Civil service suspension of rules emergency declaration update

UIC HR has been operating under a “declaration of emergency” approved by the State Universities Civil Service System (SUCSS) on March 19, 2020. This declaration has allowed UIC HR to operate under suspended rules for the following purposes:

• Testing/Hiring: All in-person testing for Civil Service classifications have been suspended since March. SUCSS is allowing for hiring utilizing existing registers. When a register is exhausted, employees can be hired under a “Provisional Appointment” designation and when Civil Service in-person testing resumes, employees hired by Provisional Appointment will be required to take and successfully pass the exam and be reachable on the classification register to retain their employment. Currently, only classifications that do not have an existing register of available candidates, have been designated as an essential service and require an in-person exam will be hired under the suspension of rules.
• Probationary Periods: We can extend the probationary period for employees hired during the pandemic and have been assigned to a “temporary work location that is different from the employee’s designated work location, and with less direct supervision than experienced by the employee immediately prior to the temporary assignment, provided that more time is needed to determine the employee’s ability and qualifications necessary to furnish satisfactory service”. This statement covers employees who have been working remotely. The period of the probationary extension will be for the comparable amount of time between 3/15/2020-9/15/2020 or the comparable amount of time between 3/15/2020 to the return to work date if the employee returns prior to 9/15/20.
• Extra Help: SUCSS will review and must approve requests on an individual basis for extensions of the 900 hours maximum for Extra Help employees. As of now, they have been approving requests through Aug. 31.
• Reassignments: Employees may be reassigned in their current classification to perform similar duties within their assigned classification and within their current place of employment based on operational need.

Additional information regarding timelines related to the end of the emergency declaration will be released as any changes occur.