Auburn University HR Employee Handbook Information

Salary grades or ranges used for all the staff at Auburn University are one to twenty three. Each salary grade has a minimum value, maximum, and a midpoint. (Manual, section 3.2.1).

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At the University of Auburn, jobs are classified into salary grades depending on information gathered externally and internally regarding the jobs. Jobs that have same value both in the external job market and inside the university are, therefore, placed in the same grade. Besides, the salary structure is designed such that each salary range has a minimum pay, a midpoint, and a maximum pay. Additionally, the details of compensation and salary ranges are reviewed periodically by the HR to ensure competitiveness in the job market and fairness in compensation for work done (Manual, section 3.4).

Yes. Auburn University employees can leave work to serve in election polls. This is provided for in the Alabama Act 2002-412, which stipulates that any employee of Auburn University who wishes to serve as a poll worker can do so, but it will be treated as an unpaid leave (Manual, section 5.2).

Leave accrual rate per hour at Auburn University is 0.0462. Having worked for 208 hours, this employee is eligible for 9.61 leave hours. Paid holidays are included in sick leave calculation, however, they are excluded when counting the number of sick leave days used. (Manual, section 5.5.3).

No, nine-month faculty does not accrue annual leave (Manual, section 5.6).

The first two years will earn him or her 12.22 leave days each year. The third year earns him or her 14.04 leave days. Total leave days are 12.22+12.22+14.04 = 38.48 days. The employee is, therefore, entitled to 38.48 total leave days for the three years. (Manual, section 5.6.2).

An employee who wishes to challenge the correctness of information contained in his or her personnel file should inform his or her supervisor who is required to notify the department of human resources. The HR then liaises with the employee to indicate the areas that need to be amended. It is the responsibility of the HR to make the changes as highlighted by the employee (Manual, section 6.3).

The mission of the Auburn University Human Resources is to coordinate the programs that develop overall productivity of the employees of the University through capacity building practices such as conducting trainings to ensure the development of workers and achievement of individual career goals. As a result, the institution also becomes more efficient (Manual, section 7.2).

Yes. The institution has a mandatory retirement plan policy which requires every employee to have a retirement benefit plan as a condition of employment. For instance, all employees in at least a 50% time capacity are required to join the Retirement Systems of Alabama as a condition for employment (Manual, section 9.9).

Employee Assistance Program ensure that every employee who is recording declining job performance due to personal problems such as drug addiction, relationship challenges, financial management issues, and family matters are accorded necessary assistance to help resolve those problems confidentially and effectively. This program is meant to boost an employee's productivity and to a great extent help in retaining his or her job. (Manual, section 8.2.2).

An employee faces a huge risk of being discharged with immediate effect if found fighting within the University premises as this causes disruption in production, learning, and discipline (Manual, section 8.3.3).

Smoking at Auburn is permitted when done for a constructive reason such as conducting research or for other educational purposes, but with prior official consent of relevant authority such as dean or departmental head. Smoking is also acceptable when done inside private vehicles with windows closed, which applies to vehicles which are parked within the university. This is a human resources issue as it protects the wellbeing of others within the University premises by keeping the air fresh for all (Manual, section 10.5).

A supervisor is a regular employee who is authorized to perform supervisory duties as stipulated in the personnel policy and procedures manual. He or she is also allowed to use personal judgement to represent the University in making major decisions such as setting of goals that pertains the organization.

In my opinion, the two words that distinguish a leader from a supervisor are 'accountability' and 'authority'. A leader and a supervisor essentially have different degrees of exercising authority and accountability. It is therefore necessary for the institution to identify a supervisor to ensure proper answerability and order (Manual, section 10.3).

The spirit of excellence award at Auburn University is given to employees for services excellently rendered to the university every single month. The groups that are considered for this award are service/maintenance, secretarial/clerical, administrative/professional, and technical/paraprofessional (Manual, section 8.2.3).

One aspect of the Auburn University HR employee handbook that I find very crucial is its constant change depending on laws governing employment at a particular point in time. In my opinion, it helps in protecting employees from exploitation and infringement of their rights.

I feel that the idea about working from home ought to have been included as an employee motivational strategy. However, in a learning institution setup, there could be services that require physical presence of an employee which rules out my idea of working from home.

I like the quote by Frederick Herzberg "True motivation comes from achievement, personal development and job satisfaction." It has always inspired me to be my best. I figured it could give a similar impact in a job environment.

Reference

Auburn University. (2018, May 10). Auburn University | Payroll Types. Retrieved from http://www.auburn.edu/administration/human_resources/payroll/university-payrolls.html