Special Updates - ARCHIVES

Minimum Wage Increase

The U.S. Department of Labor will raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour effective 7/24/09. The University centrally processed the increase for those affected employees. The raise will be reflected in the applicable employees' pay on pay date 8/5/09. Please keep in mind that hires after 7/12/09 must meet the new minimum of $7.25 per hour. The beginning of the affected pay period is 7/12/09. Also, please notify affected employees of this increase. For questions, please contact Errol Benson at ext. 5803.

Errol Benson
Assistant Director of HR, Administration
7/13/09

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Earn Codes for 2009 Summer Sessions
Go to this link for the summer 2009 earn code information relating to tracking the summer session pay in excess of 2/9. For summer 2009, HR will make any necessary adjustments to the paperwork after discussion with the divisional fiscal officer. Please contact Andrea Dunbar at ext. 5376 if you have any questions.

New I-9

The new version of the I-9 is now available! Effective 4/7/09, do not use the older version from this point on as this would put the University out of compliance. Significant changes:

Expired documents are no longer acceptable
U.S. passport cards are acceptable
List B documents must contain a photo

For additional details about all changes, click here. The new I-9 Handbook is about 65 pages, so make sure you print responsibly. (The handbook is also in the Online Resources section of E-Verify.)
4/7/09

E-Verify

In July 2008, the State of Missouri passed a law which mandated the use of E-Verify for all new hires for the state and the University of Missouri, effective January 1, 2009. E-Verify is an online system which validates the eligibility to work of new hires with the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. It is regarded as a more accurate and effective way of complying with the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 than the manual methods previously used by the University.

Effective immediately, all departments completing I-9’s for new hires must now use E-Verify for validation. The new E-Verify must also be completed for rehired employees with an expired I-9. Be sure to attach the E-Verify Validation to the I-9.

All personnel who use E-Verify must complete an on-line tutorial and a knowledge test. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact Errol Benson at 516-5803.
4/7/09

Shift Differential (HR Policy 213)

Shift Differential is additional compensation to recognize time worked outside the day shifts. All job titles and hourly rates must be authorized by the Vice President, Human Resources. Only approved job titles are: all union-eligible positions, Police Officers, and Library Assistant I, II, III. All nonexempt employees in these titles must work a minimum of eight (8) full hours during the evening and/or night shift in order to be paid shift differential with the exception of call-back/call-in. See Policy 213 for complete instructions. Contact Erik Smetana at x5381 if you have authorization questions.

Errol Benson
Assistant Director of HR, Administration
4/7/09

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Minimum Wage Increase

The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations will raise the minimum wage from $6.65 to $7.05 per hour effective January 1, 2009. The University will centrally process the increase for those affected employees. The raise will be reflected in the applicable employees pay on pay date January 21, 2009. Please keep in mind that hires after January 1, 2009 must meet the new minimum of $7.05 per hour. If you have questions, please contact Errol Benson, Assistant Director, HR Administration, 516-5803.
12/4/08

Holiday Schedule

With the exception of designated departments, the campus will be closed from Thursday, December 25, 2008 through Friday, January 2, 2009, inclusive. Christmas and New Year’s are paid holidays. Employees may use accrued vacation, personal days, or excused absence without pay for December 26, 29, 30, 31 & January 2. Since employees must be in pay status on the working days immediately before and after a holiday to be paid for the holiday, employees who take off for the whole time that the campus is closed must be in pay status on Wednesday, December 24 and Monday, January 5 in order to be paid for Christmas and New Years. Employees must submit a Report of Absence (Form 60) for all days off whether paid or unpaid, which are not paid holidays. Bi-weekly and monthly paychecks will be direct deposited on Wednesday, December 24, 2008. Human Resources will be closed during the holiday period.
12/4/08

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Merit Increases for FY2009

The FY2009 Operating Budget merit increase pool has been set at 4% above the FY2008 departmental salary and wage base. Consequently, using 4% as the average increase for staff employees’ salary increases should be allocated on the basis of relative performance quality. (Performance appraisal forms* on each of your full-time staff employees should be forwarded to Eileen Holmes in the Human Resources department no later than July 28, 2008.) Pay rates for union eligible employees will be increased by 4%.

Employees whose salaries equal or exceed current range maximums may not receive more than 4% regardless of the departmental average. (If applicable, a list for your Division is attached.) There are no provisions for exceptions to this rule. Increases of 10% or more on salaries of $50,000 or more must be approved by the Chancellor and increases of 10% or more on salaries of less than $50,000 must be approved by the Provost or the appropriate Vice Chancellor.

The effective date of pay increases will be August 24, 2008 for bi-weekly employees (including union-eligible employees) and September 1, 2008 for monthly employees.

