Last update: 07/07/2022 by STR
Interim Appointment Policy
Approved by SRLT on 07/07/2022
The purpose of this document is to set policy and procedures for the administration and compensation of acting appointments and interim appointments that are 30 days or longer. This policy only applies to current administrative staff at MIT Libraries.
DEFINITIONS
● Acting Appointment - The appointment of administrative staff to another position due to the temporary absence of a colleague (e.g., while a manager is on leave of absence).
● Interim Appointment - The appointment of administrative staff to another position that is temporarily vacant (e.g., recently vacated position or position which has not previously existed).
POLICY
1. Managers may appoint existing employees to cover the duties for a temporary absence or vacancy. If the temporary duties are different from the employee’s current position for 30 days or longer, then the following actions will be taken:
a. Acting and interim appointments receive a 5% pay increase for the duration of the temporary appointment. For acting appointments, this pay increase ends when the incumbent returns to work. For interim appointments, this pay increase ends after a 30 calendar day transition period for the new incumbent, unless extended by the AD or Director of Libraries.
b. Individual acting or interim appointees may also receive a title change; although when the work is distributed among a team, title changes may not be appropriate. Managers should propose title changes to the department head, the AD, and the Director of HR for approval.
c. Acting and Interim positions are filled by appointment, not via a search process. Appointment to acting and interim roles is restricted to current staff, and all appointments must be approved by the department head and AD.
2. The manager will provide the acting/interim appointee with a description of the duties and responsibilities they will be expected to perform in the acting/interim role. If the acting/interim appointment requires an adjustment to the expectations and responsibilities of the appointee's regular position, the manager and the appointee will discuss and document such adjustments.
3. The initial appointment to an acting position should not exceed 6 months. If an acting appointment must be extended, the manager will review the appointment with the appointee and recommend to the department head, AD, and Director of HR either a termination or an extension of the acting appointment prior to the end of the initial appointment period. The total duration of an acting appointment, including extensions, should not exceed 1 year.
4. Interim appointments should not exceed a one (1) year time period. At the one-year mark, acting/interims should be reviewed for the likelihood of extension with the Director of HR.
a. If an extension is warranted, it will be granted.
b. If an extension is not appropriate, a permanent change should be made; the acting/interim appointee’s role should be reassessed and permanently updated, with appropriate job description and compensation changes.
5. It is the policy of the MIT Libraries that permanent assignments are filled through a standard search process, therefore individuals who are assigned to interim roles will not be waived or appointed to permanently fill the interim role, except if/when selected through a standard search process for the role.
6. Temporary pay increases will be reviewed quarterly by the Director of HR, with the objective of reviewing with management the need for continued acting/interim appointments.
If you have any questions please contact Lib-hr@mit.edu
Through this program, the MIT Libraries support projects undertaken by the administrative staff of the Libraries which involve research and development related to the general areas of librarianship, information science, information technology, archives and records management. (Since the work of academic libraries is rapidly evolving, this list is not meant to be exhaustive nor to exclude projects that seek to explore emerging or untraditional aspects of any of these areas.) The objectives of this program are both to encourage the involvement of administrative staff members in professional developmental activities and to stimulate an interest in contributing to those professions related to the Libraries' programs.
Any member or group of members of the administrative staff may develop and submit a proposal for funding support. The proposal should include the following elements:
1. a succinct statement of the research topic with a clear set of objectives;
2. a survey of related research, identifying other work that has been done on this topic and how it relates to the proposed project;
3. a description of the methodology to be followed;
4. a statement on the use and dissemination of the results (e.g. a publication; a paper to be presented; a feasibility study for a larger research project);
5. a project schedule;
6. a complete budget for the project;
7. a funding request which shows the specific budget items to be covered by the funding;
8. resume(s) of the staff member(s) involved or a statement of competency to carry out the research.
The Director of Community Support and Staff Development will issue a call for proposals annually. Steering Committee will review the proposals and make funding decisions.
Grants under this program will normally be made up to $2500 to cover expenses incurred for any one project. These funds may be used to cover a variety of expenses, including but not limited to computer hardware or software, programming, web design or graphic arts expenses, mailing expenses, phone calls, data analysis, travel, etc. These funds may be used in conjunction with other funding for the project. Funds must be used within twelve months of their approval. Extensions may be granted with adequate justification.
Reviewed by Library Council 05/25/88
Approved by Steering Committee 06/08/88
Revised 08/09/96 & 4/20/16
Definition: FlexPlace/Telecommuting is a work arrangement in which employees regularly work at home or at an alternative worksite during part or all of a work schedule. FlexPlace means part or all of work is done from home or a remote location. Telecommuting means being connected by computer, fax, and/or telephone to the department or office. FlexPlace/Telecommuting is NOT beginning and ending work at nonstandard times within limits set by management (FlexTime) or working full‐time hours in fewer than days than those of a normal work week (Compressed Week).
For more info, please visit our FlexWork section.
5//10/2022
MIT Libraries does not permit pets in MIT Libraries’ public spaces or workspaces.
A pet-free workplace is a comfortable and safe work environment for staff and patrons who may be negatively impacted by the presence of pets in the workplace.
This is a formalization of a temporary policy announced in May and went into effect in September 2021.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), MIT allows service animals in the workplace. A Service Animal is defined by the ADA as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The Service Animals task must be directly related to the owner’s disability.
If you have any questions please contact Lib-hr@mit.edu
If you have any questions, please contact Lib-hr@mit.edu.
Guidance on staff participation in Institute-wide & Libraries events
In the context of the upcoming MIT Reads event, the Presidential Inauguration, and the annual commencement exercises, we offer this guidance to staff and supervisors for participation or volunteer activity.
Summary:
In general, we encourage and support Libraries’ staff members who wish to participate in Institute-wide & Libraries events. Supervisor approval is always required to ensure attendance does not unduly impact business continuity and supervisors are also responsible for approving overtime if that may occur due to the activity. In responding to requests to participate, managers will consider business needs and will approve requests in an equitable manner.
Participation:
MIT and the MIT Libraries hosts events/lectures/discussions/workshops on a range of topics that might contribute to the professional development or enrichment of libraries staff (i.e. MIT Reads). Staff who wish to attend one of these events during their regular work hours must get permission in writing (email) from their supervisor to attend. Supervisors will consider the following factors in granting permission to attend:
Supervisors should have a conversation about participation with requesting employees, and all parties should refer to the Professional Development Policy if they need guidance.
Unless otherwise indicated, Libraries-wide sponsored social activities (i.e. Cookie Fest) are considered paid work time for staff who attend. Staff must have permission from their supervisors in advance, and supervisors should allow staff to attend for a reasonable amount of time if doing so does not unduly impact library work or services.
Attendance at unique or occasional Institute-wide celebrations, such as an Institute Presidential Inauguration, also requires staff to have written approval from their supervisor. Attendance at Commencement activities, however, is not paid time, except for those staff who are working at the event/s. Libraries staff who would like to attend the MIT annual commencement exercises as spectators or guests should use their own time.
Paid Voluntary Work:
At MIT, open calls to the community to ‘volunteer’ is a call for paid voluntary work. An individual may choose to act in service to the Institute outside of their regular duties, and while the marginal impact of participation may be short term, it is useful, appreciated, helpful, and important (such as program distribution at Commencement). Hours spent in this activity are compensated for by the employee’s regular pay at MIT.
Please email lib-HR with questions.