Temporary Employment Process

If the position is NEW, the supervisor needs to draft a position description that includes the job purpose, required and preferred qualifications, and job duties. This should be submitted before an offer is made in order for HR to determine whether the position is exempt (salaried) or non-exempt (hourly) under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

All new employees must complete a Temporary Staff or Faculty application with Applicant Data Record. The completed application should be submitted to HR early in the hiring process, preferably when you request the background check.

Who needs a background check?

• All first-time Winthrop employees, including those who will be working remotely;
• Former student employees transitioning to temporary or permanent positions; and
• Any former employee (permanent or temporary) who has not worked at the university for a year or more.

Background Checks can take up to two weeks, depending on the individual's place(s) of residence over the past seven years. HR notifies the person who initiated the request once the background check is complete and acceptable for hire.

In cases of emergencies - when an employee needs to be hired at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances - HR uses the Self-Disclosure Form Regarding Pending Offense and Conviction to speed the hiring process. This form does not replace the background check, but it allows the employee to start before the background check is complete. Keep in mind that employment is still contingent on a successful background check and may be terminated if the background check results are not acceptable. Please contact Tanya Pettus for further information.

The State of South Carolina prohibits state agencies, colleges and universities from hiring anyone who is in default on certain student loans:

No person who has willfully defaulted on a National Direct Student Loan, a National Defense Student Loan, a Guaranteed-Federally Insured Student Loan, a Nursing Student Loan, a Health Professions Student Loan or a Law Enforcement Educational Loan shall now or hereafter be employed by the State or any of its departments, agencies or subdivisions until all defaults are cured and loan payments made current; provided, however, that if such person and his lender voluntarily enter into an agreement after default under which terms the debt will be repaid and the lender confirms this agreement in writing with the state agency, department or subdivision, the loan shall not be considered in default and the default shall be considered as cured so long as the person complies with the terms of the agreement. SC Code § 59-111-50 (2022)

These forms should be submitted at the same time the background check request is initiated.

Initiate the electronic personnel action form (epaf) at the same time the background check request is initiated.

• When initiating the epaf, use the individual's Winthrop email address. If a Winthrop email address has not yet been assigned, use the personal email address provided by the employee - DO NOT GUESS WHAT THE WINTHROP EMAIL ADDRESS MIGHT BE. This ensures that the correct individual receives a copy of the approved epaf.
• ALL temporaries, including those in grant-funded positions, must have a two-week break during the fiscal year (July 1 thru June30). All temps are not required to have the same two-week break, and breaks can change from one fiscal year to the next depending on the department's needs.
• Only summer teaching assignments are allowed to cross fiscal years. All other assignments crossing from one fiscal year into the next require two epafs - one ending on June 30, and the second starting on July 1. (Be sure to split the salary for exempt assignments correctly across the two epafs.)
• When HR places an epaf on hold, the system automatically generates an email to the initiator indicating that the epaf is on hold and why (usually missing paperwork/documentation).
• Changes to temporary assignments that have not run through payroll should be emailed directly to Tanya Pettus. Once an assignment has run through payroll, changes can only be made by revising the original epaf. (Please note that epafs can be revised once).

Check the I-9 Inquiry System, which can be accessed through the HR webpage (Processes and Resources) or under Employee Tools in Wingspan.

If a new I-9 is needed, submit the Online Request Form. Please note that permanent employees who return as temporaries often require a new I-9.

Federal law requires that

• Employees complete Sec. 1 of the I-9 no later than the first day of employment (and no sooner than three months prior to their start date); employers complete Sec. 2 of the I-9 and the E-verify within three days of an employee's start date.
• Employees must bring original documents to verify their identity and work eligibility. Copies cannot be accepted.
• HR arranges for temporary employees approved to work outside the immediate area to complete Sec. 2 of the I-9 with someone in their home area. (Immediate area is defined as Rock Hill, Charlotte and Columbia.) This process takes a little longer, so be sure to request the I-9 as early as possible in the hiring process.
• A new I-9 is required every three years for temporary employees.
• Winthrop uses I-9 Advantage for all I-9s and reverifications.

Please collect the following forms and submit to HR:

• • Federal W-4
  • South Carolina W-4  (or home state for temps approved to work outside South Carolina)
  • New Hire Information form

• New staff can request a WIN account (from IT) up to three days before the start of their assignment, as long as HR has approved the epaf and entered the assignment in Banner. Please note that it sometimes takes several days between the time an epaf is approved and the time the assignment is entered in Banner.
• To facilitate the process, download the Faculty/Staff Account Request Form-WIN, and have the employee bring the completed form to the Technology Services Office (01 McBryde Hall).
• WIN accounts for adjunct faculty can be created in advance through Academic Affairs.

Temporary employees can request a temporary pass on the Winthrop University Police Department web page.

• Temporary parking permits are electronic (no paper tag required) and are good for up to one week.
• A WIN Account is not needed to request a temporary/visitor permit.

New employees can request an annual parking pass by signing into Wingspan (once they have a WIN account) and selecting Parking Permit Application link under Employee Tools or by visiting the department at 526 Myrtle Drive.

