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Ending Employment
Layoff - Classified Non-Union Information

CONTENTS

Under the Department of Personnel rules, classified non-union employees may be laid off without prejudice because of lack of funds, lack of work or organizational change.

This information is designed to help UW classified non-union employees facing the possibility of layoff understand how the layoff process is administered. The information on this page only applies to employees covered by WAC 357-46. Your unit's Human Resources Consultant (HRC) is available to answer your questions about the layoff process.

UNDERSTAND

The Layoff Process

  1. Your supervisor or administrator follows unit administrative procedures and uses the "Request to Initiate Layoff" form to notify Human Resources that a layoff is necessary. Your supervisor or administrator should notify you of the need for layoff at this time if that has not already happened.
  2. The HRC prepares the official layoff notification, calculates your layoff seniority, and determines your layoff list(s) and employment options.
  3. Several weeks before the effective date of a layoff, the HRC will meet with you to review and explain the layoff notification materials. Your supervisor may also be present. If a meeting is not possible within the required time frame, the layoff notification materials are mailed to you. The layoff notice informs you of the effective date of the layoff, and of your "layoff options." The layoff notice will include an Employee Option Selection Form that you will complete.
  4. There are two possible types of layoff options that you may have, the "employment option" and the "layoff list option."
    1. Employment option – The employment option will provide you with continued employment without being laid off. You will be offered the option to take a position that meets the following criteria, depending on availability:
      1. The position is in your current job classification, or in a class in which you have held permanent status that pays the same as your current position, or to a position in a lower class in an occupational category/class series in which have held permanent status.
      2. The position is comparable to your current position as defined by the University’s layoff procedure.
      3. You meet the position's knowledge/skill requirements etc.
      4. The position is vacant, or if a vacant a position is not available, the position is occupied by the employee with the lowest seniority.
      5. If you have no option under (4A)(1-4) above, the University must determine if there is an available position in the layoff unit to offer you that meets the following criteria:
        1. The position is at the same or lower salary range maximum as the position from which you are being laid off; and,
        2. The position is vacant and less than comparable or held by a probationary employee; and
        3. The position is one for which you meet the competencies and other position requirements; and,
        4. If more than one qualifying position is available, the position with the highest salary range maximum is the one that must be offered.
    2. Layoff list option - Placement on the layoff list provides preference for placement into future job vacancies for which you are eligible. You are eligible to be placed on the layoff list(s) for job class(es) in which you have held permanent status, and lower classes in the series.
      1. To be eligible to be placed on a layoff list, you must not have voluntarily or involuntarily been rejected, reverted, demoted or dismissed from the class, and the class must have the same or lower salary range maximum as the class from which you are being laid off.
  5. You will decide whether to select an "employment option" (if one is available) and/or the "layoff list option" and complete and turn in the Employee Option Selection Form. NOTE THAT you must turn in the option selection form by the specified deadline. If the Employee Option Selection Form is not received in Human Resources by the specified deadline, then you will lose the opportunity to select any of the layoff options.

Seniority Calculation

Seniority is defined in accordance with WAC-357-46-55. Layoff seniority is established as follows:

  The number of calendar days (work days plus weekends or regularly scheduled paid days off) of continuous eligible UW employment
+ Veterans' preference where eligible (up to five years of qualifying active duty military service)
- Leave without pay
= Total layoff seniority

Employment Option Selection

If your employment option is a vacant position, you are placed in the position and there is no actual layoff. If your employment option is an occupied position, you are placed in the position and the less senior employee is laid off.

What is the Layoff List?

The layoff list gives you referral preference to vacant positions.

Employees who accept a voluntary demotion in lieu of layoff are eligible to be on the internal layoff list for the class from which they demoted, and classes at that salary range and lower salary ranges in which the employee has held permanent status during the current period of unbroken service and lower classes in the same occupational category/class series.

Employees who accept a less than comparable position as defined by the University’s layoff procedure are eligible to be on the internal layoff list for the class from which they demoted, and classes at that salary range and lower salary ranges in which the employee has held permanent status during the current period of unbroken service and lower classes in the same occupational category/class series.

Employees who remain in a position reallocated to a lower salary range are eligible to be on the internal layoff list for the class the employee held permanent status in prior to the reallocation.

All eligible candidates on the layoff list are referred to the employing official when there is a job vacancy.

The employing official makes the final selection. It is important to have an up-to-date candidate profile in the UW's employment web site so that your job skills and experience are properly taken into account.

If you are hired from a layoff list and complete the rehire trial period, your name removed from all other layoff lists.

Your annual leave will continue at the accrual rate in effect at the time of layoff; seniority credit will be retained; current salary range and step equivalent will be maintained if it does not exceed the top step of the new class (job title); and if you are re-employed within five years of separation, your sick leave balance will be reinstated.

If you are on the layoff list and refuse three offers of placement in jobs having the same salary range, percent time and work shift as the position from which you were laid off, your name is removed from the layoff list. Removal from layoff lists for classifications other than the one from which you were laid off, is on a list by list basis, and occurs after an you reject one placement offer.

You would be removed from the layoff list for the position from which you were laid off when:

Removal from other list(s) and removal from consideration for positions having an FTE status less than that which the employee held immediately prior to layoff, is done list by list, and occurs after the employee has rejected one offer of placement.

Unemployment Compensation

You may be eligible for unemployment compensation as a result of layoff. The Washington State Employment Security Department makes the determination, based on past earnings, employment status, and availability for work.

You should contact Employment Security before the layoff effective date to get questions answered.

Leave and Other Benefits

Upon separation from the University, you would be paid for accumulated annual leave, compensatory time ('comp time'), and holiday comp time. Sick leave is not paid off, but the entire balance will be reinstated if you are re-employed within five years in a position at any State of Washington agency or State of Washington institution of higher education, if the position is eligible to accrue sick leave.

Your personal holiday should be used, or it will be lost.

ACT

Actions you should take

  1. Review "Resources and Information for Employees Facing Layoff" for benefits and other resources.
  2. Go to the UW employee employment webpages and create a candidate profile if you have not done so. Your candidate profile is used by the HRC to help determine an employee's eligibility for potential layoff employment and layoff list options. An incomplete or out-of-date candidate profile may limit the options that are available to an employee scheduled for layoff. Begin an active job search inside and outside the University. The "official" layoff process may identify an employment (job) option for permanent employees, but it is important to understand that the option is determined by matching job qualifications, not an individual's career goals or preferences. By actively pursuing a job search, an employee may be able to secure another position at the UW or elsewhere before the effective date of the layoff. This strategy offers more choices and control over one's employment.
  3. If you have had active duty military service or are an unmarried widow or widower of a veteran, send a copy of your official discharge notice showing the dates of active duty service in order to receive seniority "veterans' preference" for up to five years of active duty military service.
  4. Write down questions or concerns to discuss with your HRC.
  5. When you receive your layoff notice, complete the employee option selection form and turn it in to the specified location by the deadline. Forms turned in late are not accepted.

Layoff Topics