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Term Positions Policy

  • Related Documents:  Term Positions Procedure
  • Owner:  Human Resources
  • Approver:  Vice-President, Administration and Operations
  • Approval Dates:  March 2004, August 2007

I.    Introduction

The University establishes term positions when time-limited work is required in order to meet organizational goals and/or service standards. Normally, term positions are established when:

1.    additional staff are required to handle an increased volume of work, and it is not anticipated that the volume of work will be ongoing;

2.    projects or one-time events occur that require individuals with specific skills and experience for a defined period of time.

Term positions differs from term employment. Some term employees may be filling Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions that are vacant due to leaves of absence.

Terms and conditions of employment for term employees are governed by University policy and/or applicable collective agreements. Where there is a difference between the information contained in this policy concerning another policy or a collective agreement provision, the actual policy or collective agreement provision is the authoritative source for the information.

II.    Purpose

The purposes of this policy are to:

1.    facilitate and encourage staff planning;

2.    outline policies and procedures;

3.    ensure a sound foundation for selecting and hiring term employees.

III.    Application and Scope

This policy, and its related procedures, applies to all term positions at the University, other than limited term faculty, CE instructors and part-time and sessional instructors .

IV.    Definitions:  

For the purposes of this policy the following definitions apply:

Term Position:  The position can be full-time (normally 36.25 or 40 hours per week), or part-time (less than full-time hours) and,

1.    has a defined start and end date;

2.    has required funding set aside;

3.    is defined in terms of title, reporting relationship, duties or major responsibilities, and job qualifications;

4.    is assigned a grade or compensation level by the Human Resources department;

5.    has received the required authorization(s).

Long Term Temporary Position (LTT):  For the purposes of this policy LTT refers to term positions established for periods longer than four months, and where the hours of work exceed 24 hours per week.

Short Term Temporary Position (STT):  For the purposes of this policy STT refers to term positions established for periods of four months or less, or where the hours of work are 24 hours per week or less.

V.    Roles and Responsibilities

1.    Managers/Supervisors

a.    identify the need for a term position;

b.    provide the justification for the associated costs;

c.    define the duties, responsibilities and qualifications for the position;

d.    obtain the necessary approvals.

2.    Human Resources

a.    provides advice and assistance to managers/supervisors concerning term positions;

b.    verifies that appropriate approvals have been obtained for term positions;

c.    maintains position records;

d.    grades or determines appropriate compensation for positions;

e.    identifies term positions that must be converted to complement positions, and processes the change;

f.     provides official reports on term positions for the University.

3.    Financial Services

a.    provides advice on the allocation and availability of funds, when requested;

b.    ensures sufficient funds are available;

c.    transfers funds to appropriate account once approval obtained.

VI.    Policy

1.    Term positions should not be established if it is anticipated that the work will be required on an ongoing basis, and cannot be provided for with existing staffing levels.

2.    Term positions may only be filled once all required authorizations have been provided.

3.    A term position, funded from the University’s base operating budget, must be converted to a complement position if it is required on an ongoing basis for a period of not less than 36 months (3 years), subject to approval by the Board of Governors.

4.    All LTT positions must be graded by Human Resources within 4 months of the start date of the position. An STT position that is extended and becomes a LTT position, must be graded within 2 months of the extension.

5.    Where the term of the position is longer than 4 months, part-time STT positions must be graded within 4 months of the start date of the position.

6.    All STT positions must be paid in accordance with the compensation guidelines provided by Human Resources for short term and student positions.

VII.    Jurisdiction

This policy and its procedures fall under the jurisdiction of the Vice President, Administration and Finance.  The interpretation and application of this policy is the responsibility of Human Resources.