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Human Resources
Policies
Staff Position Elimination
DATE
ISSUED
11/01/96
DATE
REVISED
01/22/08
As
a
Catholic,
Jesuit
institution,
Saint
Louis
University
believes
in
and
respects
the
dignity
and
worth
of
each
individual
employee.
To
that
end,
the
University
attempts
to
support
the
needs
of
employees
whose
positions
have
been
eliminated
by
assisting
them
in
locating
other
employment
and
providing
the
opportunity
for
counseling
throughout
the
transition.
Staff
position
elimination
is
a
difficult
experience,
not
only
for
an
employee
whose
position
is
being
eliminated,
but
also
for
colleagues
and
supervisors.
Anyone
in
need
of
assistance
is
encouraged
to
contact
Human
Resources
or
the
Employee
Assistance
Program.
SCOPE
OF
POLICY
Implementation
of
staff
position
elimination
procedures,
as
a
result
of
reorganization,
changed
needs,
or
budget
reduction,
will
be
made
in
accordance
with
this
policy
and
the
practices
of
the
University.
This
policy
applies
only
to
non-faculty
personnel
with
at
least
one
year
of
service
who
are
not
members
of
a
bargaining
unit.
Individuals
hired
into
a
position
with
a
pre-determined
duration
of
employment
are
not
eligible
for
staff
position
elimination
payments.
Generally
grant-funded
or
soft-dollar
positions
are
not
covered
by
this
policy
as
sufficient
notice
of
funding
loss
is
provided
by
the
grant
administrator.
PURPOSE
*
To
ensure
that
position
eliminations
are
handled
in
a
manner
consistent
with
the
University's
mission
and
values.
*
To
communicate
the
policy
and
procedures
regarding
position
elimination.
*To
provide
information
regarding
staff
position
elimination
pay
and
other
assistance
for
employees
who
are
affected
by
position
elimination.
DEFINITIONS
Position
Elimination
-
The
elimination
of
a
budgeted
position
because
of
reorganization,
changed
needs,
or
budget
reduction.
A
reduction
in
work
hours
resulting
in
a
position
moving
from
full-time
to
part-time
status
with
loss
of
benefits
is
also
considered
to
be
a
position
elimination.
In
situations
where
proper
notice
was
not
provided,
position
elimination
pay
for
staff
on
soft-dollar
positions
may
be
authorized
as
outlined
under
the
"Determining
Affected
Positions"
section
of
this
policy.
Service
Date
-
The
date
from
which
employment
service
is
calculated.
This
date
reflects
the
cumulative
length
of
service
at
Saint
Louis
University
(if
service
was
bridged
per
University
policy)
and
may
not
be
the
same
as
the
original
hire
date
or
most
recent
date
of
hire.
Most
Recent
Date
of
Hire
-
The
date
most
recently
hired
at
Saint
Louis
University
(may
not
be
the
same
as
the
original
hire
date
or
service
date).
Full-time
Regular
Status
-
An
employee
working
in
a
full-time
budgeted
position
scheduled
at
least
sixty-four
(64)
hours
per
pay
period
or
at
least
eighty
(80)
percent
FTE.
Part-time
Regular
Status
-
An
employee
working
in
a
position
budgeted
for
fewer
than
sixty-four
(64)
hours
per
pay
period
or
less
than
eighty
(80)
percent
FTE.
Temporary
Status
-
An
employee
who
is
hired
for
a
position
with
a
predetermined
duration
of
less
than
six
(6)
months
of
service.
PROCEDURE
FOR
POSITION
ELIMINATION
Positions
may
be
eliminated
for
a
variety
of
reasons:
changing
needs
of
the
organization,
restructuring
of
a
position
or
department,
a
need
for
different
skills
and/or
experience,
realignment
or
elimination
of
programs,
or
budget
reductions.
If
it
becomes
necessary
to
permanently
reduce
the
number
of
budgeted
positions,
the
University
will
ordinarily
strive
to
effect
some
reductions
through
attrition,
rather
than
position
elimination.
All
proposed
position
eliminations
must
be
coordinated
with
Human
Resources
prior
to
their
announcement.
A.
Determining
Affected
Positions:
Chairpersons
and
department
directors,
in
consultation
with
their
Vice
President,
Dean,
and/or
comparable
administrator,
will
recommend
which
positions
will
be
eliminated,
including
positions
with
a
reduction
of
hours
from
full-time
to
part-time,
based
on
the
current
and
future
staffing
needs
of
the
organization,
including
workforce
skills,
the
ability
to
perform
the
work
more
effectively
in
another
area
(or
through
different
means),
and
the
overall
effectiveness
and
customer
service
requirements
of
the
department.
Once
the
chairperson
or
director
has
identified
the
new
structure,
the
following
factors
will
be
considered
in
the
determination
of
specific
positions
to
be
eliminated:
1. Employee skills and qualifications (as documented
by official records such as performance evaluations, disciplinary
history, attendance, etc., plus licensure and certification);
2. Job classification/category so as to minimize the disruption
of service to students, patients, and other departments (as
determined by the service needs of the department or work area);
3. Employment status (temporary employees or employees in an
orientation period will ordinarily be selected before regular
employees);
4. If all of the above are equal, the position of the individual
with lesser University seniority will be eliminated first. Seniority
is determined by the employee's service date.
B.
Notice
to
Affected
Regular,
Full-Time
Employees:
Employees
in
eliminated
positions,
with
at
least
one
year
of
service,
will
be
given
at
least
four
(4)
weeks
notice
or
staff
position
elimination
pay,
as
determined
by
the
Chairpersons
or
directors
in
consult
with
their
Vice
President,
Dean,
or
comparable
administrator.
