| Introduction
For
your convenience, the Office of Human Resources has gathered some answers to the
questions most frequently asked by employees and applicants. The questions have
been organized by category. Click on one of the categories below to see a list
of related questions and answers.
Whenever you wish to return to this menu, click on "Return to Top."
This page will be occasionally updated with additional categories as new questions
and answers are included, so check back often.
| Employment |
|
Question:
As a current Boston University employee, when am
I eligible to apply for a promotion
or transfer within the University?
Answer:
An employee who has successfully completed six months
of continuous service in his or her current position
is eligible to apply for a promotion or transfer within
the University. For additional information, please
refer to Policy
#203 in the Personnel
Policy Manual. Employees who are represented by
collective bargaining agreements and have questions
concerning promotions and transfers should refer to
the appropriate Union
contract.
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Question:
How long must a vacancy remain in the University
Job Posting before it can be filled?
Answer:
All posted vacancies must remain in the University
Job Bulletin for at least five working days before
an offer of employment can be extended. Openings for
Local 2324-represented positions are considered as
internal vacancies during the first five working days
of posting—during which interviews are limited
to qualified internal candidates only. Qualified external
candidates will not be referred until five working
days have elapsed from the date of posting.
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Question:
As a hiring supervisor, may I make an offer of employment
for an opening on my staff?
Answer:
Hiring departments are not authorized to extend either
written or verbal offers of employment. Only the Office
of Human Resources is authorized to extend an offer
of employment. For additional information concerning
the filling of vacancies, please refer to Policy
#102 in the Personnel
Policy Manual.
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Question:
I am a current Boston University employee seeking
advice concerning my career goals and possible promotional
opportunities within the University. Is this type of
assistance available?
Answer:
The Office of Human Resources is available to provide
employees with career counseling; advice in identifying
possible promotional opportunities within the University;
and assistance in preparing or updating a resume.
If you are a current employee and would like to meet
with a representative from the Office of Human Resources,
please contact the Employee
Relations Section at 617/353-4044 and an appointment
will be scheduled for you to meet with your Employee
Relations Representative or an Employment Specialist.
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Question:
If I apply for a new position within the University,
am I required to inform my current supervisor?
Answer:
Boston University employees who apply for a promotion
or transfer must inform their supervisors when an
interview has been scheduled with the hiring department.
For additional information, please refer to Policy
#203 in the Personnel
Policy Manual. Employees who are represented by
a collective bargaining agreement should refer to
the appropriate Union
contract.
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Question:
I just applied for a job with Boston University.
What happens next?
Answer:
If you applied for a grade 20 - 26 position, your
application will be reviewed by a Personnel Employment
Specialist. Resumes and cover letters for grade 40
- 82 positions will be forwarded to departmental hiring
managers upon receipt. Custodial and trades applications
will be reviewed at the Office of Human Resources
and forwarded to hiring managers at the Physical Plant.
Police applications are forwarded directly to University
Police.
In
all cases, if interest develops in your candidacy,
you will be contacted by an Employee Relations Representative
or Employment Specialist from the Office of Human
Resources to arrange an interview.
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Question:
How long are job applications maintained as active
with the Office of Human Resources?
Answer:
Applications are considered active for a period of
60 days from the date of receipt.
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|
| Equal
Opportunity |
|
Question:
Where can I find a copy of Boston University's Equal
Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy?
Answer:
The Equal
Opportunity/Affirmative Action Policy may be found
in the Policies
and Procedures section of this web site.
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Question:
Where can I find a copy of Boston University's Sexual
Harassment Policy?
Answer:
The Sexual
Harassment Policy may be found in the Policies
and Procedures section of this web site.
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Question:
How can I request a reasonable accommodation for
a disability?
Answer:
A student with a disability who is seeking academic
accommodation should contact the Office
of Disability Services for assistance. A student
who is seeking accommodation related to on-campus
employment should follow the guidelines below for
employees.
An
employee with a disability, either faculty or staff,
who wishes to request a reasonable accommodation should
discuss the situation with his or her supervisor.
The employee should inform the supervisor of the limitations
presented by the disability, of the way in which the
employee believes these limitations impact his or
her ability to perform the job, and of any accommodation(s)
that he or she believes would be of assistance. The
employee may also contact the Office
of Equal Opportunity for assistance, either before
or after discussing the matter with the supervisor.
