University of Washington Human Resources

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Benefits

Professional staff participate in University sponsored medical, dental, term life, and long term disability insurance programs. Professional staff may participate in other benefit and insurance programs to meet their unique needs. See UWHR’s Benefits home page for links to other benefit programs.

Newly hired professional staff or current staff who promote or are re-classified into professional staff positions who have existing Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) accounts should contact Employee Workday Help for special enrollment options.

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Disability accommodation

The University of Washington provides reasonable accommodation to qualified employees with a disability as defined under state and federal law. Professional staff can request accommodation by using the University’s Disability Accommodation Request Process. Questions regarding disability accommodations should be directed to the employing unit’s Human Resources Consultant.

Disability leave of absence

Employees who cannot perform their job duties because of a medical condition may be eligible to take disability leave. Health care provider certification may be required for a disability leave approval. Periods of disability leave may also be covered by the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The University’s Disability Leave of Absence Policy describes how professional staff may use paid and unpaid leave during a disability leave of absence and the disability leave allowance (the length of time that the University authorizes an employee to remain on disability leave due to ongoing disability).

Employees must use at least 8 hours of accrued time off (sick, vacation, discretionary or compensatory time off; holiday credit; personal holiday; or shared leave) per month to maintain benefits during a leave of absence. This is known as “interspersing.” Employees are allowed to intersperse while on approved disability leave and are encouraged to apply paid time off on the first work day of the month in order to continue benefits for that month. See UWHR’s Insurance webpage for information about benefits retention during a disability leave of absence.

Disability separation

If an employee cannot be reasonably accommodated, including placement in an alternative position, the employee will be separated from University employment after the employee’s leave entitlements (disability leave, Family Medical Leave if applicable) are exhausted. The unit’s Human Resources Consultant must review all cases where disability separation is being considered.

Pregnancy Accommodation

The University of Washington provides reasonable accommodation to pregnant employees under the terms outlined in Administrative Policy Statement 46.7 Reasonable Accommodation of Pregnant Employees.

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Performance evaluation

The University encourages a work environment in which employees and supervisors communicate regularly about job performance. Performance feedback should include:

• the employee’s progress toward achieving unit goals and objectives;
• recognition of individual accomplishments and opportunities for growth; and;
• comments from faculty, students, clients, and peers as appropriate.

Ongoing communication helps ensure that there is a mutual understanding of job performance requirements and the employee’s success in meeting them. In addition to regular performance feedback, the Professional Staff Program requires supervisors to conduct formal performance evaluations at least annually, though employees may request evaluation more frequently.

Units schedule evaluations to best meet their needs, and the evaluation cycle is not dependent on the merit salary increase process. However, a current performance evaluation (completed within the previous 12 months) is required to support recommendations for merit salary adjustments and in-grade or grade change salary increases.

All Medical Center employee evaluations are conducted in September through December each year utilizing a standardized evaluation template in the Workday Talent Module.

Units determine the type of performance review program that will work best for them. An employee may request that the  form be used to solicit performance feedback from others who have knowledge of the employee’s performance. The employee may suggest people of whom feedback will be requested. The employee shall receive a copy of the signed and completed evaluation.

Two sample formats and a feedback solicitation form are available to assist units in planning and conducting performance reviews:

Performance Evaluation - Conversation Approach - Professional Staff (PDF)
Performance Evaluation - Structured Approach - Professional Staff (MS Word)

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Employment

Employment process

Professional staff positions must meet one or more of the legislatively authorized exemption criteria [LINK] as determined by the HR Compensation office under RCW 41.06.070. HR Compensation must also approve the position’s compensation grade and range.

Follow the steps in UWHR’s Hiring process guide to begin recruitment on new, replacement or temporary professional staff positions.

Joint appointments – Faculty and professional staff

Employees holding joint faculty and professional staff appointments with a combined total of half time or more accrue and are eligible to use Professional Staff Program vacation and sick time off benefits in proportion to the percentage of the professional staff position.

