Hiring, Maintaining and Ending Employment

The following policy for promotion and hiring at Whitworth University has been established to balance the opportunity for promoting exemplary staff members when appropriate with the desire to continue expanding the ranks of a diverse and well-qualified employee population.

1. Promotion Through Position Reclassification
When an administrator desires to promote an exemplary employee into new areas of responsibility that would clearly be an expansion and/or enhancement of that employee’s current position but would nonetheless result in a reclassification (a new grade designation) for that position, the supervisor may do so without a search, subject to review and approval by the area vice president and/or cabinet as necessary. Changes in employee function that do not result in position reclassification and do not leave functions to be taken up by other employees may be implemented by individual supervisors if approved by their area cabinet officer and the associate vice president of human resources.

2. Limited Search
A limited search may be conducted when a position is approved to fill at the discretion of the supervisor, in consultation with human resource services. This limited search is defined as a period in which any regular or interim Whitworth employee may apply and be considered for the open position. Employment diversity, equal employment opportunity, and Whitworth Human Resource Services policies and procedures apply to these searches to the extent that they ensure non-discrimination and employment diversity.

Note: While current Whitworth employees may apply for any opening, only those whose credentials fulfill the requirements of the position will be considered. Search committees are not required to interview all on-campus applicants, but are strongly encouraged to give full consideration to qualified internal applicants.

3. Full Search Hiring
All other regular openings (excluding temporary vacancies) are to be filled through a full search process, as defined by institutional policy and developed in detail by the primary seeker and the associate vice president of human resource services/designee. A full search is generally defined as a two-week (minimum) period in which an appropriate range of advertising is used to solicit applications from both on- and off-campus persons. Every effort will be made to ensure the recruitment of a well-qualified, diverse pool of applicants. Employment diversity, equal employment opportunity, and Whitworth University Human Resource Services policies and procedures apply to these searches.

Supervisors who anticipate having a position needing to be filled should contact human resource services as soon as possible to initiate appropriate applicant search procedures.

Human resource services assists in developing a current position description, formation and training of the search committee, advertising and recruitment of applicants, ongoing communication with applicants, design of an appropriate interview strategy, scheduling appropriate tests and examinations, and establishment of a salary corresponding to the position and consistent with the institution’s compensation strategies.

Important: Open positions cannot be advertised or posted until written authorization is received in human resource services with the appropriate signatures. This would include the appropriate area cabinet officer and the corresponding dean or vice president.

Position announcements are advertised online at Careers at Whitworth. Employees who are interested in new opportunities are encouraged to stay informed of open positions through the Whitworth University website list of openings.

Application for Whitworth University employment is made through Whitworth’s online application system. For full consideration, applicants must provide all documents requested in the application process section of the position announcement.

Note: Questions about salary or benefits should be referred to human resource services.

Upon completion of a staff search process, the associate vice president of human resource services/designee is authorized by the president to make an offer of employment to the candidate selected. The associate vice president of human resource services/designee is authorized to establish starting salaries based on the approved compensation goals of the institution, as defined by the annual Staff Salary Administrative Procedures.

Important: Offers cannot be made until written authorization from the appropriate area cabinet officer and the associate vice president/designee of human resource services is received. All salary offers for staff appointments are determined and made by human resource services.

Whitworth University seeks to attract, develop and retain a well-qualified diverse staff. Whitworth’s compensation goals are to relate compensation directly to the job duties and responsibilities of the position, to reflect a commitment to internal equity between positions including gender equity, and to be competitive with Whitworth’s peer institutions and/or other comparable designated employers as appropriate.

In general, Whitworth does not prohibit or discourage the hiring of persons who have relatives already working at Whitworth. Exceptions to this include Whitworth’s prohibition against a person being hired or serving in a position that directly reports to a relative and the hiring of relatives of an area cabinet officer in that cabinet officer’s area of responsibility.

Requests for exceptions to these prohibitions for temporary and student employment will be considered on an individual basis.

Under most circumstances, new staff employees are hired for a three-month initial appointment. During the initial appointment, the new employee’s ability to meet the performance expectations for their position is evaluated. At the end of the initial appointment, a new employee should receive a 90-day performance review completed by their immediate supervisor, to include the supervisor’s decision to offer a regular appointment or to discontinue employment. The supervisor must review this written document with their area cabinet officer/designee and the associate vice president of human resource services/designee prior to making and communicating such a decision to the new employee.

Under rare circumstances, an initial appointment may be extended for generally up to three additional months in order to provide for a more conclusive evaluation of a new employee’s suitability for the position. Extensions to the 90-day period may be requested by the supervisor in some cases, depending on the timing of the hire (such as when a person who works closely with students is hired early in the summer). The supervisor is required to meet with both the area cabinet officer/designee and the associate vice president of human resource services/designee prior to making and communicating a decision to extend the initial appointment period.

Note: Current employees of Whitworth who are hired into new positions are generally exempt from the initial appointment period, but should receive feedback at the completion of three months of employment in the new position.

Upon successful completion of an initial appointment, new employees will be placed in a regular status appointment.

1. Temporary Appointment: Temporary employees should be used to provide specific services for a specified period of time, generally not more than 90 working days in a year. Temporary employees are not eligible for Whitworth benefits beyond salary and do not receive payment for holidays or office closings. Any time served under a temporary appointment does not qualify for inclusion in any calculation of benefits, nor is time served credited toward completion of the three-month initial appointment if an employee is hired into a regular position. Temporary employees are not authorized to work overtime without pre-authorization of the area cabinet officer and notification made to human resource services.

