Temporary or Casual appointments are either (1) short-term, 67 workdays or less (temporary) in a calendar year or (2) characterized by schedules that are variable, intermittent, on-call and consistently 14 hours a week or less (casual).
Note: Talent Acquisition does not provide recruitment support for temp casual positions, but the TDX process still applies.
Temporary Staffing Agencies
The University has a list of preferred vendors for hiring temporary staff. To see the list of preferred vendors, follow the steps below:
- Visit the U-Wide Contract Agreements page
- Expand the Staffing/Employment Services accordion
Temporary staff hired through staffing agencies are not paid by the University. The staffing agencies pay the workers and bill the college or unit based on the time reported and approved by the college or unit administrator.
The hourly rate is determined by the skill set, background, and experience required for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can temporary or casual appointments be paid as a lump sum?
No. Lump sums cannot be paid for job codes 0001 or 0007. Payment requires an hourly rate, and those hours must be submitted via a time sheet.
Can a person hold more than one temporary or casual appointment in a calendar year?
Yes, if the positions are separate and distinct in nature, as defined in the Provisions and Terms section of this policy under Multiple Temporary or Casual Appointments.
Can a person be appointed a month at a time repetitively?
Yes, as long as the person doesn't work more than 67 days in a calendar year or more than 14 hours in a week.
If I hire an exempt employee to do nonexempt work, will it affect their exempt status?
Yes. If an employee is working in an exempt position and the duties of an additional position are nonexempt, the additional appointment must be an hourly (formerly "flexible hourly") appointment and any hours worked over 40 hours a week will be paid at one-and-a-half times the rate of the higher salary.
What job code should I use for someone who holds an exempt primary University position and an exempt temporary or casual appointment (0007) but then is hired into a nonexempt temporary or casual position?
Use job code 0001 and follow the regulations for hourly pay and overtime.
Is MSRS deducted from employees in temporary or casual appointments?
No, temporary or casual employees do not have MSRS deductions.
How do I appoint a person to 0001 and 0007 classifications (job codes)?
Units enter appointment information into the HRMS (PeopleSoft) database. Units are responsible for a) correctly classifying work (0001 = nonexempt, 0007 = exempt), and b) maintaining appropriate documentation to support the appointment and classification of these employees.
When I appoint a retired University of Minnesota former employee to a temporary or casual position, is anything done differently?
Units enter appointment information into the HRMS (PeopleSoft) database as specified in the previous Q&A. The only difference is that the appointment type must be R - Retired so that the appointee's retirement benefits will not be adversely affected.
What is considered a "full day"? If a temporary/casual employee works five hours in one day, is that considered a full day?
For a temporary or casual appointment, a day is one workday, no matter how many hours a person works that day. So in each of the following workweek examples, the employee worked five days:
| Examples | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours Worked | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Hours Worked | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Hours Worked | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 8 |
When should job code 0007 be used instead of job code 0001?
If the incumbent holds an exempt position at the University, use job code 0007.
If the incumbent doesn't hold an exempt position at the University, use job code 0001.
Which job code should I use to hire someone who holds only an exempt primary University position into a temporary or casual appointment?
If the person already holds an additional nonexempt University position and/or a nonexempt temporary or casual appointment, use job code 0001. Remember to follow the regulations for hourly pay and overtime.
If the person's only existing appointment is exempt and the temporary or casual appointment consists of exempt work, use job code 0007.
Student-specific Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hire a student in a temporary or casual appointment?
Yes, you can hire a student in a temporary or casual appointment (job code 0001) only if the student does not meet registration eligibility to hold a student worker position. Both the student and the department will be charged Social Security tax. A student who meets registration eligibility can be hired into job codes 2xxx, 9512-13, and 9522-23 by using a Quick Hire Form.
Can I hire a high school student as a temporary or casual employee?
Yes, if they meet the criteria for hiring students from other institutions and comply with the restrictions under the child labor laws. (Refer to 0001 and 0007 classification descriptions in the Job Classification Search.)
Academic-specific Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hire academic employees to do non-academic work as temporary or casual employees?
Yes. Units must enter the appointment information into the HRMS database. If the duties being performed on the additional position are nonexempt, the additional appointment must be hourly and any hours worked over 40 hours a week will be paid at one-and-a-half times the rate of the higher salary.
Can I hire someone as a temporary or casual employee to perform academic work?
Yes. People hired under job codes 0001 and 0007 may perform academic work.
Alternatively, an Academic Temp/Casual appointment, which is a special appointment for academic work, may be used if the appointment meets one of the following criteria:
- An additional assignment to teach courses outside a primary appointment
- An academic appointment less than nine months in length
- A student leader (job code 2009) appointment
Overtime Pay Requirements
University Employees with Temporary or Casual Appointment
See below for definitions of exempt and nonexempt.
| Primary Appointment | Temporary or Casual Exempt/Nonexempt Appointment | Overtime Pay Requirement for Hours Worked Over 40 per Week |
|---|---|---|
| Academic (93xx, 94xx, 95xx, 96xx, 97xx) | Exempt (0007) | Overtime pay is not required. |
| Academic (93xx, 94xx, 95xx, 96xx, 97xx) | Nonexempt (0001) | Overtime pay of 1½ times is required for hours worked over 40 hours a week in the secondary temporary or casual appointment. Overtime pay is calculated on the hourly rate of the higher paying appointment (base pay plus any augmentation). |
| Civil Service, Exempt | Exempt (0007) | Overtime pay is not required. |
| Civil Service, Nonexempt | Nonexempt (0001) | Overtime pay of 1½ times is required for hours worked exceeding 40 hours a work week of both the primary and secondary temporary or casual appointments combined. Overtime pay is calculated on the hourly rate of the higher paying appointment (base pay plus any augmentation). |
Civil Service, Nonexempt Bargaining Unit, Nonexempt | Nonexempt (0001) | Overtime pay of 1½ times is required for hours worked over 40 hours a week. Overtime pay is calculated on the hourly rate of the higher paying appointment (base pay plus any augmentation). If primary appointment is nonexempt, the secondary appointment must be 0001 regardless of the nature of the work. |
Definitions
Exempt: Employees primarily performing work that is not subject to overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Overtime pay is not required under FLSA; however, the University chooses to pay overtime to exempt Non-V Class employees.
Nonexempt: Employees primarily performing work that is subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Overtime pay is required.