transfer occurs any time a staff member moves to a position within the same classification range. A transfer normally shall not be accompanied by a salary increase.
11.6 Reassignment
Should a staff member voluntarily elect to move to a position within a lower compensation range, the staff member's salary will be reduced to reflect the decreased responsibilities. Should the University reassign a staff member to a position in a lower classification range, the staff member's salary shall be maintained for nine (9) months after which the staff member's salary shall be reduced to reflect the decreased responsibilities. In the event that a staff member is reassigned as a result of disciplinary action, the pay rate will be reduced immediately to the rate of the reassigned position.
Should a Confidential Professional Support Staff member elect to move to a position in another employee group, the conditions governing that employee group shall prevail.
11.7 Reclassification
When a staff member's job is reclassified to a new classification range, the staff member's salary shall be appropriately adjusted.