The University of St. Thomas

Employment


[Main] [History] [Employment] [Benefits] [Compensation] [Training] [Absences] [Conduct] [Health] [Resources] [Appendix]

Employment At The University

Client / Customer Relations

Clients of the University of St. Thomas are extremely valuable to the University. Depending on your position, your clients may include students, parents, fellow employees, and/or other members of the public. The University expects you to provide all of your clients with the best possible service. Clients should be treated in an efficient, courteous, civil, and respectful manner at all times. The best interests of the client should be given serious consideration.

Requests to fellow employees and campus departments should be reasonable and fair, and should be made with respect to the individual and the department’s area of expertise. Individual differences should be handled in a professional, non-confrontational manner.

All communication should be honest, and an attempt should be made to communicate in a manner understood by the customer. Communication and actions should be productive in nature, not degrading or demeaning.

Conflict Of Interest

University employees are prohibited from engaging in any business activities that are actually or potentially adverse or detrimental to the best interest or mission of the University. All faculty and staff members of the University community are responsible for following these guidelines:

  • An employee may not give or receive a gift of substantial magnitude from a source outside the university that is, in any way, connected with their employment at the University.
  • An employee may not entertain or be entertained in connection with university business beyond nominal or diminimus value, which are normal and appropriate for the employee's level of responsibility.
  • An employee may not give or receive anything that can be construed as a bribe, kickback or other illegal payment.
  • Employees may not allow a transaction with a vendor or others to be structured or recorded in a way that is inconsistent with customary business practice.

Interested Person

An "Interested Person" is an employee who has a direct or indirect Financial Interest as defined below:

Financial Interest

An employee has a Financial Interest if the employee has, directly or indirectly, through business, investments or his or her immediate family:

  1. An ownership, investment interest or any arrangement which includes direct or indirect remuneration as well as any gifts or favors having more than nominal value, in or with which the University has or is negotiating a transaction, arrangement or contract.
  2. A potential ownership, investment interest or arrangement which includes direct or indirect remuneration as well as any gifts or favors having more than nominal value, in or with which the University has or is negotiating a transaction, arrangement or contract.

In the event that an employee is an Interested Person with reference to a particular transaction or situation, the employee shall immediately notify the Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer of the University in writing of the existence of the potential or actual conflict.

An employee who is an Interested Person in a particular situation or transaction shall not participate in any way in the approval or arrangement for the providing or supplying of goods, service or labor to the University.

Although this policy applies to all employees, it has been determined that certain positions have a high potential of employing Interested Persons. These individuals will be required, on an annual basis, to sign a statement acknowledging receipt of this policy.

Consenting Relationships

Consenting romantic or sexual relationships between a supervisor and employee, administrator and student, or faculty and student are considered to be inappropriate. The power differential inherent in such relationships compromises one’s ability to decide freely. Any university employee who enters into a romantic or sexual relationship with a student, or an employee with a different level or employment authority, should be aware that if a charge of sexual harassment is subsequently made, it will be extremely difficult to prove mutual consent.

Employee Recognition

Service Awards: On an annual basis, a ceremony is held to honor faculty and staff who have completed 5,10,15,20,25,30,35, and 40 years of service with the University of St. Thomas during the calendar year. Employees also receive a gift of appreciation of their choosing from a varied selection.

Quarter Century Club: Full and part-time regular employees, upon completion of 25 years of service, will also become members of the Quarter Century Club. Quarter Century pins are normally provided for members, in addition to an annual dinner celebration.

Retirees: Each spring the university recognizes employees who retired during the academic year. A special reception is given to honor retiring employees. Gifts are provided to the retirees as an expression of appreciation for their years of service to the university.

Employee Records

The University of St. Thomas retains information on each employee that is directly related to the employee's position with the university. The information retained will include, but is not limited to, a job application and/or resume, payment authorization forms, personal data changes, performance evaluations, letters of commendation and disciplinary records.

If you wish to review your employee records, you can submit a request in writing to the Department of Human Resources to schedule an appointment.

It is your responsibility to assure that your personal information (i.e. name, home address, telephone number, emergency contacts, etc.) is accurate. Please see the HR and Payroll websites for forms.

Employer-Employee Relationship

The University of St. Thomas is dedicated to providing quality education for its students and a pleasant work environment for its employees. This dedication has enhanced the fine reputation of the university, and has contributed to its growth and success.

