Part Time Positions

Scope

This policy applies to all part time positions (formerly Hourly) in all associated employee categories at Indiana University, including the following and any other part time category established:

• With Retirement (HP)
• Regular (HR)
• Student (HS)
• Workstudy (WSU)

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Policy Statement

1. Part time positions are generally considered for part time work and are paid through the University’s biweekly payroll
2. Employees in part time positions are not permitted to work more than 1,508 hours during a calendar year, including all regular and overtime hours aggregated across all jobs across all University.
   1. Departments with a work need of more hours than 1,508 should consider establishing a new staff position, and then follow normal University policy for filling that position. (Requires review and approval of department and RC heads and funding covered by current base budgets.)
3. All new part time employees will be placed in either a regular (HR), student (HS), or work study (WSU) positions.  
4. Once a part time employee has worked more than 900 hours during a calendar year, all part time positions held by the employee will be changed to part time with retirement (HP).
   1. Hours worked while qualifying for a student exemption to FICA, in accordance with Federal tax law, do not count toward participation in IU-sponsored retirement plans. (Generally, part time employees who are enrolled and regularly attending classes at IU may qualify for this FICA exemption.)
5. Individuals hired into a new part time position who are already employed with the University in a part time with retirement position must be setup as a part time employee with retirement.
6. Once an individual is changed to a part time employee with retirement position, they will remain in a part time employee with retirement position until their termination of employment (all jobs) regardless of whether their hours remain above 900 per calendar year.
7. Employees in a part time with retirement position are eligible for retirement program coverage; including participation in the University’s base plan for such employees and the University’s two supplemental retirement plans.
8. Employees in a part time position are considered part-time and departments are to limit the number of hours worked.
   1. The total number of hours worked, including regular and overtime hours across all jobs and units, shall be no more than 116 over any two consecutive biweekly pay periods (4 weeks).
      1. Hours worked as part of the Federal Work-Study Program, or a substantially similar State program (i.e. part time – Workstudy (WSU) positions), do not count toward the above limit.
      2. To avoid exceeding the policy limit, units may want to set a limit of 58 hours in a bi-weekly pay period, with any excess hours adjusted in the following biweekly pay period.
         
         

         Example:  John, a part time employee, worked 80 hours during a biweekly pay period.  Their department must limit him to working no more than 36 hours during the following biweekly pay period – a total of 116 hours over two consecutive biweekly pay periods.

   2. Alternatives for Seasonal employment – employment when increased staffing is to accommodate seasonal increases in work – are permitted with specific approval from the University Human Resources office under the following conditions:
      1. New Employees
         1. Definition:  An employee having no employment with Indiana University in the prior 26 calendar weeks (approximately six calendar months).
         2. A new part time employee may be employed during a seasonal period for up to 40 hours per week, and up to six consecutive biweekly pay periods, under the following conditions:
            1. The employee will be terminated from the position at the end of the seasonal period; AND
            2. Will not work in any other part-time position (including part-time Academic, staff, and part time positions) for the following seven consecutive biweekly pay periods.
         3. The employee is eligible to be immediately transferred to a full-time Academic or staff position at the end of the seasonal period.
      2. Existing Employees
         1. Definition:  An employee with hours worked for Indiana University in the prior 26 calendar weeks (approximately six calendar months).
         2. An existing part time employee may be employed during an approved seasonal period for up to 40 hours per week, and up to six consecutive biweekly pay periods, under the following conditions:
            1. OPTION 1 – No break in employment
               1. The average of all hours to be worked during the seasonal period, PLUS all hours worked during the previous continuous employment period, will not exceed 116 per two biweekly pay periods (58 per pay period).
               2. University Human Resources will review the employee’s overall hours worked as part of the review/approval process.
                  

                  
                  Example: Jane works 10 hours per week for six pay periods (12 weeks, 120 total hours) and their department wants them to work 40 hours per week for a seasonal period of six pay periods (12 weeks, 480 total hours).
                  
                  Their average work hours per two biweekly pay periods is 100 (or 50 per pay period) – fewer than the “116 hour limit”.

            2. OPTION 2 – Break in employment
               1. The employee will be terminated from the position at the end of the approved seasonal period; AND
               2. The employee will not work in any other part-time position (including part-time Academic, staff, and part time positions) for the lesser of:
                  1. 26 calendar weeks; OR
                  2. The length of continuous employment achieved at the end of the approved seasonal period.
               3. University Human Resources will determine the required length for the break in employment as part of the review/approval process.
                  
                  

                  Example: Joe has worked 25 hours per week for five pay periods and their department wants them to work 40 hours per week for a seasonal period of six pay periods.
                  
                  Their required break in employment at the end of the seasonal period would be eleven biweekly pay periods (five “regular” pay periods, plus six “seasonal” pay periods) – a length of time less than 26 calendar weeks.

      3. Units that use this “seasonal employment” alternative are responsible for ensuring that the respective conditions for work hours are followed, including all work hours in other units.
9. All part time employees are required to record hours worked in the University’s time keeping system, TIME, or another University-approved timekeeping system, using synchronous mode (clocking in and out to record actual time worked).
10. Departments must terminate an employee from a part time position after the employee has not worked any hours during eight consecutive bi-weekly pay periods.

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Definitions

Part Time Position Categories

• With Retirement (HP)
• Regular (HR)
• Student (HS)
• Workstudy (WSU)

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Sanctions

Managers, supervisors, and employees who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

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History

June 2022

Updated "temporary" employee nomenclature to "part time".

April 2016

This policy was updated on April 1, 2016 to better ensure compliance with relevant state and federal laws and regulations and the recent Board of Trustee Resolution regarding participation in the IU Retirement and Savings Plan.  Relevant changes include the manner in which Temporary employees are hired as well as their eligibility to participate in the IU Retirement and Savings Plan.

This policy replaced Hourly Positions of January 1, 2010.

Previous Version 07/01/2013-03/31/2016

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