Policy Statement and Reason
For the purpose of this policy, employees include Massachusetts staff only. All provisions of this policy apply, except that for employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement, this policy does not create any benefits not expressly provided by that collective bargaining agreement and if there are inconsistencies between this policy and the collective bargaining agreement, the terms of the collective bargaining agreement will govern.
This policy provides information about major employment and non-employment categories. It will assist in understanding how employment categories correspond with work schedules, benefits eligibility, regulatory requirements, etc.
Employee Types
- Full-Time Staff Employees-36.25 hours or more per week
- Part-Time Staff Employees– 20 hours or more per week but less than 36.25 hours per week
- Limited Part-Time Staff Employees – Less than 20 hours per week
- Casual Staff Employees
- Intermittent Staff Employees
- Temporary Staff Employees
- Emerson Student Workers
Non-Employee Types
- Contingent (Agency) Temporary Staff Employees
- Internships
- Independent Contractors
Policy Guidelines
Employee Types
Full-Time Staff Employees-36.25 or more hours per week
Regular Full-Time Staff Employees
- Assigned to positions with regularly scheduled hours for indefinite periods of time.
- May have an annual work period of 9, 10, 11 or 12 months
Grant Funded Full-Time Staff Employees
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Assigned to positions with regularly scheduled hours, time-limited and contingent upon sufficient grant funding for the duration of the grant.
See Benefits Summary: Regular and Grant Funded Full-time Staff Employees
Part-Time-20 hours or more but less than 36.25 hours per week Staff Employee
Regular Part-Time Staff Employees
- Assigned to positions with regularly scheduled hours for indefinite periods of time.
- May have an annual work period of 9, 10, 11 or 12 months
Grant Funded Part-Time Staff Employees
- Assigned to positions with regularly scheduled hours, time-limited and contingent upon sufficient grant funding for the duration of the grant.
See Benefits Summary: Regular and Grant Part-Time Staff Employees
Limited Part-Time-less than 20 hours per week Staff Employees
Regular Limited Part-Time Staff Employees
- Work less than 20 hours per week and are assigned to positions with regularly scheduled hours for indefinite periods of time.
- May have an annual work period of 9, 10, 11 or 12 months
Grant Funded Part-Time Staff Employees
- Assigned to positions with regularly scheduled hours, time-limited and contingent upon sufficient grant funding for the duration of the grant.
See Benefits Summary: Limited Part-Time and Grant Funded Limited Part-Time Staff Employees
Casual Staff Employees
Work of this nature is scheduled, consecutive and generally used when there is designated longer-term project work.
- Works a minimum of 25 weeks.
- May not exceed a total of 104 weeks (approximately two years) from the date of hire.
- If converted from Temporary to Casual, total time worked as temporary and casual combined may not exceed 104 weeks.
- May work:
- Full-time (36.25 or more hours per week)
- Part-time (20 hours or more per week, but less than 36.25)
- Limited part-time (less than 20 hours per week)
- May be non-exempt, hourly paid, or exempt, salaried based on their position and FLSA criteria.
- May not be used to “try out” a candidate in a specific position.
- May convert to another employment category prior to reaching the time/hour limits.
See Benefits Summary: Casual Staff Employees (Limited fringe rate may apply)
Intermittent Staff Employees
Work of this nature typically occurs once, occasionally, or in sporadic instances. For example, a person who fills in as needed to help with ad-hoc projects from time to time is considered an intermittent worker.
- Work is of a sporadic or intermittent nature, not to exceed 999 hours during a finite 52-week period (approximately 1 year), beginning the date of hire.
- Managers of Intermittent staff employees as well as the intermittent staff employee will be notified as their intermittent staff employee approaches the time limit.
- May convert to another employment category prior to reaching the time/hour limits.
- Automatically terminated upon reaching 999 hours, (or as close to 999 as possible without exceeding)
- Are typically non-exempt, hourly paid, but may in certain circumstances be exempt, salaried (but only if they are paid the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) minimum (at least $684 per week as of January 2021) and meet other criteria.
- Inactive intermittent employees who have not worked for 52 weeks will automatically be terminated.
Temporary Staff Employees
Work of this nature is scheduled and generally used when a regular staff member is out on leave, when there is a surplus of work, or for a designated project.
- Works a regular schedule on a full/part/limited part-time basis.
- Are typically non-exempt, hourly paid, but may in certain circumstances be exempt, salaried (but only if they are paid the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) minimum (at least $684 per week as of January 2021) and meet other criteria.
- May not exceed 26 weeks.
- Upon reaching 26 weeks from the initial date of hire the employee will automatically be terminated.
- May convert to another employment category prior to reaching the time/hour limits.
- Temporary employees who are inactive for 26 weeks will automatically be terminated.
Emerson Student Workers
Student Workers are hired through the Office of Student Employment (not Human Resources). Student Workers must be enrolled/matriculated in a degree program at Emerson (undergraduate or graduate) and must meet other eligibility requirements as defined by the Office of Student Employment.
Non-Employee Types
Contingent (Agency) Temporary Staff
Contingent (Agency) temporary staff are hired for temporary jobs through staffing agencies.
- Employed (and paid) directly by the agency.
- Agency bills the College for working hours.
- Assignments may not exceed 6 months.
Internships
As a general practice, the College does not provide unpaid internships. (See: U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs under The Fair Labor Standards Act). On occasion, at the sole discretion of the College, Emerson may accept a non-Emerson unpaid intern if there is a mutually agreed upon, legally sound, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Emerson and the intern’s school. The College does not engage unpaid Emerson interns.
Independent Contractor
Independent contractors (consultants) are not employees. Please see Emerson’s Contract Approval policy for details. If you have any questions about independent contractors, please contact the Procurement office.
Other Information
Important Note Regarding Rehiring
While the College is not prohibited from rehiring employees, before doing so, the College will, in collaboration with its Human Resources Department, carefully review the circumstances under which an employee left employment to determine whether the employee is eligible for rehire. The College will consider, among other things, whether:
- The employee left employment to cash out their retirement savings and then be rehired.
- The employee made any communications (verbal, written, email, etc.) about reemployment before their departure.
- Whether chairs, deans, managers, administrators made any communications (verbal, written, email, etc.) about reemployment with the College.
In addition, to be eligible for rehire, an employee who left and either cashed out their retirement plan or is receiving an annuity or distribution must have been entirely separated from the College for at least 6 months (180 calendar days) before being reemployed. If the individual is taking regular distributions, they must cease during reemployment. For additional information, please contact HR [at] emerson.edu (HR[at]emerson[dot]edu).
Employment at Will
Nothing in this policy alters any employee’s at-will employment with the College. The College reserves its right as an at-will employer and may end employees’ employment at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice or prior conversations.
Related Policies
Responsible Officer
The Vice President for Administration and Finance is responsible for this policy
Key Offices to Contact
Please contact Human Resources for further information regarding this policy and its implementation.
The contents of this document are informational only and are not conditions of employment. This document does not create any contractual obligations or alter the at-will employment of the College’s at-will employees. Emerson College reserves the right to modify, revoke, suspend, terminate or change any and all policies, documents and procedures at any time, with or without notice, as consistent with state and federal law.