A special condition applies when a professional staff employee intermittently reduces their professional staff position to accept a temporary faculty appointment. In this case the vacation and sick time off accrual rate is determined by combining the percent time of the professional staff and faculty appointments to derive at a full-time equivalency for leave accrual purposes.

Multiple university positions

A full or part-time professional staff employee must receive approval from their supervisor before accepting any additional University positions.

Overtime eligible professional staff employees must be paid time and one-half overtime compensation for the combined total hours worked in multiple positions that exceed 40 hours in a workweek. The employee’s home department is required to monitor all work hours and maintain weekly timekeeping records that show all University hours worked.

Outside consulting and employment

Employees may engage in outside consulting work or part-time employment provided it does not conflict with or negatively impact their ability to fulfill their University employment obligations and it does not otherwise negatively impact the University.

Criteria for consulting activities or part-time employment

The State of Washington Ethics in Public Service Act (chapter 42.52 RCW) permits a University employee to engage in outside consulting or part-time employment provided the activities meet the criteria specified in Administrative Policy Statement 47.3 – Outside Consulting Activities and Part-Time Employment by Professional or Classified Staff Employees.

Advance review and approval of outside work

Advance review and approval of outside consulting or part-time employment is required whenever the activity relates to, or could conflict with, the employee’s University job responsibilities or status as a University employee. The advance approval requirement protects the University’s and the employee’s interest in minimizing participation in activities that conflict or appear to conflict with the state ethics law and/or University policies.

Review procedure

Administrative Policy Statement 47.3 describes the procedure for the advance review of outside consulting or part-time employment. Requests for approval of outside professional work require review and approval by the immediate supervisor, the unit head and the appropriate dean or vice president (or equivalent administrator).

Use of University facilities or equipment

Professional staff may not use University facilities or equipment for outside work (see Administrative Policy Statement 47.2 – Personal Use of University Facilities, Computers, and Equipment by University Employees.

Conflict of interest

Employees are expected to maintain high standards of ethics and to avoid conflicts of interest as set forth in the University Handbook, Volume Four, Part V, Chapter 2. They are also expected to comply with the 1994 state ethics law (Chapter 42.52 RCW), and Administrative Policy Statement 47.3.

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Temporary layoff – furlough

Definition

A temporary layoff may be required because of events at the institutional or employing unit level resulting in a temporary lack of funds or work.

An employer-initiated temporary period of unpaid time away from work of no more than 60 calendar days is called a furlough, which is a type of temporary layoff. At the conclusion of the furlough, the employee will resume the same position and FTE they held immediately prior to the furlough.

For professional staff, a temporary reduction to FTE that does not exceed 20 hours in a workweek may be an option to address a lack of work or lack of funding. A reduction of more than 20 hours per workweek is a furlough.

Furlough duration

A furlough must be for a defined period of time that is consistent with the nature of the funding or other constraints or circumstances that make the furlough necessary. When it is reasonably expected that the furlough will end in the foreseeable future, but an exact end date is not known, UW Human Resources (UWHR) may approve the furlough for a period of up to 60 calendar days.

With the approval of the vice president for UWHR or the vice president for UWHR’s designee, UWHR may approve an extension of the 60 calendar day furlough end date. Furloughs should typically not extend beyond 90 calendar days. In extreme circumstances, the vice president for Human Resources may approve the extension of a furlough beyond 90 calendar days.

If it appears that the situation giving rise to the need for a furlough will last indefinitely, an employee on furlough will be separated from the University and the position eliminated through the University’s established layoff process.

Initiating a furlough – plan preparation and HR consultation

When an employing unit determines it is necessary to furlough a professional staff employee, the unit must prepare a draft furlough plan and submit it to UW Human Resources to obtain advance approval prior to notifying impacted employees.