• All temporary employees are eligible to participate in one of the state retirement plans and have 30 days from their hire date to enroll or decline.
• Employees receive an email from the South Carolina Public Employees Benefit Authority (PEBA) to complete their enrollment or non-election online.
• Employees not wishing to participate MUST ACTIVELY DECLINE; anyone who fails to enroll or opt out within the 30-day period automatically DEFAULTs into the defined benefit, or pension, plan and contributions are deducted from their pay accordingly.
• Individuals who already participate in a South Carolina retirement plan or have money on account with the state must continue their participation as a Winthrop employee.

Faculty Overload, Dual Employment or Temporary Salary Adjustment (choose only one option on the ePAF).

• Overload: Teaching faculty, including department chairs, who teach an additional instructional assignment in their home college.
• Dual Employment:
  • Teaching faculty who take an additional assignment, instructional or non-instructional, in another college or division.
  • Staff who take additional instructional or non-instructional assignments. Please note that staff must take LWOP when the secondary assignment occurs during regular work hours.
  • Dual employment only applies during the employee's "contract" period, so summer teaching assignments for nine-month faculty are not considered dual employment.
• Temporary Salary Adjustment (TSA):
  • Faculty taking on program director or similar duties in their home college.
  • Faculty engaged in WILEY course development.
  • Employees performing interim duties during a vacancy. These TSAs require pre-approval through the submission of a Salary Action Request form.

Check the I-9 Inquiry System for every rehire.

• Temporary employees need a new I-9 every three years per federal law.
• Temporary employees who legally change their names (with new documents) and those whose work authorization/eligibility has changed will need to bring their documents to the HR office to complete Sec. 3 of the I-9 form (known as a reverification).

Collect a Self-Disclosure Form Regarding Pending Offense and Conviction for returning employees who have had a break in employment of more than six months but less than a year. Anyone with a break of a year or more requires a new background check, so please plan accordingly.

• IT deactivates the WIN Accounts of all temporary employees on Oct. 1.
• Department chairs/deans receive notice (from IT) 45 days prior to deactivation of a temporary account and can request that an account remain active. Users are notified 30 days prior (Sept. 1) and again seven days prior to deactivation, but the request to keep an account active must come from the department/chair/dean.
• Deactivated accounts are deleted after 180 days in that status.
• Contact IT for answers to specific questions.

Complete a Temporary Staff or Faculty application with applicant data record and give it to your department contact/liaison.

Initiate your background check on the S2Verify website using the link provided by Human Resources via email. Background checks typically take from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on how many places you’ve lived and the specific location(s). Please note that failure to initiate your background check in a timely fashion may slow down the hiring process.

Complete and sign the Employee Certification regarding student loan default and return it to your department contact/liaison.

New Hire Information form

Federal W-4

South Carolina W-4 (or a W-4 for your home state if you are working remotely).

Federal law requires that you complete Sec. 1 of the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification no later than your first day of employment and Sec. 2 within three business days of your first day of employment.

• You will receive via email a link from I9 Advantage to complete Sec. 1 online.
• Once you complete the online form, please contact the Human Resources Office at 803-323-2273 to make an appointment to complete Sec. 2.

A complete list of acceptable documents is available on the I9 Advantage site—you will need one document from List A OR one document from List B and one from List C. If you are working remotely (outside of the Charlotte/Rock Hill/Columbia area), Human Resources will work with you to set up an appointment at a location near your home/work to complete Sec. 2.

As a temporary employee, you have the option of enrolling in one of the South Carolina retirement programs, which include a defined-benefit, or pension, plan (known as SCRS) and several defined-contribution (403B and 401K) plans (known as ORP). Please note that anyone who currently participates in one of the programs or has money on account with the state must continue to participate.

You will receive an email directly from the S.C. Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) with a link to the state Employee Enrollment System. If you have not received an email within the first couple of days of employment, please check your spam folder; if you cannot locate the email, contact the Human Resources Office at HRHelp@winthrop.edu.

You have 30 days from your hire date to enroll or opt out. If you fail to make an election within 30 days, you will default into the pension plan, and the current state-mandated percentage will be deducted from your salary each pay period.

A benefits administrator will contact all temporary employees who are eligible for insurance benefits. Eligible employees have 31 days to enroll or refuse benefits.  

Email the completed WIN account request form to Computing & Information Technology at helpdesk@winthrop.edu to gain access to the university’s information systems, including Wingspan, where you’ll find your leave report/timesheet, tax documents and many other resources.

Once you have a WIN account you can enter your Direct Deposit information via Wingspan. Employee Self Service Payroll Direct Deposit Instructions can be found on the Payroll Department website.

All motor vehicles parked on campus or any property owned by Winthrop University must be registered with the Winthrop University Police Department (WUPD) and display either a temporary or annual parking permit.

• New employees can request a temporary pass on the WUPD website.
• Annual parking permits can be requested by signing into Wingspan (once you have a WIN Account) and selecting Parking Permit Application under Employee Tools or by visiting WUPD at 526 Myrtle Drive.

All Winthrop employees are required to complete harassment and discrimination training within the first 30 days of employment. You will have access to the material through Wingspan once you have a WIN account. Please plan for approximately 100 minutes to complete the five courses and review the three related policies. If you need assistance, contact the Human Resources office at HRHelp@winthrop.edu or 803-323-2273.