Personnel - General Procedure Issues
Points of Contact
The University Corporation Human Resources department is managing and conducting hiring activities of Sponsored Programs employees, as well as ensure the compliance with applicable regulations. Project Directors may contact the TUC Human Resources for any personnel related questions during the hiring process.
The University Corporation, Human Resources
(TUC-HR)
Alyssa Kearney
Human Resources Technician
(818) 677-2687
alyssa.kearney@csun.edu
Departments: College of Science & Math, College of Engineering & Computer Science, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, College of Business & Economics, College of Health & Human Development, Agency/Foundation Accounts, and Summer Programs.
Jeannette Arroyo
Sr. Human Resources Generalist
(818) 677-6311
jeannette.arroyo@csun.edu
Departments: College of Education, College of Humanities, Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, & Communication, and University Administration, and Foodservice.
Maureen Gonzalez
Human Resources Technician
(818) 677-3648
maureen.gonzalez@csun.edu
Activity
- Main Contact
- General Information
- Printed Forms
- Compliance Issues
- Final Wage Determination
- Benefits
- Termination
- Background Check
The University Corporation, Payroll
Roscio Ponce
Payroll Coordinator
(818) 677-2939
roscio.ponce@csun.edu
Gayle Kelley
Payroll Assistant
(818) 677-6085
gayle.kelley@csun.edu
Activity
- Payroll / Vacation
The University Corporation, Sponsored Programs
(TUC-SP)
Georg Jahn
Director, Sponsored Programs
(818) 677-2698
gjahn@csun.edu
Mail Stop: 8309
Grace Slavik
Sponsored Programs Supervisor
(818) 677-3498
grace.slavik@csun.edu
Mail Stop: 8309
Activity
- Budget Approval
Office of Research and Sponsored Projects
(ORSP)
Scott Pérez
Director
(818) 677-2901
scott.perez@csun.edu
Mail Stop: 8232
Activity
- Approval of Staff Explicitly Named in Grant
Forms
All necessary forms for the hiring of Sponsored Programs employees can be obtained from the TUC Human Resources website: http://www.csun.edu/tuc/hr-forms.
Budget Approval
TUC-Sponsored Programs Department (TUC-SP) must review and approve any personnel action, such as hiring or change of status, ensuring that sufficient funds are available in the related project. The project director is responsible for obtaining the necessary approval.
Definitions of Employee
A Sponsored Program Employee is a person appointed to work for a research project, workshop, institute, or other special project funded by any grant, contract, gift, fees, donations, or outside agencies.
Project Director / Principal Investigator
The Project Director is a person designated by The University Corporation and/or the University to serve as the principal investigator and/or person primarily responsible for the conduct of a sponsored program. A project director may be a sponsored program employee, or a University employee.
Project Staff
A member of the project staff is appointed to work on a research project, workshop, institute, or other special project. He/She is under the direction/supervision of a project director.
Student Employee
A Student Employee is a person normally working twenty (20) hours or less and who is enrolled and regularly attending classes at California State University, Northridge as a graduate or undergraduate (in a minimum of 6 units for undergraduates and 4 units for graduates). A Student Employee’s time base may be increased to full-time for a maximum of 3 months per calendar year when classes are not in session. Student Employees may only hold casual appointments. A Student Employee is not eligible for benefits (refer to CSUN Website for Student Assistant policies).
Graduate Research Assistant
A Graduate Research Assistant must be a CSUN student (undergraduate or graduate). Unlike a Student Employee, a Graduate Research Assistant is not restricted to working a maximum of 20 hours per week and may be classified full-time or part-time (please see types of appointment).
Volunteer Employee
A Volunteer Employee is a person, who performs work or provides services without compensation or for nominal compensation of one dollar ($1.00) per year for The University Corporation. A volunteer employee is not eligible for benefits, and, unless specifically registered, not covered by Workers Comp Insurance.
CSUN Employee
A CSUN employee is a faculty or staff member of the University who is hired by The University Corporation on a part-time, overtime or summertime basis to provide services to a University Corporation project. Additional employment limitations are based on time base, not salary. A maximum of 125% time-base is allowed under certain circumstances. The salary rate for additional employment may be the same as the rate for the primary appointment; however, a different salary rate is permitted if appropriate for the work performed and if allowed by the funding source. In the case of a federal grant or contract, the rate of pay for the additional employment must be the same as the CSUN base rate of pay for the primary assignment. When determining the 125% additional employment under the Additional Employment Policy, all CSUN employment, all employment with The University Corporation, and other CSU Auxiliaries are considered together.
Faculty Additional Employment (FAE)
The primary employment of the CSUN Employee with Faculty Additional Employment is a teaching position with the University. The employee member receives additional employment payments for work performed on a project of The University Corporation. The time-base of faculty regularly employed by the University is limited to twenty-five percent (25%) of their regular time, while classes are in session. Faculty on nine-month appointments with the University may work full-time with The University Corporation during intersession and summer break. Certain sponsors (e.g., the National Science Foundation) limit summer appointments to a maximum of two months. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will provide clarification on sponsor requirements.
Staff Additional Employment (SAE)
The primary employment of the CSUN Employee with Staff Additional Employment is a staff position with the University. The employee receives additional employment payments for work performed on a project of The University Corporation. Exempt Employees do not receive additional compensation for work considered part of their primary work assignments. However, an exempt employee may be assigned additional employment equivalent to 25% above a full-time time-base if the additional assignment is unrelated to his or her primary work assignment. For non-exempt employees, overtime pay is required to be paid for hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek regardless of assignment, whether the employee receives an additional employment assignment on a regular or sporadic basis that is or is not substantially different from the primary assignment.
Types of Appointment
Full-time Appointment
A full-time appointment is an appointment to a full-time salaried or hourly position working at least 30 hours per week. Employee is eligible to receive benefits.
