Berkeley Lab employs individuals into a range of different appointment types, each with its own defined terms, conditions, and policy parameters. Aside from Career and Faculty positions, appointments will have an established end date. Appointment types with end dates include:
- Term
- Limited
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Student Assistant
- Visiting Faculty
- Visiting Researcher
- IBEW Apprentice
- Rehired Retiree
- Graduate Student Research Assistant (GSRA)
Appointment length, effort time, and extension eligibility will vary based on the specific appointment type. Human Resources has established tracking mechanisms to assist divisions with adhering to the various rules and guidelines.
In most cases, the supervisor of the employee will receive automated email notifications from the HR system at established intervals based on the appointment end date. The notifications will prompt the supervisor to indicate if the appointment should expire as scheduled or be extended.
The timing of the notifications is intended to provide adequate processing time for taking the necessary action. It is imperative that the supervisor respond with their decision in a timely manner to ensure sufficient processing time and to prevent subsequent notifications due to no response. (NOTE: Appointments with incumbents on a temporary work visa are scheduled for a longer lead time to allow for visa processing).
The following outlines the timing of automated notifications from the HR system based on appointment type and citizenship status:
Appointment Type*
|
Employee Status
|
Scheduled Notification Timing**
|
---|---|---|
Term, Limited, Postdoctoral Fellow, Student Assistant, IBEW Apprentice |
U.S. Citizen or
Permanent Resident
|
30 days
15 days
|
Term, Limited, Postdoctoral Fellow, Student Assistant, IBEW Apprentice |
Non-Immigrant
(non-US Citizen)
|
120 days
90 days
60 days
45 days
|
*Rehired Retiree and GSRA (Graduate Student Research Assistant) appointments are not included in the auto notification process and are handled through different processes in HR.
**If the supervisor responds to the notification and submits a request to take action, no subsequent notification will be sent.
If The Appointment Is To Be Extended
Once the request is submitted by the supervisor to extend the appointment, a Human Resources team member will process the action. The supervisor may be contacted for additional information or questions, or to advise if the employee is not eligible for extension if applicable. When the extension action is processed, Human Resources will send an email to the supervisor with an extension letter attached. The supervisor is responsible for presenting this letter to the employee to inform them of the extension and new end date.
If The Appointment Is To End As Scheduled
For appointments that will end/expire as per the scheduled end date, please indicate as such on the request, and you will be contacted by Human Resources to assist with the exit process as defined on the Resignations and Expiring Appointments page.
For Rehired Retiree appointments, there is a collaboration between the Field HR teams and HR Shared Services. At a high level, the Field HR teams assist supervisors with Rehired Retiree hire and extension justifications, monitor end dates, and initiate the exit process for appointments that will expire and end as scheduled. Refer to the Rehired Retiree Appointment Management document in the Quicklinks box to the right for additional information.