Assignment categories are assigned by the Office of Human Resources from information submitted on Oracle ACT (Appointment, Change, Termination) documents. Since the assignment categories assigned to employees drive their benefits, it is extremely important for those documents to be completed fully and accurately. Secondary assignments are not allowed to have benefit eligible assignment categories except in the situation of two 03 assignments. It is important for the pay basis (hourly/salary) to be worked to be indicated on the ACT document as well as full-time or part-time, temporary or regular status, or alternative staffing in accordance with the guidelines below. If the employee is temporary/contingent (02, 04), a projected last day of work must be shown. Regular full-time, regular part-time, and three twelve-hour-shift are the categories with "indefinite" for the effective date of termination.

Valid employment assignment categories are as follows, and each is explained in the sections which follow. To determine benefit eligibility for a specific assignment category, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.A Full-time Regular including Alternative Work Schedule Employees (Assignment Category 01)

These employees are required to regularly work 40 hours per week or on the UAB officially recognized Alternative Work Schedule and have an indefinite appointment. For benefits purposes, Nursing Interns are included in the 01 assignment category. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.B Full-time Temporary Employees (Assignment Category 02)

These employees regularly work 40 hours per week for six months or longer, but their appointments have an expected termination date of less than one year from the initial date of appointment. Full-time temporary employees do not accrue vacation, holidays, or sick time. Therefore, any time off taken by employees in this category is without pay. Supervisors who have exempt full-time temporary employees must communicate with the Payroll Services Department during the affected pay period to have the time deducted from their pay.

Any full-time temporary employee re-appointed for a period of time to exceed one year from the initial date of employment must be re-appointed as a full-time regular employee except when extenuating circumstances preclude this. After one year TRS participation is required. Requests for exception should be made in writing to HR Records Administration. Affirmative Action recruitment must be adhered to when changing from temporary to regular status. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.C Part-time Regular Employees (Assignment Category 03)

These employees work fewer than 40 hours per week but at least 40 hours in a two-week period for an indefinite duration. Part-time regular nonexempt employees earn vacation and sick time at a prorated amount based on hours paid for each pay period. Part-time regular exempt employees earn vacation and sick time at a prorated amount based on their assigned full-time equivalency (FTE). The prorated amount will never be less than one-half the rate of full-time employees. These employees receive prorated personal holidays each year rather than personal and designated holidays. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.D Contingent Employees (Assignment Category 04)

These employees work either full-time or part-time hours. They do not work a set schedule and are expected to report to work on an irregular basis. Contingent employees are also those who work fewer than 20 hours per week and/or work an irregular schedule not meeting the requirements established for part-time regular employees. Contingent employees are not eligible for any UAB benefits or privileges of employment. UAB Temporary Service employees are appointed under this category. This category is also used for additional assignments for active UAB full-time, part-time, or contingent employees. Active employees may not be placed in the 99 Requisition Employees assignment category.

POLICY 411.E Students (Assignment Category 06)

These UAB students are appointed as Student Assistants, Teaching Assistants, or Graduate Assistants. Students are not eligible for any UAB benefits or privileges of employment. Interns in the Civitan International Research Center, Occupational Therapy Interns, and other Interns not meeting the criteria for assignment category 07 are included in this category. This category is for actively enrolled UAB students (summer break allowed). This category may be used for additional assignments for active UAB students or postdoctoral scholars.

POLICY 411.F Interns and/or Residents (Assignment Category 07)

These individuals are appointed as Interns or Residents in the School of Medicine, UAB University Hospital, the School of Dentistry, or the School of Optometry. Administrative Residents, House Staff, Dietetic Interns, Pharmacy Interns/Trainees, Psychology Interns, School of Public Health Interns, and Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) Interns are included in this category. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.G Work Study Students (Assignment Category 11)

These individuals receive a percentage of salary in Work Study benefits as established by the U.S. Department of Education. Work Study students are not eligible for any UAB benefits or privileges of employment.

POLICY 411.H Three Twelve-hour-shift (3/12 Hour) Employees (Assignment Category 12)

These UAB Hospital employees are required to regularly work three twelve-hour shifts a week and have an indefinite appointment. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.I Weekend Staff (Assignment Category 17)
These UAB Hospital employees work 24 hours on weekends and other requested coverage periods. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.J and K Postdoctoral Scholars

Postdoctoral Scholars are individuals who have earned terminal degrees and who come to UAB for advanced training in specific areas. Status as a postdoctoral scholar generally is limited to five years. Extensions require the approval of the Office of Postdoctoral Education. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.J Postdoctoral Scholar Trainees (Assignment Category 20) (See also Assignment Category 21)

Postdoctoral Scholar Trainees are individuals receiving a monthly fellowship paid from the “Scholarships/Fellowships” object code. These individuals are not in an employer-employee relationship with UAB. Institutional funds awarded to augment training grant or qualified fellowship funds do not alter the person’s status if awarded for the same purpose. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefits Eligibility Chart.

POLICY 411.K Postdoctoral Scholar Employees (Assignment Category 21) (See also Assignment Category 20)

See postdoctoral scholars definition above.
Postdoctoral Scholar Employees are individuals paid from the payroll who have been designated as postdoctoral scholars by their departments. They are compensated by funds from research grants or other non-training sources. They do not receive additional funds from a monthly fellowship. Vacation, holidays, or sick time taken by postdoctoral scholars may be deducted from their paychecks by request to the Payroll Services Department during the affected pay period. For benefit eligibility, please refer to the Benefit Eligibility Chart.

Policy 411.L Trainees (Assignment Category 46)

Trainees are students or other individuals appointed for a specific period of time to participate in University approved programs. There is no employer-employee relationship with UAB. The following job titles are approved for this category: Athletic Scholar; Division Occasional Award; Graduate Student Trainee; and Non-UAB Student/Trainee. Trainees are not eligible for any UAB benefits or privileges of employment.

Policy 411.M Affiliates (Assignment Category 59)

These are individuals that are employees of other UAB entities or companies that have a contractual relationship with UAB that require access to UAB systems to perform daily business functions. The following job titles are approved for this category: Affiliate Employee, UA System Office Employee, and Contracted Affiliate. This is a non-paid assignment. Affiliates are not eligible for any UAB benefits or privileges of employment.

Policy 411.N Volunteers (Assignment Category 60)
These are individuals who perform hours of service for UAB without promise, expectation, or receipt of compensation and/or gifts for services rendered. This is a non-paid assignment category and cannot be combined with any paid assignment category. Individuals should not be assigned to the category if they will be performing work that any employee would otherwise be compensated to perform. Volunteers are not eligible for any UAB benefits or privileges of employment.

Policy 411.O Requisition (Assignment Category 99)

This category is limited to payments to individuals to whom UAB anticipates making only one payment. It should not be used for additional assignments of current UAB employees or for individuals that a department anticipates paying more than once even if subsequent payments will not be made for several months. While not employees, this category is also used for most University and Development programs. Individuals receiving requisition payments are not eligible for any UAB benefits or privileges of employment.

Relevant Policies:
Service Dates HR Policy 412

Date Issued: 10/80