Greenery with red flowers and black lamp

Employee Handbook

This Employee Handbook can help guide you throughout your employment at St. John’s by providing practical and necessary information about the workplace and the University. It aims to help connect you to the broader organization by sharing policy summaries, procedures, practices and services that relate to your role as an employee. Required workplace notices are posted conspicuously on campuses and are also available digitally here: Federal and New York Employment Posters.

This online Employee Handbook replaces all previous handbooks.  Policies and information within the Handbook are subject to change, and from time to time you may receive a notice of those changes and those changes will govern. Employee rights and responsibilities are always governed by existing law and nothing in the Handbook provides legal rights in addition to those rights provided by law. In the event that there is a discrepancy between a policy in the Handbook and the Human Resources Policy Manual, the Policy Manual shall prevail.

The contents of this Employee Handbook are not intended to create, and do not create, either an implied nor expressed contract or guarantee of employment or contractual obligation between the University the its employees. For our Employment at Will statement, see the handbook section entitled About Your Employment.

Employee Handbook

Colleagues,

In the pages of this Employee Handbook, we invite you to explore all of the resources and opportunities that St. John’s has to share, as well as review information and guidance that are essential to your employment. As an online tool, the handbook will direct you to related resources on every topic, and should you have any questions, the Office of Human Resources is ready to assist you.

By offering services and support in all aspects of your work-life, the role of Human Resources is to guide you throughout your St. John’s employment. From the essential functions of employment, benefits, payroll services and compensation, to performance management, work-life balance, and professional training, HR staff is equipped to help. With a comprehensive professional and management development curriculum, employees have many opportunities to develop their skills and the University is committed to ensuring that its leaders are optimally trained and effective.

As administrators and staff of St. John’s University, we share a common purpose to serve our students, and in doing so we help them realize their educational goals. Every day in classrooms and around our campuses, we demonstrate that the St. John’s community is accessible, caring and supportive and that we work hard to meet our students’ needs. In this rich and vibrant University community, we encourage you to make the most of your employment, and know that whether your work involves the front lines of student service or operating aspects of administration, the way in which you serve students will make a difference in how they experience St. John’s.

Please use this handbook to help answer your questions, use your supervisor as a resource, and visit Human Resources in the University Center on the Queens campus or online, any time, and let us know how we may help.

The Office of Human Resources


Mission Statement

St. John’s University is Catholic, Vincentian, Metropolitan and Global

As a university, we commit ourselves to academic excellence and the pursuit of wisdom which flows from free inquiry, religious values, and human experience. We strive to preserve and enhance an atmosphere in which scholarly research, imaginative methodology, global awareness, and an enthusiastic quest for truth serve as the basis of a vital teaching-learning process and the development of lifelong learning. Our core curriculum in the liberal arts and sciences aims to enrich lives as well as professions and serves to unify the undergraduate experience. Graduate and professional schools express our commitment to research, rigorous standards, and innovative application of knowledge. We aim not only to be excellent professionals with an ability to analyze and articulate clearly what is, but also to develop the ethical and aesthetic values to imagine and help realize what might be.

St. John’s is a Catholic university, founded in 1870 in response to an invitation of the first Bishop of Brooklyn, John Loughlin, to provide the youth of the city with an intellectual and moral education. We embrace the Judaeo-Christian ideals of respect for the rights and dignity of every person and each individual’s responsibility for the world in which we live. We commit ourselves to create a climate patterned on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ as embodied in the traditions and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Our community, which comprises members of many faiths, strives for an openness which is “wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8). Thus, the university is a place where the Church reflects upon itself and the world as it engages in dialogue with other religious traditions.

St. John’s is a Vincentian university, inspired by St. Vincent de Paul’s compassion and zeal for service. We strive to provide excellent education for all people, especially those lacking economic, physical, or social advantages. Community service programs combine with reflective learning to enlarge the classroom experience. Wherever possible, we devote our intellectual and physical resources to search out the causes of poverty and social injustice and to encourage solutions which are adaptable, effective, and concrete. In the Vincentian tradition, we seek to foster a world view and to further efforts toward global harmony and development by creating an atmosphere in which all may imbibe and embody the spirit of compassionate concern for others so characteristic of Vincent.

St. John’s is a metropolitan and global university. We benefit from New York City’s cultural diversity, its intellectual and artistic resources, and its unique professional educational opportunities. With this richness comes responsibility. We encourage the metropolitan community to use our resources to serve its needs. As a global university, we are one of our nation's most diverse institutions of higher education, enriched by a mixture of cultures which complements an internationalized curriculum. Through collaboration with other institutions around the world, study abroad opporunities, and online courses and degrees, our outreach spans the globe. In educating students we pledge to foster those qualities needed for our alumni to become effective leaders and responsible citizens in a vibrant city and dynamic world.

Mission Statement of St. John’s University, New York
Approved by the Board of Trustees, October 7, 2015


Core Values

The Vincentian tradition at St. John’s University is the foundation and the source of the core values its members strive to embody: truth, love, respect, opportunity, excellence and service.

Truth
Knowledge in accord with reality, behavior faithful to ethical standards. St. John’s affirms the threefold mission of a university to seek truth through research, to disseminate it through teaching and to act on it. The University values and utilizes the perspectives of different cultures to assist its members in seeking truth and developing ethical standards, while affirming the Judaeo-Christian tradition.

Love
Focusing and extending minds and hearts to nurture one’s own and another’s good. Love expressed in the University community is not a feeling but an action for the corporate good manifested through the time, talent and energy of its members. It is a responsible dedication to utilize available resources and turn them towards humanity’s good.

Respect
Awareness of and esteem for all individuals. A courteous regard for all people whose diversity is embraced and shared in learning, teaching and service to others within the University community and beyond.

Opportunity
Circumstances favorable to serving others and preparing one’s self for a fulfilling life. Guided by its central commitment to equality, justice and Christian morality, the University makes its resources available to all its members to pursue their individual and collective interests.

Excellence
Striving, growing, never being complacent. The St. John’s Community empowers and inspires students, staff, faculty and administration to succeed in programs which assist them in every area of achievement.

Service
Vincentian spirituality in action, a response to God’s call to give of ourselves. Our obligation and commitment to service lie not only in our active compassion as an institution, but in the cultivation of these priorities and values in the members of our community. We are committed to a life of stewardship as a caretaker of God-given talents, resources and knowledge, and caregiver responding to the needs of others.


Strategic Pillars

  1. Student Success: Reimagining the Student Experience to Deepen Connection, Engagement and Belonging
  2. Academic Distinction: Excellence in Teaching Learning, and Research
  3. Mission, Equity, and Inclusion: Building a Community of Belonging
  4. Institutional Resources: Growing and Optimizing Institutional Assets
  5. The St. John's Identity: Elevating our National and Global Structure

View the University's Five-Year Plan for the future.


University Crest

St. John’s University Crest embodies its heritage. The cross proposes Christ as the center and model for moral and ethical character. The book, a symbol of learning, bears the words, Ecce Agnus (Behold the Lamb of God), the testimony of St. John the Baptist to the divinity of Christ. The heart is the symbol of the charity of St. Vincent de Paul, founder of the Vincentians. The fleur-de-lis represents France, the birthplace of St. Vincent, and reminds the University of its dedication to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The escalloped shell, an ancient symbol for the sacrament of baptism, also signifies St. James the Greater, titular of the cathedral of the Diocese of Brooklyn, the diocese in which the University was founded. In addition, the shell suggests an Indian name for Long Island, “Sewanhacky,” or Island of Shells.

The motto Educatio Christiana Animae Perfectio, (Christian Education Perfects the Soul) is from Divini illius magistri, the encyclical of Pope Pius XI on Christian Education.


University Seal

The Official Seal of St. John’s University sets down symbolically the purposes of the University.

The outer register of the Seal bears the legend Sigillum Universitatis Sti. Joannis Neo-Eboraci (The Seal of St. John’s University, New York).

The inner register contains a Greek text (John V:35) uttered by the Divine Teacher, Jesus Christ, in praise of St. John the Baptist, the patron of the University: (He was the lamp, burning and shining). The founding date of St. John’s, 1870, is included in this band.

The central portion of the Seal displays three books surmounted by a burning lamp symbolizing the educational aims of St. John’s University. The three are identified by Latin titles: Religio (Religion), Humanitas (Culture), and Scientia (Knowledge). The burning lamp is symbolic of the University patron, St. John the Baptist.


What Does it Mean to Be Vincentian?

St. John’s University looks to St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660), founder of the Congregation of the Mission, for its vision and inspiration. From southern France, Vincent pursued the priesthood as a way to assure a comfortable life. Through a profound conversion experience in his early ministry, Vincent unraveled the central paradox of life: it is in giving that one receives. In a Paris marked by great affluence enjoyed by a few as well as by dire poverty endured by the masses, Vincent discovered that one finds God and oneself in service to others. A man of deep faith, keen intellect, great business acumen and enormous creativity, he was at home in the hovels of the poor and in the palaces of royalty. Respected by the powerful and loved by the poor, Vincent bridged social classes through his works of charity and his advocacy for the disenfranchised.

In collaboration with St. Louise de Marillac (1591-1660), Vincent organized hospitals for the sick poor, founded asylums for the orphaned, opened workshops for the unemployed, championed literacy for the uneducated, advocated for the incarcerated, established local charities and reformed the education and formation of the clergy throughout France, where his community of priests and brothers undertook the spiritual care of the poor, particularly those in rural areas.

In 1870 in the United States, the Bishop of Brooklyn asked the Vincentian community to establish an institution of higher education for the rapidly expanding immigrant community of New York. Denied access to other institutions, the children of immigrants, particularly those from Europe and the British Isles, found financial support and academic challenge, as well as respect and opportunity, in St. John’s College on Lewis Avenue in Brooklyn. While St. John’s University moved from the Brooklyn sites in the mid-twentieth century and now has several campuses where students from many cultures learn and work together, the Vincentians still offer a range of services to the local community in Bedford Stuyvesant, the site of the first St. John’s.

Today, as a Vincentian university, St. John’s extends Vincent’s vision and continues his unflagging efforts for the poor and needy. New employees are introduced to the Vincentian message during a Vincentian Mission Orientation program, which is also offered to current employees. All at St. John’s are inheritors of Vincent’s legacy and stewards of his mission to respect each person, serve the needy and build human solidarity.


About St. John's - Facts, Figures and Historical Highlights

Inside the Numbers . . .
As an employee and, therefore, a representative of St. John’s, you should be aware of the facts, figures and historical highlights that make up the University profile and which have helped to shape the University over the years. The numbers given here were current at the time of printing, but are constantly changing as the University and the St. John’s family continue to grow and evolve into the future.

  • St. John’s offers full degree programs on four campuses – Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan, and Rome, Italy. Coursework, but not full degrees is offered at a study abroad site in Paris, France.
  • St. John’s has 6 colleges and schools – St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; The School of Education; The Peter J. Tobin College of Business; College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; School of Law; and College of Professional Studies.
  • St. John’s offers over 100 different undergraduate and graduate degree programs, ranging from two-year associate degrees to doctoral degrees.
  • St. John’s employs about 1,500 full-time and part-time faculty, and has a student to faculty ratio of 17:1.
  • St. John’s employs close to 1,700 full-time and part-time staff and administrators.
  • St. John’s has a total student enrollment of over 21,000.
  • St. John’s has approximately 3,800 students who live in residence facilities on and around our campuses.

St. John’s Through the Years . . .
The year was 1865 when the first Bishop of Brooklyn requested the priests of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian Fathers) to establish themselves in his diocese for “the purpose of opening a day college where youths of the city might (be given) . . . a solid education . . . moral training necessary to maintain the credit of Catholicity.” In 1870, St. John’s College was founded with 47 students and six faculty on Lewis Avenue in Brooklyn. Read all about the St. John's historic milestones through the years. 


Our Organization

Visit the Leadership and Administration webpage for the profiles of the University's administrative and academic leaders, as well as a University Organization Chart.


Employment at Will

The University’s policies and procedures that apply to administrators and staff are not intended to create, and do not create, an employment contract or guarantee of continued employment for any employee; nor does anything in any policy or work rule of the University alter the at-will employment relationship between the University and its administrative and staff employees. Both the University and its employees have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or reason. If you have questions about Employment at Will, you may contact Human Resources Services on the Queens campus at extension 1502 or 718-990-1502.


We Are an Equal Opportunity Employer

Consistent with the University’s Mission as a Catholic, Vincentian, and metropolitan institution of higher education, the University abides by all applicable laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender or sex (including sexual harassment and sexual violence), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or partnership status, alienage or citizenship status, disability, genetic predisposition, caregiver status, pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health decisions, status as a victim of domestic violence/sexual offenses/stalking, status in the uniformed services of the United States (including veteran status), arrest or conviction record, credit history, salary history, unemployment status or any other basis prohibited by law. The University also prohibits retaliation against anyone who has complained about discrimination, discrimination-related harassment, or otherwise exercised rights guaranteed by these laws. All University policies, practices and procedures are administered in a manner that preserves its rights and identity as a Catholic and Vincentian institution of higher education.

Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to hiring, classification, promotion or transfer, discipline, discharge, layoff, compensation, job training, and benefits. The University supports the recruitment, employment, and advancement of women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era for all positions that they are qualified to perform. Further, the University strives to enhance opportunities for mobility and promotion of qualified candidates who are current University employees.

The University’s Equal Employment Opportunity officer ensures that all University-wide educational and employment policies, programs and practices are administered in accordance with the guiding principles of equal opportunity, applicable laws and the University’s identity as a Catholic and Vincentian institution. The EEO Officer, Ms. Danielle Haynes, may be reached at 718-990-2660.

For the University’s Policy Against Bias, Discrimination and Harassment, refer to the RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES section of this handbook, or view the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #704.


Disabilities in the Workplace

Any questions you have about a disability or request for accommodation should be directed to Human Resources Services on the Queens campus at extension 1502 or 718-990-1502. Supervisors are not authorized to make decisions regarding requests for accommodation.

Procedures to Request Accommodations and Determine Eligibility

  1. Employees or applicants who request accommodations for a disability must present to HR Services documentation of a qualifying disability from a certified and/or licensed health care provider (e.g., physician, psychologist, optometrist, or psychiatrist) who is qualified in the area of the employee’s disability. Such documentation should be sufficient to permit HR Services to determine eligibility for a requested accommodation, and be dated recent in time to the request for accommodation.
  2. Documentation of impairment alone may not be sufficient to require that the employee or applicant be provided a reasonable accommodation. It must be demonstrated that the impairment meets the definition of a disability according to applicable law.
  3. HR Services will review the documentation and, where applicable, will engage in an interactive process with the employee or applicant to determine the appropriate accommodation, if any.
  4. Only HR Services, and not any other employee or supervisor, may respond to a request for an accommodation; therefore, all requests for accommodations must be presented to HR Services and not your supervisor. Informal accommodations that may be granted outside the scope of the above-stated process are subject to Human Resources approval before being honored by the University.

All documentation pertaining to a disability will be maintained in a confidential file separate from the employee’s personnel file. HR Services may be reached by calling 718-990-1502.

FMLA Leave Extension Requests
Accommodation requests to extend FMLA leave should be directed to the Employee Benefits office. A benefits representative will provide direction on the appropriate procedures for requesting a leave extension and the medical documentation that is required. Employee Benefits may be reached by calling 718-990-2020.

The full text of the University’s Disabilities in the Workplace policy is available in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #103 Disabilities in the Workplace and policy #502 Family and Medical Leave.


HIV/AIDS Policy

Current medical information indicates that students or employees with any form of HIV/AIDS infection do not pose a health risk to other students or employees in an academic setting. Persons with HIV/AIDS are considered as having a disability and the legal rights of those individuals must be protected.

St. John’s University will not consider HIV/AIDS infection in the initial decision for people applying for employment by the institution, except as it may affect any individual’s ability to meet objective standards as applied to all others.

Employees with HIV/AIDS infection will not be denied or restricted access to recreational or dining facilities, or other common areas.

Further, the Human Resources Benefits Office and the Employee Assistance Program are available to provide support and referral services to persons with HIV infection or AIDS. If required services are beyond the scope of those provided on campus, individuals will be referred to other health care providers or facilities.

If an individual reveals HIV/AIDS status to any member of the University community, this information will be accepted as strictly confidential. No person, group, agency, insurer, employer or institution will be provided with medical information of any kind, including information relative to HIV/AIDS infection, without the prior written consent of the individual, unless otherwise mandated by law.

Additional information and resources can be found in HR policy #102, Equal Employment Opportunity and HR policy #103, Disabilities in the Workplace, including the University’s non-discrimination statement and procedures to request workplace accommodations for qualifying disabilities..


Employing Relatives and Minors

Employing Relatives
Employment decisions are based on individual merit and, therefore, St. John’s allows relatives to work at the University with certain restrictions. An employee may not participate in decisions regarding the hiring, retention, performance, promotion, or salary of a relative and shall not directly supervise a relative. Relatives who are employed by the University are reminded of the need to remain impartial and confidential. If privacy or confidentiality is not maintained, disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, may result. Contact Human Resources Services at extension 1502 if you have questions about this policy, or refer to policy #109 in the Human Resources Policy Manual.

Employing Minors
The University adheres to federal and state laws concerning the employment of persons under the age of 18. The law prohibits employment of minors under the age of 14.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #109 Employment of Relatives and policy #110 Employment of Minors.


Employment Classifications

The following are the University’s employee classifications with related work schedules and benefits eligibility. In general, administrators are paid on a salary basis over 24 pay periods and staff are paid on an hourly basis over 26 pay periods.

Employee Classification Work Schedule Eligibility for University-sponsored Benefits
Full-time Employed on an ongoing basis, with a standard workweek of 35 hours All
Reduced Schedule Works full-time hours, but for a period less than 12 months per year (but not less than 9 months a year) All; salary, paid time-off, and retirement plan are prorated
Temporary Employed for a fixed
duration, normally not to exceed six (6) months. Hours in a workweek may vary
 None
Part-time Employed on an ongoing basis with a schedule that is less than 35 hours per week
 
 None; if employee exceeds 999 hours in an employment anniversary year, becomes eligible to participate in retirement plans
Research Associates and Lab Supervisors Standard workweek of
35 hours
 All
Full-time Security Standard workweek of
37.5 hours operating on
a 24/7 basis
 All; special time off is restricted by the essential nature of the job function.
Full-time Building Attendant Standard workweek of 37.5 hours All
Full-time Technical Standard workweek of
40 hours
 All; for some positions special time off may be restricted by the nature of the job function.
Maintenance/ Service Standard workweek of 40 hours All; for some positions, special time off may be restricted by the nature of the job function.
Chauffeur Standard workweek of
37.5 hours
 All; special time off may be restricted by the nature of the job function.
Regular Students May not exceed 20 hours per week during school year and 35 hours per week during
breaks and vacation periods
 None
College Work Study Students May not exceed 20 hours per week during school year and 35 hours per week during breaks and vacation periods None

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #114 Employment Classifications, #310 Overtime, and #802 The Workweek.


New Hire Information

Your Orientation
The Office of Human Resources conducts an orientation program for newly hired full-time and part-time administrators and staff soon after employment begins. The purpose of the meeting is to share valuable employment information with new employees and to answer their questions. Some of the topics covered during orientation include:

  • The University’s Mission, Core Values, Vision and Institutional Goals
  • A history of the University and Vincentian foundation
  • Employment and compliance policies and procedures
  • Time-off and leave policies
  • Employee benefits
  • Your three-month Orientation Period
  • Safety and security at St. John’s
  • Navigating the University’s Intranets and the St. John’s website

Your departmental orientation is the responsibility of your supervisor. You should ask your supervisor for specific information that pertains to your job or department.

Your StormCard
Your St. John's University StormCard is your personal connection to University services, purchases and access control. In addition to identifying you as an employee of St. John’s, the StormCard provides the ability to set up debit accounts for purchases at the campus book store, dining facilities, computer labs, copiers, printers and selected vending machines. Purchases may also be made for personal training and various ticket events. The StormCard also provides access to campus gates, buildings and events.

