Following glossary of terms is significant to the human resource function. An
alphabetical index is provided to assist you in locating the reference you seek.
Term
|
Definition
|
| academic
employee |
An academic rank or qualified academic
rank
employee in the professional Services Negotiating Unit. |
| academic
rank |
Rank held by those members of the
professional staff having the title of professor, associate professor, assistant
professor, instructor, librarian, associate librarian, senior assistant librarian, and
assistant librarian. |
| academic
staff |
The staff comprised of those persons having
academic rank or qualified academic rank. |
| academic
year obligation |
An annual obligation of service for the
academic year, not to exceed 10 months. |
| account number |
The account that will be charged to cover
employee salary and fringe benefit costs. |
| acting appointment |
An employee appointed to fill a vacancy
during a temporary absence such as sabbatical or medical leave. |
| administrative
services unit (ASU) |
a negotiating unit in NYS service composed of
classified service employees, primarily office and administrative support staff, currently
represented by the Civil Service employees' Association, Inc. (CSEA) |
| alien |
An individual born in, and a citizen of, a
country other than the country in which he or she is living. |
| Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) |
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis
of disability in employment, programs and services provided by state and local
governments, goods and services provided by private companies, and in commercial
facilities. For more information, contact HRM. |
| ante |
Refers to the maximum amount, which may be
paid to an incumbent. |
| Appendix A |
A list of professional services negotiating
unit positions not eligible for permanent appointment found in Appendix A of Article XI in
the SUNY Policies of the Board of
Trustees. In lieu of permanent appointments, appointees to Appendix A titles must be given
5-year term appointments after an initial 1-year probationary appointment. |
| appointing authority or
appointing officer |
The officer, commission or body having the
power of appointment to subordinate positions. In SUNY, each campus President is an
appointing authority. |
| appointment |
The act of placing a person in a position. |
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| bargaining agent |
The organization chosen by employees
in a
negotiating unit to have exclusive representation rights for them in collective
bargaining. |
| calendar year obligation |
An annual obligation of service for a full
year, (i.e., 12 months). |
| canvass |
An inquiry as to whether an eligible
candidate for a classified service vacancy would be willing to accept appointment, if
offered. |
| casual employee |
Unclassified service employee whose
employment relationship does not justify assignment to a negotiating unit. |
| classified service |
Comprise all positions not included in the
unclassified service. The positions in the classified service shall be divided into four
classes, to be designated as the exempt class, the non-competitive class, the labor class,
and the competitive class. |
| College
and University Personnel Association (CUPA) |
|
| college year obligation |
An annual obligation of service for any
period less than the full year. |
| competitive class |
The competitive class shall include all
positions for which it is practicable to determine the merit and fitness of applicants by
competitive examination. |
| contingent permanent |
An appointment, transfer, or reinstatement to
a temporarily vacant position of a person meeting all merit and fitness requirements for
such appointment. Except in the case of the return of a prior incumbent, contingent
permanent appointees have all rights and benefits of permanent appointees. |
| continuing appointment |
An appointment to a position of
academic rank
which shall not be affected by changes in such rank and shall continue until resignation,
retirement, or termination. |
| counseling |
A private conference between a supervisor and
an employee at which the employee's performance deficiencies are discussed. The motivation
for such counseling sessions is to improve the employee's performance and eliminate the
performance deficiencies. |
| counseling memorandum |
A written follow-up to an employee following
corrective counseling which confirms the reason for the counseling, a summary of the
effect of the employee's deficiencies, a summary of the employee's response to the
counseling, and the corrective actions expected. |
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|
Department of
Civil Service |
The State's agency responsible for the
classification and allocation of classified service positions, the recruitment and
selection of candidates for classified service employment, and the development and
maintenance of statewide agency personnel systems. |
| dormitory income fund
reimbursable (DIFR) |
Budgetary term to describe funding for
positions and budgets supported by income generated from dormitory (residence hall) fees.
