Zero Rate of Pay Employment Status Policy

Policy Statement

Duke categorizes the status of faculty and staff to make distinctions in benefits and conditions of employment and to aid in better understanding of employment relationships with Duke. Such distinctions allow for various relationships to have access to Duke resources in support of mission driven activities.

The purpose of the Zero Rate of Pay Policy is to help manage the growing number of employees that are not actively working at Duke University but remain active within Duke’s HR/Payroll System. This has implications for reporting, benefits administration, and liability. Only individuals who will be compensated at a near future date and paid from Duke’s payroll should be listed at a zero rate of pay in the Human Resources/Payroll system.

Definition

Faculty or staff (exempt or nonexempt) hired or transferred into a regularly established classification at a Zero Rate of Pay.

Eligibility

Eligibility to be categorized in a Zero Rate of Pay Employment Status is limited to faculty and staff that meet at least one of the following criteria:

Personnel Subarea 06 (Monthly Paid Graduate Students)
Personnel Subareas 09, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21 (Faculty)
Personnel Subarea 15 (House Staff)
Personnel Subarea 22 (Emeritus Faculty)
Personnel Subarea 23 (Unpaid Non-Regular Rank Faculty) – this should be used when the individual will never be paid. I-9s not necessary but will have to be hired as an employee into an approved position with the applicable PSA to issue any future payments
Personnel Subarea 33 (Unpaid Regular-Regular Rank Faculty) – this should be used when the individual will never be paid. Will have to be termed and re-hired into an approved position with the applicable PSA to issue any future payments.
Job Family 27
Special legal/payroll situations (Requires approval by Staff and Labor Relations or Corporate Payroll)
- Examples would include paying someone owed back pay for legal purposes or administrative purposes
"Per Visit" Pay (Only for staff in designated clinical positions within Duke HomeCare and Hospice)
Job Code 1599, Instructor Special Programs
- These individuals remain on zero rate of pay provided they are paid annually (subject to audit).
Job Code 2827 Site Nurse, Duke TIP

Eligibility for Benefits

All faculty and staff hired to regularly established classifications at a Zero Rate of Pay are not eligible for benefits.

Eligibility for Time Away from Work

All University faculty and staff hired to regularly established classifications at a Zero Rate of Pay are not eligible to accrue or use vacation, sick leave or paid holidays. All DUHS faculty and staff hired to regularly established classifications at a Zero Rate of Pay are not eligible to accrue or use Paid Time Off (PTO).

Audit Process

Management centers, departments, and central Human Resources will audit all individuals who have not been paid in the last 18 months (including both zero rates and non-zero rates) and will coordinate witht the applicable departments to terminate their active employment status in iForms.

Individuals that will not be paid but require a formal business relationship, or a business need for a Duke identity, can request "affiliate" or "guest" status through the Sponsored Guest Tool at the Identity Management Office.

Hire Process

All faculty and staff hired to regularly established classifications at a Zero Rate of Pay must be hired through a Hire iForm. In addition to the iForm, an electronic I-9/E-Verify Form is still required and the Background Check Form must be completed and submitted (as appropriate). Departments should take into account the deadlines issued by Corporate Payroll Services to ensure a Hire is processed within a specific pay period.

Transfer Process: Rate and Schedule iForm

All faculty and staff transferring into regularly established classifications at a Zero Rate of Pay must be transferred using a Rate and Schedule Change iForm. If a transfer occurs from a benefits eligible position to a Zero Rate of Pay (benefits ineligible position), all deductions will be delimited and benefits will be automatically cancelled as a result of the iForm being processed. Departments should take into account the deadlines issued by Corporate Payroll Services to ensure a Transfer is processed within a specific pay period.

Policy Number: 07.05