Uses of your StormCard include:

  • Identification
  • Library Card
  • Access Control
  • Residence Halls
  • Entry/Exit Gates
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Copying
  • Micro-Lab printing
  • Vending (snacks and soda)
  • Dining   

You are required to carry your StormCard and use it as your primary means of identification while on St. John's University properties. If requested to do so, you must present or surrender your card to University administrators or persons performing duties within the scope of University policy. If you find a StormCard that is not yours, please return it to the Public Safety Office. StormCards are the property of St. John’s University and are nontransferable. Use and acceptance of this card will indicate your agreement to abide by the terms and conditions that govern its use.

When you terminate employment with the University, you must turn in your StormCard to your supervisor. The fee to replace a Storm Card begins at $25.00; and each subsequent replacement card due to loss or neglect is $35.00. The StormCard Office Operations Center is located on the Queens campus within the Department of Public Safety in the ROTC building (McDonald Center). Contact the office at extension 6257 or 718-990-6257. 

Your Three-Month Orientation Period
If you are a new full-time or regular part-time administrator or staff, or an employee who has converted to a full-time or regular part-time position from temporary, or student worker status, you are subject to a three-month (90-day) Orientation Period.

During this time, you will receive training in your job and your job performance will be evaluated. Using the University’s performance management system as a guide, you and your supervisor should discuss responsibilities and expectations for the initial three-month period, and review the University’s Core Values and Mission as they integrate with and are expressed by the Core Competencies identified in the RED form. Your supervisor will evaluate your performance at the end of the three-month period and provide verbal feedback on your progress. This evaluation will help your supervisor to decide whether or not to continue your employment with St. John’s.

Successful completion of the Orientation Period does not guarantee your continued employment for any particular period. Both the University and its employees have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or reason. Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #101 Employment at Will and policy #117 New Employee Orientation.


Flexible Work Arrangements

The University recognizes the ongoing need to enhance service delivery to its students, improve the efficiency of its operations, and retain valuable employees. Flexibility in the workplace can provide a way to manage people, time, space, and workload more effectively, efficiently, and responsively.

Depending on the type of work arrangement, full-time and part-time administrators and staff may be eligible to apply for flexible work options as described below. Complete policies are located in the Human Resources Policy Manual as policy #115 Flexible Work Arrangements and policy #130 Hybrid Work. In addition, template agreement forms for each type of flexible work arrangement can be downloaded from the HR Forms page. If you and your supervisor agree that you will enter into a flexible work arrangement, you would need to complete and sign the agreement form.

  • Hybrid Work: This type of flexible work arrangement allows an employee to work from home or another approved off-site location. A combination of on-site and off-site work may also be arranged under this option. Refer to the University's hybrid work policy for information and eligibility for telework.
  • Job Share: This arrangement is a form of regular part-time work in which two employees share the responsibilities of one regular full-time position. Job sharing positions are regular part-time and as such, must involve at least a 50% commitment from each member.
  • Flextime: This flexible scheduling arrangement permits variations in daily beginning and ending times, but does not alter the total number of hours worked in a day and in a workweek. For example: under the flextime option, an employee whose normal work hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. may arrange to work 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. instead.
  • Compressed Workweek: The compressed workweek allows an employee to complete the standard full-time weekly hours in fewer than five days per week. This arrangement is most conducive to non-exempt employees who work a standard 35, 37.5 or 40 hour workweek. An example of a compressed work arrangement for a 35-hour workweek might be Monday-Wednesday with hours from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Thursday with hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The compressed workweek option does not apply during summer months if the University is closed on Fridays.
  • Reduced Schedule: In this arrangement an employee works full-time hours each week, but for a period less than twelve months per year (but not less than nine months). Typically, these positions extend through the academic year (September 1 through May 31) in a consecutive nine-month period; however, they may have other beginning and ending dates, depending on the particular needs of the job, the employee and the department.

Detailed information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #115 Flexible Work Arrangements.


Opportunities for Growth and Development

Transfer and Promotion
You are encouraged to pursue opportunities for professional growth and development at St. John’s. Open positions at the University are posted on the University’s website and updated regularly, and an internal career portal exclusively for employees makes applying for jobs online even easier. The HR Recruitment Office also maintains a presence on Facebook and Twitter that you can follow to keep informed of new openings as they become available.

The Internal Employee Career Portal lets you:

  • View open positions along with job descriptions and requirements
  • Automatically identify yourself as an internal applicant
  • Simplify the application process and reduce required paperwork
  • Instantly review relevant policies, career tips, organization charts, benefits information and more.

To access the portal, log into the University Information System (UIS) directly using your St. John’s email address and UIS password; click the “employee” tab at the top of the page. If you are logged into St. John's Connect, you can navigate to the career portal from the Employee Information icon.

To be eligible to apply for a position in another department, you must have been employed at least 12 months in your current job and have met your job expectations according to the University's performance management program. You may apply for a position within your department once you have completed the three-month Orientation Period. Employees on Corrective Action are not eligible to apply for promotions or transfers.You should inform your supervisor of your plan to apply for another job and give a minimum of two-week’s notice before starting in another position.

Your Professional Development
The Office of Human Resources provides employees with the opportunity to significantly enhance their professional development through various Training and Development Certificate Programs. The programs offer a curriculum of Core and Elective workshops for which managers and employees work toward receipt of a framed Certificate of Completion along with a personalized plaque awarded during a special graduation ceremony. The certificates include:

  1. Management Development Certificate for administrators whose primary responsibility is managing a function and supervising staff and/or administrators.
  2. Professional Development Certificate for full-time and part-time non-supervisory administrators and staff.
  3. Continuing Education Certificate for employees that already achieved their Management or Professional Development Certificate.

In addition to professional development workshops, there are many other activities that can help employees build skills, knowledge, abilities and behaviors. Here is a list of development activities to try:

  • Attend meetings or conferences of professional associations.
  • Take on stretch assignments.
  • Ask to participate on a task force, committee or project to gain new skills.
  • Read professional journals.
  • “Job shadow” an employee in another department to understand how your jobs fit together.
  • Visit the University library for books, articles or DVDs on the topic.
  • Volunteer outside the University to learn a new skill.
  • Make contacts with counterparts at other universities to compare job approaches and resources.
  • Teach someone else how to do something.
  • Find a mentor or role model who can coach you and provide feedback.
  • Invite someone who works in an area of interest to lunch and ask about his or her experiences.
  • Use the Internet to explore and research useful resources.
  • Look for complexity or ambiguity in situations; similarly, look for patterns and historic parallels. Use these situations to apply what you know and build your experience further.
  • Find someone with whom you can rehearse before going into a new situation.
  • Ask yourself often, “What lessons have I learned?” Analyze successes and mistakes by asking “why?”
  • Keep a learning journal.
  • Take a University course through the professional development component of the employee Tuition Remission benefit program. (Refer to the applicable Tuition Remission policy in the BENEFITS section of this handbook.)
  • Participate in any number of free online courses offered through the University's relationship with Lynda.com. Find out more on our Training and Development web page.
  • Matriculate in a degree program at the University.
  • Review jobs posted in the Internal Employee Career Portal to identify possible opportunities as well as the required skills, knowledge and abilities necessary for advancement.
  • “Like” us on the SJU-Employment Opportunities Facebook page or follow us on Twitter to receive updates about open positions as they become available.

Development planning is an important component of the University's performance management (RED) process. The Professional Development Plan section can be found on page 2 of the RED form and should be used to identify desired growth within your current job, future growth within the department and/or necessary improvement in order to meet expectations.

You can get involved by communicating with your supervisor about your short and long-term career interests, seeking out creative development opportunities, and taking accountability for completing development activities. Also, discuss with your supervisor and colleagues the learning experiences you have achieved through the development activities in which you have been engaged.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #105 Job Posting, policy #123 Employee Promotions, policy #124 Employee Transfers, and policy #201 Orientation Period


Performance Management

Recognize Excellence and Development (RED)
Full-time and regular part-time administrators and staff are included in the University’s performance management process. At St. John’s we believe that performance management is a cyclical and collaborative process between you and your supervisor that gives you direction, encourages coaching and feedback, and fosters two-way communication.

RED is the name of the University’s comprehensive performance management process. The key elements include:

  • Setting Objectives/Key Responsibilities
  • Understanding how Values and Mission can be expressed through the Competencies)
  • Development Planning
  • Ongoing coaching and communication between your supervisor and you
  • Assessment discussions and completion of the annual appraisal form (RED form)

RED has many benefits for you. Some of the ways you can benefit are by:

  • Knowing what is expected of your role/position.
  • Seeing how your job supports the larger University mission and strategy.
  • Providing input on how to do your job more effectively.
  • Communicating more frequently with your supervisor about your job performance.
  • Being acknowledged for exceptional performance
  • Developing in areas that need improvement.
  • Identifying career interests and mapping an approach for development.
  • Having clear objectives.

For more information on RED, speak with your supervisor, visit the Human Resources Services web page or call HR Services at 718-990-1502. Performance management is not intended to create and does not create an employment contract or guarantee of continued employment for any employees, nor does it alter the at-will employment relationship between the University and its administrative and staff employees. Both the University and its employees have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or reason.

Preparing for Performance Discussions with Your Supervisor
You should think of performance management as a continuous process, and not a one-time event. Throughout the performance cycle you and your supervisor will have opportunities to meet both informally and formally to discuss your performance and progress. Below are suggestions that may help you to prepare for formal performance discussions.

Beginning of the performance cycle

  • Prepare for a performance planning discussion with your supervisor by reviewing the RED Form and be prepared to discuss responsibilities and objectives.
  • Consider ways you can express the Vincentian Values at work and the University Mission through the Core Competencies described in RED.
  • Think about development activities you would like to pursue and discuss them with your supervisor.

During the performance cycle

  • Your supervisor may have periodic check-ins with you to make sure your performance is on track and your Objectives remain relevant. At this time, make sure to update your supervisor on the status of your accomplishments and development activities.
  • Periodic check-ins may be necessary when priorities change or when your development plan needs updating. No form is due to HR at this time.

End of the performance cycle

  • After the end of the performance cycle (after June 1), you will receive an email from Human Resources with a link to your RED Form. You have 30 days to complete the Objectives and a self-assessment sections of the form. Refer to the Human Resources Services web page for additional guidance and resources.
  • As you assess your performance, consider your accomplishments and demonstrated strengths during the entire RED cycle and areas for improvement.
  • Your supervisor will complete the final assessment, add ratings and comments and meet with you to review it. You will both sign and date the RED form.

Eligibility for Increases (for full-time and regular part-time administrators and staff)

For information on annual increases, and award programs such as the Exceptional Performance Award and Presidential Recognition Award, refer to the section in this Handbook entitled WORK HOURS and COMPENSATION.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #202 Performance Management, and policy #203 Training and Development


Leaving the University

Make sure to use the Departing Employee Checklist (PDF) to help you prepare to separate from the University.

Categories of Separation
The employment of staff and administrators is "at will." This means that both the University and its employees have the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or reason. The University's Employment at Will statement appears above, at the beginning of this section. If you have questions about Employment at Will, you may contact Human Resources Services on the Queens campus at extension 1502 or 718-990-1502.

Voluntary Termination: A separation from the University initiated by you, the employee. This can be the result of resignation or retirement.

  • Resignation: This occurs when you leave your employment at the University on your own initiative. The University expects a minimum of two weeks’ notice of separation; however, a greater notice period is preferred for administrators. Absent extenuating circumstances, if you are not on an approved leave and you fail to report to work for three consecutive business days without notifying the University about your absence, then you may be considered to have voluntarily resigned.
  • Retirement: This is voluntary separation by an employee who meets the University’s retirement eligibility criteria. You are eligible to retire if you meet all of the following — you are at least 55 years old and you have at least 10 years of full-time service with St. John’s, and your age and years of full-time service combined equal 75 years or more.

Involuntary Termination: A separation from employment initiated by the University.

  • Reasons for involuntary termination may include, but are not limited to, misconduct, unsatisfactory work performance, absenteeism, insubordination, violations of University policy or rules, dishonesty, illegal acts, conflict of interest, or any act deemed inconsistent with the University’s Mission.

Exit Interview
Should you leave St. John’s employment, an exit interview lets you give feedback about your experiences while working for the University. Full-time employees who voluntarily terminate employment will be contacted by the HR Services office to schedule an exit interview. Individual employee responses to the exit interview questionnaire are confidential, and responses are tracked on an aggregate department-level basis for the purpose of assessing trends to strengthen employee retention efforts.

Status of Benefits
Upon separation from University employment, employees may be eligible for certain benefits. In the case of retirement, refer to Benefits When You Retire in the BENEFITS section of this Handbook. In the case of an employee’s death, refer to Benefits for Survivors, also located in the BENEFITS section.

  • Vacation: Upon separation from employment you will be paid for the cash value of any unused accrued vacation time. You will not be paid for vacation time that has not accrued as of the date of termination, and to which you are not otherwise entitled. Unused sick time, personal time and holidays have no cash value.
  • Health Insurance: Upon separation from employment, if you and any member of your family were enrolled in a University-sponsored medical and/or dental plan, your coverage will continue until the last day of the month in which your employment terminated. You will also be notified of your rights to continue coverage under COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act.
  • Life Insurance: Upon separation from employment, if you had life insurance you have the option to convert your group life insurance policy to an individual policy.
  • Tuition Remission: Benefits cease for you and your spouse/children upon termination. The amount of tuition will be prorated for the semester in which you terminate.
  • Tuition Exchange Program: TEP benefits at the end of the semester in which the employee terminates.
  • Retirement Plan: If you participated in a University-sponsored retirement plan, you have several options upon separation from employment, including leaving the accumulated balance in the current account, rolling over the balance into another qualified plan or into an IRA, and making a cash withdrawal. For a copy of the plan documents, which contain more information, contact Benefits at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363.
  • Long Term Care Insurance: Upon separation from employment, participants who were enrolled can continue coverage.

Breaks in Service and Rehire
If you leave the University, you may be eligible for rehire. Supervisors determine employees’ eligibility for rehire based on the circumstances of separation. Generally, employees who are discharged are not eligible for rehire by the University.

If you are a former full-time employee and the University rehires you within five (5) years of the date you left, you will receive credit for your prior St. John’s employment time (see exception for VSOs). An adjusted hire date will be used to calculate certain benefits upon rehire, such as vacation accrual rate, long-term disability coverage, and to track eligibility for benefits in retirement. Former part-time years of service are not credited if an employee is rehired. Former employees who accepted and received benefits from a Voluntary Separation Offer (VSO) who are rehired on a full-time basis would not receive credit for any prior time worked at the University. Service would begin to accrue effective the most recent hire date.

If you are out on an approved leave of absence, you will receive continuous service credit. If you completed at least one year of University employment and were eligible to receive the University’s contribution to the retirement plan, you would be eligible to participate in the plan and receive the University’s contribution on the first of the month following your rehire date.

If you are rehired within one year to the same position that you held when you were previously employed with the University, you will not have to complete a new three-month Orientation Period. In all other cases, you will be subject to an Orientation Period upon rehire.

If you are a former full-time employee who was hired by the University on or before June 1, 2000 and rehired for full-time employment within one year of your date of separation, you may be eligible to receive individual medical coverage at no cost. If you are a former full-time employee who was hired by the University on or before June 1, 2000 and rehired for full-time employment within one year of your date of separation, who previously paid for family coverage for two consecutive years, you may not be required to contribute toward the cost of family coverage upon rehire. However, if you did not pay for family coverage during your employment at the University, you will be required to pay the current family contribution rate upon rehire. If you elect to waive medical coverage when you are rehired and later you elect coverage, you will be required to pay the current contribution rate for individual or family coverage. The Benefits Office will determine an employee’s eligibility for these benefits upon rehire. You can reach Benefits at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363.

For more on service breaks and rehire, contact the HR Services office on the Queens campus at extension 1502 or 718-990-1502 or the Recruitment Office at extension 2445 or 718-990-2445.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #125 Separation from Employment, policy #127 Exit Interviews, and policy #126 Breaks in Service and Rehire.


Secondary Employment

Secondary Employment outside the University
Secondary employment outside of St. John’s University is not strictly prohibited. However, be aware that the University expects your full and complete commitment to employment here at St. John’s and it considers your full-time University position to be your primary employment. If your secondary employment raises an actual or potential conflict of interest or interferes with successful performance of your University job, the University may require that you either resign the secondary job or face termination by the University. You must have your supervisor’s approval if you wish to obtain secondary employment at another educational institution. The full policy is located in the Policy Manual, policy #119.

Secondary Employment within the University
The University policy on administrators and staff who teach at St. John’s can be found in policy #120 in the HR Policy Manual. For policy information related to employees who perform work for grants and sponsored research, refer to policies #317 and #318.


The Workweek

The University workweek begins at 12:01 a.m. Sunday and ends at midnight Saturday. Normal office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with one hour for lunch, and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday with a half-hour for lunch. Some departments and employee classifications may have different office hours. If this is the case with you or your department, the normal University office hours do not apply. Check with your supervisor if you have any questions about your work hours and schedule.

Normal work hours for full-time administrators and staff are 35 per week. Public Safety and Building Attendants have a regular work schedule of 37.5 hours per week. Technical and Maintenance/Service employees have a 40-hour workweek.


Meals and Breaks

If you are a full-time, non-exempt office staff employee, meal and break periods are provided as follows: Monday through Thursday, you have one hour for lunch; and on Fridays, because of the shortened workday, you have a half-hour for lunch. Lunch periods are normally scheduled between noon and 2 p.m. Departments will often stagger these periods to ensure adequate coverage. Employee classifications that maintain work schedules that vary from normal office hours may have different meal and break provisions.  The lunch period is not part of your paid workday.

Some jobs may necessitate short work breaks during the day. At your supervisor’s discretion, you may be allowed a morning and afternoon work break not to exceed 15 minutes each. These paid breaks are not cumulative, may not be added to your lunch hour, and may not be taken during the first or last 15 minutes of your workday.

An employee who works for a period beginning before 11 a.m. and ending after 7 p.m. is entitled to an additional meal break of 20 minutes between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.  An employee who works more than 11 consecutive hours will be paid a $10.00 supper allowance.

Procedures for recording time correctly may be found under the heading of Completing Timesheets in the Work Hours and Compensation section of this handbook.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #803 Meals and Breaks.


Shifts and Differentials (for Staff)

If you are a full-time or part-time non-exempt employee (typically, this means staff) whose regular work schedule begins after 5:00 p.m. and includes a majority of hours on evenings and/or weekends, you may be eligible to receive a 10% pay differential. Certain employee classifications are ineligible to receive shift differential due to the nature of the positions. Supervisors must notify the Payroll Department in advance of a shift change.

Public Safety Officers regularly scheduled for the evening shift, beginning at or after 3 p.m. receive a 5% shift differential. Officers regularly scheduled to work the overnight shift, beginning at or after 11 p.m. receive a 10% differential.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #312 Shifts and Differentials.


How Jobs Are Evaluated

St. John’s is committed to attracting, motivating and retaining qualified employees through its compensation program. This program is designed to evaluate appropriate compensation levels for jobs, encourage growth, and reward those individuals who support and fulfill the University’s Mission. We continue to design and support competitive pay, performance-based increases, recognition programs and career development. The University complies with all applicable federal and state laws governing the compensation of employees, and administers its compensation programs and pay decisions in accordance with these laws.

Your job has been evaluated to determine the salary range and corresponding grade level appropriate for the position. Job factors and requirements such as knowledge of the area, problem-solving ability, management depth, organizational breadth, accountability, technical skills, education, training and experience are reviewed during the job evaluation. Your pay is also influenced by external labor markets, comparison with other internal positions, your performance, and the availability of the University’s financial resources.

You can contact the Compensation Office on the Queens campus at extension 8191 or 718-990-8191.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #301 Compensation Policy, and policy #302 Job Evaluation.


Opportunities for Annual Increase and Award Programs

Annual Increase
Full-time and regular part-time employees who are listed in an active working classification on the St. John's payroll may be eligible for annual increases. Influences such as recent economic conditions, the market and the University’s performance affect the pool of funds available for increases.

