Before beginning recruitment, meet with your Executive Office HR contact to discuss your staffing needs. During this meeting, HR will guide you on selecting appropriate employment classifications and job codes.

Be prepared to discuss:

• Your overall staffing plan
• The type of position and duties involved
• Budget and resources available
• Any changes to current team structures or roles

Develop a draft position description

• Use the appropriate template:
  • Classified Staff Template (PDF) (Executive Office owned)
  • Professional Staff Template (PDF) (Central HR owned)
• Consider revising an existing position description for a similar role. (Contact Executive Office HR for sample descriptions if needed.)
• Describe the position’s key responsibilities, reporting structure, required qualifications, and other relevant details.

Confirm the planned salary range has been pre-approved by the following:

• Your VP-level unit approver (Use the HR Hiring Approval Flow Chart to identify required approvers)
• Kim Dinh, Senior Director for Finance, HR, and Administration

Consider all resource needs

• Salary and benefits
• Office space and equipment
• Software, supplies, and IT needs
• Training and professional development
• Travel expenses

Determine potential impacts

• Changes to existing positions’ duties
• Modifications to team structures or reporting lines

Once position development is complete:

1. Review the New Staff Hire Request Instructions for documentation guidelines.
2. Submit a Hiring New Staff Form with all required documents.
3. Await as request flows through the EOHR Approval Flow for routing and approval process.

Classified positions: Must post for a minimum of 7 days before referrals are made.
Referrals: Sent in batches of up to 50 applicants.

• For contract-classified positions: Priority is given to bargaining unit employees.
• For all positions: Veterans and current UW employees receive early consideration.
• Open until filled: Referrals occur weekly. Additional referrals are paused until prior referrals are dispositioned.

Tip: For roles expecting high applicant volume, consider setting a firm closing date instead of using “open until filled.”

Application materials are first reviewed by Executive Office HR. Depending on search committee preferences, materials may be shared via email.

Veterans

Qualified veterans must be strongly considered. If two candidates are equally qualified, the veteran candidate receives preference.

Fair Hiring Practices

• All screening must align with the Fair Pre-Employment Inquiry Guidelines. For help on determining if the inquiry meets the guidelines, please reach out via the general consultation.
• Follow the best practice of maintaining equity, consistency, and confidentiality.

Diversity in Hiring
Diversity is a core value at the University of Washington and part of our commitment to inclusive excellence. Hiring managers should review the Career and Internship Center Diversity in Hiring Toolkit and Central HR’s DEI-Related Trainings for Hiring Managers, especially the Implicit Bias Training, when preparing for recruitment. Use these resources to support fair and inclusive hiring. These resources offer:

• Checklists for inclusive hiring practices
• Tips for reducing bias in candidate evaluation
• Strategies for attracting a diverse applicant pool
• Tools for equitable decision-making

Document Retention
You must retain all screening and interview materials for 3 years (10 years for Director-level and above). This includes all interview notes, rubrics, and rankings, whether paper or digital.

Interview Guidelines
Use a consistent and informed process for every candidate to support fairness, transparency, and compliance.

Interview panels should:

• Ask the same set of questions
• Be familiar with the Fair Pre-Employment Inquiry Guidelines
• Communicate expectations clearly, including:
  • Work schedule (including telework schedule)
  • Responsibilities
  • Physical requirements (if applicable)
• Share benefits eligibility (based on position):
  • Summary of Benefits for Classified Staff Greater than Half Time (PDF)
  • Summary of Benefits for Classified Staff less than 50 percent FTE (PDF)
  • Professional Staff Benefits Summary (PDF)
• Provide time for candidates to ask questions
• Be transparent about the recruitment timeline
• Not inquire about salary history (per WA Equal Pay & Opportunities Act)
• Review Total Talent Management’s information on how to accommodate candidates with disabilities.

After selecting individuals based on interviews to move forward with, the next step is to conduct reference checks.