In
the
event
of
position
eliminations
that
will
impact
two
(2)
or
more
Schools,
Colleges,
or
divisions
of
the
University,
the
University
community
and
specifically
the
Staff
Advisory
Committee
(SAC)
and
Faculty
Senate
will
be
advised
by
Human
Resources
concurrently
with
the
serving
of
notice
to
the
affected
employees.
A
department
manager
or
member
of
Human
Resources
will
be
present
when
a
terminated
employee
removes
his/her
personal
items
from
the
office
in
order
to
protect
the
employee
from
potential
allegations
that
items
were
taken
or
destroyed
by
that
employee.
An
employee
who
would
be
eligible
for
retirement
based
on
the
University's
definition
under
retiree
health
(age
60
with
seven
years
of
continuous
full-time
service)
will
have
the
option,
within
two
weeks
of
notification
of
the
position
elimination,
to
offer
his
or
her
notice
of
retirement,
with
an
effective
date
up
to
six
months
from
the
date
of
notice.
Such
an
employee
would
remain
at
work
and
not
receive
staff
position
elimination
pay.
C.
Notice
to
Affected
Temporary
or
Part-Time
Employees:
Temporary
or
part-time
employees
will
be
given
notice
whenever
practical,
but
if
such
notice
is
impractical,
these
employees
may
be
released
without
notice.
D.
Eligibility
for
Transfer:
Employees
whose
positions
are
being
eliminated
may
apply
for
transfer
to
other
open
positions
within
the
University,
provided
that
these
employees
meet
minimum
qualifications.
Such
a
transfer
would
be
conducted
in
accordance
with
standard
job
posting
and
transfer/promotion/demotion
policies.
A
person
whose
position
is
eliminated
has
no
entitlement
to
any
other
position
within
the
University.
E.
Reorganization:
The
Compensation
Department
of
Human
Resources
performs
job
analysis
and
classification
reviews
for
departments
and
positions
impacted
by
reorganization
and
reduction
in
force.
In
the
event
that
position
responsibilities
are
changed
substantially,
the
manager
of
that
unit
must
submit
revised
position
analysis
booklets
to
the
organization's
executive,
who,
upon
approval,
will
forward
the
changes
to
Human
Resources
for
review
and
job
classification
recommendations.
F.
Benefits
Status:
Vacation
balance,
if
any,
will
be
paid
in
accordance
with
the
vacation
policy,
and
is
ordinarily
paid
at
time
of
termination.
An
employee
whose
position
has
been
eliminated
will
be
provided
with
all
pertinent
benefits
conversion
information
at
the
time
of
notification.
Specific
arrangements
for
employees
whose
positions
are
eliminated
may
include:
1. Tuition Remission: An employee whose position is eliminated
will remain eligible for employee and dependent tuition remission
for the remainder of the current semester, and the subsequent
semester (spring or fall). If enrolled in Professional Studies
or another program that is not on a semester basis, this provision
will apply to the current term and the following term. The
summer term is allowed if preferred by the employee in lieu
of fall. The same eligibility will apply to other tuition
programs such as FACHEX or Tuition Exchange.
2. Health Benefits: After termination, the employee will be
eligible to retain health insurance as provided under COBRA,
or as a retiree, provided the employee satisfies the University's
definition under retiree health (currently age sixty (60)
with seven (7) years of continuous full-time service). Consistent
with the University's practice pertaining to unpaid leaves
of absence, the University portion of the health insurance
premiums will continue to be paid by SLU for the first thirty
(30) days following termination.
3. Staff Position Elimination Payments:
a. An employee with at least one (1) year of service whose
position is eliminated will be eligible to receive staff position
elimination payments. If the employee works during all or
part of a notice period, each week of notice will reduce staff
position elimination pay by one (1) week.
b. Full-time or part-time regular employees will be eligible
for staff position elimination pay for every year of employment
greater than one (1), up to a maximum of twenty (20) weeks.
c. Four (4) weeks of staff position elimination pay will be
provided to those whose employment is greater than one (1)
but less than four (4) years. Staff position elimination pay
will be calculated on regular employment from the employee's
most recent date of hire.
d. If an employee whose position was eliminated secures another
full-time position within the University during the period
of time for which staff position elimination pay was issued,
the individual will be required to reimburse the University
for any overlapping period of time. For example, if staff
position elimination pay were issued for eighteen (18) weeks,
and an individual whose position was eliminated were to be
reemployed after four (4) weeks, the reimbursement to the
University would be equal to fourteen (14) weeks of the severance
payment amount.
e. Staff position elimination pay will be provided as a lump
sum payment, subject to exception authorized by the chairpersons
and department directors in consult with their Vice President,
Dean, and/or comparable administrator.
f. As a condition of receiving staff position elimination
pay, impacted individuals will be required to sign a standard
separation agreement and/or release of claims.
4. Unemployment Compensation: In accordance with Missouri
and Illinois state laws, an employee whose position has been
eliminated may apply for unemployment compensation benefits.
5. Other services will be offered to employees whose positions
are eliminated, including:
* Services of the University's Employee Assistance Program
for ninety (90) days following termination.
* Information regarding vacant staff positions at the University.
* Transportation assistance on the date of termination and/or
to attend counseling.
* Benefits counseling services.
* Information regarding University scholarships and financial
aid.
G.
Application
of
Policy:
1. This policy will be administered in a manner
consistent with the mission and values of the University. Saint
Louis University prohibits discrimination based on race, color,
sex, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability,
and veteran status.
2. The provisions of this policy apply to the elimination of
staff positions that occur after January 22, 2008.
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