Employment Categories

All newly hired regular employees (office/service and managerial/professional) must serve a six-month original probationary period. The probationary period is an extension of the selection process and is used to determine an employee's suitability for employment at the university.

The department may dismiss an employee at any time during the original probationary period with written notice given on or before the dismissal date.

Unless there is a break in employment, employees serve only one original probationary period. Transfer employees whose performance is unsatisfactory undergo the regular counseling procedure and are entitled to appeal through the grievance process.

Original probationary employees have no grievance rights. However, employees on original probation who believe their legal rights with respect to employment have been violated by a dismissal action may appeal through Human Resources. Employees raising issues of discrimination and/or sexual harassment may also seek assistance through the Office of Diversity & Inclusion or the Office of Institutional Equity & Compliance.

Six-Month Employee Evaluations

When an employee's original probationary period draws to a close, a performance evaluation should be completed.

If a performance evaluation report is not completed and signed by the date marking the end of the first six months of service, the employee automatically becomes a regular employee of the university.

Transfer While Serving Probationary Period

Employees are eligible to apply for positions outside the department after completion of the original six-month probationary period. When circumstances warrant, Human Resources may work with the employee and the department to enable the employee to apply for other positions before the six-month probationary period is completed. If the employee is appointed to another position, the original probationary period will begin anew.

An employee in the six-month original probationary period may be appointed to a different position within the same department, and probation will not begin anew.

Extension of the Probationary Period

With approval of Human Resources, the original probationary period may be extended to a total period of nine months from date of hire. When formal training, certification, or licensure required for the job is not available to the employee within the original probationary period, probation may be extended up to a total of twelve months.

To extend probation:

• Prepare an evaluation, specifying areas in which employee performance is deficient or other circumstances to warrant extension of the probationary period.
• Submit the performance evaluation and/or reasons for the extension request to Human Resources.
• NOTE: Inform the employee prior to the end of the six-month probationary period that probation is to be extended. Employees not so notified prior to the six-month date will automatically become regular employees.

Resources: 

See the Probationary Period policy in the University of Nebraska Administration Human Resources Handbook for Policies.

Regular Position means a position which is normally expected to continue on an on-going basis. A regular employee has completed the required original probationary period (may be part-time or full-time).

Full Time Equivalent means the fractional amount of time that the duties and responsibilities of a position are to be performed by an employee at a rate not to exceed the full time equivalency specified for the position. 1.00 F.T.E. is considered full-time and normally corresponds to a workload of 2,080 hours per year; however, a lower number of hours per year may be considered full-time (for purposes of eligibility and financial support for tuition remission and insured benefits) for certain occupations, and/or based on the requirements of specific operational units. Such exceptions must be approved by the Vice President of Business and Finance and the Council of Business Officers upon the recommendation of University Administration and Campus Human Resource Directors.

Office/Service staff shall include all personnel who are employed to perform work that by custom in business, industry, and other institutions of higher education is managed on an hourly basis, with such work compensated according to hours worked or earned, including clerical and office employees, technical/trades employees, general service workers, and other personnel paid on an hourly basis. These positions generally fall in the Assistant and Associate Zones for each Job Family.

Managerial/Professional staff shall include all personnel who are employed to perform duties and responsibilities that are general in scope and who possess the education, talent, skills, abilities, and professional license/certification such that the positions they occupy are considered by custom in business, industry, and other institutions of higher education as executive, administrative, or professional in nature. These positions generally fall in the Specialist and Senior Zones for each Job Family.

On-call employees are appointed to work at peak activity periods and may work up to 693 work hours per fiscal year.

On-call employees are not eligible for any leave with pay or any other university benefits.

On-call employees may be dismissed at any time without prior notice or grievance rights. On-call employees who believe their legal rights with respect to employment have been violated may appeal their dismissal to Human Resources.

Persons dismissed from any University of Nebraska are not eligible for rehire without prior approval of Human Resources. Persons leaving the university while under corrective action or those whose performance is documented as below satisfactory may not be eligible for rehire. Questions relative to an applicant's eligibility for rehire should be directed to Human Resources.

1. Job Description. A written job description is advised but not required. Units may keep a written job description within their unit, but it is not housed in PeopleAdmin. Student Employee Wages information.
2. Posting. Posting a student job is not required. Please contact Career Services (careerservices@unl.edu) if you'd like to post a position on their platform.
3. Review applicants. The Hiring Manager is responsible for review applicants and hiring the most qualified applicant. No search committee is required, nor short list approval.
4. Interviewing. An interview process is not required, but if interviews are conducted, interview guidelines must be followed.
5. Reference Check is advised but not required.
6. Verbal/Written Offer. Some student positions have pre-placement requirements. When applicable, Criminal History Background Check or Pre-Placement Physicals must be completed and details arranged with the Human Resources Office at 402-472-3101. Offers for employment may be made contingent upon those requirements. An offer letter should be given to the student. Templates are located in SAPPHIRE: UNL > Payroll and Human Resources > Hiring Resources > Letters of Offer.
7. Finalize the process. When the offer is accepted, all other applicants should be informed that the position has been filled. The hiring unit is responsible for notifying the unsuccessful candidates. 

While departments need not follow formal recruitment and hiring procedures to fill temporary vacancies, departments must coordinate with Human Resources to establish the appropriate salary grade and hiring rate.

