The Policy Review Committee met via Zoom on Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
Policy Updates
Finance Policy 108 and Procedure 108.1 – IRS Accountable Plan
Walter Miller, Director of Payroll Services, presented Finance Policy 108 and its accompanying Finance Procedure 108.1. This new policy clarifies the time period for reimbursement. Reconciliations and reimbursement should be contemporaneous to the expense and timely. If submitted within 60 days of the expenditure, expenses are reimbursed and not taxable as income to the employee. If submitted between 60-180 days after the expense, expenses will be reimbursed but will be taxable as income to the employee. After 180 days, expenses will not be reimbursed. The procedure spells out how employees submit information for reimbursement and who to contact if they have questions.
Policy on Internal Only Recruitment for SHRA Positions
Cassidy Johnson, Human Resources Policy Specialist and Grievance Coordinator, presented updates to the Internal Only Recruitment for SHRA Positions Policy. The State of North Carolina’s Office of State Human Resources (OSHR) recently updated the OSHR policy about internal recruitment, and UNC-Chapel Hill’s policy edits simply implement the OSHR-mandated changes The changes allow temporary employees who were directly hired by UNC-Chapel Hill to be considered for internal-only recruitment for permanent SHRA positions. This increases the pool of internal candidates who can apply for SHRA positions. The PRC asked whether the update would include temporary employees hired through University Temporary Services/VNDLY or third-party vendors because the University could benefit from broadening the pool of candidates. Cassidy replied that the OSHR-mandated changes only allow expansion for direct-hire temporary employees and that University Units should use open-hire listings to diversify their hiring pools.
Administrative Updates
2024 PRC Meeting Schedule
The 2024 PRC schedule will generally continue to be the third Thursday of each month from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. by Zoom. The Office of Ethics and Policy will make changes as needed to prevent conflicts with 2024 Board of Trustee, holiday, and academic calendars once those calendars are released for the second half of 2024.
Ethics and Policy Office Website Refresh
Policy Analyst Shoshana Ellis presented several updates to the Office of Ethics and Policy website. Most notably, the top menu bar has been simplified. Work is ongoing and feedback on the changes is welcome.
Executive Summary Cover Sheet Updates
Finally, Policy Analyst Shoshana Ellis also shared proposed updates to the Executive Summary cover sheet to include the next date for review and the reading level of the policy document as presented. The PRC noted that, while reading-level information may be helpful for the ongoing policy equity audits, the Executive Summary may not be the correct place for it. Further consideration is necessary before using a new Executive Summary template.