General Employment

Policies by Topic - General Employment

Title	Excerpt	Category	Audience	Policy Issued	Last Revised
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	All Policy Topics, Faculty Workplace, General Employment, Staff Employment, Staff Workplace	Faculty, Staff	4/10/2023	4/10/2023
Workers Compensation Policy	USC is committed to maintaining a safe work environment for faculty, staff, student workers (including post-doctoral and graduate student workers), and volunteers ("Eligible Individual(s)”). The University follows an established Workers’ Compensation policy.	All Policy Topics, General Employment, Staff Employment	Faculty, Staff	5/3/2022	5/31/2022
Staff Parental Leave	All staff employees are eligible for these unpaid leaves; excluded are those claiming student status (including teaching and research assistants).	All Policy Topics, Staff Employment, Time Off and Leaves	Staff	7/1/2022	11/6/2023
Terms and Conditions of Employment	For non-faculty employees, employment and compensation with the University of Southern California are at-will and therefore may be terminated, with or without cause, at any time without prior notice, at the staff employee’s or the university’s option.	Staff Employment, Staff Workplace	Staff	4/1/2009	4/1/2009
Terminations	Employment at the university is with the mutual consent of the staff employee and employer and either party may terminate the relationship at-will, with or without advance notice, and with or without cause.	Staff Employment, Staff Workplace	Staff	4/1/2009	4/1/2009
Staff Benefits	All staff employees who work at least 50% time are eligible to participate in university benefit plans. The university contributes a fixed number of dollars towards benefits for its staff employees; any costs beyond university contributions must be paid for by the staff employee.	Staff Employment, Staff Workplace	Staff	4/1/2009	4/1/2009
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.	Staff Employment, Staff Workplace	Staff	6/19/2020	6/19/2020
Employee Definitions	There are two classifications of employees: non-exempt and exempt. All employees are classified as non-exempt unless the duties performed meet criteria established under federal and state regulations that would allow the employee to be classified as exempt.	Staff Employment, Staff Workplace	Faculty, Staff	6/11/2010	6/11/2010
Providing Employment References	The university operates as a single employer and has the right and responsibility to share among university departments accurate employment information concerning the job history and performance of current or former staff employees.	Staff Employment, Staff Workplace	Faculty, Staff	12/1/2011	12/1/2011
Postdoctoral Scholars	USC recognizes the importance of assisting postdoctoral scholars as they develop into independent investigators.	All Policy Topics, General Employment, Research	Faculty, research, Students	2/28/2015	2/15/2023
Training Requirements and Opportunities	To ensure compliance with federal, state or local regulatory requirements as well as university policy and procedures, faculty and staff employees may be required to complete specific training requirements as a condition of employment.	General Employment	Faculty, Staff	6/15/2018	6/15/2018
Tuition Assistance Benefit	The university provides the TAB program to assist eligible employees with educational expenses for themselves and their eligible dependents.	General Employment	Faculty, Staff	1/1/2019	1/1/2019
Hiring Foreign Nationals and Immigration Employment Sponsorship	The process of employing foreign nationals (as faculty, staff, or employees claiming student status) involves federal rules and regulations that, if not carefully followed, can result in severe penalties to both employee and employer.	All Policy Topics, General Employment, Research	Faculty, research, Staff	12/1/2011	10/31/2023
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.	General Employment	Faculty, Staff	2/25/2019	7/25/2023
Background Screening	The university conducts background screening, including screening for criminal convictions, on all applicants after a conditional offer of employment, and as a condition of employment.	General Employment	Faculty, Staff	8/14/2020	8/14/2020
Appropriate Attire and Appearance	Employees must report to work dressed appropriately and according to the requirements of the position and department; good grooming and personal hygiene are expected.	General Employment	Faculty, Staff	6/29/2018	6/29/2018
Fitness-for-Duty Evaluation	Staff are expected to manage their health in such a way that they can safely and effectively perform their essential job functions and to discuss with their supervisor any circumstances that may impact their ability to do so.	Staff Employment, Staff Workplace	Faculty, Staff	1/1/2008	1/1/2008
Lactation Accommodations	The university demonstrates its support of working parents in many ways, including generous leave policies for new parents, subsidized child care programs, and other policies and resources designed to enhance work-life balance throughout the life of a family.	General Employment	Faculty, Staff	1/11/2021	1/11/2021