Understanding UCF Policy 3-013 Non-student Hourly Other Personnel Services (OPS) Employment

By: Stephanie Fernandez, UCF Human Resources Marketing Communications Specialist I

Effective October 1, 2022, the university will be implementing Policy 3-013 Non-Student Hourly Other Personnel Services (OPS) Employment which outlines employment provisions for all non-student hourly OPS employees and provides parameters on the appropriate employment of these employees on a term or as-needed basis. The policy applies to all non-student hourly OPS employees (full-time and part-time) and the units that hire them. The policy does not apply to student assistants, adjunct faculty, graduate assistants, postdoctoral associates, medical residents, standardized patients, or resident/housing staff.

Non-student hourly OPS employees are temporary employees; therefore, the total time worked by an individual non-student hourly OPS employee cannot exceed one year from the employees’ initial hire date unless they fall into one of the following OPS employee groups:

• OPS Health Care: This category is used for employees in the health care industry who are employed on an as-needed basis, meaning those who are called into action when their services are required (PRN).
• OPS Special Project: This category is used to employ persons to work on a university-wide, time-limited project no longer than two years.
• OPS Valencia College Students & UCF’s Downtown Campus: This category is used to employ students at Valencia College in student-OPS positions at UCF’s Downtown Campus.
• OPS Sponsored Projects Services: This category is used for employment for a set time period to deliver a specific product or specific tasks for a sponsored project.

Note: There may be additional non-student hourly OPS positions that may be given an exception to the one-year duration requirement. The university anticipates this to be a narrow group. Hiring officials who believe that a position qualifies as an exception to the one-year requirement should contact the Talent Acquisition Center in UCF Human Resources, who will assess and determine whether an exception to this requirement is warranted.

Policy 3-013 will become effective on October 1, 2022. On that date, non-student hourly OPS employees already employed at UCF may only be employed for one year from this date (through September 30, 2023), regardless of the duration of their employment prior to October 1, 2022. Non-student hourly OPS employees hired after October 1, 2022, may only be employed for one year from their hire date. At the expiration of that one year limit , the OPS employment must be terminated unless it is determined that the employee qualifies for one of the OPS categories set forth in the policy.

This policy was developed to ensure compliance with state and federal hiring guidelines and to offer a better employment experience for non-student hourly OPS employees. Improvements include a formal hiring process involving a job description, salary guidelines, and posting of the job on UCF’s Human Resources job vacancy website.

Questions related to the policy should be directed to HRConnection@ucf.edu.