In order to continue this tradition of excellence, it is important that you and the university work together. A successful work environment at St. Thomas will be the result of everyone's efforts.

Employment At Will

Employees at the University are considered to be extremely valuable, and it is the intent of the university to provide a work environment that promotes career opportunities within the spirit of this handbook

University of St. Thomas employees who do not have a written employment contract may resign their employment from the University at any time, for any reason. The university has the right to end the employment relationship under the same conditions.

Nothing contained in this employee handbook nor any other materials provided to the employee in connection with their employment prohibits the University from terminating an employee at any time for any reason.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of St. Thomas affirms its policy of providing Equal Opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment in accordance with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action laws, directives and regulations of Federal, State and Local governing bodies or agencies, specifically including Chapter 139.50 and 141 of the Minnesota Civil Rights Ordinance and the Rules and Regulations as applicable.

 

The University of St. Thomas will not discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age (40 and over), marital status, or status with regard to public assistance. With respect to religion and creed, as permitted by law, the university reserves the right to exercise discretion in employment decisions to employ persons who share and are committed to the values and mission of the university.

The University of St. Thomas will take Affirmative Action to ensure that all employment practices are free of such discrimination. Such employment practices include, but are not limited to: hiring, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, selection for lay-off, disciplinary action, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training including any future apprenticeships or internships. We will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees with disabilities.

The University of St. Thomas prohibits the harassment of any employee or job applicant on the basis of their protected class status.

The university affirms the value of cultural diversity for all students and employees. Therefore, the University of St. Thomas will commit the necessary time and resources, both financial and human, to achieve the goals of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action.

The University of St. Thomas fully supports the incorporation of nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action rules and regulations into contracts.

The University of St. Thomas will evaluate the performance of its management and supervisory personnel on the basis of their involvement in achieving Affirmative Action objectives in addition to other criteria. Any employee of this university, or sub-contractor to this university, who does not comply with the Equal Opportunity Policies and Procedures as set forth in this statement and plan may be subject to disciplinary action.

The University of St. Thomas has appointed the Executive Advisor to the President as the Affirmative Action Officer. Her responsibilities includes monitoring the efforts of the University in meeting its responsibilities in this area and reporting the effectiveness of the Affirmative Action Program, as required by Federal, State and Local agencies. The Associate Vice President for Human Resources oversees the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy related to the terms and conditions of the employment relationship between the University and its employees. If any employee or applicant for employment believes he/she has been discriminated against, please contact either the Associate Vice President for Human Resources Department at (651) 962-6511 or the Executive Advisor to the University President at (651) 962.6031.

Grievance Procedure

Reasons for filing:

Employees may file a grievance when they feel a term or condition of their employment has been violated. Examples of actions that may be the subject of grievances include: disagreement with employment or disciplinary actions; treatment considered unfair by an employee, such as coercion, reprisal, harassment or intimidation; alleged discrimination; and improper or unfair administration of benefits, promotion, retirement, performance review, salary or seniority. The elimination of a position may not be the subject of a grievance.

Employees are encouraged to use the grievance procedure and will not be penalized for doing so.

Steps for filing:

  1. Notify supervisor of grievance.

    • The employee should notify his/her immediate supervisor, orally or in writing, of the grievance within 14 calendar days of learning of the situation.
    • The supervisor should respond to the employee, orally or in writing, within a reasonable time (usually 7 days).
    • If the employee’s problem concerns the immediate supervisor, the employee will be permitted to discuss the problem first with the department head or the associate vice president of Human Resources.

  2. Submit grievance to the Department of Human Resources.

    • If the employee is not satisfied with the supervisor’s response, they will have 7 days from the date of the receipt of the supervisor’s response to file a formal grievance at the second step.
    • The employee must submit his/her grievance in writing to the associate vice president of Human Resources. The employee’s written grievance should be as specific as possible, and should include a statement of the facts surrounding the grievance, documentation supporting the grievance, and the requested remedy.
    • The associate vice president of Human Resources will have 7 days after the receipt of the grievance to schedule a meeting with the employee. The associate vice president of Human Resources will respond in writing within 7 days after the meeting.

