Board of Trustees Regulations
Approved: March 7, 2008
Section II: Employees
Subsection: C. Civil Service Employees
- Coverage
This Subsection C. applies to all civil service employees of the Board
unless otherwise provided by these Regulations, by law, or by the terms
of a collective bargaining agreement.
- Work Week
- The standard work week (exclusive of unpaid
meal periodsfor all full-time employees shall consist of 37 1/2
hours per week, except for those classifications maintaining 24-hour-per-day
operations including, but not limited to, Security and Plant Engineers,
for which the standard work week shall consist of 40 hours per week.
- Any change in the standard work week for full-time
employees shall require approval of the designated employer representative
(Director of Human Resources and the President.)
- Work Schedules and Shift Assignments
A schedule of work days and shift assignments shall be maintained for
each civil service employee. Work day schedules and shift assignments
may be changed to meet operating conditions and needs of the University
upon reasonable notice to the civil service employees affected.
- Performance Evaluation
The University shall develop a performance evaluation program for employees
consistent with these Regulations and the statutes and rules governing
the State Universities Civil Service System. The programs and any changes
shall become effective when approved by the President. Each performance
evaluation program shall include the following elements and such other
elements as are necessary and appropriate: (aa description of the
evaluation structure; (ban identification of the roles and responsibilities
of employees and supervisors; (ca statement of job related criteria
for performance evaluation; and (da description of the employee appeal
procedure with respect to recommendations or decisions made pursuant
to a performance evaluation.
- Grievance Procedure
- The University shall establish a grievance
procedure for the resolution of employee grievances. An employee
may file a grievance when a dispute arises concerning the interpretation
or application of these Regulations and/or policies established
by the University. The grievance procedure shall contain the following
elements and such other elements as are necessary and appropriate:
- provisions for informal resolution;
- formal procedures for filing a grievance;
and
- provisions for a formal employer representative
decision and an appeal by the employee of that decision.
- The decision made at the conclusion of the appeal
shall be final and binding and shall be consistent with these Regulations.
- If an employee seeks resolution of the grievance
in any other forum, whether administrative or judicial, or pursuant
to a grievance procedure under a collective bargaining agreement,
the employer representative shall have no obligation to process
the grievance under the procedure established in accordance with
this regulation.
- An employee grievance committee may be established
for the purpose of advising the employer representative on employee
grievances.
- The grievance procedures described above and
any changes therein shall become effective when approved by the
President.
- Employee Discipline Program
- The University shall develop and maintain
an employee discipline program specifying reasonable rules of conduct,
descriptions of inappropriate behavior, and corrective disciplinary
measures. Each program shall contain the following elements and
such other elements as are necessary and appropriate:
- rules of conduct with examples of unacceptable
behavior;
- the following levels of disciplinary
action:
- oral warning;
- written reprimand;
- suspension;
- discharge; and,
- an employee appeal procedure.
- The discipline programs described above and any
changes therein shall become effective when approved by the President.
- Employee Benefits
- Limitations and Eligibility
Except as otherwise indicated for prevailing wage rate groups, employee
benefits shall be made available to employees in status positions,
including, for the purposes of this paragraph 7., employees in appointments
designed to qualify employees for status in the class, i.e. learner,
trainee, apprentice, and, where appropriate, provisional. Civil
Service employees in other types of non-status appointments will
not be extended employee benefits under this paragraph 7. except
that employees with temporary appointments shall be eligible for
holiday pay in accordance with paragraph c. below. An employee with
a full-time appointment shall be eligible to receive the benefits
specified in this paragraph 7. An employee whose appointment is
at least half-time but less than full-time shall be eligible to
receive such benefits on a pro-rated basis. An employee whose appointment
is for less than half-time shall not be eligible for benefits under
this paragraph 7., except that such an employee shall be eligible
for holiday pay in accordance with paragraph c. below on a pro-rated
basis.
