Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

General

Who should I contact in Human Resources if I have a question?

For general questions or if you don’t know who to contact, you can call the main Human Resources line at 651-696-6280 or email us at [email protected].

For specific HR staff members and areas of responsibility, see Who Should I Contact?.

What should I do if I need to report an employment related accident on-campus or off-campus (Worker’s Compensation Claims)?

For insurance reasons, it is important that all work related injuries or incidents are reported to Human Resources (HR) within 24 hours of the injury/incident occurring. Please complete the Injury/Incident Report Form to report the injury/incident. Please have your supervisor review and sign your completed Injury/Incident Report Form. Questions can be directed to 651-696-6280 or [email protected].

In the event the accident occurs outside of regular HR office hours, please fax the report to 651-696-6612 or e-mail the report to [email protected].

Where do I find the form that I need?

See the Human Resources Forms page. Specific questions on how to complete a form can be directed to [email protected] or the HR staff person responsible for the related process.

Benefit Plans & Open Enrollment FAQ
This list was developed to answer specific questions about Macalester’s benefit plans and the open enrollment process. Open Enrollment typically takes place during the month of November for changes effective on January 1 of the next plan year.

Sabbatical Leaves
Questions about faculty sabbatical leaves should be directed to the Provost and Dean of the Faculty.

Payroll For Staff Paid Monthly
Payroll For Staff Paid Bi-Weekly
Payroll For Student Employees
These three FAQs address common payroll questions by audience.

Time Reporting
This website provides information for employees who report time worked (hourly) or time taken as paid time off (salaried).

Tax for International Visitors
This FAQ provides information designed to provide US and International students general information and answers to commonly asked questions surrounding taxes.

Taxable Prize or Award/Gift Form
This FAQ addresses gifts or awards (using Macalester funds) given to students, faculty or staff and the tax implications and reporting requirements.

Student Employment

Student Employment FAQ
This FAQ provides information for students and supervisors regarding hiring, student pay, employment evaluations, student employment work authorization forms, disciplinary procedures, no-aid student employment.

Work/Study Awards are administered by Financial Aid. Contact Financial Aid for information related to applying for aid or changing aid amounts or status.

Employment Policies

Employee Handbook
This handbook provides the official policies for Macalester faculty and staff.

Student Employee Handbook (gdoc)
This handbook provides the official policies for all student employment related issues.

Staff Performance Review

Macalester’s staff performance review process was created with the purpose of facilitating conversation and building connection between a supervisor and an employee. Our process aims to:

1. Facilitate conversation and connection
2. Proactively manage expectations
3. Recognize and celebrate individual achievement
4. Support individual growth

This collaborative process between a supervisor and employee generally begins in August of each year, culminating annually on July 31. A review is considered complete when all three steps of the annual performance cycle have been delivered and discussed with the employee, signed by both the employee and supervisor, and turned into Human Resources. Any annual wage adjustments are effective September 1 of each year. Below is a copy of the review form which can be found within Macalester’s Google Template gallery. To access the form, follow these steps:

1. Go to your Macalester Google Drive
2. Select “NEW” on left of screen
3. Within the dropdown box, hover your mouse on the “>” symbol next to “Google Docs” to reveal the option “From a template”.
4. Select “From a template” to reveal the gallery of forms.
5. Select the file “(EMPLOYEE NAME) Staff Review Form”

Performance reviews are not required for any staff members hired or promoted to a new position on or after March 1 of the previous year. However, supervisors are encouraged to conduct performance conversations with all employees they supervise. For questions related to the performance review process, employees are encouraged to speak to their supervisor.

Sample Staff Review Form

Annual Staff Compensation

Annual staff compensation adjustments take place and are effective the beginning of each academic year (September 1). Any staff members hired or promoted to a new position on or after March 1 are not eligible for the annual September 1 increase immediately following the date of hire or promotion.  Exceptions to this rule must be approved in advance by the Director of Human Resources.

Job Description Changes

The supervisor and employee should discuss any relevant change(s) to the job description and create an updated version of the job description. The supervisor will submit the updated electronic copy of the job description along with a summary of the changes to Human Resources at [email protected].

Job Description Template