Effective Date Dec 1, 2014

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to acknowledge the higher-level responsibilities an employee performs for an extended period when he/she replaces another employee regularly assigned to a higher pay grade.

An employee may be granted an emergency appointment when he/she replaces another employee who is on extended leave without pay when the following conditions are met:

1. The absent employee must be absent for a minimum of one month.
2. The employee being granted the emergency appointment must have a current appointment to a job title to which is at least one pay grade below the job title to which they will be assigned as the result of the emergency appointment.
   Employees who are regularly assigned to a job title which has a pay grade assignment equal to or higher than the pay grade assignment of the absent employee's job title are not eligible for emergency appointments.
3. The absent employee must be unavailable for work as the result of an unpaid leave or a workers' compensation injury.
   If the absent employee is using his/her existing additional sick leave or vacation leave, or has requested and received additional sick leave from the sick leave pool, an emergency appointment may be made only with the written approval of the appropriate vice president.
4. The employee being granted the emergency appointment must assume all of the duties regularly assigned to the absent employee.
5. When the absent employee is able to fully assume his/her original duties, the employee granted the emergency appointment must be returned to his/her original position (which will be held open) at his/her original rate of pay.
   If regular merit increases are awarded during the period that an employee is in an emergency appointment, their merit increase will be reviewed and adjusted to be consistent with their original position when they are returned to their original position.
6. The rate of pay for the duration of the emergency appointment will be consistent with the Promotional Increase section of the Compensation Policy.

Procedure

1. The Office of Human Resources must be supplied with documentation of the absent employee's need to be absent from work for at least one month.
2. A completed Change in Status form must be submitted to the Office of Human Resources to initiate the temporary salary increase. Notation must be made in the Remarks section providing the name of the employee who is being replaced and an estimate of the length of the emergency appointment.
3. Upon completion of the emergency appointment, a completed Change in Status form to return the employee who was granted the emergency appointment to their original position must be submitted to the Office of Human Resources.

Exceptions

This policy is not to be used to temporarily fill a position during the recruitment process. Exceptions may be approved by the President when in the best interests of the university.

Emergency appointments may be made without recruitment but must be reviewed and approved before continuing beyond six months.

Should the absent employee be unable to return to work, the position must be recruited regardless of the fact that another employee was filling the position for some period of time.