Employees should refer to policy #303 in the HR Policy Manual for eligibility guidelines. Employees whose positions are funded by external sources (i.e. grants and contracts) may not be eligible for certain University-funded compensation programs, and should check with their supervisor. St. John's University reserves the right to modify or cancel any of its award programs at any time, without advance notice.

Presidential Recognition Program
The Presidential Recognition Program is an opportunity to foster a climate where teamwork, innovation, problem-solving, efficiency and student-centered service are valued and rewarded. The program is designed to immediately recognize and reward an employee or group of employees for special accomplishments achieved, such as an exceptional event, behavior or implementable idea that will have significant impact. The result of the employee's achievement will enhance student success or academic quality, increase revenue generation or improve efficiency, productivity, or resource reallocation.

Active full-time and regular part-time administrators and staff may be eligible for nomination. In order to be eligible to receive an award, you must be in active working status on the payroll of St. John’s at the time that the award is paid. Employees who have resigned, retired, or have terminated are ineligible for an award. In addition, prorated award payments will not be made to employees who resign, retire, or are terminated during the year. Employees whose positions are funded by external sources (i.e. grants and contracts) may not be eligible for certain University-funded compensation programs, and should check with their supervisor.

There are three tier levels with corresponding award ranges for the Presidential Recognition Award. At all levels, the activity or event should reflect extraordinary effort above and beyond the employee’s normal job duties. Awards can be made in the form of cash or non-cash (i.e., gift certificates, theater tickets, dinner coupons, etc.) and can be given at any time during the year immediately following the event or activity being recognized.

For more on the Presidential Recognition Program see your supervisor, refer to HR policy #304, or review a copy of the current plan document available from the Human Resources office. St. John’s University reserves the right to modify or cancel any of its award programs at any time, without advanced notice.

Exceptional Performance Award
The Exceptional Performance Award is intended to encourage on-going exceptional performance throughout the RED cycle year. The Exceptional Performance review period is consistent with the RED review period. The goal of this award program is to reward and retain outstanding talent. Awards are discretionary and are not guaranteed.

Eligibility for consideration for an award is limited to active full-time and regular part-time employees who participate in the RED program. Employees whose positions are funded by external sources (i.e. grants and contracts) may not be eligible for certain University-funded compensation programs, and should check with their supervisor. Awards are processed each fall following the PFP evaluation period and the merit review period.

Specific guidelines and award criteria are addressed in the program’s current plan document. Some general guidelines that influence consideration include the following:

The employee should excel in results against objectives, role model demonstration of the values, and excel in skills, knowledge and abilities consistent with the Competencies defined in the performance evaluation.

In order to be eligible for an Exceptional Performance Award, the employee must be actively working at the time the award is paid. Employees who have resigned, retired, or who have been terminated are ineligible for an award. In addition, prorated award payments will not be made to employees who resign, retire or are terminated during the year.

If you have questions about this award program, you are encouraged to discuss them with your supervisor, refer to policy #305 in the Human Resources Policy Manual, or review a copy of the current plan document available from the Compensation Office. St. John’s University reserves the right to modify or cancel any of its award programs at any time, without advanced notice.


Completing Timesheets

If you are a nonexempt employee (typically, this means staff employee paid hourly), a part-time administrator, or a student worker, you must complete a timesheet each pay period electronically via the University Information System (UIS). Your timesheet must show the exact number of hours you worked (excluding lunch) and any time off or leave you have taken (e.g., vacation, sick, personal, jury duty, etc.). You will complete and submit your timesheet to your supervisor for approval. Some departments file timesheets electronically on behalf of the employee, so check with your supervisor for specific department procedures.

Time should be rounded up to the nearest quarter hour (15 minutes). Time taken as paid/unpaid leave and time off must be clearly indicated on the timesheet. The appropriate hours should be entered under the correct earning code. If using unpaid time, enter 0 under earn code on the timesheet. The online timesheet will calculate all hours, please review and click submit. Your supervisor will then need to review and approve your timesheet. Normally, timesheets must be submitted to Payroll on or before the end of the pay period.

Part-time administrator default hours for the semi-monthly pay period will be 40 hours. Non-exempt and student workers will be paid bi-weekly based on hours submitted.

Be aware that falsification of your timesheet is considered grounds for immediate termination. Also, you are not allowed to complete, make entries on, or sign a timesheet on behalf of someone else. For more on timesheets, refer to policy #306 in the Human Resources Policy Manual or call the Payroll Office on the Queens campus at ext. 6374 or 6345.


Getting Paid

Pay Day
The Director of Payroll establishes the bi-weekly (every other week) and semi-monthly (twice a month) pay schedule and posts it on the Human Resources web site for all departments at the beginning of each calendar year. Staff are paid 26 times per year and administrators are paid 24 times per year. You can access the pay schedule on the Payroll and HRIS web page, or call the Payroll Office on the Queens campus at extension 6345 or 1471 if you have questions.

Procedure
Payroll checks are sealed and mailed by the Payroll Office on payday. They contain confidential salary information and should not be opened or handled by unauthorized personnel. You should report any unsealed payroll checks to the Director of Payroll immediately. 

All paper payroll checks for all campuses will be mailed directly from the Payroll Office. Paper checks will not be available for pick up, but will be mailed to the employee's home address by 3:00pm on the pay date.

Payroll checks may not be released without the prior approval of the Director of Payroll. Under no circumstance may checks be cashed prior to 8 a.m. on payday.

Direct Deposit of Your Paycheck
You can sign up to have your paycheck directly deposited into a savings or checking account. To access the direct deposit form, or contact the Payroll Office on the Queens campus at extension 6345 to find out more about this convenient and free service.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #307 Paycheck Distribution, and policy #309 Direct Deposit.


If You Lose Your Paycheck

As soon as you discover that your paycheck has been lost, stolen or mutilated, you should notify the Payroll Office. The Payroll Office will report lost or stolen checks to the bank immediately. Once Payroll receives the bank’s written confirmation that a stop payment was placed on the check, you will be issued a new check. In general, confirmation of a stop payment can take up to ten (10) business days.

If your check has been mutilated, all remaining pieces should be returned to the Payroll Office. Mutilated checks will be reissued within five (5) business days.

If your check has been stolen, and payment is made as a result of forgery, you may complete a notarized Affidavit of forgery. The Affidavit will be sent to the bank and a copy will be placed on file. The bank will investigate the claim. Upon completion of the investigation, if a determination of forgery is made, you will be issued a new check. To prevent the possibility of lost or stolen checks, the University encourages all employees to sign up for Direct Deposit.

For more information, call the Payroll Office on the Queens campus at extension 6345 or 718-990-6345.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #308 Lost Paychecks.


Overtime Compensation (for Staff)

If you are a non-exempt employee (typically, this means staff) you will receive overtime pay at the rate of one and a half times your regular rate of pay for any hours over 40 that you work in a workweek. Hours over 35 but less than 40 in a workweek are not paid as overtime; they are considered straight-time hours. Your supervisor must approve, in advance, any extra hours you work.

Overtime is paid based on actual time worked. Holidays, vacation, sick time, personal time, jury duty and similar days in which you perform no work, are not counted toward the calculation of overtime. In addition, expenses such as travel or business expenses and special compensation such as discretionary bonuses or gifts are not used to calculate your “regular rate of pay.”

If you work between 35 and 40 hours in one week you can, with your supervisor’s approval, receive either straight time pay or compensatory time off for those hours. You must take compensatory time-off within the pay period in which you earn it. You may not carry-over compensatory time hours from one pay period to the next. If you work over 40 hours in a workweek, you cannot elect compensatory time-off in lieu of pay.

If you work more than 11 consecutive hours, you will be paid a $10 supper allowance.

For more on overtime, link to the full policy #310, or contact the Payroll Office on the Queens campus at extension 5953 or 6374. Information on meals and breaks is addressed earlier in this section.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #310.


Wage Garnishments and Payroll Deductions

If you receive a wage garnishment or assignment form you should immediately send that form to the Payroll Office, University Center, Suite C on the Queens campus, to be processed.

The University takes involuntary deductions from your wages as required by law, such as for federal, state and local taxes. Other deductions are voluntary, such as for benefit premium payments and computer loan payments. You are responsible for keeping the Payroll Office informed of changes in tax exemptions, marital status and home address.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #311 Garnishment of Wages and Payroll Deductions.


Changing Your Name

If you change your name, you must provide the Payroll Office with your new Social Security Card or a receipt from the Social Security Administration (SSA) showing you’ve applied for a card that identifies you by your new name. Without this proof from the SSA, Payroll will not enter the name change into the payroll records.


Web Self-Service

In an effort to give you instant access to many employee services and to personal information, St. John’s provides an online self-service resource called Web for Employees. You can access this secure site via the St. John’s web site with an ID and password that you set up. Just visit the UIS page.

The Employee Services available to you online include:

  • Employee Web Profile – Update your name, titles, campus addresses, and phones for publication on the University’s official Web site.
  • Financial Information Menu – Query budget and encumbrances (for budget administrators only).
  • Benefits and Deductions – View your retirement plans, health insurance information, miscellaneous benefits and deductions. Apply for Tuition Remission benefits.
  • Pay Information – View your direct deposit breakdown, your earnings and deductions history and your pay stubs.
  • Tax Forms – View W-4 information; View your W-2 Form.

The Personal Information available to you online includes:

  • View and update your permanent mailing address, phone(s), email address and Emergency Contact information.
  •  Change your PIN and your Security Question.
  • Add money to your ARAmark declining balance account.
  • Apply for a Parking Permit and update your vehicle information.

For more information on web self-service features or if you need assistance using the secure site, you can contact the HR Information Systems office on the Queens campus at extension 6374 or 718-990-6374.


Vacation Time

All regular full-time administrators and staff receive paid vacation time. Specific vacation information is listed separately below, first for administrators and then for staff. If you are on a Reduced Schedule your vacation time is prorated based on your schedule. If you are a part-time employee, you are not eligible for paid vacation time. Vacation requests require supervisor approval.

As a new hire, you accrue vacation but are not allowed to use it until the end of your three-month Orientation Period. Vacation time does not accrue during any period of unpaid leave. Upon separation from employment, you will be paid for the cash value of any unused accrued vacation time. You will not be paid for any vacation time that has not accrued as of the date of termination, and to which you are not otherwise entitled. Failure to report to work or to return from a leave or time-off may be interpreted by the University as a resignation.

Vacation request forms can be found on the HR Forms web page.

Vacation for Administrators

If you are a regular full-time administrator, you earn 22 days of vacation annually. You accrue this vacation at the rate of 1.83 days per month, starting January 1 of each year. In your first year of employment, your vacation is prorated. Ordinarily, you may not carry over unused vacation from one year to the next. Exceptions can only be made with the written approval of your department’s vice president. Vacation time does not accrue during absences from work of one month or longer.

Vacation Calculations
To calculate accrued vacation time during the year, full-time administrators should multiply the monthly accrual rate (1.83) by the number of months worked. Use the 50% rule to round up or down to the nearest half day. If an administrator works during any part of a month, he/she accrues vacation for the entire month.

Example: If an administrator worked three months, he/she would have accrued 1.83 x 3 = 5.49, or rounded up to 5 ½ days of vacation. An administrator who worked two months would have 1.83 x 2 = 3.66, or rounded down to 3 ½ days.

Similarly, to calculate the amount of vacation payable to an administrator upon separation from employment, multiply the number of months worked in the calendar year by 1.83 to get the number of days accrued and then subtract any vacation time the administrator already used that year.

Vacation for Staff

If you are a regular full-time staff employee, your normal vacation period is the calendar year (January 1 to December 31). You should try to submit vacation requests to your supervisor by January 1 of the calendar year in which you want to take the vacation. Any changes to requests should be submitted to your supervisor at least two weeks prior to the time requested. All vacations are subject to your supervisor’s approval. If a staff employee works during any part of a month, he/she accrues vacation for the entire month.

First Five Years of Service
You accrue a maximum of ten (10) vacation days per year, prorated for each month worked. Remember, if you are a new employee, you accrue vacation but are not allowed to use it until you have completed your three-month Orientation Period.

After Five Years of Service
Beginning with the month in which your fifth anniversary of continuous full-time employment occurs, you begin to accrue vacation time at a rate of fifteen (15) days per year.

After 10 Years of Service
Beginning with the month in which your tenth anniversary of continuous full-time employment occurs, you begin to accrue vacation time at a rate of twenty (20) days per year. You can accrue no more than twenty (20) vacation days.

Selection Criteria
If there is a problem regarding the selection of vacation time in your office or department, selection will be made on the basis of years of continuous full-time service. The employee with the greatest length of continuous service will be allowed to select two weeks of vacation. Selection will then pass to the employee with the second most continuous service, and so on, until every employee has selected two weeks. Under no circumstances will an employee be allowed to choose more than two weeks until all employees in the department have had an opportunity to make a vacation selection.

Your supervisor is responsible for monitoring the vacation and sick time you use and your accrued balances.

Staff Annual Vacation Schedule

Month of Hire1st calendar year 2nd-4th calendar year5th calendar year6th-9th calendar year10th calendar year11th calendar year forward
January10 days10 days15 days15 days20 days20 days
February91015152020
March81014151920
April71014151920
May71013151820
June61013151820
July51012151720
August41012151720
September31012151720
October21011151620
November21011151620
December11010151520

How to read the above schedule: The above schedule shows vacation in days, and is approximate, as staff accrue vacation time in hours as determined by their employment classification and length of employment. 

Additional information, including calculation examples, can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #401 Vacation Time.


Safe and Sick Leave

The University provides full-time, part-time and other eligible employees with safe and sick leave. Leave can be taken on a continuous or intermittent basis for the care and treatment of employees or a family member, and to seek assistance or take other safety measures if the employee or a family member may be the victim of any act or threat of domestic violence or unwanted sexual contact, stalking, or human trafficking.

Examples of permissible uses of safe and sick leave include:

  • An employee’s mental or physical illness, injury or health condition or need for medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition or need for preventive medical care.
  • To care for a family member who needs medical diagnosis, care or treatment of a mental or physical illness, injury or health condition or who needs preventive medical care.
  • When the University is closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency, or when an employee needs to care for a child whose school or childcare provider has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency.
  • Obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, or other services program.
  • Participate in safety planning, relocate, or take other actions to protect the employee's safety or that of the employee's family members, including enrolling children in a new school.
  • Meet with an attorney or social service provider to obtain information and advice related to custody; visitation; matrimonial issues; orders of protection; immigration; housing; discrimination in employment, housing or consumer credit.
  • File a domestic incident report with law enforcement or meet with a district attorney's office.
  • Attend civil or criminal court dates related to any act or threat of domestic violence, unwanted sexual contact, stalking, or human trafficking.

Procedures: When an employee’s need to use sick or safe leave is foreseeable, the employee must provide his or her immediate supervisor seven days' written notice by email.  When the employee’s need for leave is not foreseeable, the employee must provide notice to the immediate supervisor as soon as practicable. Supervisors are responsible for tracking their employees' leave time accurately in consultation with the Employee Benefits office.

An employee's failure to provide documentation when requested may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Employee misuse of safe or sick leave, including unapproved absences after exhausting safe or sick leave, may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Upon termination of employment, unused sick and safe leave shall have no monetary value and will not be paid out. 

Non-Retaliation: Retaliation against any employee for appropriate use of paid sick or safe leave is unacceptable and strictly prohibited.  Any employee who feels he or she has been retaliated against should immediately report the matter to Human Resources. Employees also have the right to file a complaint with the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.

View the Safe and Sick Leave Notice of Employee Rights for additional information.

Complete policy information can be found in the HR Policy Manual. For a direct link to the policy for full-time administrators, click here; for the policy for full-time staff, click here; and for the policy for part-time and per-diem administrators, part-time staff and regular student workers, click here


Personal Time

The University provides paid time for regular full-time administrators and staff for special situations of a personal nature. Check with your supervisor or with Human Resources Services if you have any questions about personal time. For illustrative purposes, "special situations of a personal nature" could include a home repair, a transportation issue, or a personal appointment.

Personal Time for Administrators
If you are a regular full-time administrator, you accrue 22 vacation days each calendar year, up to two (2) of which may be used as personal days. In addition, if a special situation of a personal nature arises during the course of a workday, you may request personal time off during the day. This personal time is not to be interpreted as a day or days off, but instead may mean your arrival at work is delayed or you leave work early to handle the situation. The University expects that you will complete your work so that there is no negative impact on the department as a result of the absence. Personal time is an exception and any pattern of absence may be cause for disciplinary action. Your supervisor is responsible for maintaining a record of your absences and must approve any request for personal time.

Personal Time for Staff
If you are a regular full-time staff employee, you may use a maximum of two (2) of the 10 days of sick time coverage per year for special situations of a personal nature. All requests for personal days must be approved in advance by your supervisor. 

Temporary Work Schedule Changes for Covered Personal Events
After 120 days of employment and at least 80 hours worked in the calendar year, you may request two (2) temporary work schedule changes to attend to certain covered personal events. A temporary work schedule change includes a limited alteration in your work hours, a temporary alteration to your ordinary work location, using paid time off, working remotely, swapping or shifting work hours, and using short-term unpaid leave. Read the notice of rights posted to our website.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #403 Personal Time.


Holidays

Each year, the President of the University approves a schedule of holidays that the University will observe. In the event that it is necessary for some University offices to remain open to provide services on a scheduled holiday, full-time staff employees who work will receive an alternate day off or an equivalent arrangement.

In general, the offices of the University are closed in observance of the following days when they fall on a workday.

  • New Year's Day
  • Martin Luther King Day
  • President's Day
  • Good Friday
  • Easter
  • Memorial Day
  • Juneteenth
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Fall Break
  • Veteran's Day
  • Election Day (Presidential only)
  • Thanksgiving Day
  • Day after Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Eve
  • Christmas Day

At the discretion of the President, additional “special” holidays may be granted. Public Safety Officers — who provide essential support to the University and work outside of normal office hours — and employees at the Bartilucci Center are ineligible for early dismissal and special holidays. This exemption may also apply to other positions whose work weeks are outside of normal office hours and/or when necessitated by the nature of the work performed.

To qualify for holiday pay, full-time administrators and staff must be on active pay status on the work day immediately preceding and following the holiday. No pay is given for holidays that fall during an employee's unpaid leave or after an employee's final work day when employment has ended. Additional information, and examples, can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #404 Regular and Special Holidays.


Religious Observance

The University observes a number of religious holy days as an expression of its Catholic and Vincentian Mission. Each year a complete schedule of holidays and special days are approved by the President and communicated to the University Community. Employees who wish to observe a religious holiday that is not included in the University’s holiday schedule may request to do so. Employees may choose to use accrued vacation or personal days.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #406 Religious Observance.


Family and Medical Leave

In compliance with the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), the University gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a specified 12-month period for qualifying family and medical reasons.

For a copy of the complete University policy on family and medical leave, including definitions and specific information about medical certifications, intermittent leave and job restoration, refer to the link to policy #502. You can also contact the Benefits Office on the Queens campus at ext. 2077 or 2941 if you have questions.

To be eligible for leave under FMLA, you must meet all of the following conditions:

  1. You must have worked for the University for a total of 12 months.
  2. You must have worked for the University at least 1,250 hours over the 12 months prior to the date leave is requested to commence.
  3. You must work at a location where the University employs at least 50 employees within 75 miles.

Qualifying family and medical reasons include one or more of the following:

  • The birth and care of the son or daughter of the employee.
  • The placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care.
  • To care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition.
  • To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.
  • An eligible employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin of a covered service member or veteran may take up to 26 weeks of FMLA leave in a single 12-month period to care for the service member who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation or therapy for a serious injury or illness incurred while on active duty in the Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves, as long as the service member or veteran was a member of the Armed Forces at any time during the five years preceding the date of treatment, recuperation or therapy.
  • An eligible employee who is the spouse, son, daughter, or parent being on or called to active duty in either the regular Armed Forces deployed to a foreign country, the National Guard or Reserves, with up to 12 weeks of FMLA job protected leave for any qualifying exigency that arises while the covered family member is on active duty or called to active duty status in support of a contingency operation.