• Conduct at least three professional reference checks. One must be a current or recent supervisor per Executive Office best practice.
• Use the UWHR General Reference Check Template (DOCX) to document conversations.
• Ask the same additional questions (if any) across all checks.
• Ensure compliance with Fair Pre-Employment Inquiry Guidelines.

For Current/former UW employees
Executive Office HR will request a review of the candidate’s official personnel file from central HR. This step must be completed before an offer can be made.

EOHR will review the information, follow up with any questions, and manage the next steps in the final approval process. Send an email to eohr@uw.edu that includes:

• Full name of the selected candidate
• Copies of completed reference checks
• Proposed salary amount
• Justification for the proposed salary

This step is required before hire.
Once notified by EOHR, Total Talent Management (TTM) will send the Sexual Misconduct Declaration and other verification forms to the candidate via email. Please instruct the candidate to be on the lookout.

Wait for EOHR to confirm that final approvals are complete. Once you receive an email confirming, you may proceed:

• Extend the offer to the candidate.
• Let the candidate know the offer is conditional on passing a background check.

During this stage:

• Notify EOHR whether the offer was accepted or declined.
• If the candidate declines the offer, consult with EOHR before proceeding.
• Keep EOHR informed of any updates related to the offer process.

Once the offer is accepted and EOHR has been informed:

• EOHR will initiate the background check.
• When you are notified the check clears, you must confirm the start date with EOHR.

Important Background Check Notes:

• Must be completed before the start date.
• Processing time can range from a few days to several weeks, especially for international candidates.
• Finalists already employed at UW may not require a new background check; confirm with EOHR.

• EOHR will prepare and route a hiring confirmation letter to the department head for signature.
• Once signed, EOHR will send the letter to the candidate, beginning the onboarding process.

Once Onboarding Begins

• Notify final candidates who were not selected (best practice).
• Review the EOHR onboarding process.
• Submit all recruitment notes and documentation to EOHR for recordkeeping.

Before beginning recruitment, meet with your Executive Office HR contact to discuss your staffing needs. During this meeting, HR will guide you on selecting appropriate employment classifications and job codes.

Be prepared to discuss:

• An outline of job duties.
• A list of minimum requirements.
• Budget and resources available.
• Expected number of hours worked a week. Refer to Work Hour Limits for Student Hourly Staff.
• Any changes to current team structures or roles.
• Pre-approval status from the department Executive Head.
• Recruitment style (department handled or facilitated by EOHR).

After meeting with EOHR, you will then need to develop a draft position description. While working on its creation, consider revising an existing position description for a similar role. Contact Executive Office HR for sample descriptions, if needed.

A position description for a student position should describe the following:

• Key responsibilities.
• Essential duties.
• Reporting structure.
• Expected number of hours worked a week. Refer to Work Hour Limits for Student Hourly Staff.
• Required qualifications.
• Expected hiring type (ASE, student assistant, work study).
• Expected compensation.
• Any other relevant details.

Before proceeding with submitting a new student hire request, consider the following:

Paying over the standard student hire wage (minimum) must have that the planned pay rate pre-approved by:

• Your VP-level unit approver (Use the HR Hiring Approval Flow Chart to identify required approver)
• Kim Dinh, Senior Director for Finance, HR, and Administration

Consider additional resource needs:

• Office space and equipment
• Software, supplies, and IT needs

Once position development is complete:

1. Review the New Student Hire request form instructions for guidelines on document and information requirements, as well as best practices.
2. Submit a New Student Hire form with all required documents.
3. Await as request flows through the EOHR Approval Flow for routing and approval process.

There is no University requirement for how long non-ASE student positions must be posted. For roles posted through Handshake, a common best practice is to post for two weeks, then reassess whether the posting should remain open or if the current applicant pool meets hiring needs.

Application materials are reviewed by the department hiring manager or the position’s supervisor, this is to be decided departmentally. Depending on search committee’s preferences, materials may be shared via email.

