Types of Appointment
A. REFERENCES
PPSM 2 - Definition of Terms
PPSM 3 - Types of Appointment
PPSM 20 - Recruitment
PPSM 20.C- Waiver of Recruitment
PPSM 21 - Appointment
PPSM 30 - Salary
PPSM 36 - Classification of Positions
B. APPOINTMENT TYPES
1. Definitions. The following is a complete list of the appointment types available to staff. For all positions except limited appointments, approval of the job description by Human Resources is required before departments can make an offer of employment.
a. Career Position. A career position is a position established at a fixed or variable percentage of time at 50% or more of full-time, which is expected to continue for a year or longer. In addition, a career position can be a position originally designated as a limited position but held by the same incumbent for 13 consecutive months at 50% or more full-time.
b. Contract Position. A contract position is a position established at a fixed or variable percentage of time for a definite period. Terms and conditions of employment are specified in a written employment contract.
c. Limited Appointment. A limited appointment is a position established at any percentage of time, fixed or variable, during which the appointee is expected to be on paystatus for less than 1000 hours in a 12-month period.
d. Casual/Restricted. A casual/restricted position is reserved for a regular student of the University of California regardless of the percent of full-time or the duration of the appointment. A student is defined for these purposes as being enrolled and having paid their fees.
2. Use of Appointment Types (Career)
a. Administrative Transfers. Administrative transfers may be used to fill a temporary staffing vacancy or solve a unique staffing problem. Acting positions are a sub-type of administrative transfer in which the employee may assume higher, lower or lateral level duties for a defined but limited period of time. Employees in acting positions are appointed via temporary reclassification. Employees in acting positions who assume at least 50% higher level duties may receive a salary increase (see local policy 30B.6.a.1/Upward Reclassification-Temporary). Employees with lateral level duties may receive an increase if the additional duties are significantly different from their normal duties. If duties are at a lower level, employees may be paid at their current rate.
1. Acting Appointments. Acting appointments are not meant to be closely supervised or monitored. They are of one year's maximum duration with the possibility of a one year extension upon review and approval by Human Resources. In no case may an acting appointment go beyond two years. For equal opportunity reasons, recruitment will be required prior to the appointment's becoming permanent. Since acting appointments are interim by nature, the employee's career position should not be permanently filled during his/her absence.
A classification request shall be submitted to Human Resources for appropriate classification of the acting duties.
a. Internships. Internships are considered a type of acting appointment in which employees transfer to a different position at the same level or above and receive close mentoring as part of their work assignment. Internships are governed by the same rules as those governing acting positions (see above).
b. Lateral Transfers and Demotions. Administrative transfers apart from "acting appointments" may be of two types; (1) a lateral transfer where new duties are at the same level, or, (2) a demotion where duties are at a lower level. These appointments differ from ordinary transfers and demotions because they occur at management discretion. Recruitment is not normally conducted. If the budgetary provision (FTE) follows the employee to the new assignment, then recruitment is automatically waived (see PPSM 20.B.2). If the provision does not follow the employee, the department head receiving the transfer should request a waiver of recruitment from Human Resources.
When management is considering such a change, a classification request shall be submitted to Human Resources for a classification decision. If the transfer results in a demotion, the employee will normally be paid within the range of the new classification level. Lateral transfers are paid according to Local Policy 30.B.6.f, Lateral Transfer.
3. Use of Appointment Types (Contract).
a. Terms and Conditions of Employment. The terms and conditions of employment, including compensation and duration of employment, are limited to those written in the employment contract. A contract terminates automatically upon the expiration date of the contract, unless, prior to the expiration date, the appointment is ended or extended and the contract is amended or renewed in writing. The amount of time of all appointments, whether on contract or not, cannot exceed 100%.
Persons appointed to contract positions may be terminated during the life of the contract when, in management's judgment, the needs or resources of a department or the performance or conduct of an employee do not justify the continuation of an employee's appointment.
b. Eligibility. A contract appointment may only be established under the following conditions:
The position has special salary requirements or unique occupational terms and conditions of employment which, by industry standards, is typically covered by an employment contract. Examples of these are physicians, development officers and coaches. Although these contracts may be renewed annually, the position is expected to be of indefinite duration.
OR
2. The position is normally associated with projects that have a specific ending date. An employment contract for a term appointment is normally of one year's duration and may be extended beyond one year to a maximum of three years. Re-appointment in a contract position beyond that date is not permitted.
c. Employee Rights and Benefits.
1. The terms and conditions of employment for a contract position shall be only those specified in the employment contract.
2. Eligibility for University Benefits programs and the University of California Retirement Plan are determined by the Standing Orders of the Regents and the Group Insurance Regulations.
d. Salary. Once the classification level of the contract position has been determined by the Compensation unit, the salary for the entire term of the contract is negotiated by the department head and the employee before the appointment commences. The salary amount cannot exceed the range maximum for the assigned classification title and must be equal to or greater than the minimum rate for --Assistant I/Supervisor (title code 4728). Conditions for variable compensation can be stipulated in the contract. When the contract terminates or is amended through renegotiation during its current term, the salary and other provisions can be altered.
e. Responsibilities and Procedures.
1. The department head and Human Resources collaboratively designate contract positions, decide whether or not recruitment is applicable and establish the terms and conditions of employment, including salary. Recruitment for contract positions is normally emphasized unless for reasons of compelling business necessity, the recruitment should be waived (see PPSM 20.C and Local Policy 20.B.3, Waiver of Recruitment).
Recruitment is not applicable for a contract appointment when the position meets the definition of "industry standard". In such cases, local policy on Waivers of Recruitment (20.B.3) does not apply.
2. The department head is responsible for assuring that the contract employee possesses all the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the duties of the position.
3. The written contract is prepared by the department, signed by all appropriate parties and reviewed by Human Resources. Models of employment contracts can be obtained from Human Resources.
4. The contract is not effective until the appointee has completed all University paperwork necessary to become a University contract employee, including the State Oath of Allegiance, Patent Agreement, Job Description, etc. The contract is not in effect until it is signed off by the head of the department and the employee.
5. The department is responsible for identifying funding sources for all payments to an employee under contract.
4. Use of Appointment Types (Limited).
a. Recruitment. Ordinarily limited appointment positions are not subject to standard recruitment procedures unless the position is later converted to career status. In that case an open recruitment will be conducted when the appointee has reached 650 hours. If the department head anticipates that the limited appointment position will become career, he/she is encouraged to openly recruit before the appointment begins. Limited Appointment positions should have recruitments completed prior to the end of the 1000 hour appointment period.
Annually, the Director of Human Resources and the Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services will review all positions (contract, limited appointment-to-career and career) which were filled without benefit of open recruitment to assure that the number of open recruitment waivers were justified within university policy.
5. Appointment Conversions. When the maximum length of appointment has been reached in any of the appointment types in the left hand column, department heads should consider the following appointment conversions. Qualifications are listed in parentheses.
| When appt. max is reached on: | Convert to: |
|---|---|
| Limited Appointment | Career (with recruitment*) Contract (with recruitment) Indefinite Limited Appointment(<50%) |
| Acting Appointment | Career (with recruitment*) Contract (with recruitment) |
| Contract | Career (with recruitment*) Limited Appointment |
* In these cases recruitment should be conducted either prior to the initial appointment or after 650 hours.
Applicability: All Staff Members