How to Hire and Manage a UTemps

You can hire a UTemp by completing a UTemp Personnel Requisition Form

Note: At the time you complete the requisition form, be sure to mention the names of any previous UTemps who you would like to try to get placed with you again or any UTemps you don't want because they weren't a good fit.

How to Get Your UTemp Started in the Workplace

On the first day that your UTemp reports to work, do the following:

  • Provide detailed job instructions
  • Establish a work schedule with the UTemp
  • Make sure the UTemp is supervised at all times
  • If the services of the UTemp are no longer needed at some point, for any reason, notify the UTemps office—you don’t need to keep the UTemp for the entire length of his/her appointment if it just isn’t working out
  • If you realize that the assignment needs to be extended, notify the UTemps office immediately. 

UTemp Fees

When you use UTemps to fulfill a staffing need, your department will be billed a service charge of 22% over the temporary employee’s hourly rate. The service fee will cover the administrative costs of providing the following services:

  • Confirming and clarifying your UTemps request within hours of receipt.
  • Screen resumes and assesses job applicants’ skills. Once a candidate has been identified/selected the following is completed: pre-screening processes, reference checking, background checks, employment eligibility, and onboarding tasks.
  • Compliance training tracking, including but not limited to verifying employee pay is appropriate based on qualifications and experience, as well as employee relations and performance management.
  • Adjusting assignments - beginning, extending, and ending, hourly rate increases, modifying hours, updating some costing accounts on a case by case basis, and transferring the UTemp to a new supervisor.
  • Update employee type – Non-benefits eligible to Benefits-eligible.
  • Paying leave balance (vacation and floating holiday accruals) when eligible, at the end of the assignment.
  • Timesheet management.
  • Transferring Temp-to-Hire UTemp employees to regular status. Additionally, we transfer UTemps that are hired through the department’s recruiting posting.

Direct hire

Want to hire the temp? This is another staffing option that provides the opportunity to hire temporary employees without waiting for the assignment to end whether regular or temp-to-hire.  The fee of 22% on the hourly rate will be charged for the remainder of the assignment.  

Example:

$25 per hour x 22% fee = $5.50

$5.50 x 8 hours per day = $44

$44 x (#) of days remaining =  We will use 15 days remaining on the assignment.

In this case, $44 X 15 = $660 will be the total surcharge.

Summary of Benefits for Temporary Staff

UT offers employees who become eligible for coverage and/or under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) the same insurance enrollment options as full-time, state benefits-eligible employees. They will be automatically enrolled in the basic coverage package (subscriber only medical, prescription drug, group term life, and accidental death and dismemberment), and receive an email inviting them to enroll in optional benefits and/or waive coverage.

Any UTemp employee assigned to work 30 or more hours per week for 90 days, or 130 hours per month for 90 days, or 1560 hours for twelve months, may be eligible for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) medical coverage. Departments will be charged a fringe fee accordingly.

Any UTemp employee who works at least 20 - 40 hours per week for 18 weeks or longer during the September 1 - August 31 fiscal year is required to contribute 8% of eligible earnings towards the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) plan with a university contribution paid by the employing department accordingly.

Any UTemp employee assigned for 135 continuous calendar days (4.5 months) at 20 – 40 hours per week will become state benefits eligible and may be eligible to participate in the university’s employee group insurance and required to contribute 8% of eligible earnings towards TRS with a university contribution to benefits paid by the employing department accordingly.

For information about TRS, please review the TRS Handbook available at https://www.trs.texas.gov/TRS%20Documents/benefits_handbook.pdf.

For more information about UT benefits, please visit the Benefits Overview webpage at https://hr.utexas.edu/current/insurance

For information about fringe benefits, please visit https://payroll.utexas.edu/payroll-info/fringe-benefits

Four-hour minimums

UTemps employees are compensated for a minimum of four hours. If your need is for less than four hours, your department will be charged the minimum of four hours, even if the employee works less time.

Expectations

Keep the lines of communication open ensuring that all information is clear and concise. Prompt attention is a must as the UTemp Recruiters need timely information from hiring supervisors to successfully begin the recruiting process.

As we present candidates for your consideration, we request that you decide promptly on the adequacy of the candidate to perform your needed work to avoid losing the best candidate for your temporary job.

Provide the appropriate length of time that you will need the temp and keep to that duration of the assignment, except when you need to extend the assignment for a longer period or end the assignment sooner due to performance or completion of the work.