Procedures

  1. To request family or medical leave under the FMLA, contact the Benefits Office for information and to complete a Request for Leave form.
  2. You must provide the Benefits Office with 30 days advance notice if you can anticipate the need to take leave. If the leave is unforeseeable, you must contact the Benefits Office if you are out for more than five (5) days.
  3. For any qualifying family or medical reason, or if the request is for intermittent or reduced leave schedule, you will need to provide the Benefits Office with medical certification and periodic re-certifications. Forms are available from the Benefits Office.
  4. While you are on leave, you must give the Benefits Office periodic reports regarding your status and your intent to return to work.
  5. Any accrued sick time is applied at the beginning of the leave period, and you have the option to use your accrued vacation. Any remaining leave time is taken unpaid. FMLA leave runs concurrently with any paid or unpaid time off. Administrators are only permitted to apply sick time when the leave is due to the employee’s own health condition (see Sick Time policy). During any unpaid portion of FMLA leave, paid leave (including vacation, sick time and holiday) does not accrue. Vacation time for administrators does not accrue during any period of unpaid leave, nor during absences from work of one month or longer.
  6. If you have been participating in health benefits, you can continue your coverage. You will be notified of any premium payment schedule at the time you begin your leave.
  7. During an approved leave, you will continue to receive credit for service time at the University.
  8. When you have exhausted the 12 weeks of leave under the FMLA, the University may recruit to fill your position or eliminate or restructure the position, based on the needs of the department or the University. At the end of the FMLA-covered period, if you do not return to work, or you do not request or are not granted an extension of the leave under the Americans with Disabilities Act or a Personal Leave of Absence, or when you exhaust all accrued sick time and the general leave of absence period expires, you will be terminated from employment with the University.

For the full text of Family and Medical leave, refer to policy #502 in the Human Resources Policy Manual.


Personal Leave of Absence

If you are a regular full-time or part-time administrator or staff, you can apply for a leave of absence (LOA) without pay for personal reasons, not to exceed six (6) months. Your position is guaranteed during an approved LOA, except in the case of position elimination due to a workforce reduction or a restructuring.

Procedures

  1. To apply for a personal LOA, make a written request to your supervisor, including the proposed length and dates of leave. (Generally, this should be done at least 30 days prior to the leave period.) Leave must be approved by your department head.
  2. If your supervisor and department head approve your request, the Human Resources Services office will assist you and your supervisor to prepare a written agreement.
  3. Contact the Benefits Office to arrange to continue any applicable benefits and corresponding premium payments.
  4. Return your office keys to your supervisor.
  5. Because it is an unpaid leave, sick time, vacation time, and holidays do not accrue, contributions to the Retirement Plan are suspended, and no social security taxes are paid. Tuition Remission benefits continue during the leave period and you continue to receive credit for service time at the University.
  6. To ask for an extension of a personal LOA within the six (6) month maximum, submit a written request to your supervisor at least two (2) weeks before the end of the original approved leave period.
  7. Failure to return to work when the approved leave period has expired may be considered by the University as a voluntary resignation.

For more about a personal LOA, talk to your supervisor or contact a member of Human Resources Services on the Queens campus at extension 1502 or 718-990-1502.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #501 Personal Leave of Absence.


Other Leave Provisions

Uniformed Services Leave (Military Leave)
This leave applies to you if you are a full-time or part-time administrator or staff who is a member of the Uniformed Services of the United States. The University will continue your employment and continue to pay you while you attend any period of active or training service. All uniformed services are covered, including regular armed forces, the Reserves, the National Guard, the Public Health Service and the Coast Guard. In addition, certain disaster response work is considered service in the Uniformed Services. All categories of service, voluntary or involuntary, are covered, including active duty, active duty for training, drills, full-time National Guard duty and absence from work for an examination to determine fitness for any of these types of duty. You must give your supervisor as much advance notice as possible and present your service orders. In order to receive your regular University salary, you must submit your Federal Government pay to the University. If you choose to use accrued paid vacation or other paid personal time off, you will receive full pay from the University, in addition to pay from the Federal Government.

Contact the Benefits Office on the Queens campus at extension 2363 for information on the continuation of certain benefits and reinstatement. Refer to policy #503 in the Human Resources Policy Manual for more information.

Statement Against Discrimination and Retaliation: In accordance with USERRA, the University prohibits employment discrimination against a person on the basis of past military service, current military obligations, or an intent to serve. In addition, the University will not retaliate against anyone assisting in the enforcement of USERRA rights, including testifying or making a statement in connection with a proceeding under USERRA, even if that person has no service connection.

Death in Family Leave
If you are a regular full-time administrator or staff and someone in your immediate family dies, you can take up to three (3) working days of leave with pay. You can take one (1) day of leave with pay to attend the funeral of a relative who is not in your immediate family. If you need additional time, you can request personal days or vacation days, or leave without pay, subject to your supervisor’s approval.

Immediate Family Members Covered by this Policy: Spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandchild, grandparent, mother- and father-in-law, sister- and brother-in-law, stepchild, step-sibling, and step-parent.

Procedure for Notification of University Community: At the discretion of a full-time or part-time employee or an employee’s family, the University community will be informed of the death of an employee, a member of an employee’s family (spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, child) or of his or her spouse. Notices are also distributed for retired employees and faculty emeriti. Call the Office of the Vice President and Secretary of the University at extension 1611 on the Queens campus for details on what information should be provided in the notice. Staten Island employees who wish to notify only the Staten Island campus community should call Campus Ministry at extension 4475.

Jury Duty Leave
If you are a full-time or part-time employee and you are summoned or subpoenaed to appear in court as a juror or witness, you will be granted a temporary leave of absence with pay for the term of your court service.

You must submit a copy of the summons or subpoena to your supervisor, and when you return to work submit proof of time served. For more on jury duty, refer to policy #505 in the Human Resources Policy Manual.

Voting Leave
If you are a registered voter, you may without loss of pay for up to three hours, take off so much working time as will enable you to vote at any election. You shall be allowed paid time off for voting only at the beginning or end of your working shift, as your supervisor may designate, unless otherwise mutually agreed. You must notify your supervisor at least two working days before the day of the election that you require time off to vote.

Blood and Bone Marrow Donation Leave
If you work 20 hours or more per week and are employed on any New York campus of the University, you may take three hours of leave time in a calendar year for the purpose of donating blood, according to New York Law. Blood drives are held on our campuses throughout the year. The University encourages employees who are able to donate blood to do so on-campus during regularly-paid work time.

The University shall grant leaves of absence of up to 24 work hours for you to undergo a medical procedure to donate bone marrow. This leave is available each time you service as a bone marrow donor.

The University is not required to pay employees during leave to donate blood or bone marrow; however, employees who have accrued vacation or personal time can elect to use their accrued time for this leave. Employees who do not accrue paid time, or choose not to use paid time, can designate the leave as unpaid.

To minimize workplace disruption, you must obtain permission from your supervisor before you take leave time. When you return to work, you need to submit documentation to your supervisor that confirms that you donated blood. In cases of bone marrow donation, the University requires a physician's verification for the purpose and length of each leave requested. This should be submitted to the Employee Benefits Office, University Center, Suite C on the Queens campus.

You are protected under the law from retaliation for requesting or obtaining leave under this policy.

Leave of Absence for Military Spouses
If you work 20 hours or more hours per week and are employed on any New York campus of the University, and you are married to a member of the armed forces of the United States, National Guard or Reserves, you shall be allowed up to 10 days of unpaid leave while your spouse is on leave from deployment to a combat theater or combat zone of operations during a period of military conflict.

To request a LOA under this policy, you should give your supervisor as much notice as possible and present a copy of the military leave orders or other written documentation certifying that the requested leave dates coincide with the military member's dates of leave from deployment.

Additional information on all these leave policies can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual: Policy #503 Uniformed Services Leave; policy #504 Death in Family; policy #505 Jury Duty; policy #506 Voting Leave; policy #507 Blood and Bone Marrow Donation Leave; and policy #508 Leave of Absence for Military Spouses.


Introduction

This section describes the benefits available to St. John’s employees. The descriptions contained here are brief and general, and the official plan documents that govern each of the benefits are available on the SJU Benefits webpage. If anything written here differs from what is written in the plan documents, the plan documents shall prevail.

Benefit plans may change from time to time and specific benefit options may be removed or added by the University at its discretion. For more information on any of the employee benefits offered by the University, call the Benefits hotline at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363.


Medical and Dental Insurance

If you are a regular full-time administrator or staff employee, you and your dependents are eligible to participate in St. John’s medical and dental plans. Visit the Benefits website for plan information and carriers, or contact the Benefits Office at 718-990-2363.

If you join during your first thirty-one (31) days of employment, coverage begins on the first day of the month following your hire date. If your hire date falls on the first of a month, coverage would begin your first day. If you do not enroll during your first thirty-one (31) days, you will have to wait until the annual open enrollment period (usually held in December).

You can enroll or make changes to your coverage only during the open enrollment period, unless a “qualifying event” has occurred (see below).

Qualifying Events Affecting Benefit Status
You should notify the Benefits Office within thirty-one (31) days of a “qualifying event” that may affect your benefit status or that of your spouse or dependent. Examples of qualifying events are change in marital status, birth or adoption of a child, retirement, employment termination, divorce, and death of employee, spouse or dependent. Proof of the qualifying event may be required.


Flexible Spending Accounts and Premium Only Plan

If you are a full-time administrator or staff employee, you may be eligible to enroll in flexible spending accounts. These accounts allow you to pay for certain expenses by setting aside pre-tax dollars from each paycheck. There are two kinds of expense accounts—one for health care expenses and the other for dependent day care expenses. In addition, the University offers a Premium Only Plan which allows eligible employees to pay for certain expenses under the medical and/or dental plans with pre-tax dollars. To find out more about how these plans work, contact the Benefits Office at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363 or refer to the links to flexible spending accounts on the Benefits website.


New York Paid Family Leave

If you are a full-time or part-time staff or administrator, student worker or graduate assistant who works in New York, you may be eligible for paid leave benefits and job protection in accordance with the New York State Paid Family Leave Benefits Law ("PFL"). Qualifying reasons for taking leave include: to bond with your newly born, adopted or fostered child; to care for your family member with a serious health condition; or for a qualifying military exigency. The cost of PFL is paid for through employee contributions at a rate determined by New York State. You are required to have coverage, unless you are eligible to waive the benefit and have signed and submitted a waiver.

This summary is for your information only. The University's complete policy on PFL is included in the HR Policy Manual as policy #509 and provides definitions, eligibility guidelines, the time off and compensation phase-in schedule, waiver options, procedures for requesting leave, restrictions and other information. You can find the University's PFL notice of compliance and statement of rights on the Employment Posters web page. You can also contact the St. John's Employee Benefits Office on the Queens campus at ext. 2363 with questions; or obtain information from the government website at: https://www.ny.gov/programs/new-york-state-paid-family-leave by calling (844) 337-6303.


Short Term Disability (NY State Disability)

If you are a full-time or part-time administrator or staff employee, St. John’s provides you with short term disability insurance at no cost. If you suffer an injury or illness that is not work-related, cash payments may be made to you to help you recover some of your lost wages.

Procedures

  1. To file a claim or obtain a copy of a NY State Disability booklet, contact the Benefits Office at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363.
  2. Benefits begin on the eighth calendar day of disability and continue up to 26 weeks or the end of disability, whichever occurs first.
  3. You must use all your accrued sick time before you can receive short term disability benefits and you have the option of using any accrued vacation as well.
  4. When you return to work after a disability leave, you must present certification from your physician that you are fit to return. St. John’s reserves the right to require a complete “fitness to return to work” physical examination performed by the University physician.

For disabilities that extend longer than 26 weeks, refer to Long Term Disability below. For information on sick time or on family and medical leave conditions that are covered by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) refer to the University’s Time Off and Leave policies. Visit the Benefits website for more information or contact the Benefits Office at 718-990-2363.


Long Term Disability

After one year of employment, if you are a full-time administrator or staff employee, St. John’s provides you with core long term disability coverage at no cost. If you wish to purchase enhanced coverage, there is an Optional LTD Plan.

Coverage Overview – Core Plan

  • Monthly benefit of 60% of base pay.
  • Maximum monthly benefit: $3,000 (administrators); $2,000 (staff).
  • Annuity benefit: 15% (administrators); 10% (staff).
  • Other features as detailed in plan document.

Coverage Overview – Optional Plan

  • Monthly benefit of 66.67% of base pay.
  • Maximum monthly benefit: $10,000 (administrators and staff).
  • Annuity benefit: 15% (administrators); 10% (staff).
  • Other features as detailed in plan document.

Procedures 

  1. To file a claim, contact the Benefits Office at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363.
  2. Benefits begin on the first of the month following six (6) consecutive months of total disability.
  3. You must use all your accrued sick time before you can receive disability benefits.
  4. For up to 18 months from the commencement of your leave, you will continue to receive the same University-paid health benefits that you were receiving while you were actively employed. However, premium costs you were paying will accrue during the time when no paycheck is issued, and the arrears will be collected when you return to work. If you do not return to work, you will be billed for the premium costs you owe.
  5. When you return to work after a disability leave, you must present certification from your physician stating that you are fit to return. St. John’s reserves the right to require a complete “fitness to return to work” physical examination performed by the University physician.

For related information, please refer to the University’s Time Off and Leave policies.


Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance

If you are a full-time administrator or staff employee, St. John’s provides you with basic term life insurance equal to one time your annual salary at no cost, subject to a maximum. The IRS taxes life insurance amounts over $50,000. Taxes are calculated based on age and amount over $50,000.

You can purchase additional life insurance coverage for yourself, your spouse, and/or dependents through the Supplemental Group Term Life program. For rates and coverage information, refer to the benefit summaries and certificate of coverage on the Benefits website, or contact the Benefits Office at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363.


Retirement Plans

If you are an administrator or staff employee who works 1,000 hours or more in an employment anniversary year, you are eligible to participate in a University-sponsored retirement plan. St. John’s offers various retirement plans to choose from, into which you can tax-defer salary dollars.

After one year of full-time employment, you are eligible to receive the University’s contribution to your account. In order to receive the University’s contribution, you must contribute at least five percent (5%) of your base salary to one of the retirement plans offered by the University.

The one-year waiting period for the University’s contribution will be waived for employees who submit evidence to the Employee Benefits Office that they were previously employed full-time for at least one year at another accredited college or university.

Once you join a retirement plan, you are immediately fully vested in all contributions. For information packets, summary plan descriptions and enrollment applications, contact the Benefits Office at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363 or refer to the Benefits Summaries on the website.


Tuition Remission for Administrators, Staff and Qualifying Retirees

The University offers undergraduate and graduate tuition remission benefits to full-time administrators and staff and to qualifying retirees:

  • Policy #608-A – Full-time administrators, staff and qualifying retirees whose employment began prior to June 1, 2010 or who have an Adjusted Service Date prior to June 1, 2010.
  • Policy #608-AA – Full-time administrators, staff and qualifying retirees whose employment began on June 1, 2010 or later and whose Adjusted Service Date is on or after June 1, 2010.

Tuition Remission for Spouse and Children

The University offers undergraduate and graduate tuition remission benefits to the spouse and children of full-time administrators and staff and qualifying retirees:

  • Policy #608-B – The spouse, qualifying children/eligible designee of full-time administrators, staff and qualifying retirees whose employment began prior to June 1, 2010 or who have an Adjusted Service Date prior to June 1, 2010 are eligible for this benefit.
  • Policy #608-BB – These tuition remission benefits apply to the spouse, qualifying children or eligible designee of full-time administrators and staff whose employment began on June 1, 2010 or later and whose Adjusted Service Date is on or after June 1, 2010.

Tuition Exchange Program

St. John’s is a member of The Tuition Exchange, a consortium of over 600 colleges and universities that offer competitive scholarships between member schools for undergraduate study. The Tuition Exchange Program (TEP) allows eligible full-time St. John’s administrators and staff and their dependent children or eligible designee to attend other member schools, and in exchange, dependent children of employees of other schools may attend St. John’s. Consortium member institutions agree to remit tuition for participants from other member schools. To be eligible to apply for this benefit, an employee must have completed two calendar years of full-time service at the University as of January 15 of the current academic year.

The TEP expands the current tuition remission program by providing enhanced educational benefit opportunities for employees; however, scholarships are not guaranteed for any employee. Scholarships are awarded competitively and vary annually depending on availability of scholarship money to St. John’s employees and their dependents. Furthermore, applicants must meet all of the admission requirements and be accepted at the receiving school. Recipients are selected according to the employee’s length of service with the University.

For TEP guidelines and to access an application form, call the Office of Human Resources on the Queens campus at extension 2020 or 718-990-2020.


Employee Assistance Program

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is free, confidential assistance for employees and their family members in a wide range of work-life, emotional wellbeing and health and wellness areas - from traditional counseling for personal stress, to legal and financial consultation, to referrals related to caregiving, substance abuse, adoption resources, and everyday needs. These services are available 24/7 by calling the hotline or logging onto the member website. Whether the need is simple or complex, the EAP can help with information, evaluation, crisis response, short-term counseling, and referral services. Find out more on the Human Resources Work-Life Programs web page.

To access these services, call (800) 833-8707 or log on to the member website at www.myccaonline.com (use company code: STJOHNS to log on).

Professional consultants are available to employees 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to offer support and resources, simply by calling the confidential helpline. If you wish to meet in person with a counselor, call and make an appointment at a convenient location locally and nationwide. Additionally, the EAP provides employees with free wellness workshops on campus throughout the year, as well as live and archived webinars on the member website.


Adoption Assistance

In support of the University’s work-life initiatives, the SJU Adoption Assistance program provides financial assistance and adoption resources to full-time employees who choose to build their families through adoption. Eligible employees can request financial reimbursement up to $5,000 for Qualifying Adoption Expenses, or up to $6,000 for the adoption of a child with special needs. Up to $10,000 can be reimbursed for the simultaneous adoption of two eligible children. Qualifying expenses incurred on or after the employee’s first day of St. John’s employment, but not before January 1, 2004, are eligible for reimbursement in accordance with this policy.

Employees can request adoption information, research and referral services from the University’s Employee Assistance Program, which also provides guidance and support for emotional, stress, and family issues that employees and their families may experience during or after the adoption process.

Up to 12 weeks of job-protected and benefit-protected leave is provided in accordance with the University’s policy on Family and Medical Leave. Employees may choose to use accrued vacation time; such paid time would run concurrently with the 12 weeks of family and medical leave.

Reimbursements are made once the adoption is final and the child has been placed in the employee’s home. Applications for reimbursement must be made within six (6) months following the placement. Employees seeking reimbursement must complete a reimbursement form and submit it to the HR Benefits Office with applicable documents and invoices subject to verification at the sole discretion of St. John’s University.

The IRS provides for a tax credit and exclusion to offset the expenses of adopting a child. Please refer to the IRS Instructions for form 8839 Qualified Adoption Expenses for information, requirement and tax treatment. The instructions, tax form and related articles can be accessed on the IRS website.

For more policy information and definitions, refer to the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #625 or contact the Employee Benefits Office at 718-990-2363.


Travel Accident Insurance

If you are a full-time administrator or staff employee and you travel on University business, you are automatically covered by a travel accident insurance policy, when such travel is in connection with employment at St. John’s. Coverage includes travel on commercial airlines, railroads, buses, and private passenger automobiles. Your normal commute between home and St. John’s does not fall into this category of business travel and is not covered by the policy. For more information, contact the Benefits Office on the Queens campus at extension 2363 or 718-990-2363. You can review the Travel Accident Plan on the Benefits website.


Legal Assistance

If you are a full-time administrator or staff employee, you are eligible to participate in the UltimateAdvisor legal assistance plan administered by ARAG Legal Plans. This is a legal services plan that provides legal representation for employees, spouse and dependents for important, everyday legal services and/or unexpected legal matters. The UltimateAdvisor program includes a nationwide network of more than 9,000 participating Plan Attorneys. If you stay within the network, qualifying legal services are fully covered, with no additional attorney fees. (Third-party costs such as filing fees or court costs are not covered by the plan.) Participants also have the option to select out-of-network attorneys, for which services are reimbursed according to a set fee schedule.