The Human Resources office can assist departments in securing qualified applicants.

Human Resources, working with the hiring department, will determine the appropriate classification and salary grade for temporary office/service employees and sets the salary rate for temporary managerial/professional employees. Salary offers must have prior approval from Human Resources.

Temporary employees may be appointed to regular positions on a competitive basis only after positions are advertised, giving others opportunity to apply. Temporary employees use the regular application process.

Departments may choose to use a competitive search process to hire a temporary employee, thus making it possible to grant the employee regular status at a later time.

Temporary employees may be separated at any time without prior notice or grievance rights. Temporary employees who believe their legal rights with respect to employment have been violated may appeal their dismissal to Human Resources.

When temporary employees leave the university, they may be eligible for unemployment benefits as determined by the Nebraska Department of Labor. Questions about departmental obligation regarding unemployment benefits should be directed to the Benefits Office, 402-472-2600.

Temporary employees may be appointed for a period of up to two years. Those appointed for more than six months are eligible for benefits (except for tuition remission, administrative leave, funeral leave, holiday pay or University contributions to retirement) from the beginning of the appointment, provided the position is half-time or greater. Those appointed for six months or less are not eligible for benefits. An employee who is reappointed after the first six months of a temporary appointment is eligible for benefits. If the second appointment is in another university position, and if it occurs within the same calendar month in which the separation occurs, the employee is eligible for benefits.

Regular employees who are appointed to a temporary position, either through a transfer or a reappointment in the same department, retain their eligibility for benefits received by temporary employees whose appointments are greater than 6 months, provided they are reappointed within the same calendar month.

Departments are responsible for notifying temporary employees when they become eligible for insurance benefits.

Employees will not be granted temporary appointments in the same department for more than two years, but they are eligible for reappointment after a three-month break in employment. Under the same provisions, employees may be appointed to subsequent temporary appointments in different departments.

Benefits for eligible temporary employees include the following: health and life insurance, sick and vacation leave, injury leave, civil leave, and military leave. Temporary employees are not eligible for tuition remission, administrative leave, holiday pay, funeral leave, or university contributions to retirement.

Temporary employment may be included as all or part of the original probation period for a regular appointment within the same department, at the discretion of the department.

Employees may apply for transfer to other positions on the UNL campus, or they may be appointed to positions on other University of Nebraska campuses (UNO, UNK, UNMC, and UNCA). Such appointments may be mutually beneficial by allowing the university to utilize the experience and abilities of its employees, and by providing a broad range of career development opportunities to individuals.

In external searches university employees use the same application procedure as do other applicants, and both will receive equal consideration from hiring departments. Salaries for transfer employees who meet or exceed minimum qualifications will not be less than the minimum advertised level.

Persons under current corrective counseling, or those whose performance is documented as below satisfactory, are not eligible to apply for transfer.

An employee transferring from a regular appointment to a temporary appointment will continue to be eligible for all benefits received in the regular appointment, except for tuition remission, administrative leave, funeral leave, holiday pay or University contributions to retirement. Unused vacation leave shall be paid out to an employee prior to a separation or transfer to a temporary appointment. If the fulltime equivalent (FTE) of the temporary appointment is more than the regular appointment, then an increase in benefits will occur. Benefits are prorated for employees working less than full time. If a break in service occurs, employees will be eligible for benefits as described above only if the temporary appointment begins within the same calendar month in which separation occurs.

Compensatory time must be used or paid prior to the effective date of a transfer. (For additional information on compensatory time see Section 102.)

An employee in the six-month original probationary period may not apply for positions outside the department. When circumstances warrant, Human Resources may work with the employee and the department to enable the employee to apply for other positions before the six-month probationary period is completed. If the employee is appointed to a different position, the original probationary period will begin anew.

An employee in the six-month original probationary period may be appointed to a different position within the same department, and probation will not begin anew.

An employee who transfers within the university must spend at least six months in the new position before becoming eligible to apply for positions outside the department. When circumstances warrant, Human Resources may work with the employee and the department to enable the employee to apply for other positions before completion of the six-month period.

Assuming there is no break in employment, an employee serves only one original probationary period. A transfer employee who has completed original probation has all privileges of a regular employee.

The university is not responsible for moving expenses incurred as a result of an employee's transfer to another position.

Vacation and Sick Leave Accrual for Transfer Employees

Employees transferring from one University position to another will transfer sick leave and vacation leave balances to their new positions.

Employees transferring from office/service to managerial/professional positions or vice versa will begin accruing at the new rate on the effective date of transfer. For accrual purposes years of service will be transferred to the new position.

Vacation and Sick Leave for employees moving within the Lincoln campus or coming to the Lincoln campus from another University of Nebraska campus, another Nebraska state college, or Nebraska state government agency:

For employees appointed to positions at university within three years (Effective September 1, 2001) after leaving another University of Nebraska campus, other Nebraska state colleges, or Nebraska state government agencies:

• Sick leave balances will be assigned to the university position.
• Years of service will be restored for purposes of accruing vacation and sick leave.

For employees appointed to positions at the Lincoln campus after moving within the campus or another University of Nebraska campus within 12 months:

• All leave balances will be assigned to the university position
• Years of service will be maintained for purposes of accruing vacation and sick leave

In order to transfer leave balances and years of service, an employee must provide the department with a letter from the previous employer documenting dates of employment.