The
process of evaluating the functional limitations of
a disability as they relate to the employee's ability
to do the job, and determining what, if any, reasonable
accommodation(s) might be helpful is an interactive
one. It will generally include the employee, the supervisor,
and/or the Equal Opportunity Officer, and if necessary
it may include the employee's medical provider(s),
the Office
of Environmental Health and Safety, the Occupational
Health Center, and/or other offices or individuals
who can be helpful in identifying and providing appropriate
accommodations. Information provided by the employee
regarding the disability will be kept confidential,
except that it will be provided to those individuals
who need to know it in order to evaluate the situation
and implement any appropriate accommodation(s).
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|
| General
Office of Human Resources Questions |
|
Question:
I lost my Terrier (BU ID) Card. How can I get a
replacement?
Answer:
If your Terrier Card has been lost or damaged, you
may obtain a replacement card at the Office of Human
Resources, 25 Buick Street, 2nd Floor, OR at the Terrier
Card Office at the George Sherman Union, 775 Commonwealth
Avenue, Lower Level. Cards are issued on a walk-in
basis during normal business hours at both locations.
While there is no charge for an employee's initial
identification card or badge, a $30.00 fee is charged
for replacements. For additional information concerning
Boston University identification cards, please refer
to Policy
#104.2 in the Personnel
Policy Manual. Employees who are represented by
collective bargaining agreements, should refer to
the appropriate Union
contract.
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Question:
If I have a question regarding my weekly or monthly
paycheck or regarding my W-2 Form, who should I contact?
Answer:
If you have a question concerning your paycheck, you
should speak to the Payroll Coordinator in your department
or school. If the Payroll Coordinator is unable to
answer your question, he or she will contact the Payroll
Department on your behalf. For questions regarding
your W-2 form, please contact the Payroll Office directly
at 617/353-2270.
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Question:
What is the process for hiring temporaries through
outside agencies?
Answer:
Upon receiving approval within the department in need
of temporary assistance, contact Eileen
Kaminsky at 617/353-4470. The Office of Human
Resources is responsible for arranging all temporary
hires through outside agencies. The request for a
temporary must include a brief job description, duration
of the assignment, work hours for the assignment,
and the departmental contact person. Time sheets will
be completed by the temporary employee and a bill
will be generated by the temporary employment agency.
The bill will be reviewed by the Office of Human Resources
and forwarded to the department for approval and payment.
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|
| Policies
and Procedures |
|
Question:
As a supervisor or manager, how do I know which
policies govern the employees on my staff?
Answer:
Non-exempt and non-faculty staff are governed by the
policies and procedures outlined in the Personnel
Policy Manual. Employees who are represented by
collective bargaining agreements are governed by the
policies contained in the appropriate Union
contract. Copies of these agreements along with
a description of the employee groups they represent
are located in the Policies
and Procedures section of this site.
If
you have any questions regarding the interpretation
of the policies outlined in the Personnel
Policy Manual or in any of the collective
bargaining agreements, or if you have any questions
or issues concerning one of your employees, please
contact your Employee Relations Representative in
the Office of Human Resources at 617/353-4044. You
may also contact Marilyn
Walsh, Director of Employee Relations, Employment
and Training at 617/353-4720.
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Question:
As a newly hired Boston University employee, when
am I eligible to use my accrued vacation leave?
Answer:
Employees are eligible to use their accrued Vacation
Leave after completing three months of continuous
service. For additional information regarding Vacation
Leave accrual and usage, please refer to Policy
#301 in the Personnel
Policy Manual. Employees who are represented by
collective bargaining agreements should refer to the
appropriate Union
contract.
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Question:
When am I eligible to use my accrued sick leave?
Answer:
Employees are eligible to use their accrued Sick Leave
after completing three months of continuous service.
During the first three months of service, time off
that would normally be taken as Sick Leave will be
taken as Unpaid Time Off. For additional information
regarding Sick Leave accrual and usage, please refer
to Policy
#302 in the Personnel
Policy Manual. Employees who are represented by
collective bargaining agreements should refer to the
appropriate Union
contract.
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Question:
When am I eligible to take a Family and Medical
Leave. How do I apply?
Answer:
Employees are eligible for Family
and Medical Leave (FMLA) if they have been employed
by Boston University for at least one year prior to
the start of the leave; if they are scheduled to work
at least 50% of the time; and if they meet one of
the qualifying events under the FMLA. For additional
information concerning the FMLA and other categories
of leaves of absence available to eligible employees,
please refer to the Personnel
Policy Manual.
Employees
who are represented by collective bargaining agreements
should refer to the appropriate Union
contract for additional information regarding
leaves of absence.
Family
and Medical Leave forms are available in your department
or school; by calling the Office of Human Resources
at 617/353-4044; or from the Forms/Print Library at
this web site.
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Question:
If I am required to report to work during an emergency
closing because I am considered "essential
personnel", will I receive additional compensation
for that day?