Additional information on ARAG is available by visiting the ARAG Legal Plans website (use password 17846stu), or by calling the ARAG Legal Plans’ Client Service Center at 1(800) 247-4184.


Qualified Transportation Expense

If you are a full-time administrator or staff employee, you are eligible to participate in the QTE plan and pay for your mass transit workplace commute by setting aside pre-tax dollars from your paycheck into a separate QTE account. The benefit of paying for qualifying expenses with pre-tax dollars is that it reduces your taxable income. Qualified Mass Transit Expenses include expenses incurred for traveling in a commuter highway vehicle (i.e., van pool) and on mass transit vehicles (i.e., bus, train, subway or ferry) between your home and work. You can stop and resume deductions under the QTE Plan at any time, and the excess balance in a QTE account carries over from month to month.

To enroll, contact the Employee Benefits office at 718-990-2363 or extension 2363 on campus.


Social Security

St. John’s makes contributions to Social Security that equal the contributions you make through payment of Social Security (F.I.C.A.) taxes. Social Security (F.I.C.A.) taxes are automatically deducted from your paychecks beginning with your first day of employment with the University. Contact the Payroll Office at extension 5953 or 718-990-5953 for information on the F.I.C.A. tax rate, or check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Human Resources web site.


If You Have a Work-Related Injury or Illness

If you are a staff employee, you are automatically covered by worker’s compensation insurance at no cost to you. Worker’s compensation provides weekly cash benefits and/or medical care for employees who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their job.

If you are a staff employee and you are injured or become ill as a direct result of your job, follow these procedures:

  1. Notify your supervisor immediately. In the case of emergency, you can obtain treatment from any emergency facility (see the partial list of hospitals for each campus below).
  2. Report the injury or illness to the Department of Public Safety, where an officer will complete the necessary paperwork and forward it to the Employee Benefits Office for processing.
  3. The Benefits Office will be notified of your injury or illness and will contact you to follow-up.

You can obtain a booklet from the Employee Benefits Office that explains worker’s compensation benefits and outlines claims procedures.

If you are a full-time administrator and you become disabled as a result of injury or illness related to employment, you would follow normal health insurance channels to obtain medical care and use sick time allowance to continue your wages.

Queens Campus Area 
Queens Hospital Center
82-68 164th Street
Jamaica, NY 11439
718-883-3090 Emergency
718-883-3000
 
      Jamaica Hospital Medical Center
8900 Van Wyck Expressway,
Jamaica, NY
718-206-6000
NY-Presbyterian
56-45 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
718-670-2000 
  
  
Staten Island Campus Area 
North Shore LIJ Staten Island University Hospital
475 Seaview Ave
Staten Island, NY 10305
718-226-9000  
 
 Richmond University Medical Center
355 Bard Ave.
Staten Island, NY 10310
718-818-1234
Manhattan Campus Area 
NYU Langone Tisch Hospital
550 First Ave, New York, NY 10016
(212) 263-5800
 Mt. Sinai Beth Israel
10 Nathan D. Perlman Place
New York, NY 10003
800-420-4004

Unemployment Insurance

You are covered at no cost by unemployment insurance, which provides compensation to qualified workers during involuntary periods of unemployment. Eligibility, waiting periods, rates of compensation, and the duration of compensation payments are fixed by the New York State Unemployment Insurance Law. In general, you would be disqualified for benefits if you quit voluntarily, are discharged for cause, unjustly refuse suitable work, are receiving worker’s compensation or Social Security, are involved in a labor dispute, or commit fraud. 


Benefits When You Retire

If you are a full-time administrator or staff employee who meets the eligibility requirements for retirement from the University, you may be eligible for benefits in retirement. If you have questions about retirement or the benefits listed below, call the Benefits Office at extension 2363 on the Queens campus or 718-990-2363.

Determining Retirement Eligibility
To qualify for benefits in retirement, you must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

  • You must be at least 55 years of age, and
  • You must have at least 10 years of full-time service with St. John’s, and
  • Your age and years of full-time service combined must equal 75 years or more.

Examples of qualifying combinations include: age 55 with 20 years of service; age 60 with 15 years of service; age 65 with 10 years of service, etc.

Health Insurance Benefits
If you qualify you, your spouse and/or eligible dependents would be eligible to continue to participate in the University’s medical and dental plans by paying the full cost of coverage.

Life Insurance Benefits
If you qualify you would be eligible to continue group life insurance coverage in the amount of $10,000 by paying the premiums. You would be able to continue this benefit for the rest of your life.

Tuition Remission Benefits
If you meet the University’s criteria for retirement, you would be eligible for tuition remission benefits for one undergraduate degree (Associate or Baccalaureate) and one graduate degree (Master’s, Professional Diploma/Advanced Professional Certificate/first professional degree, or Doctorate) according to the guidelines provided in the applicable Tuition Remission policy. A qualifying retiree who, during his/her period of active employment, had already received benefits at every degree level offered by the St. John’s tuition remission policy, would be considered “maxed out” and not eligible for any additional tuition benefits during retirement.

The spouse and each child of a Qualifying Retiree are entitled to tuition benefits for one undergraduate degree and one graduate degree according to the guidelines and conditions of the applicable Tuition Remission policy. A child/spouse, who during the Qualifying Retiree’s active employment had already received benefits at every degree level offered by the St. John’s tuition remission policy, would be considered “maxed out” and not eligible for any additional tuition benefits during the Qualifying Retiree’s retirement. The spouse and qualifying children or eligible designee of a Qualifying Retiree who dies continue to be eligible for tuition remission on the same basis as before the retiree’s death. (Refer to the Human Resources Policy Manual and refer to policy series #608 for Tuition Remission.)

Retirement Plan
If you retire in accordance with the University’s retirement criteria, but do not meet the federal retirement or distribution rules, you would have the same options upon termination of employment as any other terminating employee. That is, you may leave the money in your current account, rollover the money in your account into an IRA or another qualified plan, or make a cash withdrawal. Early cash withdrawals are subject to certain taxes and penalties. You should consult the plan documents available in the Benefits Office and online for specific information regarding federal age and distribution requirements and applicable rules and benefits.


Benefits for Survivors

Medical and Dental Benefits
The surviving spouse and/or eligible dependents can continue to participate in the University’s group medical and dental plans in accordance with COBRA regulations.  Contact the Employee Benefits Office for specific information, such as rates and duration of coverage.  In the event of the death of an active employee, the University will continue that employee’s existing medical coverage through the end of the month that follows the month in which the death occurred.

Life Insurance
The proceeds of the deceased employee’s life insurance policy (and any supplemental life insurance policy) go to the designated beneficiary(ies) in accordance with the terms of the applicable policy.

Retirement Plan
Any accumulated amounts in the deceased employee’s retirement plan go to the designated beneficiary(ies) in accordance with the terms of the applicable policy.

Travel Accident Insurance
The proceeds of the policy go to the beneficiary if the covered employee’s death occurred while he or she was traveling on University business.

Social Security
A Social Security death benefit, in the form of a lump sum payment, may be issued to an eligible surviving spouse or children. Contact the Social Security Administration for specific information on this benefit.

Tuition Remission
The spouse and qualifying children or eligible designee of an administrator or staff employee who has completed ten years of full-time employment and who dies while actively employed full-time by the University are entitled to tuition benefits for one undergraduate degree (Associate’s or Bachelor’s) and one graduate degree (Master’s, Professional Diploma/Advanced Professional Certificate/first professional degree, or Doctorate) in accordance with the guidelines and conditions of the applicable tuition remission policy.

The spouse and qualifying children of an administrator or staff employee who has less than 10 years of full-time employment and who dies while in active employment or on LTD status is eligible to complete the degree in progress that the child/spouse was enrolled in and pursuing under tuition remission benefits at the time of the employee’s death in accordance with the guidelines and conditions of the applicable tuition remission policy.

The spouse and qualifying children or eligible designee of a qualifying retiree who dies continue to be eligible for tuition remission on the same basis as before the retiree’s death.

One-time Payment to Spouse/Family
In the event of the death of an active full-time or part-time staff or administrator, or full-time faculty member, the University will issue a one-time payment of one month’s base salary to the surviving spouse/family so that loved ones will have immediate funds available to assist with funeral and related expenses.


Professional Conduct

As a member of the St. John's University community, you assume an obligation to act in a manner conducive to the maintenance of good order and respect for the rights and property of others. Your conduct is expected to be consistent with the University's Core Values and compatible with the goals and purposes of an educational institution established in the Vincentian tradition.

As a representative of St. John's, the University expects you to exhibit professionalism on the job and in your contact with others. Professional conduct can range from the manner in which you answer the telephone or address a visitor to the integrity and honesty with which you perform your work. University policies that relate to your professional conduct can be found throughout this handbook.

If your conduct violates University policy, you may be subject to corrective action. (For more on corrective action, see "When Corrective Action Is Needed" later in this section, or policy #702 in the Human Resources Policy Manual.)

Use of University Property and Resources
You are allowed to use St. John's property and resources (i.e.: facilities, equipment, supplies, technology, the University's name, stationery, etc.) only in the course of conducting University business. Use of the St. John's name, stationery, or postage for personal purposes, including activities such as private business ventures, endorsement of political candidates, and organization of social or charitable events, may violate both criminal and civil laws and could result in legal action.

You are not allowed to duplicate any University keys that you have and you must return keys to the University, along with any other University property that you possess, when you terminate employment.

If you experience a problem with any University equipment, you should immediately report the problem to a supervisor. Information Technology policies such as Computer and Information Security are addressed below and can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, Section 900.

Telephone Use
Office telephones are an important means of conducting University business. Personal calls can interfere with important business calls and should be made only in an emergency. Urgent personal calls should be kept as brief as possible.

Telephone manner is a vital part of the University's public relations. The impression that you make on a caller is often the only impression the caller will have of both you and the University. The quality and tone of voice you use project the attitude with which you approach your job. If you have any questions about the specific manner in which to answer calls, please check with your supervisor.

You should practice the following courtesies:

  • Answer phones promptly
  • Identify yourself
  • Quickly notify the person being called, if other than you
  • Be attentive and obtain complete and accurate information
  • Explain any delays, transfer calls competently, and end calls pleasantly

You should make every effort to assist callers in the most efficient and polite manner possible. It is also expected that you display professionalism and courtesy when you make calls and leave messages in voicemail.

Attendance
Every St. John's employee is a vital part of the operation of the University and any absence necessitates a temporary adjustment of work schedules. You are required to notify your supervisor directly, and on a daily basis, if you will be late or are unable to work. If you cannot call your supervisor, someone else must notify your supervisor on your behalf. In the event of such an unscheduled absence or lateness, you should contact your supervisor as early as possible, but not later than 30 minutes after your scheduled start time. Some departments, such as those that provide services outside of normal office hours, may require earlier notification from their employees. Employees should become familiar with the attendance procedures for their department.

Frequent absences and lateness impair the value of your service and could result in discharge. Failure to contact your supervisor regarding your inability to report to work will be considered an unexcused absence, which may warrant corrective action.

Professional Attire
As an employee, you represent the University. In order to maintain a positive and professional image and in consideration of others, all employees should dress in appropriate professional attire. If you have a question about what constitutes professional attire, you should seek the advice of your supervisor.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #801 Professional Conduct.


Confidentiality

For reasons of privacy and ethics, you are responsible to observe a high level of confidentiality in all matters relating to the University, its employees and students. Whenever you have a doubt about whether confidentiality is necessary in a particular situation, it is always better to maintain confidentiality. Breaches of confidentiality can result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

See policy #706 Confidentiality. For guidelines relating to the confidentiality of student education records under the "Buckley Amendment," refer to "Student Files: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act" in the Student Handbook available online, or contact the Office of Student Life on your campus. For information regarding the confidentiality of non-public student financial information, pursuant to the federal statute known as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, contact the Office of General Counsel.


Conflict of Interest

The University expects you to perform your work duties in a manner that is consistent with the University's Mission and is professional and free of any actual or apparent conflict of interest. Employees must refrain from any act and avoid any situation that may create an actual or apparent conflict between self-interest and the University's interest. Each employee should be free from any conflicting interest or influence that would make it difficult to render to the University his or her best efforts and undivided loyalty and attention. Employees are required to disclose to the University in writing any actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest as soon as they become aware of the possibility of a conflict of interest.

Transactions with outside firms must be conducted in a professional manner. An actual or potential conflict of interest occurs when employees or their family members have a material financial interest or personal interest in the transaction or in an entity that proposes to do business or does business with the University. Employees must also avoid situations that may create an actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest between an employee and a member of the Board of Trustees. This includes business relationships, loans, gifts or other financial transactions involving a Trustee and an employee or a member of the employee’s family. Any approval or resolution of a conflict situation must be in writing with a copy provided to the Office of General Counsel.

The full text of the University's Conflict of Interest policy provides guidance on expectations for employee conduct in these sensitive matters. Because no statement can address every situation, if you have questions concerning your obligation to the University, or whether a circumstance may create an actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest, you should seek the advice of your supervisor, or contact the University's General Counsel for specific guidance.

Employees are prohibited from giving or receiving any gift that creates an actual, potential or apparent conflict of interest regardless of materiality. Generally, employees and their family members are prohibited from accepting gifts or entertainment from persons or organizations doing business or seeking to do business with the University. When it is difficult or contrary to good public relations to refuse certain gifts or entertainment, they must be accepted only if they meet the standards described in section 3 of the policy. This section addresses the following circumstances: Vendor gifts/entertainment; Employee gifts; Gifts among employees; and Gifts to Non-employees.

Gifts
Gifts to employees paid for by the University are generally not permitted. University departments, however, are permitted to provide a gift on behalf of the University for sympathy expressions for illness or death of an employee or an employee's immediate family member. Memorial gifts made on behalf of the University may include flowers or a donation to a charitable organization. A recommended limit for this type of gift is $100.00. All such gifts must be approved by a Vice President or Dean level administrator. Gifts for life events such as weddings, engagements, birth of child, holidays, and birthday may not be paid for with University funds.

Cash, checks, gift cards, and gift certificates are prohibited as gifts to employees. Employees should consult with the Human Resources department if there is a situation where a department wishes to provide a nominal gift certificate or gift card as part of a program or in connection with an event. Gifts in recognition of employee work-related achievement or years of service are only allowable as provided through official recognition programs authorized by the Human Resources department. Employees are permitted to use personal funds to provide a gift to a fellow employee for life events; however, if a gift exceeds $250.00 the employee must disclose it to his/her supervisor in writing with a copy to the Office of General Counsel.

Additional information can be found in the complete Conflict of Interest policy located in the Human Resources Policy Manual.


Information Technology

The St. John’s University department of Information Technology publishes and manages numerous information security policies with which you are responsible to comply. These policies and procedures, and their applicability to the University Community can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, Section 900.


Your Personnel File

The Office of Human Resources maintains your official employment file. The contents of personnel files are considered to be confidential and are the exclusive property of the University. As such, access to personnel records is restricted to protect employee privacy.

Employees may review the contents of their personnel file by making a written request to HR Services. Upon receiving a request, an HR Services representative will schedule an appointment for the employee to review his or her file in the Human Resources office. Employees may not remove any contents of their file, nor is St. John's obligated to provide copies of file contents to employees. Employees who have separated from the University will not be permitted to review their personnel file.

Other employees of the University may have access to your personnel file only on a need-to-know basis. Requests for personnel records information from outside the University are granted only in the following cases: 1) for federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies, or as mandated by law; 2) to protect the legal interests of the University; and 3) where the information is considered public information (e.g., name, position title, verification of employment, etc.).

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #122 Personal Records.


When You Have a Complaint

When you have a complaint related to your employment at St. John's, it is important that you address the complaint in an appropriate manner so that a satisfactory resolution can be achieved. Below are procedures for your use in resolving work-related complaints. Employees who use these complaint resolution guidelines shall be protected from retaliation.

In the case of a complaint of discrimination or harassment, you should follow the University's Policy Against Bias, Discrimination and Harassment, (Policy #704 in the Human Resources Policy Manual). In the case of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, you should refer to the Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures (Policy #703 in the Human Resources Policy Manual).

If you have an issue relating to a verbal or written warning or performance plan, you should discuss the problem with your supervisor. (See the topic “When Corrective Action is Needed” also in this section.) If the issue is not resolved, you should seek guidance from HR Services. Should you continue to feel that corrective action has been unduly applied, you may pursue resolution through the Complaint Resolution mechanism described here.

In general, the following procedures for addressing work-related complaints should be used progressively, but you may at any time address your concern with any of the persons or offices listed below:

  1. You should first attempt to resolve the complaint informally with your supervisor.
  2. If your supervisor does not resolve the complaint or you feel your supervisor is not the appropriate person to handle the complaint (such as if the complaint is against your supervisor), you can request a meeting with your supervisor's manager to address the issue(s).
  3. If you feel that your supervisor's manager has not resolved the complaint, you can contact Human Resources Services and request a meeting. Depending on the nature of the complaint, Human Resources Services may refer your complaint to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance.
  4. If you still feel that the complaint has not been resolved, you may request a review and final determination by the Director of Equal Opportunity, Compliance and Title IX or the Associate Vice President for Human Resources.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #701 Complaint Resolution, and policy #704 for Complaints of Bias, Discrimination and Harassment.


When Corrective Action Is Needed

Your performance and behavior on the job are very important to your supervisor and to the University. The effects of your performance and behavior at work can have positive or negative impact on the people you work with, your workplace, and on the reputation of St. John's. Corrective action is the term used by the University to refer to its flexible approach to addressing and resolving employee performance and behavior problems.

The University believes that disciplinary measures should be corrective and progressive in nature; however, serious misconduct, work performance problems, or violations of laws and/or university policies and procedures may warrant immediate and severe discipline, including termination of employment.

During the three-month Orientation Period, progressive discipline does not apply. Supervisors evaluate newly hired employees at the end of three months to determine whether or not employment will be continued. For more on the Orientation Period, you can refer to New Hire Information in the ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYMENT section in this handbook. Successful completion of the Orientation Period does not guarantee your continued employment for any particular length of time (see Employment at Will).

If you have an issue relating to a verbal or written warning or performance plan, you should discuss the problem with your supervisor. If the issue is not resolved, you should seek guidance from HR Services. Should you continue to feel that corrective action has been unduly applied, you may pursue resolution through the University's Complaint Resolution mechanism (see When You Have a Complaint).

Corrective Action Measures
Ongoing performance feedback, counseling and training should be part of your supervisor's daily approach to managing employees. Using informal remedial actions such as these help supervisors to identify performance and/or behavior issues when they begin. Trained Human Resources professionals provide supervisors with guidance and assistance in counseling and corrective action, as well as offer workshops on the subject.

There are times when more formal measures of corrective action become necessary. In such cases, the University has guidelines for corrective action measures that include verbal warnings, written warnings, shift changes and suspension. Continuing or severe performance problems or serious misconduct may result in termination of employment. Reasons for discharging an employee may include, but are not limited to, misconduct, unsatisfactory work performance, absenteeism, insubordination, violations of University policy or rules, dishonesty, illegal acts, conflict of interest, or any act deemed inconsistent with the University's Mission.

Although they are intended to be progressive in nature, the appropriate measures for addressing problems always depend on the behavior or performance problem in question. Oral and written warnings may be repeated as appropriate under the circumstances. Regardless of which form of corrective action is being used, the following should be clearly communicated and understood by both the employee and the supervisor:

  • That a behavior or performance problem exists, and what the specific nature of the problem is
  • Necessary steps to correct the problem and clear expectations for satisfactory improvement
  • The consequences of non-compliance with the steps or improvement plan indicated

Suspension, with or without pay, may be used when the actions of an employee are being investigated. The employee is placed on suspension while the investigation is conducted. The outcome of the investigation determines whether the employee is reinstated (either with or without further disciplinary action) or is discharged. Suspension may also be an option for disciplinary action when an employee has committed a serious infraction.

The University retains the right to terminate your employment at will, with or without cause or reason and with or without notice. For the University's Employment at Will statement, refer to the ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYMENT section in this handbook.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #702 Corrective Action, and policy #101 Employment at Will.


