HR Policies HR Policies Glossary

Professional and administrative personnel with 1) Duties that are exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); and 2) Perform work that is primarily associated with higher education institutions or their administration.

The amount of sick leave, vacation, vacation carryover, personal holiday, legal holiday and banked leave an employee has earned based on the number of hours in pay status.

A leadership role such as dean or associate dean that falls into the employee category of Limited. A Limited appointee serves at the discretion of the appointing authority.

Job seeker who has applied for the vacancy.

The action of an appointing authority to place a person in a position within the agency in accordance with the law and the Rules of the Administrator, Division of Merit Recruitment and Selection (DMRS). An appointment is effective when the employee reports for work or is in paid leave status on the agreed starting date and time.

A salary increase (may be temporary or permanent).

University Staff titles that are in pay schedule 03 (e.g., custodian, food service assistant, food retail/catering leader and food production assistant) and in multiple-shift environments (e.g., first shift, second shift and third shift).

The reallocation or termination of resources by a university management decision that may result in staffing reductions in a program or operational area.

Applicant who has been deemed minimally qualified for the vacancy.

Process in which OHR helps divisions manage the recruitment, assessment and selection of high-volume and continuously recruited positions (e.g., custodial positions).

The chief executive of UW–Madison.

110% of the Federal poverty rate for a family of four.

A hiring process that incorporates merit selection principles including objective criteria to evaluate job applicants and make hiring decisions.

Paid time off the job which is earned and accrued by an employee instead of immediate cash payment for overtime. Compensatory time may be used instead of vacation balance.

When a temporary employee works two or more TE appointments at the same time.

When a temporary employee works two or more TE appointments back-to-back.

Employment in a leave-earning position within the University of Wisconsin System or the State of Wisconsin that has not experienced a break in service longer than the reinstatement period for the applicable employment category. Continuous employment will be counted in determining an employee’s length of continuous service.

All the time in a position with a State of Wisconsin agency as defined in Wis. Admin. Code § ER 18.01(3) or with the UW System in a position with an expectation for continued service, adjusted for any breaks in service. Continuous service at the University of Wisconsin System does not include time served in positions that are ineligible for leave per UW–Madison Campus-wide Operational Policy: Sick Leave.

A UW–Madison employee who is a skilled journeyman Crafts Worker, including apprentices and helpers. The classification does not include employees who are not in direct line of progression in the craft.

Position that supervises Crafts Workers.

The amount of service an employee is granted under the Wisconsin Retirement System based on the number of hours worked in a year and the employee’s WRS employment category.

A UW–Madison college, school or equivalent organizational unit.

All employees of UW–Madison (including University Staff). Prior to July 1 2015, classified employees were under the provisions of Wis. Stat. Chapter 230 and were still limited to the $12,000 statutory cap.

Staff who are not subject to the overtime pay or compensatory time off provisions of federal and state wage laws.

An approved salary range that is greater than the assigned range for the title. An ESR is associated with one of the following 1) An incumbent position, 2) A title (e.g., clinical anesthetist), or 3) A portion of a title series (e.g., nurse practitioners, within the clinical nurse specialist series).

A federal law that establishes labor standards for public and private sector employees. It is enforced by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor.

A person who is responsible for ensuring the recruitment, assessment and selection process for a particular vacancy is completed in accordance with established policies. A supervisor, unit human resource (HR) representative, or designee may serve as the hiring administrator and delegate different aspects of the search process. The hiring administrator continues to be responsible for the process, regardless of delegation.

The supervisor for a particular vacancy who has the authority to make the final hiring decision. The hiring manager works closely with the hiring administrator to complete all aspects of the search process in accordance with established policies.

All time during which an employee is required or permitted to work, or to wait for work, when the employee is unable to use the working or waiting time effectively for his or her own purpose.

Includes an employee's spouse, parents and children; an employee's and employee's spouse's immediate family members, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters and their spouses; children over the age of 18 and their spouses; and any other relative who resides in the same household as the employee.

Standard recruitment process that requires that applicants be currently employed at UW–Madison.

The termination of service of a permanent employee based on a lack of funding, an organizational change, or a shortage of work.

A group of employees in a single title from which the layoff will be made. The layoff group will generally include all employees in a particular operational area that are in similar, although not necessarily identical, titles, pay ranges and/or functions.

The period starting with the effective date of the layoff and ending with the revocation of the employee’s mandatory placement rights or upon reemployment at UW–Madison.

When an employee’s doctor or treating specialist has identified work restrictions, the university may offer the employee light or modified duty work. Light or modified duty work is defined as less physically demanding duties until the employee has reached end of healing, or is able to return to their previous position with or without restrictions

A one-time payment to an employee that does not increase the employee's salary.

The comparison that employers use for UW–Madison job salaries (may be local, regional, national, or international depending on the job).

Staff eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time off according to federal and state law.

Staff eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time off according to federal and state law.

An employee who is responsible for supervising two or more FTEs but is not exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, as indicated in the employee’s position description.

Work that is infrequent, irregular or occurring in scattered instances, even when it recurs seasonally. However, work that recurs every other week is not occasional or sporadic.

Integrating and acculturating new employees into the university and providing them with the tools, resources, and knowledge to become successful and productive. Onboarding engages employees beginning with the acceptance of the job offer, and continues through the entire first year of employment.

An area of focus or function in a college, school or division, department or office. An operational area will generally be a subset of a college, school or division, department or office, and need not include the whole unit.

A component of onboarding that introduces a new hire to her/his new employment and environment. Orientation is a short-term activity or series of activities that typically takes place in the first week of employment.

A position less than 1.0 FTE which is regularly scheduled to work less than 40 hours over a one week period, or less than 80 hours over a two week period.

The rights and privileges attained upon successful completion of an original probationary period or career-executive trial period required upon an appointment to a permanent position.

Specific duties and responsibilities of a job.

The employee’s regular rate times 1.5.

The amount paid by other employers in the labor market for similar work. The rate is established by the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.

A document created by division HR in collaboration with division leadership, and approved by OHR which provides overall guidelines for recruitment, assessment and selection. It outlines the division’s expectations of specific steps, processes and requirements for recruitment, assessment and selection and identifies plans and procedures to increase diversity.

When a temporary employee continues in the same position each year.

The average hourly rate actually paid to the employee as straight time pay for all hours worked in the workweek or work period, including all remuneration for employment paid to, or on behalf of, the employee. An exception is any payment specifically excluded from the calculation of the regular rate under the FLSA and related federal regulations.

Position that supervises Crafts Workers.

A title in the same title series.

Merit-based process used to fill most vacancies. This process allows UW–Madison the flexibility to target specific skill sets as well as a diverse pool of qualified candidates. The process is open to all qualified candidates and does not require that applicants be employed at UW–Madison.

All time employed by the State of Wisconsin in either the Unclassified, Classified or University staff service in a permanent capacity, adjusted for breaks in service, shall be counted in determining an employee’s length of continuous service. This excludes time served as a Limited Term or Project Employee.

An at-will position with no expectation of continued employment, capped at 1,044 hours worked in 26 consecutive bi-weekly payroll periods, nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and lasting one year or less (based on the start date of the appointment).

An employee serving a temporary appointment.

All time employed by UW–Madison in either the Unclassified, Classified or University Staff service in a permanent capacity, adjusted for breaks in service, shall be counted in determining an employee’s length of continuous service. This excludes time served as a temporary or project employee.