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Maintaining Workforce - Seasonal Employees in HRS

Overview

This document describes the definition of a seasonal worker, where to indicate the duration of the seasonal employment period, and how to place the seasonal worker on unpaid leave.

Seasonal is when an employee’s work schedule is recurring, e.g., works every first semester during registration, agricultural/farm workers, nurses in student health centers, etc. Payments reflect the period of time (number of months) and FTE worked.

Examples include:
  • A University Staff member who is hired to work in the agricultural area. The operational need is for the work to be performed during the active season of March – November. For the months of December – February the employee does not work and is placed on an unpaid seasonal leave of absence. All rights associated with being a permanent employee continue during the leave of absence.
  • An academic staff member hired to work in Antarctica. The employee works full time for 10 months of the year and leaves “the ice” for two months and does not work during that time. The employee is placed on an unpaid seasonal leave of absence during the two month break. All benefits associated with being a permanent employee continue during the leave of absence.
  • An athletic coach (Limited appointment) is hired to work 11 months of the year. One month of the year they are removed from payroll and placed on an unpaid seasonal leave of absence. All benefits associated with being a permanent employee continue during the leave of absence.

Process Considerations: 

  • Seasonal Status MUST be identified at the time of recruitment.
  • Changes to an individual’s appointment from Permanent (100%) to Seasonal would need to be handled through the appropriate personnel office.
  • This does NOT include C-Basis academic staff or faculty.
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Instructions on How to Indicate Seasonal Employment

  1. In HRS, Seasonal employees will be hired with standard hours and FTE appropriate to the hours worked while in pay status.  (NOTE: The employee's FTE should not be adjusted so that he/she will remain in active pay status during months they are not technically working).
  2. In order to capture the recurring seasonal leave of absence as well as the overall annual FTE reduction, the appointment will have a selection chosen from the Seasonal Indicator drop-down menu.

  3. When entering the job data on the Job Information tab, select from the drop down menu the appropriate value that represents the amount of time the individual will be in pay status.

    Image of job information

Instructions on How to Place Employee on Seasonal Break

  1. Navigate to Workforce Administration > Job Information > Job Data.
  2. Enter Empl ID or search using name.
  3. Click the plus sign to add a row.
  4. Enter the Effective Date which is the first day of the seasonal break. 
  5. Select the Action of Short Work Break.  The Payroll Status of "Leave of Absence" in HRS indicates that the individual will not be paid.
       For reporting purposes, HR_Status will still be 'A'; Empl_Status changes to 'L'.
  6. Select Reason of Seasonal Break.
  7. An Expected Return Date may be entered.
  8. Click Save.  

    Image of work location with payroll status of leave of absence highlighted

Instructions for How to Return the Employee from the Leave

    1. Navigate to Workforce Administration > Job Information > Job Data.
    2. Enter Empl ID or search using name.
    3. Click the plus sign to add a row.
    4. Enter the Effective Date which is the first day the employee will be back at work. 
    5. Select the Action of Return from Short Work Break.  
    6. Select Reason of End Seasonal Break.
    7. Remove Expected Return Date.
    8. Click Save.

Warning Sign NOTE:  Seasonal Status MUST be identified at the time when a position is recruited.  Changes to an individual's appointment from Permanent (100%) to Seasonal, would need to be handled through the appropriate personnel office.


Additional Resources

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