Ensure any applicants that move forward in the process are eligible for student employment.

Student Employment Eligibility

• Be enrolled at UW (not including correspondence credits)
• Meet these minimum registered credits per quarter:
  • Undergraduate: 6 credits
  • Graduate/Professional: 5 credits
  • Ph.D. candidates (dissertation stage): 2 credits

Student Employment Eligibility After Graduation
Once graduated, UW students are no longer eligible to work as student assistants and must be terminated no later than the date of their last final exam.

Student assistants who graduate at the end of spring quarter are not permitted to work during summer quarter, unless the student has already enrolled into a graduate or Ph.D. level program for the following autumn quarter.

Students ”On leave” Eligibility
Undergraduate: One quarter after a 6-credit enrollment (including summer), unless graduated
Graduate: If officially granted on-leave status by the Graduate School

Veteran Candidates
Qualified veterans must be strongly considered. If two candidates are equally qualified, the veteran candidate receives preference.

Fair Hiring Practices

• All screening must align with the Fair Pre-Employment Inquiry Guidelines. For help on determining if the inquiry meets the guidelines, please reach out via the general consultation.
• Follow the best practice of maintaining equity, consistency, and confidentiality.

Diversity in Hiring
Diversity is a core value at the University of Washington and part of our commitment to inclusive excellence. Hiring managers should review the Career and Internship Center Diversity in Hiring Toolkit and Central HR’s DEI-Related Trainings for Hiring Managers, especially the Implicit Bias Training, when preparing for recruitment. Use these resources to support fair and inclusive hiring. These resources offer:

• Checklists for inclusive hiring practices
• Tips for reducing bias in candidate evaluation
• Strategies for attracting a diverse applicant pool
• Tools for equitable decision-making

Document Retention
You must retain all screening and interview materials and submit them to EOHR for filing. This includes all interview notes, rubrics, and rankings, whether paper or digital.

Interview Guidelines
Use a consistent and informed process for every candidate to support fairness, transparency, and compliance.

Interview panels should:

• Ask the same set of questions.
• Be familiar with the Fair Pre-Employment Inquiry Guidelines.
• Communicate expectations clearly, including:
  • Work schedule (including telework schedule).
  • Responsibilities.
  • Physical requirements (if applicable).
• Share benefits eligibility (based on position):
  • Undergraduate students are not eligible for employment benefits.
  • Graduate students filling a non-ASE position are not eligible for benefits. (For more information on who qualifies as an ASE, please skip to the Academic Student Employee section (link) of this webpage.)
  • Graduate Appointee / Academic Student Employee (ASE) insurance program summary of benefits (PDF).
• Provide time for candidates to ask questions.
• Be transparent about the recruitment timeline.
• Not inquire about salary history (per WA Equal Pay & Opportunities Act).
• Review Total Talent Management’s information on how to accommodate candidates with disabilities.

Extend the offer to the candidate. You must let them know the offer is conditional on passing a background check.

Graduate student employee hires only must also complet the sexual misconduct declaration (step 3) as a condition of employment.

Notify EOHR whether the offer was accepted or declined.

Should the candidate decline the offer, consult with EOHR before proceeding.

Should the candidate accept the offer, send an email to eohr@uw.edu that includes the following information about the selected candidate:

• Full name
• UW NetID
• Student status (undergraduate, graduate, or PhD)
• Attach any screening and interview documents to file.

EOHR will review the information, follow up with any questions, and manage the next steps in the final approval process.

This step is required before hire.
Once notified by EOHR, Total Talent Management (TTM) will send the Sexual Misconduct Declaration and other verification forms to the candidate via email. Please instruct the candidate to be on the lookout.

Once the offer is accepted and EOHR has been informed, EOHR will initiate the background check. When you are notified that the check clears, you must confirm the start date with EOHR.

Important Background Check:

• Must be completed before the start date.
• Processing time can range from a few days to several weeks, especially for international candidates.
• Finalists already employed at UW may not require a new background check; confirm with EOHR.

