Information regarding a comparison between SHRA and EHRA.
The information contained here is not a contract and is subject to change, at any time, with or without advance notice. Explanations in this handbook cannot alter, modify, or change the controlling statutes, regulations, or policies in any way, nor can any right accrue by reason of any inclusion or omission of any statement contained here. System Office Human Resources provides this information solely as a service and convenience to employees of the University, as an overview of university policy. Complete policy information is located online or by contacting the human resources office of the constituent institution. Some details of policy and procedure may vary from institution to institution for certain policies and programs.
| CATEGORY | SHRA EMPLOYEE | EHRA NON-FACULTY EMPLOYEE |
|---|---|---|
| Employee Definition | Defined under N.C. General Statute Chapter 126 as those positions subject to rules and regulations under the North Carolina State Human Resources Act and policies of the State Human Resources Commission. Certain laws and policies provide additional benefits and protections that apply only to SHRA “Career Status” employees. “Career Status” is attained after the employee has been continuously employed in a permanent SHRA position for the immediately preceding 12 months (or 24 months for certain law enforcement roles). In the first 12 (or 24) months of employment in a permanent SHRA position, new employees are “probationary.” Probationary employees are eligible for the general benefits package (health care, retirement, leave, etc.) the same as career status employees, but probationary employees are not covered by the SHRA disciplinary procedures, do not receive reduction-in- force benefits (severance; re-employment priority), and have limited coverage under the University SHRA Employee Grievance Policy. Transfer employees who have completed the probationary period and are continuously employed remain in career status and do not have an additional probationary period when taking another SHRA permanent position at a UNC institution or state agency. Reemployment in a permanent SHRA position after a gap if employment exceeding 31 calendar days will result in starting a new probationary period. | Policies for UNC senior academic and administrative officers as defined in UNC Policy 300.1.1 Section I.A. (SAAO Tier I) are not included in this document. EHRA Senior Academic and Administrative Officers (SAAO Tier II) of the University of North Carolina are defined in UNC Policy 300.1.1 Section I.B. and are subject to the provisions of Section III of that policy and its related regulations. SAAO Tier II staff include: (1) members of the President’s professional staff other than those identified in subparagraph A of the regulations [N.C.G.S. 116-14(b)]; and (2) associate and assistant vice chancellors; associate and assistant deans; and other administrative positions within the constituent institutions, other than those identified in subparagraph A of the regulations, that have been designated by the President. [N.C.G.S 116-11(5)]. EHRA Non-Faculty Instructional and Research, and IT Employees (IRIT) positions are defined under N.C.G.S. 126-5(c1)(8) and N.C.G.S. 126-5(c16) and whose salaries are fixed under the authority vested in the Board of Governors. (See UNC Policy 300.2.1.) these positions are not subject to most provisions of the NC Human Resources Act (N.C.G.S. 126) and are not otherwise categorized as (1) faculty positions subject to institutional tenure regulations; (2) positions within administrative categories of employment subject to G.S. 116-11(4), G.S. 116-11(5), or G.S. 116-14; (3) positions within the “physicians or dentists” category under G.S. 126-5 with faculty appointments; or (4) University students who are employed incident to their status as students. |
| Appointment Process and Salary Administration | SHRA positions are classified into career-banded classes based on competencies required for the position and demonstrated by the employee. Pay bands are based on labor market rates determined by the Office of State Human Resources and approved by the State Human Resources Commission. Entry salaries for new employees are based on several factors, including employee training and experience, demonstrated employee competencies, the competencies required for positions, the market-based salary range for the banded class, available funding, and internal equity. Salary movement within pay bands may occur as a result of changes in labor market conditions, changes in the duties and responsibilities assigned to positions, equity, or increased competencies of the employee. | The authority to make appointments and determine salaries for SAAO Tier II employees as defined in Section I.B.(2) of the UNC Policy 300.1.1 is delegated by the Board of Governors to the chancellors and the respective Boards of Trustees of the constituent institutions. Appointments to EHRA Non-Faculty IRIT positions are made by the chancellor (or delegate) by means of a letter of appointment. Salaries for such appointments reflect the duties assigned to the position, the qualifications of the selected individual, labor market conditions, consideration of internal equity, and available funding. Salary recommendations are made by the appointing official and reviewed by the office responsible for the oversight of EHRA positions (generally the chief human resources officer or the Provost/Chief Academic Officer). |