Part-time Appointment
A part-time appointment is an appointment to a part-time salaried or hourly position with less than 30 hours per week.
Casual Appointment
The appointment of a person with an expected length of service of one year or less or whose time base is intermittent. The appointment may be terminated or modified at any time. The recruitment process for a casual appointment is identical to the recruitment process of regular project staff.
Emergency Hire
Emergency appointments are limited to a maximum of 6 months for part-time appointment and 3 months for full-time appointment. Part-time emergency appointment can be renewed once. Employees with an Emergency appointment are not eligible for health benefits.
Types Of Compensation
Salaried Employees
A salaried employee is hired to fill a position with set or regular working hours. Salaried employees receive a set salary every pay period.
Hourly Employees
An hourly employee is generally or typically hired to fill a position with irregular working hours. These employees are paid an hourly rate and their pay is based on the number of hours reported on their time sheets each pay period.
Overtime Compensation
For the purposes of overtime compensation, employees are also classified as either non-exempt or exempt:
Non-Exempt Employees
Non-exempt employees are those employees who are entitled to receive overtime pay when they work overtime hours. Included in this category are all hourly employees regardless of classification, and salaried technicians, clerical, maintenance personnel as well as those professionals, scientific and supervisory employees not specifically excluded.
Non-Exempt Employees are required to adhere to the following minimum break schedules:
| Daily Scheduled Work Hours | Mandatory Minimum Breaks |
|---|---|
| Less than 4 hours | No break required |
| From 4 hours up to (but not including) 6 hours | One 15-minute break, on the clock |
| From 6 hours up to (but not including) 8 hours | One 15-minute break, on the clock One 30-minute break, off the clock |
| 8 hours | Two 15-minute breaks, on the clock One 30-minute break, off the clock |
Exempt Employees
Employees in exempt positions are not entitled to receive overtime compensation.
Post-doctoral Researcher is considered exempt work due to the nature of the work. The notion of research and how it is done involves flexibility, is mainly intellectual, and requires that the researcher exercise independent judgment in the performance of his/her duties. This kind of work is defined as exempt per the description of “learned professional” from the California Chamber of Commerce. Furthermore, the types of visas for post-doctoral researcher are either for individuals who agree to an experience that involves collaboration and cultural exchange (J1 visa) and/or are highly specialized and advanced that the employee will have to be compensated at least the prevailing wage for the profession (H1B visa).
Administrative Issues
Nepotism
No person can be employed to fill a position in which the employee will be under the supervisory control or direction of a near relative (a blood relative, in-law, step or adopted relative who is a parent, child, sibling or spouse). Under no circumstances will a relative be entitled to participate in any manner in a personnel decision relating to his/her kinsman.
Salaries And Wage Determination
TUC Human Resources will closely consult with the Project Director, when establishing the final compensation. Oral or written statements or representations by any person, other than the Human Resources Departments, are not binding upon The University Corporation.
Dual Compensation By The University Corporation And The University
As appropriate, the University Corporation will adjust the vacation and sick leave accrual rates of CSUN employees, so that the total rate of accruals provided by the University and the Corporation does not exceed that of a full-time employee.
International Employees
All employees are required to provide proof of eligibility for employment based on their citizenship status or their specific visa type.
If an international employee currently does not have a social security number, he/she can visit the Social Security Administration (SSA) website http://www.socialsecurity.gov/forms/ss-5.html for complete instructions on how to apply for one. A letter by the future employer confirming the job-offer is required to apply for the social security number.
Visa documents and the Social Security receipt must be brought to the employee sign-in procedure when signing in as a new hire employee.
The international employee will also need to contact TUC-Payroll to ensure proper taxation based on their visa type and various other factors. Employees with certain types of visas maybe required completing a web-based questionnaire that will determine their payroll deductions and exemptions. Since the web-based questionnaire is extensive and requires a variety of detailed information, international employees are encouraged to complete the questionnaire before the start of their employment, so that the correct payroll deductions can be applied at their first payment. The international employee should contact TUC-Payroll by e-mailing - roscio.ponce@csun.edu - to set up access codes to the web-based taxation and exemption questionnaire (Glacier).
Background Check Policy
Per CSU Chancellor’s Office, effective August 3, 2015, all new employees who are identified as “sensitive” and student assistants in “sensitive” positions must complete a background check prior to starting employment. This policy will also require current employees who voluntarily transition to a different classification identified as “sensitive”. Sensitive positions are identified on the attached document: Background Check Request Form.
The background check will include a minimum of four key components: criminal background check, education check, employment check, and reference check. For any person who will have contact with minors at a camp/clinic (or required by law), a LiveScan clearance will also be needed.
Please expect the cost to be between $76 and $130 depending in the type of background check needed. Cost will be expensed to the project in program costs account (620200).
A Background Check Request Form (add the attached document as a link) will need to be completed prior to hiring and attached to your Recruitment or Action Request Form.
I9 Compliance per Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
Immigration laws and CSUN/TUC policies require all newly hired employees to complete the sign-in process before or on the first day of employment!
All newly hired employees are required to complete the New Employee Sign in process at the TUC Human Resources in Sierra Center 3rd floor before or on the first day of commencing employment. The New Employee Sign in process includes completion of the I9 form as per the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). IRCA requires that employers certify within three (3) business days of hire that an employee has provided certain documents which demonstrate that he/she is eligible to accept the employment offer.
It is the responsibility of the hiring managers to ensure that newly hired employees complete the new hire sign in process before or on the first day of starting employment. IRCA non-compliance can result in very costly fines to CSUN and The University Corporation.
The CSUN Office of Human Resources will monitor the I9 process for IRCA compliance on an ongoing basis.