- Vacation Leave
- Non-exempt employees, as defined by Fair
Labor Standards Act criteria, shall earn vacation leave in accordance
with the following schedule:
Years of Service Completed |
Rate Earned/Hr. of Pay Status |
Equivalent Days per Year |
At Least |
Not More Than |
|
|
0 |
3 |
.0462 |
12 |
3 |
6 |
.0577 |
15 |
6 |
9 |
.0692 |
18 |
9 |
14 |
.0808 |
21 |
14 |
|
.0962 |
25 |
- Exempt employees, as defined by Fair Labor Standards
Act criteria, shall earn vacation leave in accordance
with the following schedule:
Years of Service Completed |
Leave Days Per Year |
At Least |
Not More Than |
|
0 |
3 |
25 |
3 |
6 |
26 |
6 |
9 |
27 |
9 |
|
28 |
- Beginning October 1, 1972, where there has been
a break in service, the service year shall be determined
by the addition of all previous periods of State service
which qualified for earning of vacation leave.
- An employee who leaves the service of the University
for any reason, provided that the employee is not
reemployed within 30 calendar days at the same place
of employment, shall receive pay for vacation leave
to the extent of any accrued balance as of the date
of separation from service. No vacation leave will
be available or payable for employees whose service
is terminated prior to the completion of the probationary
period.
- Except as provided below, an employee may not
accumulate more than two times the appropriate annual
level of vacation leave. Upon reaching this maximum,
vacation leave will cease to be earned except as the
accumulation is reduced. An employee who is required
to work on a special assignment may, at the discretion
of the President, be permitted to earn up to 12 days
of vacation leave beyond the maximum provided above.
Such additional vacation leave must be used within
12 months after the employee completes work on the
special assignment. Extra pay in lieu of vacation
leave will not be allowed. An employee's preference
as to time of leave shall be considered, but the employer
representative shall have the right to assign leave
periods. Observed holidays that occur during the approved
vacation leave shall not be charged against vacation
leave.
- Vacation leave shall not be taken during the probationary
period, except for good cause and upon approval of
the employer representative.
- Holidays
- All Board facilities will be closed except
for necessary operations on the following principal holidays:
New Year's Day, day before or day after New Year's Day, Martin
Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday, Lincoln's Birthday, Memorial Day,
Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, day after Thanksgiving
Day, Christmas Day, day before or day after Christmas Day,
- Principal holidays which fall on a Saturday
shall be observed on the preceding Friday; principal holidays
which fall on a Sunday shall be observed on the following
Monday.
- Supplemental holidays will be observed
on days designated by the President but shall be limited to
work days, except Saturday and Sunday, immediately preceding
or following the observance day of the respective principal
holiday.
- (a) Employees with full-time status, provisional,
apprenticeship, trainee, or temporary appointments, except prevailing
rate craft employees and those employees covered by collective
bargaining agreements, will be excused on the observed day of
each of the aforementioned principal and supplemental holidays.
Such employees with less than full-time appointments shall be
eligible for holiday pay on a pro-rated basis. All other employees,
except for prevailing rate craft employees and employees covered
by collective bargaining agreements, will be excused without pay.
(b) For employees who work other than a Monday through
Friday workschedule, the calendar date on which
a principal holiday falls shall be considered the
holiday for purposes of receiving premium pay if
work is performed on that date, in which case premium
pay will not apply to work performed on the date
the principal holiday is observed by the employer
representative. If departmental needs permit, employees
may be granted the calendar holiday off with full
pay instead of the observed holiday in which case
premium pay will not apply to work performed on
the observed holiday.
- (a) Prevailing rate craft employees will
be excused for all holidays designated in their area agreements
and shall be compensated as stipulated and in accordance with
provisions contained in said area agreements for said holidays.
(b) Five additional holidays shall be granted with
pay to prevailing rate craft employees and shall
be observed on days designated by the employer representative.
These additional holidays are: Day before or after
New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday,
Lincoln's Birthday, day after Thanksgiving, and
day before or after Christmas Day.
(c) Prevailing rate craft employees shall have the
option of charging any unpaid area agreement holiday
to vacation leave which they have available on holidays
on which they are excused.
- Employees covered by a collective bargaining
agreement shall be granted paid holidays in accordance with the
express terms of that agreement.
- In the event that work is required on any
observed holiday as specified in paragraph (1) above, compensation
shall be determined as follows:
- Employees who are eligible for holiday
pay shall receive straighttime pay for the holiday, plus compensation
at the rate of time and one-half for hours worked or, by mutual
agreement between the employee and employer representative,
shall be credited with compensatory time equal to one and
one-half times the number of hours worked.
