HR/Payroll Cluster Team Newsletter
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Student Worker Hiring Freeze
A new student worker hiring freeze will be in place from January 21-31. The Hire Student business process must be submitted in Workday for new student worker hires by 5:00 p.m. on January 20, 2025. See the HR website for full details.
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New Minimum Wage for MO and IL
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- Effective January 1, 2025, the minimum wage for MO is $13.75 per hour and $15.00 for IL.
- Please note for remote workers, you must use the minimum wage for the state where they are located and working remotely from.
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Managing Course Associations
Course associations are managed exclusively by Course Section Managers, who are typically the department administrators. These tasks cannot be managed, added, or removed by the HR/Payroll team.
For assistance or further information, Course Section Managers can:
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- Consult Workday@WashU resources
- Submit a ServiceNow ticket for additional support.
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Benefit Pay for Non-Exempt (Hourly) Employees
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Per WashU policy, non-exempt employees are not eligible to receive benefit pay (such as vacation or sick pay) for hours exceeding their normal standard workweek of 37.5 hours. The only exception is holiday pay. Example scenarios are below.
Supervisors are encouraged to carefully review and approve time submissions to ensure compliance with this policy.
Example:
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- Scenario 1
- Hours worked Monday to Thursday: 37.5 hours
- Hours requested as vacation time on Friday: 7.5 hours
- Under this policy, the employee cannot take 7.5 hours of vacation time on Friday because they have already worked their standard 37.5 hours for the week.
- Scenario 2
- Hours worked Monday to Thursday: 33 hours
- Hours requested as vacation time on Friday: 4.5 hours
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In this case, the employee can take 4.5 hours of vacation time on Friday because, combined with the 33 hours already worked, it totals the standard 37.5 hours for the week.
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Visa and Permanent Residency Cases for New Hires and Current Employees |
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As new offer letters for the next academic year are issued, it is essential for departments to notify their HR partner as early as possible if a new hire will require a visa or permanent residency case. Early notification allows the HR/Payroll team to initiate these processes promptly, ensuring a smooth transition for the employee while avoiding potential disruptions.
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Why Early Action Matters:
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Processing Times: Immigration applications can take months or years depending on the visa category and country of origin. Starting early ensures all steps are completed before the current visa expires.
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Labor Certification (PERM): For employment-based green cards, the PERM application process with the Department of Labor can take several months. Early initiation ensures time for gathering required documentation and avoids unnecessary delays.
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Maintaining Work Authorization: For current employees nearing the expiration of their work authorization, timely action on visa renewals or green card applications helps prevent gaps in authorization and avoids interruptions in work or payroll.
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Additionally, please alert the HR team if a current employee's work authorization is approaching expiration so appropriate steps can be taken to ensure continuity of employment and timely payment.
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Faculty expecting summer salary support, whether outlined in an offer letter or funded through a grant, must complete the HR/Payroll Cluster Information Form. Be sure to select “Summer Salary” as the request type.
When submitting the form, please include:
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- The specific summer month(s) for payment,
- The total amount requested, and
- Clear sourcing information (e.g., grant or research account details).
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To ensure timely processing, these requests should be submitted at least one month prior to the expected payment date.
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Short Work Breaks, Unpaid Leaves, Terminations, and Completions |
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As the end of the academic year approaches, please promptly report employee status changes to your HR partner using the HR/Payroll Cluster Information Form. This ensures accurate record-keeping and compliance with university policies. Status changes that should be reported include:
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Short Work Breaks: Notify HR in advance for employees who will temporarily pause their work without ending their employment. Examples include students who will not be working/teaching over the summer or in a given semester but are expected to return in a future semester.
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Unpaid Leaves: Designated for part-time lecturers who will not be working/teaching over the summer or in a given semester but are expected to return in the future. If the part-time lecturer has multiple positions, we are at times unable to enter this action as all positions will be put on leave.
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Terminations: Submit termination details as soon as possible for employees leaving their roles, ensuring all required documentation is completed.
- Employment Completions: For employees reaching the end of their assignments, provide confirmation of the completion date and update records accordingly.
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Job Requisitions and Postings |
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WashU offers various recruiting tools for the Danforth Campus, tailored to different employee categories:
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- Staff Postings: Processed through Workday by HR partners.
- Academic Postings: Handled via Interfolio at the department level.
- Postdoc Postings: Postdoc postings are managed either through Interfolio at the department level or via Workday by HR partners. Please note that a posting can only be housed in one system, not both. Typically, most postdoc postings are managed through Interfolio, as it aligns more closely with academic-type postings.
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Student Postings: Managed through Handshake at the department level.
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Early communication with your HR partner is essential for all postings to avoid delays in onboarding and to remain in compliance. If you have questions or need assistance with the recruitment process, please contact your HR partner.
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Merit/Salary Planning and Academic Appointment Letters |
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Merit/Salary Planning: Preparing for a Successful Process
In the spring, Arts & Sciences will begin the merit and salary planning process. The A&S HR and Payroll team is dedicated to ensuring a smooth and efficient experience, and will host office hours to offer generalized assistance. Each department may set up one-on-one meetings with their HR partner to ask questions, as well. Further details will be sent later in the semester.
Below are links and guidance for merit statement reviews and faculty reappointment letters:
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- Faculty and Staff Merit Information: Once the merit process is complete, faculty and staff can view their merit increases on the system-generated statement in Workday by:
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Faculty with multiple positions will have an individual merit statement generated for each position, accessible in Workday.
- Faculty can confirm their appointments under the Academic Appointment tab in Workday. For assistance, refer to:
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Please utilize the resources on the A&S HR webpage to help streamline HR and payroll processes and ensure efficiency and accuracy.
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Cluster HR Partner Contacts and Expectations |
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Primary Contact: Your HR partner is your main resource for HR and payroll-related concerns.
- Response Time: HR partners aim to respond to communications within the same business day, or within 24-48 hours.
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Task Completion: Most HR and payroll tasks should be completed within five business days. If any task requires more time, your HR partner will notify you accordingly.
- Out of Office: HR partners will inform their respective units if they will be out of the office for an extended period, allowing for any immediate concerns to be addressed ahead of time.
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| Washington University in St. Louis
Arts & Sciences
1 Brookings Dr 1094
St. Louis, MO 63130
artsci.washu.edu
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