Positions may be established as PSR (personal service regular) or TS
(temporary
service) even though funded by revenues. |
| direct deposit |
Making direct deposit of an employee's salary
to the employee's bank account via electronic transfer rather than issuance of paychecks. |
| duration code |
Identifies the expected duration of the
position (e.g., calendar year). |
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| earmark |
The term used when a position has been
designated for restudy when vacant to determine its proper classification before being
refilled. |
| effective date |
The day an action is to commence. |
| eligible list |
A certified list of candidates for a
competitive title ranked in order of their respective final examination ratings, including
seniority and veterans credits. |
|
Employee
Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) |
Employee Retirement Income Security Act. |
| Employees'
Retirement System (ERS) |
Employees' Retirement System. A define
benefit retirement program available to all State employees. |
| employment process |
Includes recruitment, application flow,
hiring, job placement, compensation, promotion, transfer, termination, shift assignments,
geographical and departmental assignments, and all other such activities. |
| Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) |
Federal agency responsible for administration
of several statutes which prohibit discrimination; has power to subpoena witnesses, issue
guidelines that have the force of law, render decisions, provide technical assistance to
employers, provide legal assistance to complainants, etc. |
| ethics |
Usually a reference to New York State Ethics
Commission which was established by the Public Officers' Law. |
| ethnicity |
- American Indian or Alaskan Native a person having origins in any
of the original peoples of North America who maintains cultural identification through
tribal affiliation or community recognition;
- Asian or Pacific Islander a person having origins in any of the
original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Sub-continent, or the Pacific
Islands;
- Black a person, not of Hispanic origin, having origins in any of
the black racial groups of Africa;
- Hispanic a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or
South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; or
- White a person, not of Hispanic origin, having origins in any of
the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
|
| exempt class (classified) |
All positions for the filling of which
competitive or non-competitive examination may be found to be not practicable. |
| exempt employees (professional) |
employees
in jobs that are purely management, administrative, or professional that perform without close supervision and consequently,
they are exempt from coverage under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Rules regarding overtime
and wages do not apply. |
| extra
longevity rate |
Salary resulting from the addition of two
extra increments provided to employees who have rendered continuous and satisfactory
service for ten years after having attained the normal maximum pay of their salary grade. |
| extra
service |
Work performed by an employee in addition to
the regular full-time position. |
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| Fair Labor
Standards Act (FLSA) |
Law enacted to establish a minimum wage, to
limit work hours, and to discourage oppressive child labor. Referred to as the Wage Hour
Act because it ensures fair treatment of employees with respect to wages and hours. Act
defines exempt and nonexempt employees. For more information go to Fair Labor Standards
Act Handbook or Fair Labor Standards Act Regulations. |
| Family
Medical Leave Act (FMLA) |
Family Medical Leave Act. For more
information, go to Family Medical Leave Act Handbook (FMLA) or Family Medical Leave Act
Regulations. |
| fee |
A method of payment that allows periodic
payments of varying amounts based upon the completion of some measurable unit of
work/accomplishment. |
| financial exigency |
An imminent financial crisis which threatens
the survival of the institution as a whole and which cannot be alleviated by less drastic
means than layoffs. |
| fiscal year |
The States fiscal year is from 4/1-3/31;
SUNY's fiscal year is from 7/1-6/30. |
| flextime |
Allows employees to follow different
schedules of work each day of the workweek. |
| Freedom
of Information Act |
Establishes that any person has the right to
request access to federal agency records or information. |
| fte (full time equivalent) |
A full-time position budgeted from 7/1 to
6/30. The term equates an employee to a full-time equivalent. For example, a part-time
employee who works one half of the time required of a full time employee would be counted
as .50 FTE. |
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| Governor's Office of Employee Relations
(GOER) |
An abundance of information on collecting
bargaining units, training, benefits, etc. |
| Graduate
Student Employee Union |
Union that represents State graduate and
teaching assistants. |
| holiday
pay |
Additional compensation for time worked by an
employee during regularly scheduled hours on a date observed as a holiday by the State. |
| HRMS |
Human Resource Management System.