Notice of Non-Discrimination

St. John’s University does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, gender or sex (including sexual harassment and sexual violence), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or partnership status, alienage or citizenship status, disability, genetic predisposition, caregiver status, pregnancy, sexual and reproductive health decisions, status as a victim of domestic violence/sexual offenses/stalking, status in the uniformed services of the United States (including veteran status), arrest or conviction record, credit history, salary history, unemployment status or any other basis prohibited by law in its programs and activities as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Amendments Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI or Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies.  

The following person has been designated to handle student inquiries regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Amendments Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and related statutes and regulations: Jason Luchs, Associate Director of Disability Services, Marillac Hall, Room 134, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, [email protected]; 718-990-6867.  

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and to serve as the Title IX coordinator for purposes of overall campus compliance: Danielle Haynes, Director of Equal Opportunity, Compliance and Title IX Coordinator, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, [email protected]; 718-990-2660.

The following person has been designated deputy Title IX coordinator for Athletics:  Kristin Quinn, Senior Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women Administrator, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, [email protected]; 718-990-6736.

The following person has been designated deputy Title IX coordinator for the Office of Student Life: Jackie Lochrie, Associate Dean for Student Services, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY 11439, [email protected]; 718-990-6568.

Inquiries concerning the application of anti-discrimination laws may be referred to the Title IX coordinators or to the Office for Civil Rights, United States Department of Education. For further information on notice of nondiscrimination, visit http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/CFAPPS/OCR/contactus.cfm for the address and phone number of the U.S. Department of Education office that serves your area, or call 1(800) 421-3481.


Policy against Bias, Discrimination and Harassment

St. John's University is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive campus community. To this end, and consistent with the University's mission as a Catholic, Vincentian, metropolitan and global institution of higher education, the University abides by all applicable federal, state and local laws that prohibit discrimination in any educational or employment program, policy, or practice. In accordance with these laws, the University also prohibits retaliation against anyone who has complained about bias, discrimination, discriminatory harassment, or sexual harassment, or otherwise exercised rights guaranteed by these laws. all University policies, practices, and procedures are administered in a manner that preserves its rights and identify as a Catholic and Vincentian institution of higher education.

All members of the University Community have an obligation to cooperate in the application of this policy and the investigation of complaints of violations to this policy. Individuals who observe conduct that may violate this policy are encouraged, but not required, to communicate to the offending person that the conduct is offensive and unwelcome. Individuals are also encouraged to help defuse any situation where they observe someone behaving in a manner towards others that may violate this policy, either by intervening directly or by alerting a supervisor or the office of Human Resources to assist. The University will hold individuals who engage in discrimination or harassment accountable, as well as supervisors who knowingly allow such behavior to continue or who fail to report behavior that they suspect may violate this policy to the Office of Human Resources.

Any member of the University community who believes they have experienced prohibited bias, discrimination, discriminatory harassment, or sexual harassment in employment or in the context of academic pursuits, or any member of the University community who becomes aware of potentially biased, discriminator, or harassing conduct directed at another member of the University community should promptly report the matter by contacting:

Equal Opportunity and Compliance
​Office of Human Resources
University Center, Queens Campus
(718) 990-1865 (press 4)
www.stjohns.edu/reportbias

For the University's complete policy against bias, discrimination and harassment, including definitions of prohibited conduct, non-fraternization, and the complaint procedure, refer to policy #704 in the Human Resources Policy Manual.


What You Should Know About Violence in the Workplace

St. John’s University has a zero tolerance policy for violence in the workplace. Any form of violent behavior, from the seemingly insignificant to the significant, is inherently destructive to the fabric of our University community and will not be tolerated. As an employee, you have a responsibility to report promptly to your immediate supervisor all threats or incidents of workplace violence, whether they are directed at you or at another member of the University community. Your supervisor, the Public Safety Department and the Office of Human Resources will coordinate an appropriate response.

In crisis situations, or in any case where there is a concern about an immediate threat of violence or if a situation continues to escalate, you should call 911 and the Public Safety Department immediately. On the Queens campus, the Public Safety emergency number is extension 5252; on Staten Island, Public Safety can be reached at extension 4487. On the Manhattan campus, you can reach the security desk at 212-277-5155.

Prohibited Behaviors
St. John’s University prohibits threatening or violent behaviors, directed at an individual, group of individuals, class of individuals or relatives of those individuals. The University policy applies to any threats or acts of violence related to the University workplace.

Prohibited behaviors include, but are not limited to:

  • Threats or acts of violence made directly or indirectly by words, gestures or symbols
  • Threats or acts of violence that are targeted at any specific class of individuals
  • Intimidating threats or acts in any manner or form which intimidate, coerce or cause fear of harm
  • Other crimes that interrupt departmental productivity or cause fear of harm
  • The use of physical force with the intent to commit harm

Violations of the University’s policy on Violence in the Workplace may result in corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.

Prohibition of Weapons on University Property
The University expressly prohibits on University owned or controlled property or at University sponsored functions the possession, display, use, storage or distribution of any weapon to include, but not limited to, any firearm, pistol, revolver, rifle, assault weapon, shotgun, air gun, pellet gun, BB gun, ammunition, explosive, firework, stun gun, switchblade and other automatic knife, and other deadly or dangerous weapons, such as are defined in NY Penal Law Article 265.

This prohibition extends to imitation firearms and other objects that can be construed or used as weapons, and to items that pose a potential hazard to the safety or health of others, unauthorized hazardous materials or chemicals.  Any use of gun replicas for educational, filming, or theatrical acting purposes must be cleared through the Department of Public Safety prior to being used for the specified purpose.

Exceptions to this policy include on-duty law enforcement officers who are legally permitted to carry weapons on campus and individuals who have received specific, written authorization from the Vice President of Public Safety.  Off-duty law enforcement personnel who are armed on University owned or controlled property or at University sponsored functions are required to check in with Public Safety upon arrival to present proper identification and to secure authorization.

Violations, as well as any potentially dangerous situations, should be immediately reported to the Department of Public Safety at 718-990-5252.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #708 Violence in the Workplace.


What You Should Know About Hate Crimes

Members of the University community shall immediately report to law enforcement and the department of public safety any criminal acts that are committed in whole or in part because of a belief of perception regarding the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation of a person.

A member of the University community who commits a hate crime and/or interferes with the investigation and/or prosecution of a hate crime shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including separation from the University.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #709 Hate Crimes


What You Should Know About Sexual Misconduct

Sexual misconduct includes a broad range of behaviors that will not be tolerated in the University’s education programs or activities.  The University's Title IX and N.Y. Education Law Article 129-B Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures (Policy 703) prohibits sexual harassment and sexual violence, including the offenses of sexual assault, sexual activity without consent, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking (collectively, “sexual misconduct”).  The University also prohibits retaliation against a person for the good faith reporting of any alleged violation or for participating in any investigation or hearing. Sexual misconduct can occur between strangers, acquaintances, or people who know each other well, including those who are involved in an intimate or sexual relationship, and can be committed by anyone regardless of sex, gender, or gender identity.

The purpose of Policy 703 is to ensure that all community members live, work and learn in a safe and respectful environment free from any form of sexual misconduct. If there is a violation of Policy703, the University will address it in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Policy.

Inquiries concerning Policy 703 or Title IX may be referred to the University’s Title IX Coordinator.  The University’s Title IX Coordinator is:

Danielle Haynes
Director of Equal Opportunity, Compliance and Title IX
St. John’s University
Office of Human Resources, University Center
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439
Phone: 718-990-2660
[email protected]

Link here to the complete Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures, located in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #703.


Sexual Abuse of Minors

Any allegation of criminal sexual abuse of a minor (a person under the age of 18) that is brought to the attention of any employee of the University must be reported. Ordinarily, such reports should be made to the Department of Public Safety and it is the University policy to immediately report any such allegations to local law enforcement authorities through the Office of the General Counsel. This includes any allegation of criminal sexual abuse of a minor that 1) Occurs on a St. John’s campus or 2) Is committed by an employee of the University. The University will inform the child victim and/or informant that the allegation has been forwarded on his/her behalf and that such notification is mandatory.

The University will cooperate fully with the victim and law enforcement authorities in the investigation of such matters and take any actions that are deemed appropriate and necessary. 

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #703 Sexual Assault, policy #704 Bias, Discrimination and Harassment, policy #707 Sexual Abuse of Minors, policy #712 Reporting Student Crisis Situations, and policy #1006 Crime Awareness and Reporting.


Smoking

To comply with the Smoke-Free Air Act, as enacted by the City of New York, and in order to provide employees and students with a healthy environment, it is the policy of St. John’s University to prohibit smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes in all buildings and facilities. When smoking or using electronic cigarettes outside, individuals should be mindful of nearby doors and windows. In an effort to prevent outdoor smoke from permeating buildings and affecting indoor occupants, University policy prohibits smoking and electronic cigarette use within a minimum of 30 feet of any entrance, exit, open window or air intake to a building or facility.

Inquiries, complaints or disputes about smoking should be directed to the following:

  • For Employee Concerns: Human Resources Services on the Queens campus, extension 1502
  • For Student Concerns: Dean of Student Life for the appropriate campus (Queens extension 6774; Staten Island extension 4445; and Manhattan 212-277-5173)

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #804 Smoking.


Lactation Accommodation for Nursing Mothers

Upon request, the University will provide employees with a designated "Lactation Room" where employees can pump during work hours. The University will provide reasonable unpaid break time or permit an employee to use paid break time or meal time each day to allow the employee to express breast milk, as required by law.

To request a "Lactation Room," contact a member of the Human Resources Services team at 718-990-1865 (press option 7).

Additional policy information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #809 Lactation Accommodation for Nursing Mothers.


Animals on University Property

For health and safety reasons, no animals, except as noted below, are permitted on University grounds or in University-owned or leased buildings. An animal found on University grounds or in a University-owned or leased building will be impounded. Animals left unattended in motor vehicles parked on University grounds are also subject to impoundment if they create a nuisance or if the welfare of the animal is threatened. Owners will be responsible for all costs associated with the impoundment of an animal, including veterinary expenses. To report an animal on University property, contact the Public Safety Department or the Office of Human Resources.

The only exceptions to this policy are:

  • Animals trained to assist persons with disabilities
  • Animals used in University laboratories or classrooms for research or observation purposes
  • Fish in aquariums in residence halls
  • Common household pets in off-campus residences owned or leased by the University

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #1027 Animals on University Property.


Statement on a Drug-Free Workplace

This statement and its requirements are promulgated in accordance with the requirements of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 enacted by the United States Congress. The University will continue its efforts to maintain a drug-free environment by adhering to the policy and by providing on-going drug awareness programs.

  1. St. John’s University is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in compliance with applicable laws. The unlawful possession, use, distribution, dispensing, sale or manufacture of controlled substances is prohibited on University premises. Violation of this policy may result in termination of employment or the imposition of other employment discipline as defined by existing University Statutes, policies, employment contracts and/or labor agreements. All employees of the University must abide by this policy. At the discretion of the University, and after following appropriate procedures, any employee convicted of a drug offense involving the workplace shall be subject to employee discipline and/or required to satisfactorily complete a drug rehabilitation program as a condition of continued employment.
  2. The illegal use of controlled substances can seriously injure the health of employees; adversely impair the performance of their responsibilities; and endanger the safety and well-being of fellow employees, students and members of the general public. Therefore, the University urges employees engaged in the illegal use of controlled substances to seek professional advice and treatment. Anyone who is employed at St. John’s University is invited to participate in the University’s substance abuse prevention program that includes educational material, wellness initiatives, written policies and resources. The Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a free and confidential employee benefit, offers a wide range of support services from assessment, referral and follow up, to articles, resource listings, and an online substance abuse treatment facility locator for employees and family members who may be experiencing problems with alcohol and other drugs. Employees engaged in contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense are additionally subject to DOD requirements and may be required to submit to tests for the illegal use of controlled substances.
  3. In order to comply with federal law, St. John’s University requires that employees notify the Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance in the Office of Human Resources 718-990-2660 of any criminal drug statute conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than five (5) days after such conviction. The University must notify any federal contracting agency within ten (10) days of having received notice that an employee engaged in the performance of such contract has had any criminal drug statute conviction for a violation occurring in the workplace. After following appropriate procedures, the University will impose a sanction on or require the satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program by any employee who is so convicted. 

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #805 Drug-Free Workplace, and policy #806 Drug and Alcohol.


Drug and Alcohol Policy

The complete text of the University’s drug and alcohol policy, as well as the Drug-Free Campus Guidelines published by the University’s Alcohol and Other Drug Education Office can be found in the Policy Manual, policy #805 and #806. The student policy is located in the Student Handbook online.

St. John’s University is committed to an educational community that is free of illegal drug use and alcohol misuse. Therefore, the University strictly prohibits the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs or alcohol on its property or as part of its activities. Any employee found to possess, use, or distribute alcohol or controlled substances on University property or at a University activity, in violation of law or University policy, is subject to University disciplinary action as well as possible referral for criminal prosecution. Such violations of the standards of conduct will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, with the imposition of discipline being appropriate to the severity of the violation. Disciplinary action ranges from, but it is not limited to, professional counseling to termination of employment and referral for prosecution.

Drug use is a major health problem in the United States. As an institution rooted in the Vincentian tradition of serving the community, the University is committed to helping any individual member of the University community overcome the psychological and physical problems that may be attributable to drug and alcohol abuse. St. John's University Department of Student Wellness publishes and distributes annually the Drug-Free Campus Guidelines. These guidelines contain important information concerning drugs and alcohol that the University is legally obligated to communicate to its employees and students. The Guidelines include detailed information on legal sanctions, federal trafficking penalties, health risks and the effects of using illicit drugs. They also contain hotline numbers and contact information for available New York City programs for detoxification, outpatient rehabilitation, inpatient rehabilitation and re-entry programs. Employees and students receive this information each year. It is also available on the University’s website.

Drug and Alcohol Support Services
The University’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), offered through an external professional service, provides employees and their family members with free and confidential assessment, referral, and follow-up services if they are experiencing problems with alcohol and substance abuse or need other assistance concerning personal or work-related issues, family and care giving concerns, emotional wellbeing, health and wellness, and daily living challenges. Employees can request assistance and initiate these services 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling the helpline at (800) 833-8707. The EAP program provides employees a wide range of support to help handle life's challenges successfully - from routine concerns to crises. On-campus workshops are offered on a wide range of topics, in addition to online webinars and on-demand seminars.  Employees and family members have continuous online access to the member website at www.myccaonline.com (login with company code: STJOHNS). Additionally, professional consultants are available to employees 24/7 via immediate phone access. In-person sessions with a counselor can be arranged by appointment at convenient locations locally and nationwide. A list of local treatment facilities can be found in the complete policy #806. Employees can also access the online substance abuse treatment facility locator provided on the EAP website.

University Office  Queens Campus            Staten Island Campus          Manhattan Campus
Employee Assistance Program (administered by the Office of Human Resources)  All campuses call (800) 833-8707
or visit http://www.myccaonline.com
(log in with code: STJOHNS)
Campus Ministry 718-990-6255718-390-4473212-277-5129
Center for Counseling and Consultation (for students) 718-990-6384718-390-4451Call Queens office at 718-990-6384
Department of Student Wellness All campuses call the Queens office at
718-990-8048
Student Health Services 718-990-6360718-390-4447N/A

Demonstrations on Campus

St. John’s University supports the right of all members of the University community (persons who are students, faculty, staff or administrators of the university) as individuals or as organizations to examine, to discuss and to advocate any issue and to express any opinion, both publicly and privately, within constitutionally valid limitations, set by local, state or federal law. A rational and orderly examination of issues is fundamental to the academic process and is to be encouraged rather than repressed.

To this end, members of the University community are permitted to conduct orderly demonstrations that do not disrupt the educational process or interfere with the rights of any member of the University community. Persons who are NOT members of the University community are NOT permitted to demonstrate on campus.

To read the full Demonstration policies and procedures, and link to the Demonstration Request Form, see policy #1008 in the HR Policy Manual, including the portions that apply to students and faculty, refer to the Student Handbook, and Human Resources Policy Manual policy #1008.


Your Right to Free Speech and Expression

All members of the St. John’s University community enjoy the right to freedom of speech and expression that is consistent with the University Mission and its Catholic character and Vincentian tradition. St. John’s seeks to foster an environment of global harmony and to incorporate diverse perspectives.

The right of free speech and expression does not include unlawful activity or activity that endangers or threatens to endanger the safety of any member of the University community or any of the University’s physical facilities, or any activity that disrupts or obstructs the functions of the University or immediately threatens such disruption or obstruction. Expression that is indecent, obscene or grossly offensive on matters such as race, ethnicity, religion or gender violates the expectations of professional conduct at the University.

Although St. John’s University supports the responsible exchange of discourse and the expression of ideas and opinions, the use of the University forum shall not imply acceptance or endorsement by the University of the views expressed. If your employee rights have been violated and/or you experience a direct conflict with the above stated policy, you should follow the Complaint Resolution procedures. Refer to When You Have a Complaint in this Employee Handbook. For complaints related to bias, discrimination or harassment, follow the procedures outlined in the University’s Policy against Bias, Discrimination and Harassment also in this handbook.

The University has established procedures to assist members of the University community to interpret the Speech and Expression policy. These procedures, along with the complete text of the Speech and Expression policy, can be found in the Student Handbook and Human Resources Policy Manual policy #1009 .


HIPAA Complaint Procedures

Overview
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law enacted by Congress in 1996. HIPAA’s privacy rules became effective on April 14, 2003. The HIPAA privacy rules provide guidelines for safeguarding the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information. The University has an obligation to reasonably safeguard this protected health information (“PHI”) from any intentional or unintentional use or disclosure that is in violation of the privacy rules.

For the complete text of the University’s HIPAA policy, refer to #710 in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #710.

Privacy Official
The University’s Privacy Official is responsible for the development and implementation of the policies and procedures required under HIPAA. The Privacy Official is also responsible for ensuring compliance, answering questions, and responding to and resolving complaints.

Joshua Hurwit is the University’s designated HIPAA Privacy Official. He can be contacted by phone at 718-990-5699, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Employees who believe that their PHI has been used or disclosed improperly by the University have the right to file a complaint. Complaints can be filed with the University’s Privacy Official or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.

University employees found to be in violation of HIPAA’s privacy standards may be subject to corrective action, up to and including termination of employment. In addition, the wrongful disclosure of PHI under HIPAA is a criminal offense.

Complaint Procedures
The following complaint process is available to assist employees who believe their privacy rights under HIPAA have been violated.

  1. Employees may file a complaint with the University’s designated HIPAA Privacy Official in the manner provided above under “Privacy Official.”
  2. All complaints must be submitted in writing.
  3. The Privacy Official has authority to conduct an investigation into the complaint.
  4. Employees shall be protected from retaliation as a result of filing a complaint.
  5. Employees who believe that the University is not complying with HIPAA requirements may also file a health information privacy complaint with the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Complaints must be made in writing and submitted via paper, fax or e-mail to the appropriate regional office of the DHHS Office for Civil Rights.

Email Policy

Email is a vital business tool for communicating both internally and externally. However, because of its flexibility and general availability, the use of electronic messaging carries with it several significant risks and all users must remain vigilant and adopt good practice when sending and receiving messages. The University’s provided electronic messaging facilities are used when communicating with others on official business. Personal accounts must not be used for this purpose. Guidelines on the sending of classified information via electronic messaging are always observed. Employees must not send or receive information that contains Personally Identifiable Information (PII). In addition, St. John’s blocks all electronic messages containing credit card information with Data Loss Prevention (DLP) in place. Refer to Policy #906 for the complete policy or to Section 900 in the HR Policy Manual for the full list of Information Technology policies.. 


Security Policy for University Events

The safety and security of students, faculty, administrators, staff and visitors during events taking place at the University is paramount. In an effort to help facilitate student and University programs and to support and encourage on-campus activities, metal detectors, including magnetometer machines and hand-held wands, may be utilized to ensure a safe event. The complete text of this University policy and related procedures are located in the HR Policy Manual, policy #1031. Questions concerning event security should be directed to Public Safety at 718-990-6647.