Answer:
Non-represented/non-exempt staff who are required
to work during an Emergency Closing are eligible for
one and one-half hours of compensatory time off for
each non-overtime hour worked during such closing.
Exempt employees who are required to work during an
Emergency Closing are eligible for one hour of compensatory
time for each hour worked during such closing. Non-represented/non-exempt
staff and exempt staff should refer to Policy
#311 in the Personnel
Policy Manual for additional information regarding
Emergency Closing. Employees represented by collective
bargaining agreements who are required to work during
an Emergency Closing should refer to the appropriate
Union
contract regarding compensation for hours worked
during an Emergency Closing.
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The
following subsection of questions and answers relate
to Worker's Compensation and the Return to Work program
for those employees with work-related injuries. For
more information about this program, please consult
the Risk
Management web site and the Return
to Work Policy in the Policies
and Procedures section of this site.
Question:
When do my Worker's Compensation checks start?
Answer: You should expect a decision on your claim
within 14 days from the date the third party administrator
receives the first report of injury form.
Question:
Where do I go if the Occupational
Health Center is closed when my accident occurs?
Answer: If the accident occurs when the Occupational
Health Center is closed, go to any area hospital
or your primary care doctor. You must call the Occupational
Health Center Call-In Line within 24 hours to
schedule an appointment at the Occupational Health
Center.
Question:
Can I receive ongoing treatment for my work-related
injury through the Occupational
Health Center?
Answer: Yes; if you elect to do so.
Question:
If I am able to return to work with restrictions,
will I be able to return to work?
Answer: The University will make every effort
to accommodate restrictions that allow an employee
to return to work.
Question:
If I am released to return to work only on a part-time
basis, will I be compensated for my lost wages?
Answer: Yes; worker's compensation will pay you
60% of the difference between your earnings prior
to the injury and your current earnings.
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|
| Retired
Faculty and Staff |
|
Question:
How do I obtain a Retiree ID card?
Answer:
Send a written request stating that you are a retiree
with your name, address, social security number, and
home phone number to the Office of Human Resources.
Your ID card will be mailed to you after we verify
your status as a retired Boston University faculty
or staff member. Alternatively, you may come to the
Office of Human Resources at 25 Buick Street, 2nd
Floor, during normal business hours to obtain a new
card. You will be asked to present identification.
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Question:
How do I sign up for free internet access through
academic computing services (ACS)?
Answer:
Retirees may keep their ACS accounts for life. If
you do not have an ACS account, please set one up
a few days before you leave. On your last day at work,
you should make sure that mail sent to you@bu.edu
is being forwarded to your ACS account; you can do
this at www.bu.edu/computing/email/forwarding,
where you can also specify forwarding to any external
mail account you may have. If your BU mail account
was on any server other than ACS, you should ask your
system administrator to make sure that any mail sent
to that server is forwarded to your ACS account, as
well. The easiest way to read your ACS mail is through
the Web-based Horde mail program at www.bu.edu/webmail.
If you prefer to configure a desktop mail client on
your home computer, you can find instructions at www.bu.edu/pcsc/email/configure.
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Question:
As a retiree, is it necessary to keep the University
informed about my current address and phone number?
Answer:
YES! Occasionally it is necessary for the Office of
Human Resources to mail important benefits information
to retirees. Also, events sponsored by the Society
of Retired Faculty and Staff are communicated
by mail and telephone.
Please
send all updates of your personal contact information
to the Office of Human Resources, 25 Buick Street,
Boston, MA 02215.
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|
| Systems
and Records |
|
Question:
How do I update or make changes to my personal records
on file with the Office of Human Resources?
Answer:
Information on your personal record can be changed
through the Employee Link
on the web or on Galaxy (UIS) screens HR98 and HR99.
The
following fields may be updated:
| Personal
Profile |
Address
Information
|
Family
Information |
| Marital
Status |
Home
Address |
View
Only |
| Ethnicity |
Home
Phone # |
(Contact
the |
| Name* |
Office
Address |
Benefits
Section to |
| Gender* |
Office
Phone # |
complete
updates.) |
| Date
of Birth* |
Emergency
Contact |
|
| |
Emergency
Phone # |
|
*
VIEW ONLY - Contact your payroll coordinator to update
your Name; contact the Benefits Section to update
your Date of Birth and Gender.
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Question:
If I am applying for a home mortgage or need my
employment status verified for other reasons, who is
the contact for this information?
Answer:
Eileen Kaminsky, Personnel Records Administrator,
617/353-4470, is available for employment verifications
on Monday through Friday, between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.
eastern time. For any information beyond an employee's
title, start date, and termination date (if applicable),
written authorization must be granted by the employee.
