University Closure Compensation FAQ's

Effect on Benefits

  1. We have a part-time (.5 FTE) benefits-eligible employee. If she elects to use Excused Unpaid Absence time (earnings code "A") for the days the University is closed, will this affect her eligibility for employee group insurance benefits?
  2. A benefits-eligible employee elects to use Excused Unpaid Absence time (earnings code "A") for the days the University is closed. Will this affect the accrual of paid leave benefits, i.e., sick leave and annual leave?

Combining Types of Compensation Options

  1. May an employee combine different compensation options to cover the University Closure period?

Compassionate Transfer of Leave (CTL)

  1. May an employee who is receiving CTL continue to use CTL during the University Closure period?
  2. Is an employee who is receiving CTL eligible to receive Holiday pay for the holidays immediately before and immediately after the University Closure period?
  3. May Family and Medical Leave (FML) be charged for the CTL during the University Closure period?

Compensatory Time

  1. When may a Non-Exempt employee work overtime to earn compensatory time to cover the unpaid University Closure days?
  2. May a Student employee earn compensatory time to cover the unpaid University Closure days?

Exceptions to University Closure

  1. If a building is open for an exception for another department, may our department make the decision to be open?
  2. Our department will observe the University Closure; however, we need two employees to continue to work to maintain activity on a project. What compensation options are available to these two employees?
  3. May an employee elect to decline to observe the University Closure and work on those days?

Family & Medical Leave

  1. I have an employee who is out on Family & Medical Leave. Does the University Closure count towards his/her FML usage?

FLSA Exemption Status

  1. How can an employee know if s/he is Exempt or Non-Exempt?

Holiday Pay

  1. What is considered an "approved paid status" for purposes of eligibility for the paid holidays that occur during the official University Closure?
  2. I have a full-time benefits eligible employee who is required to work his regular 8 hours on the day of the official University holiday, Christmas Eve Day (Friday December 24, 2004). How is he paid for the holiday?
  3. I have a part-time (.75 FTE) benefits eligible employee who works four 8-hour days each week. How many hours of holiday pay is s/he entitled to receive?

Vacation and Classified Staff on Initial Probation

  1. Is vacation leave an available compensation option for a Classified Staff employee who is on initial probation?

Paid Release Time

  1. Is a part-time Exempt employee eligible for Paid Release Time (earnings code "UC")?
  2. Is an employee employed for the Academic Year eligible for Paid Release Time (earnings code "UC")?

University Closure Policy and Payroll Procedures

  1. Where may I find the policy regarding the University Closure?
  2. Where may I find information on payroll processing for the University Closure period?

Retirement

  1. What happens if an employee's retirement is effective during the University Closure?

Sick Leave

  1. May an employee use sick leave during the University Closure period?










Effect on Benefits

1. We have a part-time (.5 FTE) benefits-eligible employee. If she elects to use Excused Unpaid Absence time (earnings code "A") for the days the University is closed, will this affect her eligibility for employee group insurance benefits?

Normally, if a benefits-eligible employee works less than 20 hours in a workweek, the reduction in hours jeopardizes the employee's eligibility for employee benefits. However, the employee's use of excused unpaid absence during the specifically identified days of official University Closure does not affect the employee's eligibility for employee benefits.




2. A benefits-eligible employee elects to use Excused Unpaid Absence time (earnings code "A") for the days the University is closed. Will this affect the accrual of paid leave benefits, i.e., sick leave and annual leave?

Sick leave and annual leave for benefits eligible employees are accrued based on the number of paid hours reported up to a maximum of 80 paid hours in a pay period. If the employee reports any excused unpaid absence in a pay period, then the accrual rates for sick leave and annual leave will be reduced proportionately.




Combining Types of Compensation Options

3. May an employee combine different compensation options to cover the University Closure period?

Yes. A supervisor may authorize any combination of available compensation options to cover the University Closure period. For example, a non-exempt employee could choose to use some accrued compensatory time hours, some accrued vacation hours and some excused unpaid absence hours during the University Closure period.




Compassionate Transfer of Leave (CTL)

4. May an employee who is receiving CTL continue to use CTL during the University Closure period?

Yes. An employee who is eligible for and receiving CTL may continue to use contributed CTL during the University Closure period. (CTL earnings code CTS)




5. Is an employee who is receiving CTL eligible to receive Holiday pay for the holidays immediately before and immediately after the University Closure period?