Temporary employees who exceed 90 days in a year may be eligible to participate in making voluntary contributions to Whitworth’s retirement plan and should inquire about this option through the human resource services office.

Funds to pay for temporary employees must be identified and communicated with human resource services before the employee begins working.

Note: Human resource services makes all decisions about salary placement and processes all offers of employment for temporary staff. Completion of a Temporary Staffing Request Form, signed by the area cabinet officer prior to making such an offer, is required.

2. Interim Appointment: An interim employee is employed in a regularly budgeted or otherwise preapproved position generally for a period not to exceed one appointment period (a nine-month academic year or a 12-month period). This interim appointment may be extended up to one additional year with approval of human resource services. Interim employees are eligible for benefits on the same basis as regular employees and serve a three-month initial appointment period.

A limited or full search must generally be conducted at the end of the interim appointment period if the position will continue as a regular position unless such search occurred at the beginning of the interim appointment. Should an interim employee be hired as a regular employee as a result of a search, their interim time will be credited toward satisfying the initial appointment period. Time served under an interim appointment qualifies for inclusion in all calculations of benefits.

3. Job-Share Appointment: Job-share appointments make it possible for more than one employee (usually two) to share the responsibilities of one full-time position between them. Under a job-share appointment, each employee in a job-share appointment is paid based on their individual qualification for the position and each receives a prorated share of benefits, not to exceed a total of 1.0 full-time equivalency. A decision to allow a job-share arrangement is based upon supervisor discretion and with the approval of the area cabinet officer in consultation with the associate vice president for human resource services/designee.

A regular employee who voluntarily leaves Whitworth and is subsequently rehired in a benefits-qualifying position within one year of their last day of work will receive benefits as calculated for transferred and promoted employees. Time served under the previous regular appointment qualifies for inclusion in all calculations of benefits, including reinstating previous sick leave balances and vacation rate of accrual.

When an employee plans to terminate employment with Whitworth, they are asked to submit a written notice of intention to terminate employment to the supervisor and to human resource services, providing as much notice as possible in advance of the intended time. Administrative staff should provide at least four weeks’ notice, and all other staff should provide at least two weeks’ notice.

Note: Employees who have met one of the two following conditions are eligible to receive a cash payment for accrued but unused vacation up to 160.00 hours (pro-rated based upon FTE) when they terminate their employment at Whitworth:

1. They have provided written notice of resignation in advance of effective date according to the appropriate resignation schedule
2. Because of retirement, layoff or dismissal

Vacation may not be used to extend employment past the last month actually worked, and additional vacation will not accrue on the unused vacation time for which the employee is paid (i.e., there is no compounding of vacation benefits.)

Temporary Carry Over Bank (TCOB) hours are not eligible for payout.  

When a decision to terminate employment of an employee has been made, Whitworth will submit to the employee a written notice of intention to terminate, usually through the employee’s supervisor in collaboration with human resource services, at least two weeks in advance of the effective date of termination. In lieu of such notice, Whitworth may choose to provide the employee with two weeks’ pay beyond that which has been earned.

Under certain circumstances, the supervisor, upon the advice of the associate vice president of human resource services, may recommend immediate termination of employment without notice. The president must approve all immediate terminations.

Generally, termination may be recommended for the following reasons:

• Gross misconduct (for example, engaging in or threatening physical violence; willful destruction of Whitworth University or student property; theft, including theft of Whitworth equipment, funds, material or personal information about other employees or students; embezzlement; serious or substantial violations of federal, state or local laws; or violation of the university’s EEO and ADA policies including Whitworth’s policies on discrimination, retaliation and harassment)
• A severe or flagrant violation of rules
• Insubordination
• Unauthorized absence
• Altering or falsifying any record
• Unauthorized use of a controlled substance
• Any other persistent or serious infraction of Whitworth’s rules and regulations governing the conduct of its employees.

This is not an exhaustive list of the reasons for termination and/or immediate termination without notice. Employees are reminded that employment at Whitworth University is at-will, terminable by either the employee or the university at any time for any reason.

In cases of immediate termination, salary and other benefits will be determined on the basis of a full final day of employment, whether or not the employee has worked that full day.

1. Employee discipline is intended to be corrective rather than punitive and will likely involve progressive measures unless gross misconduct is found. Gross misconduct may include but is not limited to engaging in or threatening physical violence; willful destruction of Whitworth University or student property; theft, including theft of Whitworth equipment, funds, material or personal information about other employees or students; embezzlement; serious or substantial violations of federal, state or local laws; or violation of the university’s EEO and ADA policies including Whitworth’s policies on discrimination, retaliation and harassment. Some offenses may result in immediate termination. A written record of any such disciplinary action taken will be maintained in the employee’s personnel file.

2. When an employee fails to observe expected standards of performance and conduct, counseling or a verbal warning by the supervisor may be appropriate.

3. When further disciplinary action is warranted, additional measures may include disciplinary probation, suspension or dismissal, depending on the severity of the situation.

Each staff member leaving Whitworth University has an opportunity to take part in an exit survey and interview with a human resource services representative. The purpose of the exit survey and interview is to provide the departing employee with an opportunity to share valuable insights and constructive feedback about their employment at Whitworth.