Contact us immediately should you need to extend the assignment.

UTemps employees placed in your department should not be hired directly as we have a security measure blocking this process from happening as our office will need to initiate the transfer of the temporary to regular status. Please, contact the UTemps office if you decide to hire a UTemp worker to follow the correct process. The fee of 22% over the UTemp employee hourly rate to convert a UTemp worker to a regular status may apply.

Transfers

Submit your transfer document one week in advance before the start date to allow ample time for review/processing. The UTemps office will provide you with the transfer template and additional steps to follow where applicable.

Parking

Each time UTemps are given an assignment, they are asked if they need to purchase an "A" parking permit. If they choose to purchase one, they are instructed to go to Parking and Transportation Services to purchase their permit. The UTemps office will fax an authorization letter to Parking and Transportation Services confirming the request for a permit. This permit is available for a month or more.

Driving University Vehicles or Personal Vehicles

If your UTemp will need to drive a university vehicle as part of their job duties, contact the UTemps office to gain approval. Don't allow your UTemp to drive a university vehicle until you contact the UTemps office—at this point, it will take about two days to get your UTemp approved to drive university vehicles.

If your UTemp does not drive a university vehicle but needs to run work-related errands away from the office, your UTemp is allowed to use a personal vehicle. Walking or using a university shuttle is a better alternative to driving, though, because UTemps will not be compensated if they are involved in an accident in their personal vehicle. Use of their own vehicle is at their own risk.

How to Manage UTemps

Timesheets

UTemp workers are responsible for submitting timesheets to the UTemps office the next work day following the end of each pay period, which is twice a month. Be sure to review and approve the UTemp’s timesheet on-time. 

If you are unavailable to approve timesheets, please notify the UTemps office as soon as possible who may be your back-up to approve in your absence.

Please note that approving timesheets on a timely basis is critical so your UTemp may be paid on time.

Overtime and Holiday Work

You aren't required to get prior written permission if you want your UTemp to work more than 40 hours in a workweek (Monday-Friday), but it's a good idea to have at least a verbal understanding of approval between you and your UTemp and to take care of any paperwork that your department requires.

Note: The UTemp may decline to work any hours beyond the previously agreed upon through temp assignment. For example, if you requested for a UTemp to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and you now want to change the hours to 9-6, the UTemp has the option to agree to the newly proposed work hours or decline your offer.

You can request that your UTemp work on a recognized holiday as long as you both agree to the arrangement. In such an instance, a UTemp will be paid straight time (no additional pay) unless it involves overtime.

Time Off

Like a regular employee, your UTemp should notify you in advance if they want time off for anything that isn't an emergency. Any time your UTemp takes off is without pay, whether it’s for doctor's appointments or job interviews. With your consent, your UTemp may make up any work hours that they miss.

Changing Hours, Responsibility and Pay

If your UTemp is currently working half time and you need to increase the hours, just make arrangements with your UTemp and notify the UTemps office of the change so that the assignment may be adjusted. If you are interested in increasing your UTemp's responsibilities and hourly rate of pay, both of you should agree on the change in job description duties and pay rate and then contact the UTemps office and provide the required information.

How to End a UTemp Assignment

Ending an Assignment

UTemps are not required to give two weeks’ notice before ending their assignments, but the UTemps office instructs them to give two working days' notice in the event that they’ll be unable to complete their assignments with you. If you learn that UTemps will be unable to complete their assignments, you should contact the UTemps office for assistance in meeting your staffing needs. You don’t need to keep UTemps for the entire length of their assignments with you, so you’re allowed to end a UTemp assignment at any time and for any reason.

Complete a UTemps Performance Evaluation

Managers must complete a performance evaluation (EID required) for UTemps with assignments that are longer than three days and must return the UTemps Performance Evaluation Form (EID required) to the UTemps office within three days of when your UTemp's assignment expires.

Note: Failure to submit a performance evaluation (EID required) for your UTemp will delay their placement in future assignments.

How to Hire a UTemp as a Regular Staff

Unlike staff from many private employment agencies, UTemps are eligible to apply for a long-term job with you. If you’re currently trying to fill new or vacant positions, you should encourage your UTemps to apply if you feel they would be a good fit for the positions. The one exception when UTemps wouldn't be eligible to apply for your position would be when you are recruiting for departmental or university-wide positions, which are not open to the public or UTemps.

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