According to Classified Staff Human Resources Policy 203.0 and University Handbook for Appointed Personnel policy 8.01.02, University employees must work or be on an approved paid status on their last scheduled workday before and first scheduled workday after the holiday to qualify for holiday pay. At the annual University Closure, this means the employee must be on an approved paid status on both a) his/her last scheduled work day immediately before the Christmas Eve Holiday and b) his/her last scheduled work day immediately after the New Year's Holiday. An employee receiving CTL is in an "approved paid status", receiving pay from the University payroll system. (CTL earnings code HCS)




6. May Family and Medical Leave (FML) be charged for the CTL during the University Closure period?

The University Closure period does not count towards FML usage. The only exception is if the employee would normally have been scheduled to work during the University Closure period. (CTL earnings code FCS)




Compensatory Time

7. When may a Non-Exempt employee work overtime to earn compensatory time to cover the unpaid University Closure days?

A supervisor may authorize and schedule an employee to work overtime any time during the year, according to the unit's business needs. Full-time and part-time Non-Exempt Classified Staff employees may earn compensatory time, based on Classified Staff Human Resources Manual Policy 311.0, Fair Labor Standards Act and Overtime. Non-Exempt non-faculty Appointed Personnel may earn compensatory time subject to the University Handbook for Appointed Personnel Policy 2.22 Fair Labor Standards Act and Overtime Policy.




8. May a Student employee earn compensatory time to cover the unpaid University Closure days?

No. Any hours worked by Student employees must be paid in the same pay period in which they are earned.




Exceptions to University Closure

9. If a building is open for an exception for another department, may our department make the decision to be open?

Departments whose work requires that they remain open during the University Closure may make a request for a waiver from the Senior Vice President for Business Affairs.




10. Our department will observe the University Closure; however, we need two employees to continue to work to maintain activity on a project. What compensation options are available to these two employees?

Since these two employees will not observe the University Closure, they will be compensated as they would on any other scheduled workday.




11. May an employee elect to decline to observe the University Closure and work on those days?

The department's management establishes the work schedules for its employees, and an employee is not authorized to make an exception to the University Closure unless directed by his/her supervisor.




Family & Medical Leave

12. I have an employee who is out on Family & Medical Leave. Does the University Closure count towards his/her FML usage?

No. The University Closure period does not count towards FML usage. A supervisor may authorize any combination of the available University Closure Compensation options to cover the University Closure period.




FLSA Exemption Status

13. How can an employee know if s/he is Exempt or Non-Exempt?

Faculty: Always Exempt

Non-Faculty Appointed Personnel: Exempt unless his/her pay is below $455 per week. An employee whose pay is below $455 per week is always Non-Exempt.

Classified Staff: Classified Staff positions could be either Exempt or Non-Exempt.

  1. If the official University job description defines the job as Non-Exempt, then the employee is always Non-Exempt
  2. If the official University job description defines the job as Exempt, then the employee is Exempt UNLESS his/her pay is less than $455 per week.
  3. The departmental payroll representative can refer to screen 02 or 20 in PSOS to confirm the employee's exemption status.

Student Employees: All Student Group A, B, or C positions are Non-Exempt.

Graduate Student Employees: Not subject to the FLSA

Additional information on the FLSA exemption status of University employees is available at http://www.hr.arizona.edu/04_cb/comp/flsa/flsaResources.php




Holiday Pay

14. What is considered an "approved paid status" for purposes of eligibility for the paid holidays that occur during the official University Closure?

In order to be on an "approved paid status", employee must be receiving pay through the University payroll system based on regular work or approved paid leave. If the employee is not receiving any pay through the University payroll system, then the employee is not on an approved paid status.

According to Classified Staff Human Resources Policy 203.0 and University Handbook for Appointed Personnel policy 8.01.02, University employees must work or be on an approved paid status on their last scheduled workday before and first scheduled workday after the holiday to qualify for holiday pay. At the annual University Closure, this means the employee must be on an approved paid status on both a) his/her last scheduled work day immediately before the Christmas Eve Holiday and b) his/her last scheduled work day immediately after the New Year's Holiday. Example: A benefits-eligible employee typically works from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. In order to receive holiday pay for Christmas Eve Day (December 24, 2004), Christmas Day (December 25, 2004), and New Year's Day (December 31, 2004), the employee must be at work or on an approved paid status on Thursday December 23, 2004 and Monday January 3, 2005.




