Guidelines for HR Reps/Supervisors >>
Rehires
When an individual is rehired at The University of Iowa, their classification, length of employment, reason for termination and the time passed between termination and rehire determine their benefit status and seniority date. The following are guidelines to be used in determining their status. |
Benefits
If an individual terminates and is rehired in the same calendar month:
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There will be no change to their benefits. This includes all medical, life and long-term disability insurances, as well as retirement plan contributions, vacation and sick leave accrual.
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The new appointment must be on the Payroll system before the payroll cutoff at the end of the month for this process to function with no effect on the employee.
If a new appointment is processed after the end of the month, but is retroactive to the month of the termination:
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Benefits will end the last day of the month in which the termination occurs.
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Vacation time will be paid out and accumulated sick leave will be forfeited.
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Although benefits ended due to the termination, once the new appointment is entered on the system, they will be automatically restored as of the first of the month following the date they ended, as follows:
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Medical, life and LTD insurances will be restored with no break in coverage.
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The sick leave balance will be restored by Payroll. The department should contact Payroll either by phone or e-mail.
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Vacation time will not be restored if it was paid out. The employee may buy back their vacation time by returning the payments to the Payroll Office if repaid within the same tax year. This can be done either partially or entirely.
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If this is a Merit position and the rehire is classified as a reinstatement, then the sick leave must start over at zero and vacation accruals start over at 8 hours per month.
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If the break between termination and rehire is in different calendar months without a retroactive rehire to the month of termination, benefits will end on the last day of the month of the termination, with the exception of retirement plan contributions which will continue on any paycheck with salary.
A break in service requiring a new retirement plan election only occurs if a payroll cycle has occurred with no University Plan contributions.
Faculty, P&S and Merit Exempt Staff:
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All health, dental, life insurance and LTD benefits will begin on the first of the month following the date of the new appointment.
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Exceptions:
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P&S non-bargaining staff who terminates and is rehired within thirty calendar days will retain their original benefits service date for vacation and sick leave accruals, and will retain their previous accruals. If vacation has been paid out, vacation and sick leave accruals can only be restored, if the employee has returned the vacation payment.
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P&S non-bargaining staff with Career, At-Will, and Specified Term Status, who are terminated due to furlough and who return to a P&S position within twelve months from their termination will be eligible for the following: reinstatement of sick leave; an option to purchase vacation leave that was paid out out the time of termination; adjustment of the company seniority date; when applicable, reinstatement of the original Career Status/Term date (except as provided for below under Service/Seniority Dates); benefit eligibility date back to the date that was in effect at the time of termination; a request for reinstatement of priority for parking; athletic tickets; and any other benefits that the employee have at the time of termination.
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Staff covered under the SEIU agreement who return to employment within one year will accrue vacation at the rate they were accruing it at the time of termination.
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Merit Staff:
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Benefits will begin on the first of the month following a thirty-day waiting period; unless the hire date is the first working day of the month then benefits will start on the first of the next month.
Requests for exceptions regarding restoring the original benefit date must be made to the Benefits Office, and for sick leave to the Payroll Office.
Service/Seniority Dates
Service Date for Staff Not Covered by Contract
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P&S employees who are rehired after thirty calendar days will have the date of the new appointment as their service date.
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P&S Career Status employees rehired following a furlough will retain career status and their original career status date if reappointed to the same classification during the furlough period, unless the duties of the new position are substantially different, in which case the employee may be required to serve a one-year probationary period. If the employee successfully completes the probationary period, the original career status date will be retained.
If the furloughed staff member is reappointed to a different classification in the same or a lower pay level or in the same job family, the staff member ordinarily will be reappointed with career status and retain the original career status date, unless the duties of the new position are substantially different, in which case the employee may be required to serve a probationary period of no more than one year before returning to career status and a new career status date. If the employee satisfactorily completes the probation period for the new position, the Vice President for Human Resources, based upon the written request of the appointing department, may approve retention of the original career status date.
Seniority Date for Staff Covered by Contract
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Merit Staff
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Seniority means an employee's length of continuous service with the employer in a permanent position since his/her date of hire. Any length of service in a temporary position will be included in the computation of seniority if the employment was in the same classification as and contiguous to the appointment to a permanent position and within the same fiscal year as the permanent position.
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Resignation, discharge, or retirement breaks seniority. For example, if an employee voluntarily resigns and returns through reinstatement, they will receive a new seniority date.
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Employees who are laid off will retain their original seniority date if they are recalled to another position within two years of the layoff.
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If an employee terminates following a one-year leave of absence, seniority is maintained for one year following the termination. A period of unpaid leave of absence prior to termination is counted toward the two-year period before seniority is broken.
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Employees who are recalled upon recovery from long-term disability do not retain their seniority date if their return to employment is after a two-year period of absence.
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SEIU Staff
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Employees who terminate after 7/1/99 and return to employment within one year of separation will receive credit for previous seniority, but will not receive seniority credit for the period of separation.
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If an employee is laid off, seniority is broken only after the end of the recall eligibility.
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Exceptions in the case of an employee covered under a bargaining agreement must be approved by the Director of University Employee and Labor Relations.
Staff Hired from Other State Agencies
Staff hired from another state agency will retain their original hire date if there is verification of University employment at time of termination. Seniority date for merit staff will remain unchanged provided the individual completes the last regularly assigned work period with the state agency and begins permanent University employment at the beginning of the next regularly scheduled work period. Staff covered under SEIU contract will receive a new seniority date, for contract purposes, based on the University hire date. Consideration is given for a break in service as a result of relocation. A letter should be sent to the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, Director of University Benefits and Payroll, from the Human Resource department of the previous employer indicating the seniority date at the time of termination, along with any vacation or sick leave balance that the individual wishes to transfer from their other agency. The employee can opt to either be paid out for vacation by the prior employer or transfer it to the University. Sick leave balances will always be transferred.