Information system for management of employee and position data. For campuses using
HRMS, it forwards information to PayServ to effect payments. |
| I-9 |
Form required of all appointees to verify
their U.S. citizenship, or if they are aliens, their eligibility for employment in
accordance with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services. |
| income fund reimbursable (IFR) |
Budgetary term to describe funding for
positions and budgets support by income generated from fees. Positions may be
established as PSR (personal service regular) or TS (temporary service) even though funded
by revenues. |
| increment (classified) |
An established salary increase between steps
of a given salary grade, marking a steady progression from the minimum of the grade to the
maximum. |
| institutional services unit
(ISU) |
A negotiation unit in State service composed
mostly of classified service employees responsible for providing therapeutic and custodial
care in the State's institutions, currently represented by the Civil Service
employees'
Association, Inc. (CSEA). |
| insubordination |
The intentional and willful refusal to accept
the valid authority of a supervisor ... the refusal to act on a direct order. |
| interim appointment |
An employee who is appointed following the
departure of one employee and the installation of a permanent employee. |
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| job description |
A written summary of tasks, duties, and
responsibilities of a job. |
| job evaluation |
The systematic determination of the relative
worth of jobs within the organization, which results in a pay system within the
organization. |
| jurisdictional classification |
Means the assignment of positions in the
classified service to the competitive, non-competitive, exempt, or labor classes. |
| labor
class |
The labor class shall comprise all unskilled
laborers in the service of the state and each of its civil divisions except those whose
positions can be examined for competitively. |
| layoff |
A layoff separates employees from the payroll
due to budget constraints. |
| line number |
The unique number assigned to a position to
identify it for payroll, accounting and budget certificate purposes. |
| longevity rate |
Salary resulting from the addition of one
extra increment provided to employees who have rendered continuous and satisfactory
service for five years after having attained the normal maximum pay of their salary grade. |
| lost time |
Employee absence not covered by allowable
leave credits results in a lost-time pay deduction. |
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to top |
| management confidential |
Persons designated as managerial or
confidential are excluded from coverage of the Taylor Law. Such persons are not eligible
to be represented by an employee organization for the purpose of collective negotiations.
They cannot belong to or hold office in an employee organization that represents or seeks
to represent public employees employed by the public employer. Criteria for designation as
managerial are: a. formulates policy; b. may reasonably be required on behalf of the
employer to assist directly in preparation for and conduct of collective negotiations; and
c. has a major role in administration of agreements or in personnel administration not
routine or clerical and requiring exercise of independent judgment. Confidential
employees assist or act in confidential capacity to managerial persons who have a labor relation's
responsibility. |
| minimum qualifications |
Education, training, and/or experience
requirements denoting the minimum standards that all candidates are required to possess to
give reasonable assurance that they can perform satisfactorily. |
| minimum
wage |
The minimum hourly rate an employee may be
paid for employment in the United States by federal statute. |
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| negotiating unit |
The grouping of employees for the purpose of
collective negotiations. When it is agreed or determined which employees shall make up a
unit, the employees then select the employee organization they want to represent them in
negotiations. |
| NYS Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) |
|
| non-competitive class |
Positions that are not in the exempt or the
labor class and for which it is found by the commission having jurisdiction to be not
practicable to ascertain the merit and fitness of applicants by competitive examination. |
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| Office of
the State Comptroller |
The Office of the State Comptroller in New
York State is responsible for the audit and control function, for payroll auditing, for
legal opinions, and for managing the NYS defined benefit retirement programs. |
| open-competitive list |
A certified list of appointment
eligibles
containing the names of candidates who passed an open competitive examination for a
title ranked by examination scores. Transfer lists, preferred lists, reemployment rosters, and
promotional lists, if any take precedence. |
| operational services unit (OSU) |
A negotiating unit in NYS service composed of
craft workers, maintenance and repair personnel and machine operators, currently
represented by the Civil Service employees' Association, Inc., (CSEA). |
| optional retirement program (ORP) |
Refers to defined contribution retirements
programs approved for SUNY in 1964. Currently the authorized providers include
ING, MetLife, TIAA-CREF, and VALIC. |
| out-of-title work |
Duties performed by an incumbent of a
position, which are not appropriate to the class to which the position has been assigned. |
| overtime service |
Hours worked in excess of the required 40 or
37 1/2 hours in the basic workweek as the case may be. Overtime in excess of 40 hours must
be paid at a time and one-half rate. employees whose basic workweek is 37 1/2 hours accrue
compensatory time for hours worked in excess of 37 1/2 hours but not in excess of 40 hours
in a basic workweek. |
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| pay |