EOHR will send the letter to the candidate, beginning the onboarding process.

Once onboarding begins:

• Notify final candidates who were not selected (best practice).
• Review the EOHR onboarding process.
• Submit all recruitment notes and documentation to EOHR for recordkeeping.

Scheduling Expectations
Hourly staff are expected to work a weekly schedule approved by their supervisor, in line with business needs. This schedule may vary from week to week.

Requesting Schedule Changes
Any changes to the work schedule must be reviewed and approved by the supervisor.

Who Qualifies
All hourly employees are eligible for overtime pay based on university policies. They must submit all hours worked into Workday.

When Overtime Applies
Overtime pay applies for hours worked beyond 40 in a work week. They are paid 1.5 times their hourly rate for qualified overtime hours.

What to Do Before Working Overtime
Employees must:

• Discuss the need with their supervisor
• Receive approval from their supervisor
• Create departmental documentation of approval (an email will suffice)

Multiple Positions
Overtime pay is calculated based on cumulative hours worked across all positions. If overtime is triggered by a specific position, that position will be paid at the overtime rate.

Student hourly staff are required to stay within work hour limits the University has set. The following information covers the current policy.

During the academic quarter: Max 19.5 hours/week across all UW jobs.

Exceeding 19.5 hours is only allowed:

• During finals week
• During academic breaks
• When the student has approved “on leave” status. (Review the Student Eligibility & Enrollment Requirements section of Student Hiring & Recruiting page.)

Important Reminders:

• All hours must be paid, even if limits are exceeded
• Work-hour overages may result in policy noncompliance
• Shifts over 5 hours must include a 30-minute unpaid break

Required Meal Breaks
State law requires a minimum of a 30-minute unpaid break for any employee working a 5+ hour shift. This break must begin before the 5th hour of work.

Example: If you start work at 8:30 a.m. and work until 5:00 p.m., your break must begin no later than 1:29 p.m.

General Policy
Hourly staff typically do not receive paid vacation or sick leave. However, eligibility can vary based on the specific job.

Where to Check
Refer to your Hiring Confirmation Letter.

Requesting Time Off Around Holidays
Employees must follow department-specific guidelines. Talk to your supervisor to find out what those are.

Holiday Pay Eligibility
Hourly staff typically do not receive holiday time off, but eligibility may vary.

Refer to your Hire Confirmation Letter to determine if your position includes paid time off.

Eligibility and Process
Remote work is available to some employees based on department and job needs. Requests must be approved by a supervisor and follow unit guidelines.

Standard Hybrid Schedule

• 3 days onsite
• 2 days remote

Requirements for Remote Work

• Employee must complete a telework schedule
• The schedule must be reviewed and approved by the supervisor
• If the schedule includes more than 2 remote days per week, leadership approval is required

Standard Schedule Requirements
Salaried employees must maintain a consistent weekly schedule approved by their supervisor and aligned with the number of hours they were hired to work, as detailed in their Hiring Confirmation Letter, unless an approved, documented change has occurred.

Making Schedule Changes
If a change to the work schedule is needed, the supervisor must submit a request using the Work Schedule Change form. Once approved, the employee’s work expectations will follow the updated schedule.

Who Is Exempt
Overtime-exempt (often called “exempt”) salaried staff are not eligible for overtime pay based on university policies. They do not track their hours worked in Workday.

Work Expectations
It is expected that exempt staff work the number of hours corresponding to the FTE listed in their Hiring Confirmation Letter, or another approved document, and meet department needs. Additional hours worked are not paid.

Who Is Eligible
Some salaried employees are eligible for overtime pay. They must submit all hours worked into Workday.

When Overtime Applies
Overtime pay applies for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek. Their hourly rate for qualified hours may vary. Contact EOHR via the general consult form to confirm rates.

