| Coalition of University Employees (CUE) | 2855 Telegraph Ave., Suite #302, Berkeley, CA 94705 Contact CUE (510) 845-2221 (phone), (510) 845-7444 (FAX) |
Question: What will casual appointments be called now? How will they be different from before?
Answer: From Jan. 1, 2001, the term "casual" will be changed to "limited appointment" and UC agrees that these will actually be short-term employees, in contrast to the current situation where some "casual" employees actually worked for many years in the same position.
Answer: These appointments will now be called "floater" appointments. More information about "floater" appointments is below.
Question: Which employees are eligible to convert from casual to career?
Answer: There are four ways an employee can convert to a career appointment. Two are "look backs" at hours worked as a casual before Jan. 1, 2001. Two ways are "looking forward": one for "limited appointments" and one for "floaters" for hours worked from Jan. 1, 2001 and after.
Summary of "look back" conversion programs for employees in Limited Appointments as of 1/1/01, who were "casual" employees in the past:
| "Look back #1" | "Look back #2" | |
|---|---|---|
| method of converting | Local HR offices will calculate hours worked to determine eligibility. | Employees come forward and indicate they believe they are eligible to convert, and HR will calculate hours worked. |
| date of hire | 12/1/99 or after | no requirement |
| time period reviewed | 12/1/99-12/31/2000 (13 mo.) | 1/1/98 - 1/1/2001 (three years) |
| requirements | 1000 hours on pay status AND 50% on pay status for five consecutive months during the period. | 1000 hours on pay status during any consecutive 13 months within time period without a break in service of more than 120 calendar days. |
| effective date of conversion | January 1, 2001 | First day of the month after employee submits request to be converted, if eligible. |
| Completion date for program | June 1, 2001 | Employees must request to be converted by 12/31/01, and HR will complete process within 6 months. |
Answer: Time worked means all time on pay status, including sick leave, extended sick leave, vacations, comp time off, administrative leave with pay, and holidays. Overtime, on-call hours, shift differential, and hours worked as a temp pool employee do not count toward meeting the 1,000 hours needed for conversion to career status.
Answer: No. On January 1, 2001, the "clock" was set to zero, and a new "rolling 12-month period" begins, and only those hours on pay status in one or more limited appointments going forward will be counted for determining career status.
Question: Do I have serve a probation period after I convert to career?
Answer: If you worked as a casual employee in the same position with the same supervisor, and get converted to career, you receive 1,000 hours credit towards your probation with the result that your probation may be reduced from six months to one week, from the date of conversion. If, at the time you convert to a career position with substantially similar duties (but not in the same department, with the same supervisor) your probation is reduced to three months. If you are not performing substantially similar job duties, you will have a regular six-month probation period.
Question: Are Temp Pool employees eligible to convert to career through the "look back" program?
Answer: No, Temporary Pool Employees are not eligible for the "look back" conversion program, and time spent in Temp Pool appointments does not count towards conversion.
Answer: Beginning January 1, Temp Pool employees will hold "floater" positions. After 18 months, the appointment will automatically terminate. If the employment continues, however, employees will automatically convert to career status if they work 18 months in a row, no matter how many hours they work each of those months.
Answer: If your campus has a Temporary Pool, and your home department was Human Resources, you were a Temporary Employee. If you were hired directly by the department, and your home department was the one in which you worked, you are a casual employee.
Answer: This agreement only applies to Temporary Employees who are paid directly by the University.
Answer: No.
Answer: Any floater employee who is has a three month full time appointment will be eligible for UC paid CORE (major medical) coverage. If an employee is assigned to a particular job for a shorter period, and the assignment is extended past three months, at the three month mark, benefits will be provided.
Question: What applies to retirees?
Answer: Retirees who come back to work as Floaters or Limited Term employees can elect to not pay into the retirement fund. This will enable them to continue to receive their monthly retirement payments.
Question: Am I eligible to get retirement service credit for the years I was working as a casual?
Answer: CUE has been told by UCRS that the opportunity to apply for past retirement service credit will be available. Please check the UC Bencom website periodically to see if guidelines are available.
Note: The hours count for UCRP is not the same as the hours count for conversion to career status.
Question: What is the effective date of UCRP membership for an employee who reaches the 1,000-hour threshold for eligibility?
Answer: For employees paid on a monthly cycle, the effective date will be the first of the following month. For employees paid on a biweekly cycle, UCRP membership may start earlier. The earliest date possible to become a member of the retirement system is July 1, 2001.
Answer: No. Eligibility for UCRP membership is based on a rolling 12-month total, meaning that the oldest month in the count drops off as a new month is added. An employee is eligible after attaining 1,000 hours on pay status during any 12 month period.
Question: If I convert to career status but am not on pay status for at least 1,000 hours in the next 12 months, do I maintain my career status?
Answer: Yes. Once you have converted to career status, there is no minimum number of hours on pay status required to maintain that.
Answer: 17.5 hours/week
Question: What if my limited term appointment ends and I am told to reapply through the temp pool to continue to do the same work in the department?
Answer: Contact your union representative right away, because this violates the intent of the agreement between CUE and UC.