  3. Request grievance to be presented to the Employment Personnel Committee.

    • If the employee is not satisfied with the response from the associate vice president of Human Resources, a written request must be made within 7 days to the associate vice president of Human Resources to present the grievance to the Employment Personnel Committee. A meeting will be scheduled with this committee within 30 days of receipt of the request.
    • Within 7 days after the date of the meeting, the Employment Personnel Committee shall report its finding(s), a summary of the reasons for its judgment, and its recommendation(s) in a written statement to the complainant, respondent, and the appropriate Executive Vice President or University President, where applicable. The appropriate Executive Vice President or University President, where applicable, shall give careful consideration to the recommendation of the Committee but shall not be bound by such recommendations. The appropriate Executive Vice President or University President, where applicable, shall make the final decision in the case and communicate his or her decision in writing to the complainant and respondent within ten (10) days of receiving the written report of the Employment Personnel Committee.

    All parties are expected to file and respond to grievances within the specified time limits. Failure by the employee to follow these time limits will result in either rejection of the grievance, or the findings of the preceding step will be viewed as the final decision. Failure on the part of administration officials to follow the time limits will allow the employee to proceed immediately to the next step in the grievance procedure.

    Time spent by employees in grievance meetings during normal work hours will be considered hours worked for pay purposes.

    Temporary employees may not use the grievance procedure.

    Terminated probationary employees have no right of appeal through the grievance procedure.

    Hiring 

    The University has established procedures for advertising, selecting, and hiring applicants for regular and temporary positions. Available positions are posted on campus bulletin boards, including the bulletin board located outside of the department of Human Resources, second floor of Aquinas Hall.

    Positions are also available on the Human Resource website (http://www.stthomas.edu/hr/employment) and on the University Job Line, phone # 651-962-6520. (Positions that are available only to St. Thomas employees are not listed on the Job Line).

    Hours Of Work 

    Workweek: The normal workweek consists of 40 hours, five days per week, Monday through Friday. The hours and days an employee works is dependant upon the needs of the department, and may vary from one department to another or work groups within a department.

    Lunch and rest periods: Each full time employee will be allowed a meal period near the middle of the workday. Except for service employees (food service, security, trades and employees covered by a union contract), the meal period shall normally be 60 minutes. In departments that operate more than one shift, the meal period will normally be 30 minutes. Length and time of the lunch period is based on departmental needs and the discretion of the department head.

    Full-time hrly. paid employees are also entitled to two paid, 15 minute rest periods, to be taken at the approximate mid-point of the first and second halves of their shift. Lunches and rest periods may not be accumulated for later use if they are not taken at the scheduled times.

    Overtime: hrly. paid employees who work more than 40 hours in a week will receive overtime pay at the rate of 1 ½ times their normal hrly. rate. For the purposes of computing overtime pay, the workweek begins at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday and ends at 12:00 midnight on Saturday. hrly. employees must receive approval in advance to work overtime.

    hrly. paid employees may take time off instead of receiving overtime pay, but only if the time off is taken during the same week as the overtime is worked. All approved hours worked over 40 hours in one week must be paid at the overtime rate. Hours worked over 40 hours in one week may not be accumulated for the purpose of taking compensatory time off at a later date.

    Employees may be required to work overtime when deemed necessary by their supervisor. The supervisor may assign overtime to employees working in the jobs for which overtime work is required.

    Exempt salaried employees do not receive overtime pay and are not entitled to take time off at a later date to compensate for additional hours worked.

    Orientation (See Training & Development Section)

    Outside Employment

    The University realizes that some employees may have a job in addition to their employment with the University. Outside employment must not compromise the University’s interests or adversely affect the employee’s job performance.

    Outside employment will not be considered an excuse for poor job performance, absenteeism, tardiness, leaving early, refusal to travel, refusal to work overtime or different hours, or any other failure to meet the requirements of the job.

    Employees who are injured or become ill as a result of employment outside the university are not eligible for the University’s short-term disability benefits. Long-term disability benefits are not affected by outside employment.

    Separation Of Employment

    Employment at the University of St. Thomas may end due to retirement, resignation, discharge, or as a result of the elimination of a position.

    Retirement: There is no mandatory retirement age at the University of St. Thomas. It is requested that an employee planning to retire notify his/her supervisor, department head, and the department of Human Resources in writing at least 90 days in advance of the anticipated retirement date.

    Resignation: Whenever possible, an employee should notify his/her supervisor and the department of Human Resources in writing in advance of the anticipated resignation date. Employees who decide to leave the University are expected to provide their immediate supervisor at least a two weeks notice. The employee may rescind a written notice of resignation if approved by the supervisor, department head, and the appropriate vice-president.  