The ASIA (Annual Salary Increase Application) system will again be used to submit increases this year. With ASIA, PAF turnaround forms will not be required for salary increases and earnings distribution changes. Training sessions on ASIA for Fiscal Officers and department staff who will be entering salary increases into ASIA will be held on July 9th and July 16th at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in room 107 SCB (South Computer Building). All training sessions will cover the same material. Notices concerning the training are being sent to appropriate processing personnel.

Increases may be entered between July 28, 2008 and August 8, 2008

Questions about the processing of increases or ASIA training may be directed to Errol Benson at ext. 5803. Questions concerning the amount of an increase may be directed to Sylvia Poe at ext. 5258 or Erik Smetana at ext. 5381.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Peter Heithaus
Director of Human Resources
6/11/08

*Performance appraisal forms, along with instructions, are available by clicking here. The following procedure may be helpful in equitably distributing the merit increase pool among your staff: Divide the average numerical rating for all departmental employees into 4 and multiply the quotient by each employee's overall rating to determine that employee's percentage increase.

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Clarification of HR 217

In light of the January 30, 2008, University announcement of changes to HR 217 Suspension of Classes/Operations, it is important to note that Vice Chancellor Krueger and I have discussed this revision on a number of occasions with Blake Danuser, Interim Vice President of Human Resources for the University of Missouri. It is clear from those discussions that the announced Pay Procedures section of the policy gives the Chancellor discretion to determine pay procedures for campus staff when the campus must close to ensure the safety of students and employees and to prepare the campus so that classes may be resumed in a safe manner. Exercising that discretion, Chancellor George has decided to continue UM – St. Louis’ current practice of paying staff who ordinarily would have been scheduled to work but are unable to do so because the campus is closed. It is also important to remind staff that, with supervisory approval, they may take vacation or personal time (or time off without pay if they do not have vacation or personal time available to use) even when the campus remains open during a severe weather or other emergency situation which might cause them to have a reasonable concern for their safety.

Information about paying staff employees who are required to work when the campus is closed as well as other information about campus closings is available here.

Peter Heithaus
Director of Human Resources
1/31/08

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New Form I-9

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has revised the Form I-9. The I-9 is used to verify the identity and work eligibility of all new employees (including U.S. citizens) at the time they are hired. Departments must begin to use the new Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 starting December 26, 2007.

The new Form I-9 has a revision date of June 5, 2007 and is available by clicking here.

Minimum Wage Increase

The Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations will raise the minimum wage from $6.50 to $6.65 per hour effective January 1, 2008. The University will centrally process the increase for those affected employees. The raise will be reflected in the applicable employees pay on pay date January 23, 2008. Pease keep in mind that hires after January 1, 2008 must meet the new minimum of $6.65 per hour.

If you have questions about the new I-9 or the increase of the Minimum Wage, please contact Errol Benson, Payroll Manager, at 516-5803.
12/13/07

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New Criminal Background Check/Hiring Process

Effective immediately, the University of Missouri will implement a new Criminal Background Check (CBC) system. All faculty and staff new hires (full-time, part-time and temporaries) will be subject to this background check. No person may begin employment as a staff member with UM-St. Louis until Human Resources is in receipt of a completed CBC. For faculty positions, contact Academic Affairs.

This overview describes how the CBC will be incorporated into the hiring process:

After posting a position, a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Summary of Rights and Background Check Authorization/Disclosure form will be sent to the hiring manager in an email together with the applications and other forms.
The hiring manager will send the contingent offer letter together with the FCRA Summary of Rights and Background Check Authorization/Disclosure form to the candidate.
Once the form is returned, HR (for staff) or Academic Affairs (for faculty) submits the CBC request to Validity Screening Solutions. It is returned within 24-72 hours.
If there is a questionable report, the candidate receives a “Pre-Adverse Action Letter.” The Provost (for faculty) or the Director of HR (for staff) makes the decision as to whether or not the candidate’s background will prevent him or her from working for the University.
If the candidate is turned down (i.e., the offer is rescinded) based on the CBC, he or she receives an “Adverse Action Letter” notifying him or her of his or her right to appeal the report.
Validity Screening Solutions completes the reinvestigation within 30 days and notifies the candidate about the findings within five (5) days. (UM-St. Louis may hire another candidate during the reinvestigation process.)

The CBC services are being provided by Validity Screening Solutions in Kansas City, MO. The charge for each criminal background check is $42.00. In its first year, costs will be covered by UM System. A decision has not been made as to how these charges will be handled in subsequent years.

Hiring managers: go to this page for an overview of the entire hiring process.
9/11/07