6a. Getting Started

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1. Whom do I contact?

Your HR unit representative can assist with all topics covered in this section. To find your representative’s name and contact information in Self Service, navigate to Personal > General > My HR Rep/Workflow Admin/Dept Admin.

2. What are the different staff member types that I may wish to hire?

Professional and Scientific

Professional and Scientific (P&S) positions generally require advanced knowledge typically gained through completion of a four-year college degree. Other requirements may include experience, additional education, communication skills, computer knowledge, or licenses/certifications.

For more, see:

Merit - bargaining eligible

Merit positions typically do not require the advanced knowledge gained through the completion of a college education. There are often, but not always, minimum requirements for education, experience, training, and/or certifications. There are five staff groups within the Merit system: clerical, technical, blue-collar, security, and supervisory.

For more, see:

Merit - supervisory exempt

Some Merit staff members are exempt from contract coverage because their responsibilities typically require them to exercise supervisory responsibilities over other Merit staff members. This determination is not made by individual positions and assignments but rather on the classification and the typical duties or responsibilities of the classification.
For more, see:

Graduate assistant

A graduate assistant is a graduate student employed as a teaching or research assistant.

Learn more about Graduate Student Employment Standards and Insurance and Collective Bargaining.

Student

Departments may hire students through the part-time hourly and work-study employment programs.

Departments can advertise student jobs on Handshake, which is maintained by the Pomerantz Career Center.

Learn more about employing students.

3. What are the restrictions on hiring family members or others with whom I have a significant relationship?

A conflict of interest in employment may arise when:

A University of Iowa employee has the responsibility to make, or participate actively in making, decisions or recommendations relating to the employment status of another University of Iowa employee.
There is a direct reporting relationship between two such individuals.

Examples include spouses or partners, siblings, parent-child relationships, as well as significant personal or business relationships.

Refer to the Conflict of Interest in Employment (Nepotism) section of the Policy Manual and the related management mechanism template.

4. How do I create a position and hire new staff members?

Merit

Merit Information for Departments

Professional & Scientific (P&S)

How to Establish a New P&S Position

Guidelines for the Use of Working Titles

Graduate assistants

Research assistantships are awarded to qualified graduate students and serve two purposes:

To provide research service to professorial members of the academic staff
To provide apprenticeship experience for graduate students who are training in research

Requirements for employing graduate assistants include:

No more than 20 hours of service per week may be required for a half-time assistant
Appointments are usually for the nine-month academic year, with exceptions made by special arrangement
Salaries vary with qualifications and workload
Research assistants must be registered as regular students in good standing
Appointments end when registration and/or student status is terminated
Offers cannot be made before approval for admission to the Graduate College

Refer to the Graduate Student employment Standards.

Postdoctoral scholars (Postdocs)

Postdoctoral scholars are temporary, doctoral-level researchers engaged in advanced education and training to prepare for an academic and/or research career. Postdoctoral scholars are temporary appointments at the university, usually not extending past five years.

The Graduate College recommends that newly appointed postdocs be paid according to the salaries set by the National Institutes of Health/National Research Service Award salary guidelines. Exceptions require a letter of justification attached to the Postdoctoral Request to Hire.

Refer to:

5. What do I need to know about hiring a foreign national?

Refer to Faculty and Staff Immigration Services for information, including interviewing guidelines. Contact the office at immigration@uiowa.edu.

6. How do I appoint the person I hire?

Refer to the Department Recruiting and Hiring Resources for detailed instructions.

7. How do I determine salary?

The university has resources for determining salary based on the type of position.

Merit

Merit salaries are determined by the collective bargaining agreement between the State of Iowa and AFSCME Council 61. Learn more about probationary periods and pay:

Professional & Scientific (P&S)

Each P&S job classification is assigned a pay level. Refer to the Professional & Scientific (P&S) Job Classifications for more information.

8. What benefits will my staff receive?

Benefits are somewhat dependent upon the type of employee. Refer to the Benefits website and University Benefits A-Z for more information.

9. How do I estimate salary and benefit costs for a multi-year grant or contract?

Salaries charged against grant funds must align with standard university practices. When making future-year budget estimates, a 3% annual increase is commonly used and is generally acceptable to federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health.

Future fringe benefit rates must also be considered when making future-year budget estimates. The University negotiates fringe benefit rates each year and projects rates for the next two years.

Refer to:

10. What happens when a staff member resigns?

Resignation occurs when a staff member voluntarily ends employment. Providing two to four weeks’ notice is generally considered leaving in good standing.

Departments are responsible for creating a transaction in Self Service that reflects the resignation with the appropriate reason. Contact your HR unit representative as soon as you know about the resignation to avoid overpayments and to remove system/building access when appropriate.

Upon notice of resignation, University Benefits will communicate with the staff member regarding status of their benefits.

11. What happens when a staff member retires?

Retirement occurs when a staff member voluntarily terminates employment at age 55 or older and may qualify for benefits. The staff member must contact University Benefits prior to retirement. Learn more about retirement benefits and plans.

Departments are responsible for creating a transaction in Self Service that reflects the retirement. Contact your HR unit representative as soon as you know about the retirement to avoid overpayments and to remove system/building access when appropriate.

12. What should I do when I anticipate no longer having sufficient funds to support my staff member(s) continued employment?

Before initiating a reduction in force (RIF), departments must develop a plan, and Human Resources and university leadership must approve it. These approvals must take place before any discussion with the affected staff. Contact your senior HR leader to start the process.

Once leadership knows about a reduction in force and approves it, review these guidelines for having the difficult conversation with the employee(s).
The layoff process is difficult, and university staff need easy access to information and resources. Provide affected employees with available layoff resources.

Specific information for P&S staff

P&S staff with specified-term status do not have to be given furlough (layoff) notices if the appointment ends as scheduled. The end date should be included in the offer letter.

Resources for supervisors: Layoff of P&S employees
Resources for departments: Layoff program for P&S staff

13. What if my staff member incurs a work-related injury?

Within 24 hours of receiving a report of the injury:

Contact your HR unit representative
Complete a First Report of Injury, which federal law requires to be filed within 24 hours of the injury being reported.

14. What if my staff member has a health condition that affects his/her ability to work?

Your HR unit representative and Faculty and Staff Disability Services can assist you with these situations. Absences may be covered by federal regulations through the Family and Medical Leave Act and/or Americans with Disabilities Act, so consultation is important.

15. As a faculty member with a nine-month appointment, may I have a summer appointment related to my research?

Refer to the Office of the Provost’s guidance on summer appointments, including UI Guidance for Faculty Receiving Summer Salary Payments from Sponsored Awards, for additional information about summer appointments.

16. Can I be paid extra compensation for working on an externally funded project?

In general, externally sponsored project funds cannot be used to augment the salary of individuals who are employed by the university on a full-time basis. Charges for work performed should reasonably reflect the percentage of time and proportional base salary actually devoted to the project.

In unusual situations, extra compensation may be allowed. Payment from sponsored project funding in addition to regular salary might be authorized for an overseas differential or limited-basis consulting for another faculty member in another college (or department within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences). These situations are uncommon and require approval by the university and the sponsoring agency.

Refer to 17.17(4) Employment on Grants and Contracts Administered by the University

17. Can I provide extra compensation to a P&S staff member for exceptional performance?

Flexible pay is available. Flexible pay options include:

Exceptional performance awards
Spot performance awards

Refer to the flexible pay guidelines.