- Employees who are not eligible for holiday
pay shall be compensated at the rate of time and one-half
for hours worked, or, by mutual agreement between the employee
and employer representative, shall be credited with compensatory
time equal to one and one-half times the number of hours worked.
- Exempt employees, as defined by Fair
Labor Standards Act criteria, who are required to work on
an observed holiday shall be granted, by mutual agreement
between the employee and the employer representative, paid
time away from work equivalent to the number of hours worked
on the holiday.
- Prevailing rate craft employees shall
be compensated in accordance with the terms of their area
agreement for holidays designated in the area agreement. For
the five additional holidays referred to in paragraph (3)(b
above, these employees shall be compensated in accordance
with paragraph (a)(i.) or (ii.) above.
- To be eligible for holiday compensation, employees
must be on the active payroll on their last scheduled
work day preceding the observed holiday and their
first scheduled work day following the observed
holiday, unless they are absent on such day(sfor
good cause and such absence is approved by the employer
representative.
- Sick Leave
- (a) An employee in a status position shall
earn credit for sick leave with full pay at the rate of .0462
hours of sick leave for each hour in pay status, equivalent to
one regular work day for each completed calendar month of service
or twelve regular work days per year.
(b)A status employee who fails to complete a full month of service
shall have sick leave credit pro-rated for the shortened period
of that month.
- There shall be no limit in the amount of
sick leave which may be accumulated.
- An employee whose employment or reemployment
by the Board commences within two years after termination of his
or her employment by an employer covered by the State Universities
Civil Service System shall, if separated in good standing, be
allowed to transfer his or her accrued sick leave to the location
of employment or re-employment by the Board, provided that such
employee has not received a lump sum payment for accrued sick
leave. If such employee has received a lump sum payment for accrued
sick leave, only accrued sick leave which was earned before January
1, 1984 may be transferred; credit for accrued sick leave which
was earned after December 31, 1983 and prior to January 1, 1998
shall be governed by paragraph (4below.
- (a) Upon termination of employment at the
University and provided the employee is not reemployed at the
same place of employment within 30 calendar days, an employee,
or such employee's estate, shall be entitled to a lump sum payment
for accrued sick leave earned on or after January 1, 1984 and
prior to January 1, 1998.
(b) The lump sum payment for accrued sick leave shall be computed
as the product of the employee's daily rate of compensation and
one-half of the lesser of the following: (ithe number of days,
or fractions thereof, of sick leave earned by the employee, in
accordance with paragraph (1above, minus any days, or fractions
thereof, of sick leave used by the employee; or (iithe number
of days, or fractions thereof, of sick leave earned by the employee
in accordance with paragraph (1above after December 31, 1983
and prior to January 1, 1998. Sick leave days shall be used in
the order in which they have been accrued.
(c) An employee may waive payment for all or part of his/her eligible
accrued sick leave (one-half of the employee's accumulated and
unused sick leave earned after December 31, 1983 and prior to
January 1, 1998by executing an appropriate waiver form prior
to termination of employment.
(d) An employee who has received a lump sum payment for accrued
sick leave from an employer covered by the State Universities
Civil Service System and who, within two years, is employed or
reemployed by the Board may, if separated in good standing, have
his or her accrued sick leave restored if, within 30 days after
commencement of such employment or reemployment, the employee
pays said lump sum payment to the Board for the benefit of the
location at which accrued sick leave is restored. For each day
of sick leave to be restored, the employee shall repay the gross
amount he or she was paid for one day of accrued leave. An employee
may have part or all of his or her accrued sick leave restored
in this manner; however, if the employee does not make any such
payment to the Board, he or she shall not be entitled to have
any such sick leave so restored.
- An employee may use accumulated sick leave
only when the employee is prevented from performing assigned
duties
because of illness, injury, or temporary disabilities caused
or contributed to by pregnancy, or is obtaining medical or dental
consultation or treatment, or for special circumstances stipulated
under the Bereavement Leave provision of these Regulations.
