Human Resource Services
General Information for TEAMS & USPS
Pay Plans
The University of Florida assigns line positions to three pay plans--Academic Personnel; Technical, Executive, Administrative, and Managerial Support (TEAMS); and University Support Personnel System (USPS). USPS employees include only those hired prior to January 7, 2003, who have not elected to move to TEAMS employment.
University of Florida appointments like yours are defined in a variety of ways. One common term known as full-time equivalency, or FTE, is used to define the effort required to fulfill your employment appointment. If you are hired to work 100 percent of the normal or standard workweek (a full-time position), you will have an appointment of 1.0 FTE. Appointments of less than 100 percent of a standard workweek will be assigned a figure of less than 1.0 FTE. For example, if you are employed by our university to work 20 hours each workweek, you will have a halftime appointment, or be employed at .50 FTE.
Throughout this handbook, you will see references to FTE with respect to certain benefits. Please see your supervisor if you have questions about this aspect of your employment at the University of Florida.
Pay
Your pay is determined primarily by the class title assigned to your position as well as your overall and specific job performance as assessed by the university. If you meet all of the minimum training, work experience, and education requirements of the position at the time you are hired, you are eligible to receive at least the minimum of the salary range for that position.
If you have training and experience that exceed the minimum requirements and the hiring department has the available budget, you may receive a starting salary above the minimum of the pay grade.
Paydays and Paychecks
All university employees are paid on a biweekly basis. Provided you complete payroll sign-up prior to the payroll closing deadline, you should receive your first paycheck on the second payday following your initial date of employment and every other Friday thereafter.
Your supervisor will inform you where to pick up your initial pay check or whether it will be brought to you. Subsequently, your check will be directly deposited into your account provided that your direct deposit has been established. Thus, you would print out a copy of your earning statement from the myUFL systems under My Self Service. If you do not have access to the myUFL systems, your supervisor will inform you where a copy of your earning statement may be obtained.
All TEAMS and USPS employees have federal income tax and social security tax deducted each pay period. Other deductions may be made at your request for items such as various insurance plans, tax-sheltered annuities, and contributions to the community fund-raising campaign.
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Non-exempt TEAMS employees are paid an hourly rate, and exempt TEAMS employees are paid an annual rate (exempt) of pay. Biweekly rates for annual salaried employees are calculated by dividing their annual rate by 26.1 (the number of paydays in a calendar year).
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Your biweekly take-home pay can sometimes vary because of various types of deductions and reductions required or authorized. For example, your health insurance deduction is taken only 24 times a year, but you are paid 26 times a year. Therefore, at least two of your paychecks will be larger because of the absence of that deduction.
Direct Deposit Requirement
All TEAMS and USPS employees are required by Florida Statutes to participate in the Direct Deposit Program as a condition of employment. To comply, you have 30 days from your date of hire to submit a Direct Deposit Authorization form to UF's Payroll Services. While Direct Deposit Authorization forms are distributed in new employee orientation, you also may obtain one online.
Individuals who are employed by UF after having worked at another state agency or UF department, who change from one pay plan to another, or are a re-employed retiree do not need to complete this form if they currently participate in the Direct Deposit Program.
Salary Increases
Salary increases for USPS and TEAMS employees will be made in accordance with the guidelines issued by the President and the UF Board of Trustees.
Special Pay Increases
Special pay provides an increase to the employee's salary in her or his current position and title and may be given as long as rate and dollars are available within the department. MORE>>
UFID Cards and Numbers
The UFID card is the official picture ID card of the University of Florida and is required for all students, academic personnel, and staff. Generally, an employee’s department will pay for the first card. If you lose your UFID card, call ID Card Services at 392-UFID to have it deactivated.
To receive your UFID card, please bring photo identification and a completed photo authorization form found at http://www.bsd.ufl.edu/IdCard/staffAuthForms.asp to ID Card Services, located in the UF Bookstore and Welcome Center, Room G071. Regular operating hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, please contact ID Card Services at 392-UFID or visit its web site.
Employees located in the Health Science Center may obtain ID cards and badges from Biomedical Media Services (BMS), located in Room C3-03. HSC employees will need to complete a BMS Gator-1 and UF Badge Authorization form found at http://www.bms.ufl.edu/Pages/bms_gator_1.html and fax it to 392-4156, mail it to PO Box 100016, or deliver it to BMS' office. BMS will contact you to arrange an appointment. Please be sure to bring a photo ID to your appointment. For more information, contact BMS at 273-5044 or visit its web site.
Along with the UFID Card, you also will be issued an eight-digit UFID number. This UFID is used as the primary way to identify you in virtually all university records and transactions. Like a social security number, the UFID number is unique to each person, and each person has only one number. Once it is assigned to you, please memorize or keep the number handy. To learn more about the UFID number, visit http://www.ufid.ufl.edu.
Parking Decals
Transportation and Parking Services is responsible for the regulation of vehicles for academic personnel, staff, students, and commercial organizations. It issues parking decals, processes parking fines and appeals, manages the Health Science Center visitor parking facility, and maintains parking lots and signs.
Decals or permits are required for all vehicles, including mopeds and motorcycles, in order to park on campus between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Decals may be purchased at the Decal Office located at the corner of Gale Lemerand Drive and Mowry Road. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Academic personnel and staff may have the cost of their decal payroll deducted from each paycheck. For a list of decal options and prices as well as information about the university’s car pool program and bus service, visit Transportation and Parking Services’ web site or call 392-8048.
