Supervisor Tools

Supervisor Job Description

Definition

Per RCW 41.80.005(13): “Supervisor” means an employee who has authority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, direct, reward or discipline employees, or to adjust employee grievances, or effectively to recommend such action, if the exercise of the authority is not of a merely routine nature but requires the consistent exercise of individual judgment.  However, no employee who is a member of the Washington Management Service may be included in a collective bargaining unit established under this section.

Duties:  As a representative of management, support the University mission, vision, strategic plan, and goals and management decisions; establish unit/program/department mission and goals.

  • Interpret and ensure self and subordinate employees are in compliance with university and department policies, union agreements, and laws;
  • Provide leadership and manage the unit/program/department; make decisions; solve problems; develop unit procedures; develop records/files; conduct meetings; represent unit/department/program at internal and external meetings;
  • Manage the employee hiring process; develop or update job descriptions; develop performance expectations, identify essential functions and knowledge, skills and abilities required; respond to questions pertaining to the need for background checks; assign work shifts; complete position requisition forms; form selection committees, if applicable, and ensure compliance with university processes for interview and selection of employees;
  • Manage employees and team performance; provide new employee orientation; train or provide adequate training for employees; coach, counsel and motivate employees; evaluate employees; investigate complaints or performance concerns; implement disciplinary action as needed and in consultation with appointment authority and Human Resources;
  • Manage and ensure effective employee/labor relations; create an ethical, non-discriminatory and safe work environment; establish effective communication lines/methods; identify and solve employee problems; manage conflict, respond to grievances;
  • Accept resignations; initiate terminations; process layoff actions;
  • Approve leave and overtime; complete or review and sign time sheets;
  • If applicable, establish and manage a budget; approve expenditures; initiate and sign appropriate paperwork.

Supervisor Performance Expectations:

Supervisors must perform the duties as outlined in the supervisor job description in addition to their regular work assignments, which comply with the union agreements, university policies, and laws to create a cooperative, safe, respectful and quality work environment.


Hiring and Onboarding

The links below will provide you with resources related to recruiting and hiring processes at the University.

Corrective/Constructive Action

Discipline

Tracking Hourly Employees

Guidelines for Tracking NSH Employees

Refer to policy EWU 407-01: Temporary Employment

Definition: The University employs temporary employees to meet short-term and intermittent workload needs under the following conditions:

  • Work expected to be half-time or more, but less than six months.
  • Work expected to be less than half-time per month.
  • Intermittent work that does not include six consecutive months at half-time, or more, AND does not exceed 950 hours in a 12 month period.

Limits: Temporary/Hourly appointments may not exceed 950 hours in a twelve consecutive month period from the original date of hire. Hours worked in all temporary positions that an employee holds at EWU count toward the total hours worked. Overtime hours are not included in the 950 hours.

Note: The employing department must submit a request to HR to separate the employee when the employee’s assignment, as originally defined, ends.

There are 3 things to track for each non-student hourly employee:

Insurance Eligibility: EWU non-student hourly employees whose employment is at least 480 hours over a rolling period of six consecutive months will be eligible for the employer provided insurances. Therefore, any non-student hourly employee working 480 hours (80 x 6 months) in a consecutive period with pay in each of the 6 months will be eligible for insurance benefits beginning the seventh month of continuous employment. Contact the Benefits Office at 509.359.2488 if you have questions.

Retirement Eligibility: Employees who normally work 70 hours or more per month for any five months of the academic year (September – August) are eligible for PERS retirement plan participation and will be required to participate if the position is determined eligible. May include students enrolled under 10 credits.

950 hours: The employee may not exceed 950 hours in a 12 consecutive month period from the original date of hire. Overtime hours are not included in the 950 hours. Hours worked in all temporary positions that an employee holds at EWU count toward the total hours worked. If an employee has one temporary position and accepts another, the hours from both EWU temporary positions count toward the total hours the employee may work during one year.

6 credit and 10 credit clarification
A temporary employee carrying 6 undergraduate credit hours (or 5 graduate credit hours) or more is considered a student and is exempt from social security taxes. If a student is enrolled full time (10 credits or more) they are exempt for retirement participation and social security taxes.

Refer to policy EWU 407-01: Temporary Employment

6 and 10 Credit Clarification:
A temporary employee carrying 6 undergraduate credit hours (or 5 graduate credit hours) or more is considered a student and is exempt from social security taxes. If a student is enrolled full time (10 credits or more) they are exempt from both retirement participation and social security taxes.

Failure to comply with these guidelines will have a monetary impact to your budget, as well as to the students.

Three Things to Track For Each Student Employee:

516 Hour Tracking: Students enrolled at Eastern and working on campus may not exceed 516 hours in a 6 consecutive month period. This averages to 19 hours per week, exclusive of hours worked on established academic breaks. Positions which do not carry a limit on hours, except as imposed by law or by the supervisor, are as follows:

  • Positions, earning credit or not, which relate directly to the student’s major field of study and which provide training. This must be documented at time of hire.
  • An elected or appointed position of the ASEWU or recognized student organization, including the Easterner staff.
  • A documented and approved programmed internship which consists of an academic component and work experience.
  • Students employed through the state or federal work study programs.

Retirement Eligibility Tracking: Full-time students are exempt from PERS membership under WAC 415-108-520. At the time of employment students receive a copy of the WAC and a Statement of Personal Ineligibility for Membership in the Washington Public Employees Retirement System to sign. If the employee is participating in PERS at the time they become a student, they need to contact the Benefits Office to get the proper exemption. They do have the option to continue to participate in PERS retirement.

Contact the Benefits Office at 509.359.2488 if you have questions.