Comp Time Option
Overtime-eligible salaried employees may elect to accrue compensatory time off instead of receiving overtime pay. This option is selected when submitting time entries.

Before Working Overtime
Employees must:

• Discuss the need with their supervisor
• Receive supervisor approval
• Document approval within the department (an email will suffice)

Multiple Positions
Overtime is calculated based on cumulative hours across all positions. The position that triggers overtime will be paid at the overtime rate.

Required Meal Breaks
State law requires a 30-minute unpaid break for any employee working more than 5 hours. This break must begin before the 5th hour of work.

Example: If your shift starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 5:00 p.m., your break must begin by 1:29 p.m.

General Policy
Full-time salaried staff accrue vacation and sick leave based on length of service. All other salaried employees’ vacation and sick leave may vary based on position, years of service, and other factors.

Requesting Time Off
Follow department-specific practices, including providing adequate lead time and arranging backup coverage.

Where to Check
Refer to your Hire Confirmation Letter to determine if your position includes paid time off. Review the UWHR time off webpage for accrual details to determine your accrual rate.

Department-specific Time Off
Salaried employees must follow their department’s process for requesting holiday time off. Ask your supervisor for guidance.

Eligibility
Salaried employees typically receive holiday time off. It appears in Workday as “Holiday Taken Time Off,” but eligibility and the number of hours per holiday may vary based on position.

University Holidays
Refer to the UW holiday calendar. Eligible employees may also receive up to one personal holiday per year. Personal holiday does not roll over.

Refer to your Hire Confirmation Letter to determine if your position includes paid time off.

Submitting Holiday Taken Time Off
Employees in the Executive Office organization that are eligible do not need to submit Holiday Taken Time Off (HTTO).

EOHR will submit HTTO for all eligible employees at the end of the calendar year for the upcoming calendar year. If an eligible employee is hired mid-year, EOHR will submit HTTO for the remainder of the calendar year.

Departments must email eohr@uw.edu if they have an employee that ends up working on a holiday, for time-off and hours worked to be accrued properly.

Eligibility and Process
Remote work is available to some employees based on department and job needs. Requests must be approved by a supervisor and follow unit guidelines.

Standard Hybrid Schedule

• 3 days onsite
• 2 days remote

Requirements for Remote Work

• Employee must complete a telework schedule
• The schedule must be reviewed and approved by the supervisor
• If the schedule includes more than 2 remote days per week, leadership approval is required

Leave of Absence refers to a temporary vacancy of an employee’s position for a period of time due to medical, personal, military, or family reasons. The requirements for review and approval of Leave of Absence are dependent upon the type of leave, however, all require the submission of a Leave of Absence request in Workday to initiate the process.

A Leave of Absence is not a paid absence, however, employees may concurrently utilize their paid time off balances to receive pay during their LOA. Employees with time off balances may be required to exhaust their balances before transitioning to unpaid time off. Some LOA types allow interspersing of time off types across the duration of the leave to balance paycheck amounts and maintain eligibility for benefits and time off accrual. Review Leave Without Pay for additional information about LOA.

The Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law protecting employees who need leave from work for personal medical reasons – including prenatal medical care and childbirth/adoption, to care for a family member for medical reasons, and for qualifying activities related to military active duty.