Benefits Enrollment
All new employees have the opportunity to attend a group benefits enrollment session to enroll in state and university-sponsored plans (see the “University Benefits” section of this handbook for details). While information and brochures about available insurance plans are provided to you at New Employee Orientation, you must schedule a separate group benefits enrollment session to complete your enrollment. Sessions are offered at the main benefits office located at the HRS building (903 W. University Avenue) as well as in the Health Science Center, and Physical Plant Division Human Resource Services satellite offices. To assist you in preparing to attend a group enrollment session, a web-based tutorial is available that reviews your benefits options. Please visit our web site at http://www.hr.ufl.edu/benefits.
Continuous University Service
Continuous university service for USPS and TEAMS employees will have been preserved if you left employment, then were reemployed by the University of Florida within 180 days, with all attending benefits, leave accrual, etc. USPS employees who leave employment will be rehired as TEAMS employees. Please contact Recruitment and Staffing at 392-2477 or employment@ufl.edu to ensure you are credited for continuous state service. Please contact University Benefits at 392-2477 or benefits@ufl.edu to ensure your coverage under the state of Florida group health and life insurance policies continues uninterrupted.
If you have previous state service, please be sure to read the “Florida Retirement System” section of this handbook. For leave benefit purposes, no years of service credit will be transferred from a state agency, institution, or university for leave purposes.
Dual Careers
We understand that a transition to another place of employment for one individual can affect the career of another. We would be pleased to provide any member of your household with information about career opportunities at the University of Florida. If you are interested in finding out about this service, please contact Employment and Classification at 392-4621 or employment@ufl.edu. You may also visit the Jobs section of our web site at http://jobs.ufl.edu.
Dress Code
While the University of Florida does not have a specific dress code, it is clearly expected that all employees will dress professionally and in a manner consistent with the university’s public agency corporate environment. It may be appropriate for certain university departments to develop their own dress codes consistent with the university’s public interests. Any dress code established by a university department should be enforced consistently within that working environment. Please see your supervisor about what type of dress is appropriate for your work area.
UF Campus Directory
Every year the University of Florida publishes a paper directory of the office and home addresses, phone numbers, and email address for university students, academic personnel, and staff. This same information may be accessed by clicking on “Directory” located on UF’s home page. The directory also includes an academic calendar, information about campus facilities, departmental directories, and other pertinent campus information.
In the event you wish to change your telephone number, please see your department's administrator responsible for updating employee phone book information. To change your home address, please submit a new W-4 form to Recruitment and Staffing, PO Box 115002. Contact Recruitment and Staffing at 392-2477, or employment@ufl.edu with questions.
Attendance
When an employee is hired at the University of Florida, he or she accepts the responsibility to work every scheduled day. As a general regulation, you will be considered excessively absent if you reach or exceed your department’s guidelines for attendance. Management has the discretion to determine the facts of a specific situation, taking into consideration any extenuating circumstances.
If you must be unavoidably absent from your job (that is, other than planned vacations or personal business times that have been approved in advance), it is your responsibility to let your supervisor know as soon as possible on the first day of absence why you must be absent and when you expect to return. If your anticipated return date changes, keep your supervisor informed.
Please note: A USPS or TEAMS employee who is absent without authorization for three or more consecutive workdays may be considered to have abandoned his or her position and to have resigned from the university.
Lunch
Your lunch break is set by your supervisor. Employees at the university work a variety of schedules and are permitted varying amounts of time for lunch depending upon their regular working schedule. For example, if you work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, you typically will be scheduled for a one-hour lunch break. If, on the other hand, you work from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, you typically will be provided a half-hour lunch period.
Rest Periods
We recognize that employees work better and enjoy work more when they are rested and refreshed. During each four hours that you work, you are permitted a 15-minute rest period whenever possible. During this period, we encourage you to leave your workstation and relax. Your supervisor will advise you of particular arrangements necessary for breaks in your department. Rest-period time may not be accumulated for later use--that is, to extend your lunch hour, arrive late, or leave early. You also may not combine breaks to allow a half-hour break during an eight-hour shift.
Working Hours
For full-time employees, the university’s normal work schedule is a five-day, 40-hour week. Most employees work this schedule with minor variations. Employees who work less than full-time will work the number of hours proportional to their FTEs. Where we must maintain continuous operation, additional work shifts are scheduled.
You must obtain your supervisor’s approval in advance for any variations to your normal schedule. Your supervisor will keep you informed of your work schedule should there be any change from what was assigned originally. Any approved adjustment in a work schedule (to make up time missed during regular working hours or to offset working beyond the regular workday when the 40-hour week must be maintained) should be arranged within the affected workweek.
For payroll purposes, including overtime accrual issues for non-exempt employees, the university’s workweek begins at 12:01 a.m. each Friday and ends on the following Thursday at 12 midnight.
Outside Employment and Conflict of Interest
As a UF employee you may be permitted to engage in outside employment/activities that do not pose a conflict of interest if such employment/activities are properly disclosed and approved by the university. Because of this, you will need to review potential conflicts with and secure approval from your supervisor before beginning any such outside employment or activity. MORE>>
Performance Appraisals
So that you may obtain essential information about your work performance, employees with more than six months of service are formally evaluated by their supervisors on an annual basis. Your supervisor will complete an appraisal that covers March 1 through the end of February each year. MORE>>
TEAMS Notice of Non-Reappointment
TEAMS employees may be issued a Notice of Non-Reappointment (i.e., may be non-renewed) at any time. The decision not to issue another appointment of employment is not a “termination” for misconduct and therefore does not require “just cause” to support the decision. The non-reappointment process is governed by university regulations. MORE>>
Notice of Voluntary Resignation
While we hope your employment with the University of Florida is positive and lasting, should you plan to voluntarily resign from your position, university regulation requires exempt employees to provide their departments with one month's notice. Non-exempt employees must provide at least two weeks' notice. Employees who resign normally must wait 180 days before reapplying for University of Florida employment. All employees will be rehired as TEAMS employees. MORE>>