| Pay Raises | The North Carolina General Assembly may stipulate in the biennial appropriations bill (budget bill) salary increases for SHRA and EHRA employees and funding to support all or part of those increases. The legislature may provide a “cost of living” (COLA) increase across- the-board as a one-time bonus, a flat dollar amount increase, or a percent of salary increase. It may also provide increases due to merit or other factors. | Generally, the same as SHRA, but in practice the legislature often delegates to the UNC Board of Governors to determine the salary increase rules for EHRA employees. In addition, there is an Annual Raise Process (ARP) each fall for making additional annual increases, consistent with BOG guidelines, for EHRA staff if funds are available. |
| Longevity | Permanent employees who work 20 hours or more per week and who have 10 years or more of total state service in a permanent SHRA position, are eligible for Longevity Pay. This is a lump sum payment based on a percentage of the annual rate of base pay, less withholding and retirement contributions, payable annually in the month state service eligibility is established. The following is a schedule of the percentages used in calculating longevity pay:
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EHRA employees are not eligible for longevity pay. |
| Vacation/ Annual Leave | Vacation leave is accrued on a monthly basis by SHRA employees who hold permanent, probationary, or time-limited appointments and who work at least 20 hours or more per week. The accrual rate is based on the employee’s total state service, as follows:
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Permanent EHRA non-faculty employees working at least 20 hours per week accrue 24 days of annual leave per year (pro-rated for part-time). The leave accrues monthly (2 days each month). The maximum balance of annual leave that can be carried forward to the next calendar year is 30 days (pro-rated for part-time). Any excess above 30 days is transferred at the calendar year-end to the employee’s sick leave balance. Upon discontinuation of employment from the employing institution, the employee may either elect a payout of accrued annual leave or transfer the remaining balance of any unused annual leave to another State or local governmental agency, subject to the receiving agency’s approval. If an employee does not elect or is not eligible to transfer such accrued leave, then an employee who has been employed for more than 24 months shall be paid subject to a maximum of 30 such days. However, if the employee has been employed for 24 months or fewer by one or more State or local governmental agencies, then the payout is equal to one day for each month worked less the number of days of annual leave taken during the employment period. The scheduling of an employee's annual leave is subject to the manager supervisor. |
| Bonus Leave | the General Assembly awarded bonus leave as follows to all employees in leave earning status as of the dates below:
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Bonus leave policies are the same for EHRA employees as for SHRA employees. |
| Sick Leave | Sick Leave is provided for SHRA employees who hold permanent, probationary, trainee or time-limited appointments and who work at least 20 hours or more per week. Employees earn sick leave at the rate of eight hours per month (pro-rated for part-time) with no limit on the amount accumulated. Unused sick leave is creditable towards the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS) upon retirement; however, sick leave is not credited toward retirement under the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). There is no payout of sick leave upon separation of service from the University; however, if an employee is re-employed with a State institution within five years, any unused sick leave from previous employment will be reinstated. Subject to institutional policy and approval by the employee’s supervisor, an employee may be advanced the amount of sick leave that can be accrued during the remainder of the calendar year. | Sick Leave is provided for EHRA employees who hold permanent or fixed-term appointments and who work at least 20 hours or more per week. An employee earns sick leave at the rate of eight hours per month (pro- rated for part-time) with no limit on the amount accumulated. Unused sick leave is creditable towards the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS) upon retirement; however, sick leave is not credited toward retirement under the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP). There is no payout of sick leave upon separation of service from the University; however, if an employee is re-employed with a State institution within five years, any unused sick leave from previous employment will be reinstated. Subject to institutional policy and approval by the employee’s supervisor, an employee may be advanced the amount of sick leave that can be accrued during the remainder of the year or during a twelve-month period. |
| Other Leave Programs | Other types of leave programs available include:
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SHRA leave programs generally apply to EHRA employees as well, including:
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| Medical Leave Programs | Family and medical leave (FML) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a 12-month period to an employee for a serious medical condition for the employee, a serious health condition of the parent, child, or spouse of the employee for whom the employee must provide care or support, or for birth, adoption, or foster care placement. Employees may use available vacation and/or sick leave depending on the specific reason for FML. If the employee does not have leave available, the employee may request voluntary shared leave donations from other state employees. During FML leave without pay status, the employer-contribution to the employee’s health insurance premium is continued. Family illness leave provides up to 52 weeks of leave in a five-year period to an employee for a serious health condition of a parent, child, or spouse. Any leave used within a single week constitutes a full week of the 52 weeks of leave. Additional benefits to military families are also provided under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Employees must request use of this leave and provide required medical documentation. | Same as SHRA. |
| Overtime Compensation | Some SHRA employees (SHRA non-exempt) are subject to the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and receive overtime compensation for all hours worked over 40 in a work week. Other SHRA employee are exempt from these overtime provisions (SHRA exempt). As a public employer, the university management has the option to pay SHRA non-exempt employees overtime at 1.5 times the employee’s regular hourly rate for each hour worked over 40 in a work week, provide compensatory time off (1.5 hours for each hour worked over 40 in the work week), or provide an equivalent combination of the two.Compensatory time off (“comp time”) must be used with 12 months or it must be paid out. Comp time must be used prior to vacation or bonus leave.SHRA exempt employees may be eligible for Compensatory Leave; refer to institutional policy for eligibility. | Most EHRA employees, by the nature of their work, are exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and do not receive overtime. If an EHRA employee is determined to be FLSA non- exempt, then the same overtime provisions or SHRA employees shall apply. |
| Special Pay Programs | SHRA employees who are subject to the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) may also be eligible for special pay and paid time off (PTO) programs, including shift differential pay, on- call pay, callback pay, adverse weather mandatory employee PTO. Refer to institutional policy for eligibility. | Most EHRA employees are not eligible for special pay or PTO. EHRA law enforcement officers (LEOs) are eligible for special pay programs comparable to SHRA employees. |
| Paid Holidays | N.C.G.S. 126 provides 12 paid holidays each calendar year and provides UNC institutions flexibility in scheduling these holidays. Each UNC constituent institution issues its holiday schedule annually. SHRA employees required by their management to work on a holiday receive pay at 1.5 times their regular pay for the hours worked. They also receive one hour of equal time off (Holiday ETO) for each hour required on the holiday, up to a maximum of eight hours. | EHRA employees receive the same paid holidays as SHRA employees. Most EHRA employees do not receive additional compensation for working on a holiday. EHRA LEOs are eligible for holiday compensation comparable to SHRA employees. |
| Tuition Waiver | Permanent SHRA employees who work 30 or more hours per week are eligible to have tuition charges waived up to three courses per academic year at any of the 16 constituent higher education institutions of the University of North Carolina. Some courses may not be eligible for the tuition waiver. Commissioned police officers are not limited to only three courses per academic year. | Same as SHRA. |
| Educational Benefits | this program provides funding and/or leave to support educational activities that develop skills related to an employee’s current classification or job duties and are deemed beneficial both to the employee and the University. The program is available to permanent full- time and part-time SHRA employees who work 20 hours or more per week. Assistance is subject to available funds through the employee’s department or institution. | May be extended to EHRA employees based on institutional policy. |
| Retirement Plan | For information about retirement plans, please refer to the UNC Mandatory Retirement Plan Decision Guide, and the Retirement Plan Transfer Guide available in your Human Resources Office. | Same as SHRA. |
| Non-Retirement Benefits | Unless otherwise noted, SHRA and EHRA employees are eligible for the same benefit plans as offered by the State or by a university constituent institution. | Unless otherwise noted, SHRA and EHRA employees are eligible for the same benefit plans as offered by the State or by a university constituent institution. |
| Performance Management | Under the SHRA University Performance Appraisal Policy established by the UNC System Human Resources of the Office of State Human Resources, supervisors issue a performance plan to employees within the first 60 calendar days of the employee’s hire date and evaluate each employee's work performance annually within the first 60 calendar days after the end of the performance cycle. The performance cycle begins April 1 and ends March 31. Employees are rated on a 3-pt scale. Informal “off-cycle” reviews may be required during the performance cycle for probationary employees or employees with demonstrated performance deficiencies. | Consistent to the requirements of the UNC Policy 300.2.18[R], each institution is required to establish an EHRA performance management program for most EHRA non-faculty employees. The timing of the annual cycle and other program details may vary by institution, but each institution must provide an overall rating the UNC System Office on a 3-pt scale. |