Whistleblower Policy 

Current and former University Trustees, Governors, employees, independent contractors, and volunteers are to report any conduct that they reasonably believe violates any law, rule or regulation, executive order, or judicial or administrative decision, ruling, or order, as well as any conduct that they reasonably believe constitutes a substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety.

To use EthicsPoint to make a report, either call the toll-free number (844) 282-3525 or go to the St. John's EthicsPoint website and click the "Make a Report" link. EthicsPoint links are available on the St. John's website and in St. John's Connect (click on "Report an Incident). The direct URL for SJU EthicsPoint is: https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/41213/index.html.  When a report is received, the person who completes the report will be assigned a unique code called a "report key" to be used to reenter the system in order to access feedback and questions. The University's Office of General Counsel will review all EthicsPoint reports.

The University prohibits retaliation against anyone who whistleblows in good faith.

Related Information
The University’s Financial Conflict of Interest Policy on Grants, Contracts and Sponsored Projects can be found on the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research website. Reports of suspected or known violations of other University policies should be reported as follows:

  • Sexual harassment, discrimination, ADA, equal opportunity and immigration matters to the Office of Human Resources.
  • Violations of NCAA regulations to the Athletics Compliance Officer.
  • Issues of conflict of interest to the Office of General Counsel.
  • Contract violations to the Office of General Counsel.
  • Safety, environmental or health matters to the Office of Environmental Health and Safety.
  • Scientific misconduct to the senior administrator as defined in the University’s Policy and Administrative Procedures Governing Scientific Misconduct (found on the Office of Grants and Sponsored Research page of the University website)
  • Criminal activity to the Department of Public Safety

Questions about reporting should be directed to the Office of the General Counsel at 718-990-6421.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #1032.


Minors on Campus

At St. John’s, we host minors on our campuses in a variety of contexts, such as to participate in academic programs, mentoring programs, sports camps and a host of other social, educational and vocational events. The University has developed guidelines to ensure that we take reasonable precautions for the safety and security of the minors who visit our campuses. These guidelines can be found in policy #711 in the Human Resources Policy Manual. Related certification forms, procedures and more information can be obtained from the Office of General Counsel (extension 6337 or 718-990-6337) or printed off the Office of General Counsel page.


The Importance of Fire Safety

The University has developed comprehensive plans and fire safety manuals for its buildings. The University’s fire protection systems and programs are designed to save lives and protect property. It is imperative that the entire University Community cooperate to maintain a safe environment for education, work and residential life. Employees with inquiries regarding fire safety policies and procedures should call the Fire Safety Director at 718-990-2587. The Intranet sites contains important fire safety instructions, heating season and holiday safety tips, links to building fire safety plans and more.

Fire Drills
Immediate response to a fire alarm is a major factor in insuring the safety of individuals. The University conducts both scheduled and unscheduled fire drills each semester on all campuses. All students, faculty and staff must react immediately when a fire alarm is activated.

Fire Emergency Response
In the event of a fire, stay calm. Evacuate the building. If you must take immediate action, use your judgment as to the safest course of action, guided by the following information.

If there is a Fire in Your Area

  • Close the door to the room where the fire is and leave the room.
  • Take your keys.
  • Close, but do not lock the door.
  • Alert people on your floor by pulling the fire alarm box handle on your way to the exit.
  • Use the nearest stairway to leave the building.
  • Do not use the elevator.
  • Call ext. 5252 (Queens) ext. 4487 (Staten Island) once you reach a safe location. Do not assume the fire has been reported unless firefighters are on the scene.
  • Assemble outside the building. Notify the firefighters if anyone is unaccounted for.

If the Fire is Not in Your Area:

  • Evacuate when you hear a fire alarm signal or someone shouting "fire".
  • When you exit, first feel the door and doorknob for heat. If they are not hot, open the door slightly and check the hallway for smoke, heat or fire.
  • If you can safely exit, follow the instructions above for a fire in your room.
  • If you cannot safely exit your building, call ext. 5252 (Queens), ext. 4487 (Staten Island) and tell them your location and the number of people in your area.
  • Seal the doors to your room with wet towels or sheets and seal air ducts or other openings where smoke may enter.
  • Open windows a few inches unless flames and smoke are coming from below.
  • Do not break any windows.
  • If conditions in the room appear life threatening, open a window and wave a towel or sheet to attract the attention of firefighters.
  • If conditions worsen before help arrives, get down on the floor and take short breaths through your nose.

Holiday Safety Guidelines

  • All decorations and artificial Christmas trees must be either inherently fire retardant or treated with a fire retardant chemical, and they must be labeled as such in order to be approved for use.
  • Candles that can be lit are not allowed for any decoration or indoor ceremony (excluding the Church and Chapel).
  • Christmas trees and any other holiday decoration should not be placed in any required exit pathway.
  • Natural Christmas trees, wreaths and branches are not permitted in any campus building (excluding the Church and Chapel).
  • Artificial trees may be decorated with electric lights, however, only UL listed miniature lights, in perfect working condition, may be used. Metallic trees should not be decorated with any type of electrical decorations or devices.
  • Decorative electric lights should not be left unattended, and must be turned off when the area they are displayed in is vacated (e.g.: after office hours, on weekends, etc.).

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #1011.


Vehicle and Parking Regulations

In order to accommodate the parking needs of the University community, the Department of Public Safety has developed a Parking Program with information on how to apply for a parking permit, the types and terms of permits, where to park, enforcement and fines, event parking and campus directions and maps.

All members of the University community who wish to park on campus must have an appropriate parking permit issued by Public Safety. Employees can apply for a parking permit in person or online by logging onto the University Information System (UIS) from SignOn.stjohns.edu. Once logged on, click the UIS icon and go to the “Personal Information” tab, click on “Parking Permit Application” and then follow the onscreen instructions. Parking on campus is not an entitlement and is limited by available parking space. Parking privileges can be refused or revoked at the discretion of the University.

For more information, refer to policy #1005 Vehicle and Parking Regulations in the HR Policy Manual


Reporting a Crime

All potential criminal activity, including any allegation of criminal sexual assault that is brought to the attention of any member of the University, must be reported to Public Safety (with a specific, limited exemption for pastoral and professional counselors). If you witness or become the victim of a crime, accident, medical emergency, fire, or suspicious or threatening circumstance on any St. John’s University campus, you should call 911 or the Public Safety emergency number – 718-990-5252.

All telephones on University properties can dial 911 directly. The Queens and Staten Island campuses have Public Safety/Security Officers on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Public Safety Officers on the Manhattan campus are on duty Monday-Saturday from 7:00am to 11:00pm. Any criminal act should be reported immediately either in person or via telephone to the Public Safety Department or the Dean of Students, as appropriate. Public Safety can be reached as follows: Queens campus (718) 990-6281, or ext. 5252 for emergencies; Staten Island campus (718) 390-4487; Public Safety Desk on the Manhattan campus 212-277-5155. Contact information for the Dean of Students is as follows: Queens campus, (718) 990-6568; Staten Island campus, (718) 390-4443.

Confidential Tip Line – 718-RED-SAFE

The Department of Public Safety has established an automated 24-hour confidential tip line. This tip line enables anyone in the University community to report information to Public Safety anonymously, while being recorded on an answering machine. The number is: 718-733-7233 or 718-RED-SAFE. No attempt will be made by Public Safety to identify callers; should a caller wish to be contacted by Public Safety, he or she should include contact information in the voice message. If the caller is in need of an immediate response by Public Safety, the caller should dial (718) 990-5252 to reach the Public Safety command center.

Distribution of Security Information and Printed Crime Prevention Material
Printed crime prevention brochures, crime prevention tips, posters, bookmarks, and special safety-oriented campus maps are distributed at crime prevention presentations, Orientation sessions, and at various locations on the University campuses.

Campus Security Act Annual Report
Annually, the University’s Public Safety Department updates security information and makes it available to the University community on the Public Safety website. This information also includes crime statistics for each campus, which are reported and made available in accordance with legal requirements.

Campus Safety and Crime Prevention Programs
St. John’s University provides programs for students, parents, faculty, staff and residence life addressing safety issues and crime prevention on campus. These programs are provided at Orientations, in trainings, and on the Web. All faculty and staff are required to attend an Emergency Response training program conducted by the Department of Public Safety. Emergency phones, a surveillance system and escort service operate 24 hours a day. Routine fire drills are conducted in each campus building once a semester. In addition, all buildings have a public address system to be used in the case of emergencies. An email and phone alert system notifies the University community of emergency situations. Public Safety officers engage in routine motorized and foot patrol on the Queens and Staten Island campuses on a 24 hour basis.

Timely Warnings
In the event that a situation arises, either on or off campus, that, in the judgment of the Executive Director of Public Safety constitutes an ongoing or continuing threat, a campus wide Public Safety Advisory will be issued. The warning will be issued through the University's e-mail system to students, faculty, and staff, and it will be posted on the Public Safety website.

Depending on the particular circumstances of the crime, especially in situations that could pose an immediate threat to the community and individuals, Public Safety may also issue an emergency text and voice message alert through the University Emergency Notification System and or utilize the public address system on campus to alert our community.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #1006.


Reporting Student Crisis Situations

Every member of the faculty, administration and staff of St. John’s University, acting in his or her capacity as an employee of the University, is obligated to immediately report any incident of sexual assault, rape or other forcible sexual offense against any student member of the University community upon learning of the incident. Moreover, every member of the faculty, administration and staff is similarly obligated to report any incident of intimate partner violence or stalking against any student member of the University community upon learning of the incident. Then continue with the next sentence, which ends the paragraph. Even when a student requests confidentiality of the incident, the employee has a responsibility to report it according to the reporting structure described below.

It is further the responsibility of every member of the faculty, administration and staff of the University to immediately report other student crisis situations that he or she may learn of to University officials. Examples of such student crisis situations would include, but are not limited to, a suicide attempt or thoughts of suicide, immediate or serious threat to a student’s safety or the safety of others, self-starvation of a life-threatening nature, and other health-related emergencies or involuntary confinement to a hospital or health facility. The reporting structure is described below.

Reporting Structure
When the student situation is a crisis, but no imminent danger exists, report it to:

  • Dean of Students (Queens ext. 6774; Staten Island ext. 4445; Manhattan ext. 5173); or
  • Vice President for Public Safety at 718-990-5252 or Queens ext. 5252; Staten Island ext 4487, Manhattan ext. 5155.

When a student is in imminent danger, call 911 and Public Safety directly from any campus phone, before following the reporting structure provided. The Department of Public Safety can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Related Student Resources for Non-Emergency Situations

University OfficeQueens CampusStaten Island CampusManhattan Campus
Campus Ministry718-990-6255718-990-4473/4475212-277-5432
Center for Counseling and ConsultationExtension 6384Extension 4451(Queens) ext. 6384
Health ServicesExtension 6360Extension 4447(Queens) ext. 6360
Student Wellness718-990-7537718-390-4447(Queens) ext. 7537

 

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #712.


Advisory Committee on Campus Security

The Advisory Committee on Campus Security on each campus reviews current campus security policies and procedures and makes recommendations for their improvement. The committee specifically reviews current policy and procedures for:

  • Educating the campus community, including Public Safety personnel and those persons who advise or supervise students about sexual assault
  • Educating the campus community about personal safety and crime prevention
  • Reporting sexual assaults and dealing with victims during investigations
  • Referring complaints to the appropriate authorities
  • Counseling victims
  • Responding to inquiries from concerned persons

Emergency Evacuation Volunteer (EEV) Program

The St. John’s University EEV program provides a unique opportunity for staff, administrators, faculty and students to volunteer their services to assist the University during emergencies. EEVs provide valuable and necessary support to Public Safety and receive training in building evacuations, situational awareness and phone chain protocols. Volunteers are designated for every building on our campuses and during emergencies EEVs take their direction directly from the Public Safety department.

To learn more about how you can become an EEV, or to find out who the EEVs are for your campus or building, contact the Office of Fire Safety on the Queens campus.


Emergency Text and Voicemail System

The safety of all people on St. John’s campuses remains the University’s highest priority. The University has instituted a Text and Voice Messaging System to alert members of the University community in cases of emergencies affecting one or more of our campuses. Individuals must either register or opt out to the free service via the University Information System’s (UIS) secure site. Log on to UIS, go to the Personal Information Menu and follow the prompts. Once registered, you will receive text and voice messages to your cell phone or off-campus wired telephone if and when emergencies occur on any of our U.S. campuses. These communications will alert you to the situation and direct you as to what action to take to secure your safety.

While there are other information sources available for messages on the status of events unfolding (St. John’s Web site at www.stjohns.edu, University emergency bulletins on (718) 990-2000, voice broadcast and e-mail messages), the text messaging system is the most effective immediate alert system available to members of the University community.

Messages that are conveyed through these communication systems will be specific to the particular situation. However, there are two common forms of safety instruction: “Stay in Place” or “Evacuate.”

  • In the event of a Stay-in-Place order: Stay calm….do not panic; Safely stop work; If safe, close office windows, but do not lock them unless there is a direct threat; Move to the safest place within your work area; When necessary, stay away from glass doors and windows; Do not leave the building or work area until instructed to do so by the proper authorities; Do not remain in the hallway or stairwells, but proceed to a safe room within the building.
  • In the event of an Evacuation order: Stay calm… do not rush or panic; Safely stop work; Gather personal belongings if it is safe to do so; If safe, close office doors and windows while evacuating, but do not lock them; Use the closest safe stairs and proceed to the nearest exit, do not use the elevator; Follow the instructions of Public Safety Officers and Emergency Evacuation Volunteers (EEVs) who will direct you to an assembly area; Wait for instructions from Public Safety or emergency responders; Do not re-enter the building or work area until instructed to do so by the proper authorities.

St. John’s is extremely fortunate to have such a high caliber of personnel in the field of Emergency Preparedness working in Public Safety, and the incredible resources of the NYPD, but it is also critical that each of us take responsibility for ensuring that we are aware of what to do in an emergency situation. Remember, you must register in order to receive emergency text and voice messages. To do so, log onto the UIS system directly, go to the Personal Information Menu and simply follow the prompts.

For more information about safety at St. John's, visit the web at www.stjohns.edu/safety. Additional information can also be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #1033.


When the School Must Close Due to Emergency

In the event it becomes necessary to close the University because of an emergency, such as severe weather, notice of such a closing or a delayed opening will be available to the University community through several sources:

  • The phone number (718) 990-2000 will carry detailed information. Please do not call the Office of Public Safety on any of the St. John’s campuses, as these calls tie up the lines for safety emergencies.
  • The St. John’s website (www.stjohns.edu) will carry a written notice with the same updated information as provided by phone.
  • Area television and radio stations will include St. John’s in their listing of school closings and delayed openings. These include WINS 1010 AM and WCBS 880 AM, which make recurring announcements throughout the day, usually beginning around 5 a.m.
  • Text and voice messaging may be employed in case of an emergency on or around one or more St. John’s campuses.
  • Should the decision to close the University occur during the work/school day, other means of communication may also be used. These include the Audix phone system, email and the campus digital signage.

If the emergency event occurs during business hours, senior management will make a decision on the best time to close based on the emergency conditions, class schedules, exams and other scheduled University functions, which will be communicated via the channels as outlined above.

Compensation
Employees who were scheduled to work receive their regular compensation for time lost due to an emergency school closing or a delayed opening/early dismissal. Part-time and temporary employees are also compensated if they were scheduled to work on the day of the closing. Employees who had scheduled time off from work on the day of the school closing would not be affected by the closing and, therefore, their time would remain charged as paid time off or leave, as appropriate. (Compensation for student workers is addressed in policy #1028.)

When an early dismissal is announced, employees who can leave early may do so. No compensatory time is granted to those who remain at work. Similarly, no compensatory time is granted in the case of a delayed opening when an employee reports to work earlier than the delayed opening time.

Essential Personnel
When University offices are closed or a delayed opening or early dismissal is announced due to an emergency such as severe weather, certain essential employees are requested to report as usual. These include, but may not be limited to, Public Safety Officers, animal facility caretakers, administrative employees in Facilities Services and other positions as determined by department supervisors.

Additional information can be found in the Human Resources Policy Manual, policy #1028.


Pregnant Workers Fairness

St. John’s University complies with New York City Human Rights law that prohibits discrimination in employment based on pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition. The University further complies with all applicable federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination in employment.  The University will work with employees who seek reasonable accommodation to perform functions of their job where they need assistance due to pregnancy or recovery from childbirth. Some examples of accommodations may include bathroom or other breaks, assistance with manual tasks, unpaid medical leave and changes to the work environment.

Supervisors are not authorized to make decisions regarding requests for accommodation.  Employees or supervisors who need assistance in securing accommodations should contact a member of the Human Resources Services team at (718) 990-1502.  HR Services will engage in an interactive process with the employee and the department to determine the appropriate accommodation in accordance with the law.

Employees should refer to the Pregnancy and Employment Rights poster on the Federal and New York Employment Posters webpage. For related policies, refer to the following in the Human Resources Policy Manual: Policy #103, Disabilities in the Workplace; Policy #502, Family and Medical Leave; Policy #704, Policy against Discrimination and Harassment; Policy #809, Accommodation of Nursing Mothers; and Policy #810 Pregnant Workers Fairness.


Office of Human Resources... organized to serve YOU...

We’re YOUR Human Resources Team
The capabilities of each of the Human Resources units depicted in the chart, allow us to provide a wide array of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of the staff, administrators, faculty, and student workers at St. John’s. The Office of Human Resources continues to improve its services and programs in an effort to serve the University community ever more effectively. The bottom line is that we are YOUR Human Resources department, working to meet your employment needs. So if you have a question, concern, idea or need help, contact a member of the Human Resources team—we’re here to assist you in any way we can. The phone numbers below are the central contact numbers for each of the Human Resources teams. When you call us on one of these numbers, we will quickly and efficiently direct your call to the appropriate team member.

Employee Benefits
718-990-2363
HR Services
718-990-1502
Payroll and HR
Information Systems

718-990-6180
Equal Opportunity and Compliance
718-990-1400
Training and Development
718-990-2330
Recruitment
718-990-2445
 
Compensation
718-990-2497
Student Employment
718-990-2331
Main HR
​718-990-1865

A complete contact list of department employees is available on the HR website. Click on Our Team to go there now.

Human Resources Policy Manual
The Human Resources Policy Manual contains the University-wide employment policies that apply to administrators and staff. Much of the information in this Employee Handbook is derived from the policy manual. Online, you can search policies alphabetically, by policy number or by section, or you can view recent policy updates by date. The Manual includes policy information covering areas such as employment, work environment, employee relations, benefits, time off, compensation and administrative operations. The Office of Human Resources developed the Manual to serve as a supervisor’s resource for information and guidance relating to the management of employees. The contents of the Manual are not confidential and you may, therefore, view the manual and ask questions any time you wish. The Manual is maintained and updated by the Office of Human Resources and updated throughout the year. To notify the office of any corrections, policy updates or if you have policy questions, please call HR Services at 718-990-1502.

HR Online
You can find the Office of Human Resources online. Human Resources online gives you instant access to valuable information about your employment, work environment, benefits and training.

Here are just a few of the things you can do when you visit the Human Resources website:

  • Download and print frequently used forms, such as benefits forms, new hire paperwork, vacation request forms and the RED performance appraisal.
  • Use the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) site to get immediate answers to dozens of commonly asked questions about your employment, policies, compensation, benefits and services.
  • Use the University Information System (UIS) feature to view information about your paychecks, year-end taxes and benefit data.
  • Use UIS to update your address and emergency contact information online.
  • Customize your Web profile by updating your name, title, campus address and phone number for your primary and any secondary University job you hold.
  • Review Human Resources policies.
  • Become familiar with the Human Resources functions and obtain contact names and numbers for each area.
  • Link to training and development opportunities and register for workshops.
  • Link to benefit carriers and summary plan descriptions.
  • Explore Internal Career Development opportunities at St. John’s.