An
employee may use up to twelve (12days of earned sick leave
per calendar year for absences resulting from the illness or
injury
of a parent, spouse, domestic partner, or child. The use of sick
leave for familial purposes in excess of the twelve-day limit
may be
granted
by
the
employer representative upon evidence of need and recommendation
of the supervisor.
- The Board, through its employer representative,
reserves the right to require acceptable evidence of disability,
illness, or injury before allowing use of any sick leave benefits.
- Unless approved in writing by the employer
representative, sick leave requested during a work stoppage may
be denied and the absence from work treated as unexcused.
- Parental Leave
- An employee may take up to four (4) consecutive weeks of parental leave at full pay commencing upon the birth or adoption of a child by the employee, the employee’s spouse, or domestic partner.
- If both parents are employees of the University, one parent should be designated as the “primary” and may take up to four (4consecutive weeks of parental leave at full pay commencing with the birth or adoption of a child by the employee, employee’s spouse, or domestic partner. The “secondary” parent may take up to two (2consecutive weeks at full pay commencing with the birth or adoption of a child of the employee, employee’s spouse, or domestic partner, or following immediately the leave of the “primary” parent.
- Following the parental leave granted above, the appropriate vice president may approve the employee’s use of sick leave for the recovery of the employee, employee’s spouse, domestic partner, or child.
- Upon the positive recommendation from the employee’s immediate supervisor and/or department chair, dean, and/or director, the employee may request to the appropriate vice president or President an appointment and salary at less than 100% employment (e.g., 50% employment will be compensated at 50% salaryfor up to eight (8months after the birth or adoption of a child. The request for less than 100% employment should be made as early as possible and must be taken in eight (8or less consecutive months. If an employee is granted less than 100% employment after the birth of a child, only the first four (4weeks of that employment shall be compensated at full salary.
- An employee also has the right to additional time off as provided for in the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993.
- Bereavement Leave
- Employees will be granted, upon request,
leave of up to three scheduled work days to attend the funeral
or memorial service and/or for travel and bereavement time, upon
the death of a member of the employee's immediate family, household,
in-laws, grandchildren, and/or grandparents; and up to one day
to attend the funeral or memorial service of a relative other
than the above who is not a member of the employee's household.
The amount of leave provided is not intended to be guaranteed
and is available only when there is a need. Bereavement leave
shall be taken in not less than one-half day increments and may
not be accumulated. Employees covered by a collective bargaining
agreement with different bereavement leave benefits will receive
those benefits according to their agreement.
- Immediate family is defined as: father,
mother, sister, brother, spouse, domestic partner, and children.
Biological, adopted, foster,
legal wards, or step family members are considered immediate
family under this policy. In-laws are defined as: mother-in-law,
father-in-law,
brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law.
- Other relative is defined as: aunt, uncle,
niece, nephew, or first cousin of the employee. Such relatives
are regarded as members of the immediate family only if in residence
in the employee's household at the time of death.
- Bereavement leave benefits are not granted
in the event of the death of a member of the employee's spouse's
or domestic partner's family unless specifically stated. For
example, grandparent refers to the grandparent of the employee.
For purposes
of application
of bereavement leave, relationships existing due to marriage
or domestic partnership will terminate upon the divorce or termination
of domestic partnership of the relative through whom the marriage
or domestic partnership relationship exists. Current marital
status will be defined in accord with Illinois State Law.
- The employee's supervisor may grant additional
leave to an employee who cannot, because of special circumstances,
return to work at the completion of the allowable bereavement
leave days. An employee may choose to take such leave without
pay or may use accrued vacation or sick leave time.
- Leaves of Absence
Requests for leave of absence without pay for reasons other than disability
(including but not limited to leaves of absence without pay for advanced
study), upon recommendation of a supervisor, may be granted by the
employer representative after vacation leave is reduced to not more
than five days. Each request will be considered on the basis of its
individual merits and the operational needs of the employer representative.
The employer representative may waive the above vacation reduction
requirement when it is determined to be in the best interests of the
employer to do so.