| Non- Disciplinary Discontinuation of Employment Reduction-in- Force (Layoff) | the University may separate an SHRA employee when necessary due to shortage of funds or work, abolishment of a position, or other material change in duties or organization. The University may take other measures, including reassignment, salary reduction, and/or FTE reduction (hours/week) to avoid a reduction-in-force. Affected employees must receive written notification of reduction-in-force at least 30 calendar days prior to the effective date of the separation. Career Status employees separated through reduction- in-force shall receive RIF priority reemployment consideration for a period of 12 months from the date of the written notification of reduction-in-force. These employees will have priority reemployment consideration over substantially equal external applicants for positions at the same or lower classification and salary as the employee at the time of the separation. Career Status employees separated through reduction- in-force may be eligible for severance salary continuation for a specified period based on age and years of state service. Employment for SHRA employees who have not attained career status (i.e., probationary, time-limited, or temporary) is considered at-will, and there are no required disciplinary or dismissal procedures to end the employment of these employees. Employees will receive written notification of a separation from employment. | Discontinuation of a Senior Academic and Administrative Officer (Tier II) or an EHRA Non-faculty IRIT employee appointment may occur for the following reasons: Employment at-will is subject to discontinuation at any time at the discretion, respectively, of the President or of the Chancellor, provided, that such a discontinuation (as distinguished from discharge for cause) shall be subject to advance timely notice or severance. Employment for a stated definite term expires automatically at the conclusion of the stated term but may be renewed or extended at the option of the employer. Timely written notice must be given by the employer for fixed term appointments that exceed one year. Employment for a stated definite term may be terminated prior to expiration of the stated term because of (1) financial exigency or (2) major curtailment or elimination of a program, given timely notice. Employees must receive advance timely notice of discontinuation or the payment of severance pay, in calendar days, as follows: (1) during the first year of service, not fewer than a 30-day notice prior to discontinuation of employment; (2) during the second and third years of service, not fewer than a 60-day notice; and (3) during the fourtd and subsequent years of continuous service, not fewer than a 90-day notice. Management, at its discretion, may provide a severance payment (for the applicable 30, 60, or 90 days) in lieu of the employee working the notice period, or some other equivalent combination of working notice and severance pay. |
| Disciplinary Discontinuation of Employment | An SHRA employee who has attained Career Status can be disciplined or dismissed for two reasons (just cause):
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Employment for EHRA employees is considered at-will, and there are no required disciplinary or dismissal procedures to end the employment of these employees (see above). A Senior Academic and Administrative Officer (Tier II) or EHRA IRIT employees may be discharged for cause, which includes, but is not necessarily limited to, incompetence, unsatisfactory performance, neglect of duty, or misconduct that interferes with the capacity of the employee to perform effectively the requirements of employment. Discharge for cause is to be preceded by written notice of intent to discharge and is subject to invocation by the affected employee of the University grievance process. When an employee has been notified of the intention to discharge him or her for cause, the chancellor may place the employee on administrative leave with pay, pending a final decision concerning discharge. The effective dates of any disciplinary action taken, such as a demotion, and of any discharge for cause are public personnel information and may be provided upon request. Discharge for cause letters are also public personnel information. |
| Grievance Process | A state employee or applicant may file a grievance if certain conditions are met as defined in the University SHRA Employee Grievance Policy. The first step of the grievance process is mediation with an external mediator. The second step is a hearing panel or hearing officer, which makes a recommendation to the Chancellor or designee for a Final University Decision (FUD). Decisions on certain issues may be eligible for appeal to the state Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH). Grievances must be filed within 15 calendar days of an eligible event. Institutions may also provide alternative reporting and investigation procedures outside the grievance process for allegations of harassment, discrimination and retaliation based on a protected status (e.g., age, race, sex, etc.). In addition, employees may pursue action through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) consecutively, concurrently, or in lieu of pursuing an internal investigation. | SAAO Tier II and EHRA IRIT employees may secure review of decisions concerning discharge for cause or other disciplinary action, or other grievances related to interpretation and application of these personnel policies, through the process and procedures established by the University as described in UNC Policy 300.1.1 and 300.2.1 and Code Section 611, and as implemented through an institution’s specific policies and procedures. Grievances must be filed within 30 calendar days of an eligible event. |