For Student Employment verifications, contact the
Student
Employment Office at 617/353-3594.
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Question:
I am a current Boston University employee who would
like to view a copy of my job description. Who should
I contact?
Answer:
Copies of current job descriptions for non-faculty
positions are maintained in the Office of Human Resources.
A copy of your current Job Description may be obtained
by contacting your Employee
Relations Representative in the Office of Human
Resources at 617/353-4044. If you have any questions
about the duties described in your Job Description
or if you would like your Job Description reviewed,
you should contact your immediate supervisor.
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|
| Training |
|
Question:
Does Boston University offer staff training programs?
If so, where can I learn more about these programs and
how do I enroll?
Answer:
Yes, Boston University offers a variety of training
programs that are available to current staff members.
These training programs include workshops and seminars
on University procedures, professional development,
health promotion, and life enhancement. Additional
information regarding these training programs, including
registration information, can be found by visiting
the Training Section
of this site.
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|
| Web
Site/Technical |
|
Question:
What browsers does the site support?
Answer:
This site will support Internet Explorer 4.0 and Netscape
4.0, or a more recent version of either browser. The
site will also support the AOL browser.
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Question:
Is there a way I can bookmark the site so I can find
it easily in the future?
Answer: Yes. It's easy to bookmark Web sites
that you expect to visit frequently. The process you
need to follow depends on the browser you use.
- If
you're using Microsoft Internet Explorer:
-
Return to the Home Page.
-
Click and hold on the word "Favorites" in the
browser menu bar at the top of the screen; move
down the list displayed with your mouse until
"Add To Favorites" is highlighted in blue; and
let go.
-
A box will come up on the screen with the name
of the site.
-
Click on "OK" and the site is bookmarked.
-
Whenever you want to visit the site, go into
"Favorites" and click on the site name.
-
If you're using Netscape:
-
Return to the Home Page.
-
Click on the "Bookmarks" button on the browser
toolbar.
-
Click on the words "Add Bookmark."
-
Whenever you want to visit the site, go into
"Bookmarks" and click on the site name.
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Question:
What do I need in order to access this site at home?
Answer:
All you'll need is a computer that has Internet
access and an ISP (Internet Service Provider), such
as AOL. If you don't have an ISP, there are many to
choose from. See the Yellow Pages in your local phone
book for a list of ISPs that service your area. As
an active or retired faculty or staff member, you
may also use the academic computing system for internet
access. You must set up a login account and Kerberos
password. For more information, refer to the Information
Technology web site.
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Question:
Are there any Web security issues I should be concerned
about (e.g., logging in with a password) with this site?
Answer:
Currently, the Office of Human Resources Web site
does not contain any personal or private information.
Therefore, you do not have to be concerned with entering
a password or other forms of Web security. However,
security measures are incorporated in the Employee
Link (to which, there are links from the Personnel
site) to ensure that all personal data is protected.
The Employee Link contains screens allowing you to
view your pay stub, enroll in the annual Health Plan
and Personal and Family Accident Insurance Plan, and
make changes to your personal information on file
with the Office of Human Resources. You will need
an ACS login account and Kerberos password to access
these pages. For more information about setting up
your account, refer to the Getting
Started section of the Employee Link.
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Question:
How does the search function work?
Answer:
If you wish to look for a particular word or topic
within the Office of Human Resources site, simply
enter your search query in the text field at the top
of the Personnel home page
and click "Go." A new page will open that
will contain a list of links to all the pages where
your search query was found. Simply click on one of
these links to open up any of the selected pages.
You will need to use the "Back" button to
return to the search query list. Similar searches
are built in to each of the main sections of this
web site to find information just within specific
sections.
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Question:
What is the "Index?"
Answer:
The Index is a list of pages within each of the main
sections of the Office of Human Resources site. Each
page is linked, organized alphabetically, and listed
by title. The Index is just another way to navigate
this site to help you find the information you seek.
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Question:
What can I expect to find in the "Forms/Print
Library" feature?
Answer:
The Forms/Print Library
feature contains links to various sources of information
and forms including:
- Each
benefit plan description from the Faculty and Staff
Benefits Handbook
- Important
benefit and other Personnel and Payroll forms, such
as beneficiary designation, enrollment forms, direct
deposit forms, etc.
- Various
benefit plan comparison charts and rate schedules
The
file format allows for easy viewing and printing of
entire documents. However, you must have the Adobe
Acrobat Reader program installed on your computer
to view these files. See the Adobe
Acrobat Help Page for additional information.
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