VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY AND MEDICAL CENTER
HUMAN RESOURCES POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
SUBJECT: TRANSFER POLICY
POLICY #: HR-008
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1998
(Revision Date November 2000)
POLICY
One of the ways that individuals broaden and deepen their career experience is through professional moves within the Vanderbilt system. A transfer is defined as changing positions for a lateral move, promotion, department change, job change, or demotion. A change in job title, reporting structure, change in responsibilities, or any other modification to a current position, is not considered a transfer.
PROCEDURE
- ELIGIBILITY
Individuals who have completed their orientation periods -- and whose performance is satisfactory - are eligible to be considered for other positions within Vanderbilt. Generally, staff do not change jobs in their first year of employment. Vanderbilt encourages staff to establish a long-term, stable working relationship before seeking other career opportunities within the Vanderbilt system.
Individuals who are not meeting performance expectations may still be eligible to transfer within the Vanderbilt system (see examples below):
Performance Problems: If a staff member is unable to adjust to the job requirements of a position or is failing to meet minimum expectations, it may be to the staff member's and the University's advantage to attempt to identify other opportunities within Vanderbilt for consideration. It is important that the individual is transferred into a position where he/she has an opportunity to be successful.
Conduct Problems: Staff with conduct problems are rarely transferred. Conduct problems are defined as inappropriate conduct resulting in Performance Improvement Counseling (PIC). The conduct must be formally documented and a waiver must be granted by both the leaving and gaining departments, as well as Human Resource Services. Unless granted a waiver, staff involved in conduct actions are not eligible for transfer or promotion into a regular, term, or temporary position.
- PROCESS
Lateral Transfer: A lateral transfer is a move to a position with the same or similar job title in the same pay grade. Such transfers provide opportunities to work with new colleagues, to master a different range of skills, or to transfer special skills and experience to a new environment.
Promotion: Staff are often interested in opportunities for professional development through promotion to more responsible positions, either in their current department or in another area of Vanderbilt. A move is considered a promotion if it places an individual in a higher pay grade, even if the actual salary is not increased.
Other Job Changes: Staff may move to a position in another department, change career paths, or to take a job involving less responsibility or pay. These moves are also considered transfers.
To process a transfer, the current supervisor must fill out the Payroll Action Form (PAF) Turnaround document (see the Administrator's Guide). Ideally, transfers for hourly staff occur at the beginning of a payroll period. However, salary increases are effective the first day of the workweek immediately following the transfer effective date. Once the PAF has been completed and appropriate signatures have been obtained, the form will be sent to the individual’s new department. The new department will complete the new information, obtain appropriate signatures, and send the form (with the Personnel Request Form and the EEO Self-Audit Form) to the appropriate budget office (see the Administrator's Guide).
NOTE: References are always checked for all transfers within Vanderbilt, including a reference check with the current supervisor. For both an external hire and an internal transfer, a minimum of two references is required. The hiring official informs the final candidate that references will be checked. Hiring officials use the same criteria for asking relevant reference questions as they use when conducting interviews.
- EXCEPTIONS TO THE TRANSFER POLICY
Exceptions to the Transfer Policy may be made in order to comply with the ADA, Workers' Compensation law, or other state or federal laws. For example, if an appropriate accommodation for a Vanderbilt staff member is to transfer to another department, exceptions may be made regarding eligibility and/or process guidelines. Exceptions to the Transfer Policy must be coordinated with Human Resource Services and the Opportunity Development Center.
- ORIENTATION PERIOD
When a staff member transfers to a new position, a new orientation period begins again providing a period of close support and feedback. As with new staff, there is an orientation period of three months for hourly staff, and an orientation period of six months for exempt staff. Like staff who are new to Vanderbilt, transferring staff view the orientation period as a time to ask questions ... for the staff member to work closely with his/her supervisor to learn about the job and supervisor expectations. It is a chance for the supervisor to provide support, guidance, and feedback.
- CHANGE TO/FROM TEMPORARY POSITIONS
Change From a Regular Position to a Temporary Position: Staff members who leave Vanderbilt's regular employment and have an interest in temporary employment through Vanderbilt Temporary Services (VTS) must apply for opportunities utilizing the current recruitment process. Staff who leave regular employment should be processed through a terminating PAF and all appropriate accruals will be paid at the time of termination. Employment through VTS would be processed as a "new hire." Time spent in VTS does not count toward service eligibility unless the staff member returns to regular employment within 12-months of termination of their previous regular employment according to the Bridging Policy.
NOTE: Sick time accrual during previous regular or term employment is forfeited upon termination. Staff may be eligible to continue other benefits, like health insurance, at their own cost and need to consult with Benefits termination and rehire into a temporary position.
Change from a Temporary Position to a Regular Position: The same process is used when a staff member moves from a temporary position through VTS to a regular position at Vanderbilt. The staff member is terminated from VTS and processed either:
- Rehire -- as a "Rehire" (if no more than one year has expired since previous regular employment) or
- New Hire -- as a "New Hire" (if more than one year has expired since previous regular employment or if this is the first regular employment at Vanderbilt).
- TRANSFER TO/FROM AN AFFILIATED ENTITY
Refer to policy on Affiliated Entities.
- TRANSFER FROM AN ACCRUAL TO A NON-ACCRUAL POSITION
Accrual positions are positions that accrue vacation and holiday leave (regular and term positions). Non-accrual positions are positions that do not accrue vacation and holiday leave (temporary positions and faculty appointments). When staff transfer from an accrual position to a non-accrual position, the following will occur for each group of staff:
- change of hourly staff to temporary positions -- all accrued vacation and holiday leave will be paid at the time of the termination from the regular position.
- transfer of exempt staff to temporary positions - all accrued vacation leave will be paid at the time of the transfer by the current department. Exempt staff will not be paid for holiday time.
- transfer of staff to faculty appointments - all accrued vacation leave will be paid at the time of transfer by the current department. Exempt staff will not be paid for holiday time.
For information regarding other benefits, please refer to the Bridging Policy.
Approved on 3/24/98 by Darlene Lewis, Associate Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
Approved on 3/25/98 by William A. Jenkins, Vice Chancellor, Administration
Approved on 3/26/98 by Harry Jacobson, M.D. Vice Chancellor, Health Affairs
Vanderbilt University is committed
to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.
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