Formerly Executive Memorandum 81-54
Initially approved July 15, 1981
Revised April 23, 2001, February 11, 2013
Policy Topic: Personnel
Administering Office: Human Resources
I. POLICY STATEMENT
The Reduction-In-Force (“RIF”) policy (“RIF Policy”) assures equitable treatment of
SPA employees when a RIF becomes necessary. A RIF might become necessary because of
a reduction in work or funds, abolishment of a position, or other material change
in duties or organization. A RIF decision should be reached only after other applicable
measures have been explored, including but not limited to such actions as: delaying
the filling of or elimination of vacant positions; limits on purchasing and travel;
retraining of employees in needed skill sets; or job sharing and work schedule alternatives.
II. DEFINITIONS
“Work Unit” is a formally established and recognized unit, section, department, college
or division of Western Carolina University (the “University”) in which employees perform
a closely related set of functions or duties. A Work Unit manager may define individual
research projects headed by a Principal Investigator (“PI”) as a separate work unit
for the purposes of this RIF Policy. Any such assertion is subject to appropriate
justification that demonstrates the unique nature of the research project and the
skills of its assigned staff members as contrasted with other research projects supervised
by either the same or differing PIs within the same college or department.
III. COVERED EMPLOYEES
This RIF Policy applies to:
• SPA employees (full-time and part-time) holding permanent appointments; and
• SPA employees with trainee appointments who have completed six (6) months of service
(or who attained permanent status prior to entering a trainee appointment).
The following types of SPA employees may be separated without following the procedures
found within this RIF Policy:
• SPA temporary employees;
• SPA employees within their probationary periods;
• SPA employees with time-limited permanent appointments; and
• SPA employees with trainee appointments who have not completed six months of service
and had not attained permanent status prior to entering a trainee appointment.
Although this RIF Policy does not apply to EPA and student appointments, Work Unit
managers should consider all staffing resources when determining positions to retain.
IV. PROCEDURES
A RIF decision requires a thorough evaluation of the need for specific positions and
the relative efficiency of affected employees so that the University can provide the
highest level of service possible with a smaller work force. The decision to separate
an employee or group of employees pursuant to this RIF Policy rests with the manager
overseeing the affected Work Unit(s).
The Work Unit manager determines which employees shall be separated by applying the
following factors in order:
1. University needs. Consider the continuing work to be performed by the Work Unit(s)
and the number of positions in each branch, role, and competency level necessary to
perform the continuing work. Once the position(s) to eliminate have been identified,
management must consider all employees in positions with the same or related classification
within the affected Work Unit. “Same or related” classification means positions in
the identified branch, role and competency level in order to identify the affected
employees and apply the remaining guidelines.
2. Type of appointment. SPA time-limited, temporary, probationary or trainee employees (during their first six (6) months of training) who perform work in the same or related SPA job classification within the affected Work Unit must be separated before any employee with a permanent appointment.
3. Relative skills, knowledge, and productivity of employees. Employees to be retained must demonstrate the skills and knowledge required for the continuing work of the Work Unit or be able to attain the requisite skills and knowledge within a reasonable period of time in accordance with the operational needs of the Work Unit. Selection must be consistent with the employee’s most recent annual performance review and employee competency assessment as well as other relevant documentation.
4. Length of total state service of employees. Length of service shall be considered but may receive less weight in the determination. Eligible veterans must be accorded one (1) year of state service for each year (or fraction thereof) of military service, up to a maximum of five (5) years of credit.
5. Workforce diversity. In accordance with federal guidelines affecting equal employment
opportunity, any application of the RIF Policy must be reviewed by the affected Work
Unit(s) and Human Resources to determine its impact on the workforce diversity within
the Work Unit(s).
The Work Unit manager is accountable for documenting the basis for his/her decision
in a manner that clearly demonstrates reasonable and consistent application of these
factors. The Office of Human Resources will provide consultation to Work Unit managers
regarding the effective application and interpretation of state policies and guidelines.
V. REVIEW AND APPROVAL
The Work Unit manager submits a SPA RIF Request Form (available in Section XII below)
to their executive manager (the Provost, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance,
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Chief of Staff, Chief Information Officer or
Athletic Director, each of whom is referred to as the “Executive Manager”) ultimately
responsible for the Work Unit. The Executive Manager then submits a copy of the SPA
RIF Request Form to the Office of Human Resources. The SPA RIF Request Form must
indicate:
• the reason(s) for the RIF;
• the anticipated date of separation;
• name(s) of the employee(s) to be separated due to the RIF and justification for
the decision;
• a listing of all vacant positions in the Work Unit which are in the same branch/role
and competency level with a status of recruitment activity for those positions;
• what efforts the Work Unit manager made to avoid the RIF of selected employee(s);
• a brief explanation why action other than RIF is not possible;
• a management contact; and
• any other information that the Executive Manager believes to be relevant to the
RIF.
The Office of Human Resources must provide the Work Unit with written approval of
the RIF request before any RIF action can be taken.
