Guidelines for Tracking NSH Employees
Refer to policy EWU 407-01: Temporary Employment
Definition: The University employs temporary employees to meet short-term and intermittent workload needs under the following conditions:
- Work expected to be half-time or more, but less than six months.
- Work expected to be less than half-time per month.
- Intermittent work that does not include six consecutive months at half-time, or more, AND does not exceed 950 hours in a 12 month period.
Limits: Temporary/Hourly appointments may not exceed 950 hours in a twelve consecutive month period from the original date of hire. Hours worked in all temporary positions that an employee holds at EWU count toward the total hours worked. Overtime hours are not included in the 950 hours.
Note: The employing department must submit a request to HR to separate the employee when the employee's assignment, as originally defined, ends.
There are 3 things to track for each non-student hourly employee:
Insurance Eligibility: EWU non-student hourly employees whose employment is at least 480 hours over a rolling period of six consecutive months will be eligible for the employer provided insurances. Therefore, any non-student hourly employee working 480 hours (80 x 6 months) in a consecutive period with pay in each of the 6 months will be eligible for insurance benefits beginning the seventh month of continuous employment. Contact the Benefits Office at 509.359.2488 if you have questions.
Retirement Eligibility: Employees who normally work 70 hours or more per month for any five months of the academic year (September - August) are eligible for PERS retirement plan participation and will be required to participate if the position is determined eligible. May include students enrolled under 10 credits.
950 hours: The employee may not exceed 950 hours in a 12 consecutive month period from the original date of hire. Overtime hours are not included in the 950 hours. Hours worked in all temporary positions that an employee holds at EWU count toward the total hours worked. If an employee has one temporary position and accepts another, the hours from both EWU temporary positions count toward the total hours the employee may work during one year.
6 credit and 10 credit clarification
A temporary employee carrying 6 undergraduate credit hours (or 5 graduate credit hours) or more is considered a student and is exempt from social security taxes. If a student is enrolled full time (10 credits or more) they are exempt for retirement participation and social security taxes.