• To qualify for FMLA, an employee must have worked for a Washington State agency for at least 12 months and worked 1250 hours in the last 12 months. All Leave of Absence requests submitted through Workday noted as FMLA will be reviewed by HR Leave for these qualifiers.
• FMLA may be a single, continuous period of leave or intermittent. Healthcare Provider documentation determines the duration and frequency of the leave that is approved, though FMLA protections are exhausted at 12 weeks (480 hours, or prorated to FTE) of usage within a rolling 12-month period (balances will reset on a 12-month basis, not based on a calendar year).
• Medical documentation and associated information should always be sent directly to Campus HR Operations by the requesting employee or the Health Care Provider. Supervisors, departments, and Executive Shared Services maintain no documentation related to an employee’s medical condition, nor should be made aware of the specifics of an employee’s medical condition.
• Health Care Provider Certifications are considered null after 6 months, regardless of the dates provided on the request form. Employees with chronic conditions or ongoing needs for intermittent leave must submit new documentation at least every 6 months, being sure to submit that documentation in advance of the LOA expiration to ensure continuity of coverage.
• As a supervisor, if an employee discloses that they or a family member have a medical condition; if you identify that an employee has frequent unscheduled absences; or if an employee is out of the office longer than 3 days on sick time off, you are obligated to notify Executive Shared Services so that Executive Shared Services can send the FMLA Employee Rights Notification to the employee.
• Below is a standard workflow for requesting an FMLA Leave of Absence. FMLA is unique for each individual employee and can be complex; any employees with questions about this process or FMLA eligibility, in general, should escalate to Executive Shared Services for consultation as soon as is reasonable. Employees needing assistance regarding specifics of their medical information should always direct their questions to Campus HR Operations for a confidential consultation.

Parental Leave is an entitlement provided by the UW to all professional and classified staff employees (mothers/fathers; birth and non-birth parents). An employee does not need to reach a specified duration of employment to qualify for this entitlement. Review Parental Leave for additional information. The So you’re going to be a parent PDF includes parental leave planning frequently asked questions followed by six mini case studies that illustrate a variety of leave and time off scenarios.

• Professional and contract classified staff are allotted 4 months of parental leave, and classified non-union staff are allotted 6 months. This time is awarded as a continuous, unpaid period of time, and does not break down into days or hours. Employees may intersperse their paid time off to remain benefits-eligible, using not more than 30 days of sick time off. Employees may also work intermittently or with a modified work schedule with the approval of their department.
• While most employees take this leave at the birth of their child, the Parental Leave period can be initiated any time during the 12 months following the birth/placement of the child.

Postpartum disability
In addition to Parental Leave, birth mothers are entitled to a 6-8 week postpartum recovery/temporary disability period. The duration of this disability period is ultimately determined by healthcare provider certification. This entitlement is offered regardless of the duration of employment or FMLA eligibility.

• During the disability period, depending upon the applicable bargaining agreement/employment program, employees may use a combination of any of their available paid time off types, or utilize unpaid time off. Sick time off usage is unlimited during the recovery period.

FMLA coverage
If an employee’s Leave of Absence to become a parent is FMLA eligible, FMLA will run concurrently with the postpartum recovery period (if applicable), and the subsequent Parental Leave period, until FMLA is exhausted:

Benefits
During the recovery and Parental Leave periods covered by FMLA, employees will continue to receive UW employer-paid benefits regardless of their paid/unpaid time off usage, remaining responsible for the employee-paid portion.

Once FMLA is exhausted, or if an employee is ineligible for FMLA, the employee must remain in pay status for at least 8 hours in a calendar month, by working 8 hours or utilizing a paid time off type, in order to receive UW employer-paid benefits. Employees will remain responsible for the employee-paid portion. Employees with no paid time off may elect to self-pay the full employer and employee benefits to maintain eligibility. Review Self Pay for additional information.

Executive Shared Services will provide time off counseling to employees in advance of their planned time off to develop an interspersing plan to maximize benefits. Supervisors should refer employees to their Executive Shared Services lead once the LOA is approved in Workday if Executive Shared Services is not already working with the employee on their leave planning.

A Leave of Absence may be provided to an employee as a disability accommodation based upon the recommendation of a Health Care Provider that an employee is not able to perform the requirements of their job due to medical reasons.

The duration of Disability Leave as an accommodation will be the total amount of the employee’s accrued time off, or nine months of any combination of paid and unpaid time off; whichever is greater.

Often, FMLA covers some or all of an employee’s Disability Leave. FMLA will run concurrent to the Disability Leave, and cover up to 12 weeks (480 hours FTE equivalent) of the Leave of Absence.