SPA permanent employees must receive written notice of RIF at least thirty (30) calendar
days prior to their effective separation date. Therefore, the Work Unit manager is
expected to submit the SPA RIF Request Form to the Office of Human Resources at least
six (6) weeks prior to the anticipated separation date of any employee to be separated
due to the RIF, in order to provide adequate time both for review and the required
notification to the employee(s).
SPA permanent employees are entitled to:
• One (1) year of employer contributions to the employee’s (self-only) health insurance, if eligibility requirements are met; and
• Payout of vacation and bonus leave and other applicable paid time-off, upon the date of separation.
In addition, SPA permanent employees may be eligible for RIF benefits, including:
1. Up to four (4) months of severance pay based on total state service supplemented by an age adjustment factor (employees qualify for the age adjustment factor at 40 years of age); and
2. Priority re-employment consideration pursuant to law and policy.
Work Unit managers should consider the total budgetary cost of separating an employee through RIF when determining an appropriate separation date for affected employee(s). If the employee is eligible to receive severance pay, severance payments will be direct-deposited.
VII. NOTIFYING AFFECTED EMPLOYEES
After the SPA RIF Request Form has been approved by the Office of Human Resources and before the effective date of the RIF, the Work Unit manager provides the following information, in writing, to the employee(s) being separated due to the RIF:
• The reason for the RIF;
• The effective date of the RIF (must be at least thirty (30) calendar days after the notification date to the employee); and
• Notification that the Office of Human Resources will contact them to arrange for a RIF information session, including details on:
# The University’s policy on priority re-employment;
# Completion of necessary application forms;
# The availability of aid in seeking other employment;
# Eligibility to apply for unemployment insurance benefits;
# Other benefits information for separating employees;
# The amount of severance pay being requested, if any; and
# The right of SPA permanent employees to appeal the RIF through the University’s SPA Grievance Policy.
VIII. REDUCTION OF HOURS (FTE) FOR POSITIONS
To avoid a RIF, a Work Unit manager may consider reducing the regularly scheduled
hours for position(s). If so, employees must be given the option of RIF in lieu of
reduction in hours. In these situations, any reduction in hours for positions must
be included in the Work Unit’s SPA RIF Request Form. This RIF Policy does not apply
to routine changes in hours related to contracts and grants management or to an employee
request for a voluntary permanent or temporary reduction in hours.
IX. ABOLISHMENT OF POSITION
Once the SPA RIF Request Form has been approved by the Office of Human Resources,
and once any employees have separated or been reassigned, the Work Unit manager must
complete the RIF process by abolishing the approved positions pursuant to the SPA
RIF Request Form.
X. APPEALS
An SPA permanent employee who has received official notification of RIF may appeal
the decision through the procedures established in the University’s SPA Grievance
Policy if he/she alleges the following:
• That the action taken is the result of a specific violation of this RIF Policy evaluation
criteria; and/or
• That the action is due to prohibited discrimination based on a protected status
of the employee; and/or
• That the action is retaliatory because the employee has alleged prohibited harassment
or discrimination, has alleged improper government activities (whistleblower protection),
or has participated in the grievance process.
An employee cannot grieve management’s business decision to take RIF action on the
grounds that the action is undesirable or inadvisable.
If an employee who has been separated because of a RIF is not satisfied with the University’s
final decision on the appeal, the employee may file an appeal with the North Carolina
Office of Administrative Hearings in the following situations:
• The employee is alleging that the RIF separation was the direct result of retaliation
for the employee’s opposition to alleged discrimination based on the employee’s age,
sex, race, color, national origin, religion, creed, political affiliation, or handicapping
condition; or
• The employee alleges that the separation by RIF is the result of improper application
of the veteran’s preference policy.
The employee also may forgo utilizing the University’s grievance process and appeal
directly to the Office of Administrative Hearings if the employee alleges that the
RIF action was the direct result of retaliation for the employee’s opposition to alleged
discrimination as noted above.
XI. POLICY REVIEW
This RIF Policy shall be reviewed and revised as necessary in the event that the North Carolina State Personnel Office revises its reduction-in-force policies.
XII. RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND RESOURCES
University Policies: http://www.wcu.edu/359.asp
University Policy #77, Grievance Policies and Procedures for SPA Employees, http://www.wcu.edu/25346.asp
UNC Policy Manual: http://www.northcarolina.edu/policy/index.php
State Personnel Office: http://www.osp.state.nc.us/
State Personnel Office policies: http://www.osp.state.nc.us/Guide/Policies/policies.htm
State Personnel Office reduction-in-force policies: http://www.osp.state.nc.us/Support/RIF/policies.htm
State Personnel policy on reduction-in-force priority: http://www.osp.state.nc.us/Guide/Policies/2_Recruitment%20and%20Selection/Reduction%20in%20Force%20Prioritypost7-2012.pdf
North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings: http://www.ncoah.com/
Phone: (919) 431-3000