15. I have a full-time benefits eligible employee who is required to work his regular 8 hours on the day of the official University holiday, Christmas Eve Day (Friday December 24, 2004). How is he paid for the holiday?

Holiday pay always occurs in the pay cycle designated by the official University holiday schedule.

Non-Exempt: For the full-time benefits-eligible Non-Exempt employee who is required to work on the holiday, there are two options.

  1. Option 1: The employee is paid 8 hours of actual work and 8 hours of holiday pay for December 24, 2004.
  2. Option 2: The employee is paid 8 hours of actual work for December 24, 2004 AND the supervisor authorizes a different day in the same pay period as an alternative paid holiday, for example, December 23, 2004.

Exempt: For the benefits-eligible Exempt employee who is required to work on the holiday, the employee is paid regularly for work performed December 24, 2004, AND the supervisor authorizes a different day in the same pay period as an alternative paid holiday, for example, December 20, 2004.




16. I have a part-time (.75 FTE) benefits eligible employee who works four 8-hour days each week. How many hours of holiday pay is s/he entitled to receive?

Part-time benefits eligible employees are entitled to a pro-rated amount of holiday pay, based on the current FTE, not on the number of hours normally worked in a day. To calculate pay for this employee, multiply 8 hours by the employee's FTE.

Example: 8 hours (holiday for full-time) x .75 (FTE) = 6.0 hours of holiday pay.




Vacation and Classified Staff on Initial Probation

17. Is vacation leave an available compensation option for a Classified Staff employee who is on initial probation?

As stated in the University Closure Compensation policy http://policy.web.arizona.edu/closure , supervisors are authorized to grant an exception to the Classified Vacation Policy http://www.hr.arizona.edu/09_rel/policies/pp200.php for Classified Staff on initial probation. If the employee does not successfully complete the initial probation period, any paid vacation time will be recovered from the final paycheck.




Paid Release Time

18. Is a part-time Exempt employee eligible for Paid Release Time (earnings code "UC")?

A supervisor may authorize Paid Release Time for a benefits-eligible Exempt employee who has routinely worked more than his/her scheduled FTE or has worked excessive hours for specific periods of time throughout the year, with no concurrent additional compensation. Paid Release Time is not assessed on an hour-for-hour basis, but on the overall extra effort.

However, if the FTE for the part-time employee has been increased concurrently with the employee's additional effort, then the employee has already been compensated for the additional effort, and the use of Paid Release Time during the University Closure would be inappropriate.




19. Is an employee employed for the Academic Year eligible for Paid Release Time (earnings code "UC")?

The fall 2004 academic contract begins August 2, 2004 and ends January 2, 2005. An employee with an Academic Appointment receives the regular amount of pay (as defined by the Notice of Appointment) for each pay period during the Appointment. The rate of pay is unrelated to any additional effort outside of the Notice Of Appointment and is not subject to reduction because of the University Closure. These employees are not scheduled to work during the academic break, so their regular pay is not affected by the University Closure procedures. This applies to any Academic Appointment, including Faculty, Academic Professionals, Service Professionals, and Graduate Assistants/Associates. (NOTE: We have a few professionals and even one classified staff employed on academic year basis.)




University Closure Policy and Payroll Procedures

20. Where may I find the policy regarding the University Closure?

The University Closure Compensation Policy is available at http://policy.web.arizona.edu/closure; specific dates for the University Closure are published at http://www.hr.arizona.edu/04_cb/comp/holiday/hol_closure_memo.php.




21. Where may I find information on payroll processing for the University Closure period?

The payroll processing calendars are located at http://www.fso.arizona.edu/fso/payroll/calendars/04_05fycal.htm. You may contact FSO Customer Service at fso_operations@arizona.edu or 621-9097.




Retirement

22. What happens if an employee's retirement is effective during the University Closure?

Employees whose official retirement (receiving an annuity) is effective during the University Closure receive holiday pay for any holidays on or before their termination effective date providing they were in an approved paid status on their last scheduled work day before the University Closure.




Sick Leave

23. May an employee use sick leave during the University Closure period?

If the employee is not scheduled to work during the University Closure, then sick leave is not a compensation option. If the employee is scheduled to work, and is unable to work due to illness or injury, then the department's normal sick leave authorization process applies.
December 23, 2004