Employee Engagement and Service Opportunities

As employees in the St. John’s University community, there are countless ways that we can engage one another and our students every day, from a quick chat on the sidewalk to organized events and sponsored activities, from sharing a meal in the dining hall to sharing a pew at church. While the opportunities are endless, the choice is each of ours. Any way we choose to connect will make a difference in how each of us  experiences St. John’s.

Here are some ideas for ways to get involved in our campus community:

  • Service Opportunities
  • Academic and Student Events
  • Social and Cultural Activities
  • Spirituality
  • Mentoring
  • Teaching at SJU
  • Student Worker Relationship
  • Red Storm Sports athletic events
  • Intramurals, Recreation, Health and Fitness
  • Charitable Giving

Specific opportunities and related links are available on the Employee Engagement web page. This site also houses information on the Values and Inclusion Program and Employee Resource Groups


Campus Ministry

Campus Ministry is people and programs and, most importantly, a presence within the community. We believe in encouraging the development of the whole person, and we welcome individuals of all religious traditions, while encouraging our Catholic followers to deepen their Catholic identity and to become active participants. As a community of faith, service and friendship, Campus Ministry takes seriously its unique role in expressing St. John's distinctive Catholic and Vincentian identity as embodied in the University's mission.

Campus ministers are on all campuses and are excellent resource people, who are available to provide counseling, spiritual guidance, and other supportive services and referrals. We invite you to become part of this growing campus community by taking advantage of the programs and activities offered by Campus Ministry. Whether you desire to join the music ministry, volunteer to serve the poor, participate in community service or faith sharing, or just join us for Mass, we would love to be a part of your St. John’s experience. Visit Campus Ministry on the web to find out more.

The Eucharist is celebrated in the chapels on the Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan campuses. You will find the weekly mass schedule for your campus on the web or contact Campus Ministry. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available by appointment.

Contact us on your campus at the following numbers:


Vincentian Center for Church and Society

Charity embraces justice — St. Vincent de Paul

The Vincentian Center for Church and Society was created at St. John’s University in 1994 to serve as a resource to identify and respond to the needs of the local Church, in furtherance of the Vincentian character and mission of the University. The Vincentian Center for Church and Society is a link between St. John's University, the Church, service organizations and the community at large.

Your participation is welcomed in many events throughout the year such as Founder’s Week, which commemorates St. Vincent de Paul’s founding of the Congregation of the Mission and the Vincentians’ founding of St. John’s University; and University Service Day, which celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul in September. The many activities of the Center, including lectures, conferences and forums are open to administrators, faculty and staff.

Visit vincenter.org for more information or stop by St. Vincent Hall, Room 108 on the Queens campus. You can reach the Center by phone at extension 1612 or e-mail at [email protected].


Cultural and Social Opportunities

Campus life at St. John’s is rich with a multitude of cultural and social experiences sponsored by various University departments and organizations throughout the year from African, Italian, and Hispanic heritage events and celebrations to concerts, theater productions, and holiday parties. We hope that you take advantage of the diverse cultural and social opportunities available at St. John’s, and that your participation serves to further broaden and enrich your life.

Examples of social activities hosted for the University community in past years include a summer picnic, winter carnival, President’s Christmas party, and summer concert on the Great Lawn, among others. You will learn about all the happenings on and around the campuses through web and e-mail announcements and by reading Today@.

Performing Arts at St. John’s
Our undergraduate students make up the Chappell Players Theater Group, Jazz Band, Mixed Chorus and the Voices of Victory. Performances are given throughout the year in various locations on campus and in the Little Theater, located next to Alumni Hall on the Queens campus. For a schedule of performances and ticket prices or to be placed on our mailing list, please contact the Director of Performing Arts via email at [email protected] or call 718-990-2972.


Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

A dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is at the heart of our mission. As a Catholic and Vincentian university, St. John's is committed to institutionalizing practices of inclusive excellence to ensure that we welcome and celebrate the intrinsic worth of all members of our community. We will becomes an even stronger university as we enhance equity at every level of our institution. As noted in our Vision Statement, our graduates will excel in the competencies and values required for leadership and service in a rapidly evolving world.

Visit the University's Office of Equity and Inclusion website for information on the University's Equity and Inclusion Council, Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Inclusivity Resource Center, the Academic Center for Equity and Inclusion, and RESPECT-Repond and Partner to Engage our Community team.


Red Storm Sports

For over 100 years, St. John’s University has carried a proud tradition in intercollegiate athletics. All men’s and women’s teams compete on the NCAA Division I level and most compete in the BIG EAST, one of the country’s nationally recognized college athletic conferences. Johnny Thunderbird is the official mascot of St. John's athletics.

The official athletic site of St. John’s University is www.redstormsports.com. Fans looking for information on the University’s athletic programs can visit this site to view team information, sports headlines, statistics, game schedules, the online store, GameTracker links for live stats, StormTracker videos and much more. You can also follow St. John’s athletics on Facebook and Twitter.

Men’s sports include: Baseball, Basketball, Fencing, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer and Tennis. Women’s sports include: Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field and Volleyball. St. John’s student-athletes have the benefit of competing in some of the best venues in the country, including Belson Stadium, Carnesecca Arena and Jack Kaiser Stadium, all on the St. John’s Queens campus, as well as Madison Square Garden in Manhattan.

Red White Club
Since 1983 the Red White Club has played a vital role in ensuring the success of student athletes as the premier giving society for supporters of Red Storm Sports. Donors can direct their gift to a specific sport or request that their contribution be used toward the Athletic Department’s most needed priorities. Visit the Red White Club website for information, ways to give, membership levels and benefits, and to join.


Campus Recreation

The Campus Recreation Department provides the entire university community with the opportunity to participate in a variety of formal and informal activities. These activities encompass team sports, individual and dual sports, as well as competitive and non-competitive activities. In addition to the obvious benefits of physical fitness, it is hoped the participants will also obtain improved skills, new and lifelong leisure time skills, along with social and ethical qualities (cooperation, trust, regard for others, etc.) from this program. A high level of skill is not a prerequisite to participate in any activities offered by this department. Therefore, all eligible students, faculty, staff and administrators are urged to take part in as many activities as time and interest permit.

The Campus Recreation Department is located on the Queens campus in Taffner Field House. You can also reach the department at 718-990-5810 or email the department at [email protected].

Fitness Centers
Fitness centers are open on the Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan campuses. You must present a valid St. John’s ID to use the facilities. For hours of operation, check the fitness center website for your campus.

Intramural Program
Having the opportunity to participate in both formal and informal recreational activities is an important part of everyday life. The Intramural program at St. John’s University provides formal recreational sports opportunities to all students, faculty, staff and administrators by offering an opportunity for interesting and rewarding competition in men’s, women’s and co-recreational activities such as basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball and flag football. Visit the website for more information, or call 718-990-6120 or email [email protected].


University Health and Professional Services

Center for Psychological Services
The University Center for Psychological Services provides psychological diagnostic and treatment services at low fees, using a sliding scale based on family income. It provides consultation and treatment to adults, adolescents and children from the community, as well as to families and couples. Group therapy is also offered. The Center is located in the Seton Complex at 152-11 Union Turnpike in Flushing (extension 1900 or 718-990-1900). For additional information about services and training offered by the Center, call or e-mail the center at [email protected].

Speech and Hearing Center
The University’s Speech and Hearing Center offers both diagnostic and treatment services to individuals with communication disorders. Services are provided to University employees, their spouses and pre-college age children at a discounted rate. The Center is located in the Seton Complex at 152-11 Union Turnpike in Flushing (extension 6480 or 718-990-6480).

Other Services
Health care professionals in Student Health Services can evaluate, treat and refer students who have health concerns on both the Queens and Staten Island campuses. Employees who experience an illness or injury should contact their primary physician and use normal health insurance channels. For questions about their health insurance coverage, employees should contact the Benefits Office on the Queens campus at extension 6587.

The University’s Center for Counseling and Consultation helps students who may be experiencing personal or emotional difficulties that interfere with their ability to perform well. Services for employees and their family members are available from the University’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Through the EAP, employees and their family members have free, confidential access to information, evaluation, crisis response, short-term counseling and referral services for a wide range of work-life, emotional and health and wellness matters.


Services Provided by Campus Public Safety

Contact Information for Public Safety and Security

Queens Campus
ROTC Building/McDonald Center
Goethals Avenue by Gate 6
Extension 6281 or 718-990-6281
Emergency extension 5252 or
718-990-5252

Staten Island campus
Spellman Hall
Extension 4487/4488 or (718) 390-4487/4488

Manhattan campus
Security Desk
212-277-5155

Building Access and Keys

For each campus, as the utilization of a building diminishes during the day or evening, Public Safety locks the building. These buildings are patrolled throughout the night on a random basis to ensure the safety and security of the campus. The same procedure is repeated during the weekend hours. On the Staten Island campus, Public Safety locks many of the classrooms after the last class of the day.

Exterior door access to a locked building is granted only on a limited basis of proven need. Public Safety is prepared to escort anyone to and from a building during non-working hours. Anyone entering or leaving a building during non-working hours is required to notify the Department of Public Safety. Students, faculty and staff are required to show a valid St. John's StormCard in order to gain entrance to certain buildings.

The University Key Control Program is under the auspices of the Public Safety Department. A Vice President, Dean or Department Head must authorize all requests for keys. Exterior door access to a locked building is granted on a limited basis or priority need. Request for lock changes or replacement keys can be made at the Public Safety office (Queens/Staten Island).

All changes or replacement keys require budget approval. Changes or replacement keys can be made at the Public Safety office on your campus. All employees must return University keys to their supervisor upon separation from employment.

Building or Office Lockout
If you lock yourself out of your office or building, or you have forgotten your key, call the Public Safety office. An Officer will be dispatched to your location and may require that you produce a StormCard or other valid picture identification.

Vehicle Lockout and Battery Jumps
On the Queens and Staten Island campuses, if you lock yourself out of your vehicle or you need a battery jump, call the Public Safety office. An Officer will help you gain entry to your car or jump-start it.

Escort Service
Round-the-clock service is provided by Public Safety Officers on the Queens and Staten Island campuses to accompany you from one point on campus to another or to your vehicle, if it is in the immediate vicinity of campus. Just call Public Safety on your campus for an escort anytime of the day or night.

Emergency Phone Service
There are clearly marked emergency phones located throughout the campuses. They can summon the Department of Public Safety, which will respond immediately. The phones are for emergency use only, which can include, but is not limited to: car trouble; injury, especially when an ambulance is required; crime prevention, whether a crime is in progress or the potential for the criminal act is suspected; and need for the escort service.

In cases of medical emergencies, all persons should call 911 and then Public Safety.

Bicycles on Campus
If you ride a bike on campus, be sure to register the bike and to lock or chain it up when you leave it unattended. Ask a Public Safety Officer for the locations of bicycle racks on campus.

Confidential Tip Line
The Department of Public Safety has established an automated 24-hour confidential tip line. This tip line will enable anyone in the university community to report information to Public Safety anonymously while being recorded on an answering machine.

The tip-line number is (718) RED-SAFE or (718) 733-7233.

Lost and Found
Items that are lost or found on campus should be turned in or reported to the Department of Public Safety.


Environmental Health and Safety

St. John’s University is committed to maintaining a safe and environmentally sound living, learning and working environment free from recognized hazards. Further, it is the policy of the University to comply with all applicable state and federal codes and regulations including those promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Campus activities are to be conducted in a safe and environmentally sound manner in compliance with these regulations, the University health and safety programs, and with any applicable policies and procedures. Every St. John’s University community member can assist this effort by understanding and incorporating safe and environmentally sound behavior in daily campus activities.

The University has programs and resources in place to implement its environmental health and safety policy. We strive to continually assess and improve our environmental health and safety programs. The law protects employees from retaliation for bringing forward any concerns regarding occupational health and safety.

If you have a question or concern about something you feel may be creating an unsafe work environment, please contact the Director of Environmental Health and Safety at 718-990-1348. In case of emergency, dial 911 or call the Department of Public Safety on your campus. Visit St. John’s Environmental Health and Safety on the web. Review the OSHA Job Safety and Health poster on the HR Employment Posters website.


Conference and Auxiliary Services

The Office of Conference and Auxiliary Services supports the University community and external organizations in booking meeting and event spaces and planning events on campus. The Office coordinates with Facilities Services for required preparations and communicates events needs to Public Safety, Information Technology and Catering services. Direct your specific questions regarding the use of University facilities and/or support services for special events as follows: Queens, 718-990-7300; Manhattan/Staten Island, 212-277-5177.


Campus Dining Services

There are many great places to eat on the University’s campuses, ranging from a quick bite to a full menu, including healthy dining choices and a variety of locations for your convenience and style. For dining locations, hours, menus, nutritional facts and dining events, visit the Dining on Campus. St. John’s Dining Services also offers catering service.


Campus Mail Services

Campus mail services are provided for the University community for the purpose of conducting University business. The mailroom receives, sorts and delivers incoming and outgoing mail, and facilitates interoffice mail distribution. The SJU mailroom is prohibited from accepting packages that facilitate any type of commerce on behalf of employees or students. Items intended for personal business for profit will not be shipped or delivered by the SJU mailroom, and can be taken to the nearest USPS location or mailed using another carrier company such as UPS or FedEx. Only correspondence related to University business will be accepted without the appropriate postage. The University has the right to refuse to accept large quantities or unusual volume of mail.

The shipment to or from the mailroom of any illegal item (e.g., firearms, weapons, drugs not prescribed for the recipient, etc.) or any hazardous/dangerous item (e.g., explosives, fireworks, ammunition, etc.) is prohibited. Any package deemed to contain suspicious items or hazardous material will be turned over to Public Safety and/or the authorities for inspection and handling. Perishable items received by the mailroom for faculty, staff and administrators will be delivered on campus twice a day. The mailroom on the Queens campus is located in the ROTC Building near Gate 6.

For more information, refer to policy the Mail Services policy #1036 in the Human Resources Policy Manual.


Bookstores

The University has bookstores on the Queens and Staten Island campuses. You can shop for St. John’s apparel, gifts, office supplies, texts, and more. You can also buy bookstore merchandise online. The bookstores accept department charges and offer a 20% discount on all non-textbook items.

The bookstores accept payment made by StormCard, Flex account, cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and personal check. Gift certificates are also available. To contact the Queens Campus bookstore located in Marillac Hall, call 718-990-6247 or extension 6247 from a campus telephone. To contact the Staten Island bookstore located in the Kelleher Center, call (718) 390-4430 or extension 4430 from a campus telephone.


Libraries

As an employee, you have access to the limitless resources of the various libraries of St. John’s University. Some of the library resources include the catalog, databases, eJournals, eBooks, eReserves, eReference Shelf, and eNews Sources. In addition, the libraries offer a variety of services, such as instructional services, eReserves, online reference (AskUs), Media Center, Inter-Library Loan services, photocopy service, reference and reserve service, and more. Computers throughout the libraries are configured for easy access to library resources, the Internet and Web, and to standard University software.

A valid St. John’s University StormCard gives you onsite use of the library services, and permits you to check out materials from any of the St. John’s libraries. Your St. John’s email address is all you need to authorize you to access any of these databases and other digital services from your home or campus office. An extensive library web site is the gateway to these and many more services.

The following are the University libraries,


Shuttle Bus Service

The Division of Student Affairs offers a shuttle bus services for members of the University community. The shuttle bus service assists students with their transportation needs and also promotes intercampus collaboration among students, faculty, and staff.
 
Please visit Shuttle Bus Services for route and schedule information. You must present a valid St. John’s StormCard in order to board the bus.


Common Hour

In order to offer members of the University community opportunities for broader participation in the life of St. John’s, there exists a University Common Hour. The Common Hour is a regularly scheduled block of time during which no classes are held and members of the University community are, therefore, available to share in other activities.

The goal is to promote involvement in the community life of the University. It gives students, faculty, administrators and staff a chance to hold meetings, lectures, events and activities. Currently the Common Hour is held on Mondays and Thursdays from 1:40 – 3:15 pm.


St. John's Online

St. John’s University Web site
The official Web site of St. John’s University is www.stjohns.edu. Via this Web site, you can access all of the online information published by the University, from University news and information to content for current and prospective employees, faculty and students to departments, services and facilities information, and online forms and applications.

SignOn and St. John's Connect
This single sign-on portal allows the University Community to stay connected. Within this system, St. John's Connect and the University Information System (UIS) give employees access to a wealth of employment-related information and resources.

Employee Resources
A wide range of information and resources is available online here for employees. Find quick links to Business Affairs resources, Marketing and Communications, Human Resources, business expense and travel resources, purchasing policies and procedures, UIS and more.


University Publications

Listed below are a few of the University’s publications that may serve as valuable resources for you throughout your work-life at St. John’s. There are many others not listed here, which are published by departments, student organizations and other University groups. We welcome you to read all of our publications and explore our web sites, as they may help you to become an increasingly involved member of the St. John’s community.

[email protected]
This internal publication is delivered weekly via email and provides a look at the University's notable news and events.

This Week at St. John's
This Week at St. John's is a weekly e-mail newsletter produced by the Office of Marketing and Communications to provide senior administrators with news and information about the University and the higher education community.

Living Vincentian Today
This publication celebrates St. John's University's ongoing commitment to its mission as a Vincentian institution. Produced periodically throughout the academic year, it highlights and celebrates university-related events, people and topics that exemplify the St. John’s community’s continuing commitment to Vincentian values

The TORCH and The Storm Front
The TORCH is the award-winning independent student newspaper of St. John’s University. The TORCH is published and distributed on the Queens and Manhattan campuses, and is also accessible online. The Storm Front is the Staten Island campus’ student newspaper.

President’s Report
Published each academic year by the President of the University, the President’s Report relates outstanding accomplishments of students, faculty, alumni, administrators and staff. It also provides highlights of the University’s schools, colleges and campuses during the past academic year.

St. John’s Fact Book
In addition to general information about the University, the Fact Book contains text, tables, and graphs of current and historical information on students, employees, and finances. Published and updated annually by the Office of Institutional Research, the Fact Book is a comprehensive resource for academic facts and figures about St. John’s, such as current enrollment, enrollment trends, demographic characteristics, and retention and graduate rates.

University Statutes
The Statutes provide official definitions and explanations of the role of the Board of Trustees and senior executives, such as the President, Vice Presidents and Deans. In addition, the Statutes include detailed definitions on the role and responsibilities of faculty appointments, re-appointments, tenure and promotion.

Student Handbook
The University’s official Student Handbook is updated and published online each academic year. It contains academic regulations and policies and procedures for each campus, as well as services, facilities, athletics and safety information for students.

Strategic Planning
The University’s Strategic Planning documents have resulted from the collaborative efforts of all segments of the St. John’s Community who have given careful and thoughtful attention to shaping the future of our University. The work of the Strategic Priorities Working Group can be reviewed online, and the Action Plan can be viewed and downloaded. The individual school/college plans are also available on the strategic planning webpage.

Emergency Management Structure Plan
This and other important emergency preparedness information can be found on the University website under the Safety heading.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
Campus crime statistics, security policies and procedures, fire safety and security programs are found in this report, made available online and distributed annually to the University community.

Human Resources Policy Manual for Administrators and Staff
Housed on the Human Resources website, this is a manual of employee and University employment-related policies for supervisors. The Employee Handbook for all staff and administrators is also online.

Brand Identity Guide
The Brand Identity Guide provides the St. John's community with the details needed to ensure that content, graphics, and other elements are consistent with the University’s brand.

Marketing and Communications Policy
To ensure the continuity of the University’s image and message, external print and digital publications must be produced or approved by this office. To learn more about the brand and for complete information on communications, please visit the Office of Marketing and Communications website.


Media Relations

The Office of Media Relations is the only liaison between the University and the news media: TV; radio; newspapers; magazines; and any other news organizations. It is the only University office authorized to speak on behalf of the University, its President, Administration, Faculty and Staff.

If you should receive a phone call from someone identifying him or herself as a reporter or a representative of a news organization, the University requires that you refer the call to the Office of Media Relations at 718-990-1621 (or ext. 1621). An employee’s failure to abide by this policy may result in disciplinary action by the University, up to and including termination of employment.