The monetary compensation paid an employee
for services. |
| PayServ |
NYS Payroll System administered by
OSC. |
| pay mode |
The methodology used to compensate an
employee. For full-time positions the pay mode is annual. For part-time employees
it is
usually biweekly. |
| payroll deduction |
an after-tax deduction from an employee's pay
check for payment of taxes, insurance premiums, unions dues, health insurance premiums,
etc. |
| public employees federation (PEF) |
Union that represents classified service
professionals in New York State service. |
| performance evaluation |
A method of evaluating the behavior of
employees in the workplace, normally including both the quantitative and qualitative
aspects of job performance. |
| permanent appointment
(Classified) |
An appointment to an unencumbered position of
a candidate who has met all of the merit and fitness requirements for such appointment,
including passing the necessary competitive examination and being reachable for
appointment from an eligible list, if necessary. An appointment other than a Contingent
Permanent, temporary, or Provisional appointment. After completion of a probationary term
a permanent appointment continues until retirement, layoff, termination for incompetence
or misconduct, resignation, or death. |
| permanent appointment (professional) |
An appointment of a professional
employee in
a professional title, except those titles listed in Appendix A of the SUNY Policies of the
Board of Trustees, which shall continue until a change in such title, resignation,
retirement, or termination. |
| personal service regular (PSR) |
A budgetary term to identify the type/source
of funding. May include positions funded from IFR and DIFR as well as state
positions (FTE) authorized in the NYS executive budget. PSR positions must be
classified to appear on the SOP and appointees to them must be paid on an annual salary
basis. |
| policies |
Policies of the Board of Trustees of the
State University of New York. Applies to all State employees in the SUNY
Unclassified/professional Service (M/C & UUP). |
| position |
An assigned group of duties and
responsibilities, temporary or permanent, requiring the full-time or part-time employment
of one person. It may be occupied or vacant. |
| preferred list |
A certified list of employees laid off from a
title ranked by their seniority date. Preferred list candidates have absolute preference
for positions based upon the "rule of one". Appointing officers must either
reinstate the number one eligible willing to accept appointment or leave the position
vacant. |
| probationary period |
Every permanent appointment from an
open competitive list and every original permanent appointment to the noncompetitive, exempt,
or labor class shall be subject to a probationary period of not less than 26 weeks. If the
probationer's service is less than satisfactory, employment may be terminated any time
after the completion of eight weeks. |
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| professional employee |
An employee in the professional
Services
Negotiating Unit, other than an employee with academic rank or qualified academic
rank. |
| professional obligation |
The professional obligation of an employee
consistent with his or her academic rank or professional title shall include teaching,
research, University service, and other duties and responsibilities required of him or her
during the term of the professional obligation. Except for part-time or temporary
employment where the obligation may be less, the term of professional obligation will be
calendar year, or academic year, or college year. |
| professional, scientific
services unit (PS&T) |
A negotiating unit in NYS service composed
primarily of professional classified service personnel, often with professional
experience
or a college degree prerequisite; currently represented by the Public Employee Federation
(PEF). |
| professional
staff |
All persons occupying positions designated by
the Chancellor as being in the unclassified service. |
| professional
title |
The title of a position in the professional
Services Negotiating Unit, other than a position of academic or qualified academic
rank,
as shown on the budget certificate for the position on file with the State Director of the
Budget. |
| promote |
Advance to a higher level or position
generally resulting in increasing demands in terms of skills, abilities, and
responsibilities. |
| promotional list |
A certified list of appointment
eligibles
containing the names of candidates who successfully passed a promotional examination for a
title ranked by examination scores. Promotional lists take precedence over
open-competitive lists but are subordinate to preferred lists. |
| protected class |
Legally identified groups (by race, color,
sex, and national origin) that are specifically protected by statute against employment
discrimination. |
| provisional appointment |
A stopgap appointment to an unencumbered
permanent position which may be made when no appropriate eligible list of at least three
persons willing to accept appointment is available to fill a vacancy in the competitive
class. |
| Public
Employee Relations Board (PERB) |
A State agency with responsibility for
providing oversight of collective bargaining for State employees including making unit
determinations, rendering decisions in disputes, etc. |
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| qualified academic rank |
Rank held by those members of the
academic staff having titles of lecturer or titles of academic rank preceded by the designation
"clinical", or "visiting" or other similar designations. Service in
qualified academic rank does not count in meeting the service requirements for
tenure. |
| rank |
The salary grade level assigned to a
position. |
| reachable |
A person ranking by test score among the top
three on an eligible list who are willing and able to accept appointment to a position in
the competitive class. |
| reassignment |
The change, without further examination, of a
permanent employee from one position to a position in the same title under the
