02.03.03 – Employee Orientation and Sign-up
Section: Human Resources
Area: Recruitment and Employment
I. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
This document outlines the general processes prescribed by Human Resources for new employee sign-up and orientation. These actions are required of new employees to orient them to the mission of the university and their new work environment, to provide and obtain necessary information to enroll new employees in benefits, and to comply with state and federal laws.
The sign-up requirements apply to all university employees--faculty and staff, full-time and part-time, student and non-student. (To ensure enrollment on the university payroll, these activities must take place within the timetable provided.)
The orientation requirements defined in this MAPP apply to regular staff employees; however, faculty members may attend if they are not able to participate in a faculty orientation.
University of Houston administration is committed to its academic mission and to emphasizing each employee's role in providing service to university students.
The policy of the University of Houston System and its universities is to ensure equal opportunity in all its educational programs and activities, and all terms and conditions of employment without regard to age, race, color, disability, religion, national origin, ethnicity, military status, genetic information, or sex (including gender and pregnancy), except where such a distinction is required by law. Additionally, UH System prohibits discrimination in all aspects of employment and educational programs on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. For the UH System's Official Non-Discrimination Statement, see SAM.01.D.05 – Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Statement .
II. DEFINITIONS
A. Employee: Any person employed to perform a service for the university through the personnel system and paid through the payroll system.
B. Regular staff employee: A university employee who is appointed for at least 20 hours per week on a regular basis for a period of at least 4-1/2 months, excluding students employed in positions for which student status is required as a condition of employment, and who does not hold a teaching and/or research position classified as faculty. Regular employees are benefits-eligible.
C. Non-regular employee: An employee that does not meet the definition of a regular staff employee.
III. NEW EMPLOYEE SIGN-UP
A. Regular Staff Employees
1. Employees hired via an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that shall receive all hire and onboarding documents electronically within such ATS for completion with the exception of Section 2 of the Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9).
a. Employment Eligibility (the I-9 and eVerify process) is mandated by state and federal laws. Original unexpired documents must be presented to Human Resources and employment eligibility must be completed within three (3) days of the first day of employment or before. (A list of acceptable documents is available at https://www.uh.edu/human-resources/hr-service-center/i-9/.)
b. Regular, benefits-eligible employees must attend New Hire Orientation (NHO).
Note: Employees will be notified by Human Resources when they are scheduled to attend NHO.
2. Non-regular Employees
a. On or before the first day of employment, the hiring department will instruct new employees of the hiring and onboarding paperwork, including: the Personal Data Sheet , Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9), and any additional departmental requirements.
b. Employment Eligibility (the I-9 and eVerify process) is mandated by state and federal laws. Original unexpired documents must be presented (a list of acceptable documents is available at https://www.uh.edu/human-resources/hr-service-center/i-9/). Employment eligibility verification must be completed within three (3) business days of the first day of employment or before.
c. An Electronic Personnel Action Request (ePAR) should be submitted via PeopleSoft least five (5) days prior to the employee's first day of employment.
IV. NEW STAFF ORIENTATION – NEW HIRE ORIENTATION (NHO)
A. Supervisors will select the requested orientation date for their new regular staff employee hires via online or the Applicant Tracking System.
B. Employees will need to attend NHO within 30 days of their start date; it is recommended to attend their first day.
C. HR will send an email confirmation to the new hire on their orientation date.
D. Staff orientation is conducted by Human Resources every week.
E. Staff orientation is conducted to accomplish the following goals:
• To emphasize the role of each employee in the academic mission of the University of Houston and in providing service to our student customers.
• To provide general information about the university and its employee services, benefits, and activities.
• To provide information required by state and federal regulations and university policies.
V. ADDITIONAL ORIENTATION
A. In addition to formal university orientation programs, the employing department should introduce the new employee to their colleagues and co-workers, to the work area, to their job duties, and to any departmental rules or regulations.
B. Formal faculty orientation is conducted annually at the beginning of the fall semester through the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Faculty unable to attend fall faculty orientation may attend staff orientation throughout the year.
VI. REQUIRED TRAINING FOR ALL NEW EMPLOYEES
Required training for all new employees and required role-based training are addressed in MAPP 02.06.01.
REFERENCES
System Administrative Memorandum 02.A.36 - New Staff Orientation and Processing
Manual of Administrative Policies and Procedures 02.06.01 – Staff Training and Development
New Employees Web Site (Human Resources)
Listing of Acceptable Hiring Documentation
Issued: 12/21/1997
Last Reviewed/Revised: 02/16/2024
Responsible Office(s): Human Resources