    Discharge and/or suspension:

    • An employee may be discharged at any time for any reason
    • In situations other than described below, a regular employee, who is disciplined, suspended, or discharged may appeal this action through the University's grievance procedures
    • An employee who is discharged, transferred or demoted as a result of the elimination of a position may not grieve this decision
    • An employee filling a temporary position may not use the grievance procedure (See Grievance Procedures)
    • A terminated probationary employee has no right of appeal through the grievance procedure
    • An employee who is absent from work for three consecutive days without notifying his/her immediate supervisor prior to the absence will be seen as having voluntarily terminated his/her employment with the University
    • A terminated employee will receive his/her final paycheck within 24 hours of the termination. This check should include payment for unused vacation time, up to the maximum permitted for eligible employees

    Exit Interview:

    • An exit interview will be conducted through the Department of Human Resources for employees leaving the University. Comments regarding employment at the University are welcome during that interview. The employee I.D. and university-provided credit card and phone card should be turned in at that time. University keys should be returned directly to the Physical Plant key shop.
    • Forms outlining benefit continuation opportunities will mailed to the employee’s home address from the university’s third party administrator, ARC.

    Types of Appointments  

    Non-faculty staff appointments are designated as regular full-time, regular part-time, temporary, extended temporary, interim, or per diem. The following provisions define the various employment appointments available at the University.   

    Regular Full-time:  An appointment that is expected to continue indefinitely and requires an employee to work a regular schedule of at least 40 hours per week.   

    Regular Part-time: An appointment that requires employees to work a regular schedule of less than 40 hours per week and whose duration is expected to continue indefinitely.

    Temporary:  The appointment of an employee to a position or job assignment that has a definite end date and whose duration is less than six (6) months.

    Extended Temporary:  An appointment intended to meet the needs of a unit that has extra or cyclical work or special projects that have clearly defined beginning and ending periods. These types of appointments must be made for a minimum of six (6) months and may last no longer than twelve (12) months.

    Interim: The temporary assignment to a regular position, which generally occurs following the promotion, transfer, or departure of an employee who held a regular appointment. The interim assignment shall not exceed six months.

    On-Call: The assignment of an employee whose appointment is not a part of the labor budget or regular work schedule of a unit and the employee is scheduled to work only on an "as needed" or “on-call” basis.  

    Term Appointment: A benefits eligible appointment to a position whose term is more than 12 months but lasting not more than two years for the purpose of staffing new or existing programs for a limited duration. The term may not be extended beyond the original appointment period. President’s Staff approval is required.

    Work Schedule Options

    Flextime:

    Flextime is defined as a work schedule that permits flexible starting and quitting times within the limits set by management. The university supports flextime in situations that will benefit both the employee and the university. In many cases, it is expected that flexible work arrangements contribute to a higher level of employee satisfaction and productivity.

    An employee must outline in writing to their supervisor their request for a flexible work schedule. General policy guidelines are available in Human Resources.

    Job Sharing Policy:

    Job sharing is a work option that allows two individuals to share the work responsibilities of one full time position. It is expected that all job duties will be the responsibility of both individuals. A job sharing agreement must be entered into between the job sharing employees and the department head. The initial duration of the agreement should not exceed six months. Two individuals in an approved job sharing arrangement, each approved to work 20 hours per week, would both be benefit eligible. The full-time benefits would be split equally between the two individuals sharing the job. Policy guidelines are available in Human Resources.

    Telecommuting:

    Telecommuting is defined as a work arrangement that allows an employee to work at an off site location for part or all of their workweek, substituting telecommunications technology for the trip to and from campus. The university considers telecommuting to be a viable alternative work option for situations that are well suited to such an arrangement. Telecommuting can be an informal or formal arrangement. An informal telecommuting arrangement would be short-term and ad hoc in nature (i.e. working from home on a short-term project). A formal telecommuting arrangement would be long-term and would not be a temporary response to a specific project. Informal arrangements are made on a case-by-case basis at the departmental level. Formal telecommuting arrangements must be requested in writing and follow general policy guidelines for telecommuting. In a voluntary telecommuting arrangement, the employee is responsible for all equipment that may be necessary for work effectiveness (i.e. computer, fax machine, additional phone line). Policy guidelines are available in Human Resources.