jurisdiction of the same appointing authority. |
| recall |
An employee eligible to earn overtime
compensation who is recalled to work overtime, after having completed his/ her scheduled
work period and left the scheduled work station, is considered to have worked a minimum of
one-half day for the purpose of computing overtime compensation. |
| reclassify |
To reassign a position to a different class
based upon a reexamination of the duties and responsibilities of the position. |
| recruitment |
The process of acquiring a pool of applicants
whom is available and qualified to fill positions in the organization. |
| Research
Foundation |
|
| retrenchment |
Termination of the employment of any
academic or professional employee during any appointment other than a temporary
appointment as a
result of financial exigency, reallocation of resources, reorganization, or curtailment of
programs or functions. |
| rule of three |
The "rule of three" requires that
appointment or promotion to classified service positions in the competitive class from an
eligible list must be made by the selection of one of the three highest ranking eligibles
willing to accept appointment. |
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| salary |
Pay, which is usually stated as a monthly or
annual figure and is monetary compensation for employee contributions without regard to
the specific hours required of them to complete their responsibilities. |
| schedule of positions (SOP) |
Part of the position/expenditure control
system. All positions established in PSR must be lined out (list by line item
number) on the Schedule of Positions before OSC will approve expenditures from them. |
| security services unit |
A negotiating unit in NYS service composed of
security personnel such as correction officers, campus public safety officers, and
institution safety officers, currently represented by Council 82. |
| security supervisors unit |
A negotiating unit in NYS service composed of
supervisors of corrections and safety employees, mostly lieutenants, currently represented
by Council 82. |
| selection |
Process of choosing qualified individuals who
are available to fill positions in the organization. |
| seniority |
Refers to an employee's length of continuous
service with the State or at a campus; sometimes may also refer to an employee's time in
title or rank, or appointment type, or length of service in a position or positions
represented by a particular bargaining unit. |
| shift pay differential |
Additional compensation over an employee's
basic annual salary which may be authorized by the Director of Classification and
Compensation subject to approval by the Director of the Budget. The pay differential may
be prescribed for those employees on a night shift, four or more hours of which fall
between 6:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. |
| sick leave exchange program (SLEP) |
Program that allows eligible M/C and UUP
represented employees to exchange sick leave credits to reduce health insurance premiums. |
| Social
Security |
A federal retirement and disability income
program. |
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| Teachers'
Retirement System (TRS) |
A defined benefit retirement program
available to SUNY professional service employees. |
| technical assistant or
specialist casual |
A temporary employee appointed on a
non-recurring basis that works less than 20 hours per week and is appointed for a period
of 6 weeks or less per year unless working on a specific task or project. |
| temporary
appointment (classified) |
An appointment to a position which is
established for only a temporary, short duration, or an appointment to a permanent
position which is temporarily vacant. |
| temporary
appointment (professional) |
An appointment which may be terminated at any
time. temporary appointments ordinarily shall be given only when service is to be
part-time, voluntary, or anticipated to be for a period of one year or less, or when an
employee's initial appointment is made to a position vacated by a professional
employee
who is serving a probationary appointment in another position. A temporary appointment
is
also appropriate whenever an employee on an approved leave vacates a position. |
| tenure |
Status granted to an employee, usually after
completion of a probationary period, assuring him or her of the permanency of his or her
employment. |
| term appointment |
Except as provided in section 6 of
title D of
Article XI of the SUNY Policies of the
Board of Trustees, a term appointment shall be an appointment for a specified period
of not more than three years which shall automatically expire at the end of the period
unless terminated earlier because of resignation, retirement, or termination. |
| time accrual system (TIMA) |
A system that is used to maintain employee
accrual balances. |
| transfer |
A transfer involves an employee's
reassignment to a job with similar pay, status, duties, and responsibilities. Whereas a
promotion involves upward movement, a transfer entails horizontal movement from one job to
another. |
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| unclassified service |
The unclassified service shall include the
following: all positions in the state university in the professional service as defined in
subdivision 3 of section 355a of the education law; all persons, other than persons
covered under above, whose principal functions are teaching or the supervision of teaching
in a public school, academy or college. |
| United
University Professions (UUP) |
|
| veterans credits |
Qualifying disabled veterans who pass
competitive examinations are given ten points additional credits on their examination
scores in open-competitive examinations and five points in promotional examinations.
Non-disabled qualifying veterans receive five points and two points respectively. Veterans
also have right of preference in retention in the event of a reduction in force (RIF) in
the competitive class. |
| wages |
Pay for services rendered by employees, which
is directly related to time (hours) worked. |
