Staff Status for Postdoctoral Fellows

- excluding Postdoctoral Trainees supported on National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Research Service Award (NRSA) Training Grants or fellowships, hereafter referred to as NRSA Postdoctoral Fellows.

To make employment policies similar for individuals engaged in similar kinds of work, beginning September 1, 1997, postdoctoral fellows paid by or through the University have the status of University staff, with the same policies and programs applicable to them as are applicable to research associates. Those policies and programs include the following.

• Statutory benefits, including workers' compensation, unemployment, and FICA (including OASDI and Medicare).
• Eligibility for insured benefits, including health and dental care plans, long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, group term life insurance, optional term life insurance, and FBRA plans.
• Eligibility for retirement benefits in the form of staff retirement plan B.
• Eligibility for tuition benefits-including Educational Assistance, Reduced Tuition and Portable Tuition plans with benefit amounts based on consecutive full-time service beginning with the date of employment.
• Paid time benefits, including vacations, scheduled University holidays, personal floating holidays, and sick time. Accrual started at zero on September 1, 1997; paid time benefits are to be accrued or allocated at the rate based on service beginning with the date of employment. Accrual and usage of vacation, personal floating holidays, and sick time will follow staff policy for those paid time benefits. Vacation and personal floating holidays are to be scheduled at the convenience of the supervisor and within the period of the funding provided by the grant that pays the salary.
• Staff conduct policies.
• Leave of absence policy, including Family Medical Leave Act absences.
• Other policies relating to staff employment status as found in the Employee Handbook and Human Resources Policies and Procedures. A copy of the Employee Handbook is distributed to each postdoctoral fellow.

Recruiting and hiring will continue to follow the current procedures. Payroll and benefits enrollment may require a visit to the Department of Human Resources. To provide explanations of benefits and policies, attendance at a new employee orientation session will be part of the new employee enrollment.

Additional information regarding benefits is available in Human Resources Policies and Procedures.