The draft plan must:

• Explain the nature of the temporary financial or other constraints or circumstances that require the use of furlough.
• Identify the proposed furlough start and end dates.
• Identify the impacted positions, UW NetIDs, EIDs, and names of employees holding those positions.

Please contact your Human Resources Consultant to begin the process.

Furlough notice

In general, a professional staff employee will receive at least 7 calendar days’ written notice of furlough, with more notice being given where feasible. Written notice will be signed by the employing unit’s appointing authority or designee.

Additional Considerations for Furloughs

Working during furlough is not permitted

Furloughed employees are not authorized to perform any work at all for the employing unit during the furlough period (including checking and responding to their work email and remotely accessing their workstation except for the purpose of receiving communication about the end or extension of the furlough) and may not volunteer to perform unpaid work for the employing unit.

FLSA Exemption

All furloughs of exempt staff must occur on a Monday because any exempt employee furloughed midweek becomes overtime eligible for the entire workweek. This means they must be changed into an overtime eligible job profile, record their actual hours worked and not worked (maintain a timesheet), be paid straight time for any hours required to work up to 40, and time and one-half for any hours worked over 40.

Effect of furlough on time off accrual and use

A furloughed employee’s vacation and sick time off accruals, months of service toward a higher vacation accrual rate, holiday compensation, continuous service date, and time off service date are not adjusted for periods of time spent on furlough.

During furlough, employees cannot substitute paid time off for scheduled furlough time except as noted below under employer-paid insurance.

Effect of furlough on retirement plan contributions and employer-paid insurance

UW employer-paid insurance will continue during any month in which the employee is in pay status for at least 8 hours. Employees who would be off the payroll for a full calendar month or more because of furlough will be allowed to use 8 hours of eligible paid time off in the month to ensure health care insurance continuation during furlough.

Retirement contributions will continue based on any pay received by the employee (including time off use), however a reduction in paid hours may impact the employee’s service credit accumulation. To learn more about how a retirement plan accumulates service credit, review information about your retirement plan.

Return to work from furlough

Employees on furlough are expected to return to work on the date specified in the furlough notice or as otherwise required by the employing official.

If the employing unit is able to end a furlough earlier than anticipated, they will notify the employee of the return to work date as soon as it is known. Notice of early return to work should be made verbally and confirmed by email if possible. If verbal notification is not possible, notice may be provided by email.

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Ending employment

Resignation

When a professional staff employee resigns from University employment, the employee should provide a minimum of two weeks of notice whenever possible.

Layoff-reduction in force

When a professional staff position is eliminated due to lack of funds, lack of work, and/or reorganization, the affected employee must receive a minimum of 30 days written notice of layoff from the appointing authority or designee. UWHR’s Layoff notification webpage explains the process employing units must follow to initiate layoff.

Corrective action and termination of employment

For University-initiated terminations that do not result from layoff or disability separation, the Appointing Authority [1] will determine how much notice is given. The employee will be notified in writing of the effective date of termination.

Termination from the University for unsatisfactory performance can be preceded by lesser corrective measures as the employing official determines are appropriate.

Reversion rights to classified service

Washington State civil service law (RCW 41.06.070) provides that a permanent classified employee who accepts a position in a position that is exempt from civil service has the right, at the conclusion of the exempt position, to “revert” to the highest class of position previously held, or to a position of similar nature and salary. An employee in an exempt position who is terminated for gross misconduct or malfeasance is not eligible for any reversion rights the employee would have otherwise had.

Professional staff employees who have reversion rights, must request to exercise them within 30 days of the termination of the exempt position.

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[1] Note: The Appointing Authority is the person who has delegated authority for personnel actions.  This authority typically rests at the dean or vice president level but may be delegated to another official.

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Professional staff complaint procedure

The University encourages regular communication between professional staff employees and their supervisors to help avoid and resolve concerns that otherwise detract from the quality of the employee’s work life and effective operations.