While on FMLA, employees will continue to receive UW employer-paid benefits regardless of paid or unpaid time off utilized. During the FMLA period, employees will remain responsible for paying the employee-paid portion of their benefits and will need to coordinate payment with the Payroll office if their reduced paycheck will not cover the deductions.

Once FMLA is exhausted, the employee will need to intersperse paid time off hours to achieve at least 8 pay-status hours in a calendar month to receive UW employer-paid benefits. Employees with no paid time off may elect to self-pay the full employer and employee benefits to maintain eligibility. Review Self Pay for additional information.

Disability leave and accommodations can be complex and are unique to every employee. Supervisors made aware of an employee’s need for disability accommodation, up to and including a full Leave of Absence should reach out to Executive Shared Services as soon as reasonable to initiate preliminary communication to the employee and referral to the Disability Services Office and Campus HR Operations.

Suspended operations are when the UW is formally closed and all classes/activities are canceled). Suspended operations notifications are communicated via the UW Alert system and posted on the UW homepage. All employees of the Executive Office organization should sign up for UW Alerts to ensure timely notification of suspended operations and other important alerts.

Manager/Supervisor Responsibilities
Once an official Suspended Operations notification has gone out, Managers should send a follow-up communication to all direct reports to confirm expectations during the period of the closure. Supervisors should confirm that all hourly employees, including student workers, should not be reporting to work or logging hours.

• For all salaried employees, supervisors should confirm whether the employee will be a) telecommuting, b) utilizing paid time off, or c) a combination of both.
• For salaried overtime eligible employees, there is the additional option for the employee to make up the hours in lieu of taking paid time off. Employees must make up the work time within 90 days of the date that the suspended operations ended. As this process is fully managed in Workday, please refer to the Suspended Operations User Guide for full details.
• Professional staff overtime exempt employees, at the supervisor’s discretion, do not have to utilize paid time off for approved partial day absences.

Employee Responsibilities
Employees are responsible for communicating directly with their supervisor to confirm approval to tele-work, use paid time off, or makeup hours (for salaried overtime-eligible employees only). Once approval is obtained, their Workday time entry/time off entries should be updated accordingly. If an overtime-exempt employee tele-worked throughout the closure or—with the supervisor’s approval—took a partial day absence, there is no action needed in Workday.

NOTE: The Suspended Operations notification makes reference to “essential staff” needing to report to work during suspended operations. Based on current position data, there are NO employees within the Executive Office organization that are designated as “essential staff”. Therefore, no Manager should require any employee to report to work during suspended operations.

In inclement weather situations, the UW remains open, but severe weather may be causing transportation problems or hazardous conditions for employees. For these situations, the following protocol should be followed:
Inclement Weather Policies

Employees are responsible for communicating directly with their supervisor as soon as possible if inclement weather is preventing them from reporting to work on time or at all.

Managers should work directly with their employees to discuss possible options for tele-working, utilizing paid time off, or—for Professional staff overtime exempt employees only—approving partial day absences. During inclement weather, make-up hours are not an option for overtime-eligible staff.

Leaves of Absence requests for educational pursuit, government service, or personal reasons must be submitted by an employee in writing to request approval from their supervisor and the Executive Head (e.g. President, Provost, Vice Provost) who preside over the employee’s department. Supervisors receiving a request for these reasons should consult with the Executive Shared Services before approving and escalating to senior leadership.

Meet with your employees regularly, formally and informally, so that you can provide timely feedback about the employee’s performance. Regularly scheduled team check-in or stand-up meetings offer the opportunity for you and your employees to connect on day-to-day items, report out on ongoing projects or processes, and share out information regarding new or upcoming issues or events.

In addition to group check-ins, you should be holding regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with each of your direct reports to provide individualized performance management and coaching, including developing and documenting your employee’s immediate and long-term plans and goals. During these one-on-one meetings, be sure to discuss any additional support or training your employee may need to accomplish those goals and further their professional development.

