Licensing and Certification

The University of Southern California (“USC” or “university”) is committed to providing an environment of excellence in the spirit of our Unifying Values. To uphold our commitment to excellence and to ensure the integrity and safety of staff, faculty, students and university stakeholders, the university has an obligation to ensure that all employees, faculty and staff, fulfill all certification, license, and registration requirements for their roles, based on their job classification or job duties

Staff Parental Leave

All staff employees are eligible for these unpaid leaves; excluded are those claiming student status (including teaching and research assistants).

Wage and Hour

This document provides a general outline of the University’s policies regarding compensation, timekeeping, rest and meal period requirements, overtime pay and work schedules. The University abides by all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations concerning employee compensation, including all minimum wage and salary requirements and pay regulations.

Alternative Workweek Schedules

An alternative workweek schedule is defined as one in which a non-exempt staff employee is scheduled to regularly work in excess of eight hours in any workday.

Layoffs and Reorganizations

This policy is Exhibit A of the University of Southern California Severance Pay Plan. It applies to all benefits-eligible staff employees; excluded are per diems, resource employees, temporary employees, faculty, those claiming student status, and staff employees who were employed for a specific period of time only where an end date was communicated in writing to the staff employee at the time of hire or during employment.

Employee Records

The university maintains personnel information for each employee to ensure a complete, accurate and current record of documents related to the job and employment status of an employee.

Recruiting and Hiring

The university is committed to attracting, securing and retaining a diverse and inclusive pool of the most highly qualified individuals available for all university positions, in accordance with the principles of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity.

Paid Time Off – Witness Duty for the University

An employee summoned to appear as a witness at an administrative or other legal proceeding involving the university will receive their regular pay for the time they are required to be absent from work.

Tuition Assistance Benefit

The university provides the TAB program to assist eligible employees with educational expenses for themselves and their eligible dependents.

Unpaid Accommodated Medical Leave

All employees are eligible. Up-to-date certification from a qualified healthcare provider documenting the need for a medical leave is required.

Performance Evaluations

Written performance evaluations must be conducted annually at minimum using a university-approved system or method for all staff employees except those hired within the three months preceding fiscal year end. Departments are encouraged to provide rigorous feedback, coaching and performance assessments during the first 90 days of employment.

Disaster Leave

Disaster leave provides employees with job protection and, when applicable, continued pay and benefits over a designated period of time in concert with a “declaration of emergency” issued by the President or President’s designee.

Paid Sick Time

In the event of a discrepancy between this policy and a collective bargaining agreement, the terms of the collective bargaining agreement will govern.

Paid Jury Duty

An employee must notify his/her manager as soon as s/he receives a jury summons.

Paid Staff Vacation

All benefits-eligible staff employees are eligible. Excluded are resource employees, per diem employees, faculty, postdoctoral scholars and those claiming student status, including teaching and research assistants.

Paid University Holidays

All full-time staff employees are eligible. Excluded are resource employees, per diem employees, faculty, and those claiming student status, including teaching and research assistants; employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement are also excluded.

Paid Winter Recess

All staff employees are eligible. Excluded are resource employees, per diem employees, faculty and those claiming student status (including teaching and research assistants).

Staff Complaint Process

If a staff employee is unable to resolve employment-related concerns after consultation with his/her manager and/or HR Partner, s/he may escalate the complaint under the Staff Complaint Process described in this policy.

Military Leave

The Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) provides for job and benefits protection for an individual who has left his/her job to enter service in the uniformed services of the United States and received an honorable discharge upon leaving the service.

Family and Medical Leave Act and California Family Rights Act Leave

All employees who have been employed by the university at least 12 months by the start of the leave and have worked at least 1250 hours during the 12-month period immediately preceding commencement of the leave are eligible.