- Educational Benefits
- Tuition and fee waivers shall be granted
by each state university in Illinois to status civil service employees
of the University. The following credit hour maxima shall apply
to employees who enroll in courses at Western Illinois University:
| |
Academic Term |
Annual |
Full-time employee |
6 c.h. |
18 c.h. |
3/4 time employee |
4 c.h. |
12 c.h. |
1/2 time employee |
3 c.h. |
9 c.h. |
These maxima are employee benefit limitations and
do not apply to enrollment in approved work-related
training programs, the purpose of which is to improve
service. The fees which will be waived by the University
include credit evaluation fees, activity fees and
graduation fees. In addition, service fees, such
as those imposed to secure revenue for bond retirement,
will be waived by the University for an employee
of the University. For employees who enroll in courses
at state universities in Illinois other than Western
Illinois University, the credit hour maxima and
fees which will be waived will be determined by
the institution in which such employees enroll.
- Employees are encouraged to enroll in courses
having scheduled class hours outside their scheduled work hours.
For courses held during the employee's work schedule, the employee
may be excused to attend classes subject to a maximum of 4 clock
hours per week or the number of clock hours required to attend
one course, whichever is greater. Requests for excused absences
to attend classes must be submitted to the supervisor for approval
prior to enrollment and request for waiver of tuition. When such
approval is granted, employees shall "make-up" time at the discretion
and approval of the supervisor by (iworking outside of regularly
scheduled hours during the work week in which the excused absence
occurs, or (iideducting the time spent in class from the employee's
accumulated vacation leave. Daily overtime compensation shall
not be earned for make-up time worked under (iabove.
- The natural, adopted, foster, or step-children
and the spouse or domestic partner of any status employee under
full-time employment
(including employees on sick leave or compulsory disability leave)
who dies while in service at the University shall be entitled
to a waiver of tuition and fees (as defined in paragraph (1)
above up to and including the baccalaureate degree at the University.
Should both parents be full-time employees, the death of one
parent shall make the child eligible for the waiver of tuition
and fees.
Children of a divorced employee are eligible for waiver of tuition
and fees if such employee was contributing to their support
at
the time of death. Children of a divorced employee are eligible
for waiver of tuition and fees if such employee was contributing
to their support at the time of death. Children of a domestic
partner who is not an employee at Western Illinois University
will be considered as step-children of the employee for the purposes
of this program. Waivers for children of domestic partners are
only available for use at Western Illinois University.
- An employee who has retired from Western
Illinois University shall be eligible for a waiver of tuition
and fees at Western Illinois University as specified in paragraph
(1above for one-half time employees.
- See Board Regulations Section IV.B.2.a. for
provisions governing the award of 50% tuition waivers to the children
of University employees with 7 cumulative years or more of service.
- National, State, and Local Elections
Upon the approval of their supervisors, employees may
be granted time off up to two hours without pay to vote
in any national, state, or local election.
- Overtime Compensation
- (1) Except as provided in paragraph 7.h. (2)
above, employees in non-negotiated classifications that are covered
by the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act will
be compensated at time and one-half either through the payroll process
or by allowing compensatory time off, for all time in a work week
in excess of the number of hours of work comprising an established
full-time daily or weekly work schedule. Employees shall not receive
overtime compensation on both a daily and weekly basis for the same
work time.
(2) For the purpose of computing overtime, paid benefit time for
which work is not performed shall count as time worked in any work
week.
- For employees paid on a prevailing rate basis,
the number of hours before daily and/or weekly overtime is payable,
and the rate of overtime pay will depend on the number of hours
and the rate being paid locally pursuant to the appropriate multi-employee
area agreement.
- For employees in a negotiated classification,
overtime payment shall be in accordance with the provisions of the
applicable collective bargaining agreement.
- Employees in positions that are exempt from
the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act shall work
as required by their position.
- Compulsory Disability Leave
- If the employer representative believes an
employee is unable to perform assigned duties due to illness, injury,
or disability, the employee shall be informed in writing on the
basis of such belief. The employee may be required to obtain medical
examinations and may be placed on leave for disability in accordance
with rules of the State Universities Civil Service System. Refusal
of an employee to complete a medical examination may result in disciplinary
action.
- The employer representative shall notify the
employee in writing of the duration of the compulsory disability
leave period. Any earned sick leave or vacation leave may be used
during the compulsory disability leave period. That portion of compulsory
disability leave for which earned sick leave or vacation leave credits
are not used shall be without pay.
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