Four Human Resources policies have been updated, and the changes are effective May 1, 2015. Summaries of the changes are included below, and the revised HR policies are available on the policy website.
HR0338 Family and Medical Leave
Revisions were made to:
- Include the needs of military families as leave-qualifying events, per federal Military Family Leave amendments
- Explain the process for notifying the University of the need for leave
- Specify that paid leave must first be exhausted before an employee can go on unpaid leave, with the exception of up to five days or 40 hours of sick leave
Revisions were made to:
- Explain the difference between reductions in force and the elimination of externally-funded positions and the procedures to be followed for each
- Include documented histories of poor performance or disciplinary action as factors to be considered when making decisions
- Specify that departments must consult with HR before reducing the hours of one or more employees, regardless of the source of funding, to ensure compliance with policies and discuss potential effects on benefits
Documented histories of poor performance or disciplinary action may now be taken into account when making decisions about offering reinstatement to former staff employees affected by a reduction in force.
In addition to earning their usual rate of pay for hours actually spent serving on and traveling to and from jury duty, employees may now keep money earned for their service. Exceptions apply when employees are party to litigation that doesn’t involve UT and in some cases of expert witness testimony.
HR policies are reviewed periodically by a statewide board of faculty and staff. Revisions are necessary for many reasons, including legal compliance, business needs, industry best practices and employee feedback. All revisions are approved by campus and institute leaders and by the president and members of his staff.