Fixed Term Employment Policy and Procedures

All staff members  

To outline the process for employing staff members on fixed term agreements

The University employs academic and professional staff members on fixed term employment agreements to carry out specific duties that related to immediate but temporary academic and service needs.

1. Fixed term staff members must sign a written employment agreement setting out the terms and conditions of employment prior to commencing work.

2. Fixed term employment agreements can only be entered into where there is a genuine reason based on reasonable grounds for determining that a position is fixed term and this reason must be set out in writing in the staff members employment agreement.

3. Prior to employment commencing the staff member must be advised of how and when his/her employment will end and the reason why it will end in this way.

4. To assist in making these decisions, all employing managers must be familiar with the procedures below.

5. The recruitment and selection processes appropriate for the role must be followed to ensure that the most suitable applicant is appointed.

6. Academic staff may be employed for a period of up to three years without a requirement to advertise the role and professional staff for up to six months without the requirement to advertise.

7. Requests for fixed term employment agreements must provide the following:

• genuine reason based on reasonable grounds for the position ending on a specified date (fixed term reasons, find in Key Relevant Documents section)
• job description
• appropriate evaluation (in conjunction with HR Advisory)

8. The request for a fixed term employment agreement must be approved by the approver before the employing manager is able to start the recruitment and selection process for the role.

9. A thorough selection process must be undertaken in order to secure the best candidate for the role.

10. Once verbal acceptance is secured from the chosen candidate, group services is to be approached in order to get the offer generated through the HR system.

11. Group Services are to be provided with the following information:

• position details and/or position number
• start date
• end date
• reason for the fixed term
• candidate details and application form
• proof of identity and work visa (if applicable)
• salary level and annual salary
• final job description

12. Once the Non-Advertised Recruitment Request (NAR) has been submitted by Group Services to HR, the offer of employment must be generated by HR Services and signed prior to the staff member’s start date.

13. When the candidate has accepted and returned all the required documentation to the HR Services team, payroll information is to be entered in to the HR system and the individual is to be paid in the next appropriate fortnightly pay.

14. Fixed term employment agreements are to terminate on the date specified in the offer of employment and the staff member is to be paid for any annual leave entitlement not taken during the period of employment.

15. Where a staff member wishes to cease employment prior to the expiry date of the employment agreement, written notification giving reasonable notice (or such notice as specified in applicable employment agreement) is to be forwarded to the employing manager and then on to the staff service centre for processing.

The following definitions apply to this document:

Approver means a UOS level 2 or 3 manager as per the HR delegations schedule

Fixed term staff member means an individual engaged on a full or part time basis for a specified term or period that has an end date

Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full time or part time basis

University means the University of Auckland and including all subsidiaries

Include the following:

• Employment Relations Act 2000
• Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
• Holidays Act 2003
• Privacy Act 2020
• State Sector Act 1988
• HR Delegations Framework
• Approved reasons and wording for fixed-term appointments (Staff  intranet)

Content manager: Associate Director, HR Services
Owner: Director, Human Resources
Approver: Vice-Chancellor
Date reviewed: 01 October 2015
Review date: 01 October 2020