Washington State University relies on Nonpermanent employees to assist us in providing services and accomplishing the goals of the University. The following are crucial points to keep in mind by management when working with Nonpermanent employees, ranging from front-line leads and supervisors to PI’s Managers, and Directors.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of Nonpermanent topics to be aware of:
Total Hours Worked
When tracking Nonpermanent hours in regards to benefits, be aware of the following:
- 480 hours over a consecutive six month period: If an employee works an average of 80 hours per month, over a consecutive six month period, working at least eight hours in each of those six months, they will become benefit eligible the first of the following month.
- 70 hours in five out of 12 months: If an employee works 70 or more hours in any five out of 12 months, they will become eligible for retirement participation.
Employees Benefits
Employment decisions cannot be based on whether a Nonpermanent employee has become eligible for PEBB or Retirement benefits. In the event an employee meets the above benefit/retirement eligibility criteria, they cannot be released from work because they are now benefit/retirement eligible. Normal applicable reasons for releasing a Nonpermanent employee from employment include lack of funding, lack of work, and work performance. Hourly workers are at-will employees, meaning there is no promise of ongoing employment.
If an employee receives a benefit eligibility notice in Workday, please direct them to contact HRS Benefits. Please do not attempt to answer any benefit questions or advise the employee in any way regarding benefits.
Monitoring Hours
Employees are not responsible for monitoring their hours. Management is the responsible party for assigning duties, work hours, and tracking the hours of their employees. It is crucial to not only keep track of the hours your employees work for you, but to also be aware of the hours they may be working in another WSU department. Coordination/collaboration between WSU offices is important, since all hours worked at WSU count towards the hours identified in “Total hours worked”.
Proactive and Appropriate
Be proactive and have appropriate conversations. Pre-planning Nonpermanent employees’ work and hours can be valuable to departments to ensure that the employee works the applicable hours, as well as ensuring the use of the department’s resources are being managed appropriately. To ensure appropriate conversations are occurring with employees, it may be helpful to identify a key individual within the department as the designated contact person for these issues. This ensures that a consistent message is being given, and prevents incorrect information from being shared.
Seasonal Nonpermanent Employees
Nonpermanent employees who work for WSU on a recurring seasonal basis may become benefit eligible as a seasonal employee. Seasonal work is work that occurs at a similar time each year, for a period as short as three months, in which the employee may average working half-time or more and will be performing similar work each year.
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