Encourage a two-way dialogue with your employees. A clearly communicated open-door policy is good. Actively initiating conversations with your staff is even better. Foster an environment where employees feel safe to discuss work challenges and mistakes freely. You cannot help if you do not know a problem exists and your employees may not communicate openly if they fear there will be repercussions for their honesty and openness.

Do not let performance issues linger. Addressing them immediately is the best way to prevent challenges from snowballing into problems then into formal corrective action. Focus on being an effective coach so that you spend less time — or maybe no time at all — correcting performance.

If an individual’s goals change, such as a change in duties or the need for additional training or development, be sure to document the changes and give the employee a copy of the revised goals. Throughout the year, keep notes on your employees’ achievements and performance. This information will come in handy when it is time again for annual performance reviews, to ensure that there are no “surprises” during the annual review.

We encourage all managers to consult UW HR’s detailed Performance Management Supervisor Guide, for further guidance and resources on performance management. If, after following these steps and addressing and documenting performance issues, you have an employee who is not meeting expectations of the position, consult with Executive Office Shared Environment for further guidance.

Formal performance reviews should be completed on at least an annual basis. Semiannual or quarterly reviews may be implemented so long as you are consistently following the same review structure and schedule for all of your direct reports.

For new classified staff positions, a performance evaluation should be completed in advance of the end of the six-month probationary period and then continue on at least an annual basis thereafter. Although Professional Staff employees do not have a probationary period, new Pro Staff employees should have a formal performance evaluation completed at the six-month mark and then continue on at least an annual basis thereafter.

The annual review is intended to provide an assessment of the employee’s performance over the past year as well as set plans and goals for the upcoming year. It is also necessary for the purposes of informing merit increases.

The timing of the annual review is set by the Executive Office HR team. During spring quarter, a communication will go out to all supervisors asking that all annual performance evaluations be completed by a certain deadline. All performance review documentation (e.g. email to employee summarizing meeting, evaluation forms, etc.) should be forwarded to Terry Wilson, Associate Director for HR Employee Relations, via email at tnwilson@uw.edu by that deadline.

The format for the annual review should follow the recommendations on the UW HR Performance Management and UW HR Labor Relations/Union websites. Consult the UW HR Manager’s Guide to Performance Management and use the following forms and guides.

• • UW HR Performance Evaluation Guide in the Appropriate Contract
  • 2024/2025 Evaluation Form Coming Soon

•  2024/2025 Evaluation Form Coming Soon

Peer evaluations for Professional Staff can also be used to gain feedback on employee performance, especially in the areas of collaborative teamwork, customer service, or client relations. These are areas that you may not directly observe in your capacity as supervisor. If you decide to use peer feedback as part of the annual review process, be sure to implement the practice consistently across all employees who report to you.

UW HR Performance Feedback Form

UW’s Professional and Organization Development (POD) offers courses, certificate programs, leadership training, webinars, and one-on-one coaching for employees. Encourage your employees to explore the options available via UW Professional & Organizational Development (POD).

External training, certification programs, workshops, and conferences are also opportunities for your employees to keep up to date on the trends, technologies, skills, policies, and other characteristics of their field. Encourage your employees to be proactive in researching opportunities and be sure to consult with the Executive Office HR team to discuss available funding before approving any requests.

Cross training among your team members is an excellent way to promote professional growth for your employees while also addressing business continuity. For critical functions or processes within your unit, be sure that multiple individuals are cross trained (and stay current with the training) to ensure readiness in the event of a gap or disruption.

The UW has a formal recognition program based on years of service. Notifications of upcoming service anniversaries are sent directly to the Manager listed in Workday along with instructions for the employee’s selection of the service recognition gift. Please consult the UW Service Recognition webpage for additional information.

If you would like to develop your own recognition plan for your unit, please consult with the Executive Office HR team on appropriate criteria, budgets, and allowable funding and activities.