Notwithstanding the responsibility employees and supervisors each have for resolving employment concerns informally, and without altering the “at will” nature of professional staff positions, the University provides a process for reviewing complaints employees may have about such matters as: working conditions, job responsibilities, performance evaluation, and corrective action.

The following procedure exclusively governs the professional staff complaint process. This procedure does not apply to complaints filed under Administrative Policy Statement 46.3 – Resolution of Complaints Against University Employees, where employees have additional options for resolving a complaint including the services of the Ombud.

Where a meeting is scheduled to review a complaint, the complainant may bring a person of their choice to the meeting as an observer by providing at least 24 hour’s notice of the observer’s attendance to the person who will review and respond to the complaint.

In the following process where there is a filing deadline, if the deadline falls on a day that is not a regularly scheduled work day (leave days are not part of this provision), the deadline will be the next scheduled work day.

Non-retaliation                                                                  

It is a violation of University policy to retaliate in any manner against any employee who pursues resolution of an employment concern or complaint through the Professional Staff Program Complaint Procedure or through any of the processes identified in “Resolution of Complaints Against University Employees” (Administrative Policy Statement 46.3), or by filing a complaint through an outside agency.

Submission

The complaint must be filed in writing with the supervisor within fifteen business days of the action or incident on which it is based (count Mondays through Fridays, include official University holidays, and omit weekends. If the deadline falls on a day that is not a regularly scheduled work day, the deadline will be the next scheduled work day). The complaint must state the issue about which the complaint is being filed and the remedy or resolution that is requested.

Manager review

The manager will schedule a time to review the complaint with the employee and allow the employee an opportunity to explain the reason(s) for the complaint. Within fifteen business days after the manager’s review, the supervisor will provide the employee with a brief written decision concerning the complaint, and advise the employee of the opportunity for further internal review. If the employee does not request further review, the supervisor’s decision is final.

Vice president or dean review

If the employee is dissatisfied with the supervisor’s written decision, the employee may request a review of that decision by the appropriate vice president, dean or equivalent administrative authority, or that person’s designee. The employee must submit to the office of the reviewer a written request for review within fifteen business days after receipt of the supervisor’s decision.

The reviewer will give the employee an opportunity to explain the reason(s) for the complaint, either in person or in writing. Within fifteen business days after the review, the vice president or dean will provide the employee with a brief written decision concerning the complaint and advising the employee that judicial review may be available [1]. Upon written notice to the employee, the reviewer may extend the deadline for responding by fifteen business days. The decision at this level is final.

President review

If the supervisor to whom the complainant reports is a vice president, dean, or equivalent senior officer, the employee may request a review of the supervisor’s decision by the President or the President’s designee . The employee must submit to the office of the President a written request for review within fifteen business days after receipt of the supervisor’s written decision. (Review by the President is not available unless the supervisor is a vice president, dean, or equivalent senior officer)

The President or designee will give the employee an opportunity to explain the reason(s) for the complaint, either in person or in writing. Within fifteen business days after the President’s or designee’s review, the President or designee will provide the employee with a brief written decision concerning the complaint and advising the employee that judicial review may be available [1]. Upon written notice to the employee, the dean or vice president may extend the deadline for responding by fifteen business days. The decision at this level is final.

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[1] The term “judicial review may be available” means that following receipt of the notice of final action regarding the employee’s complaint, the employee may have recourse to the courts if the employee remains dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint. Legal advice may be necessary to determine whether grounds may exist for judicial review.

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Temporary professional staff positions

Except for those specifically excluded in policy, the employment conditions and policies of the Professional Staff Program extend to professional staff project positions which must be at least 6 months and typically not more than 12 months in duration. Limited Term Professional Staff Appointments are not covered by the provisions of the Professional Staff Program.

Appendices

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Appendix I: Professional staff salaries

Professional Staff Monthly and Annual Salaries
(Except Research Scientists/Engineers)
Effective March 1, 2024