It is important to distinguish between a short-term appointment and a short-term extension, as the two actions may have different effects on benefits.

Short-Term Appointment

A short-term appointment is a postdoctoral appointment lasting less than one year in which the appointee is scheduled to work the standard full-time schedule of 37.5 hours per week.

This category generally applies when an individual:

• is joining Brown for the first time;
• is returning to Brown after a break in service; or
• is moving into a postdoctoral appointment from another classification at Brown, such as a doctoral student or staff position.

Short-term Extension

A short-term extension occurs when a current full-time postdoctoral appointee has their existing appointment extended for a period of less than one year without a change to their appointment type or scheduled weekly hours. In other words, the individual is reappointed for a period of less than one year.

For example, a Postdoctoral Research Associate whose existing appointment is extended by two months, while continuing to work 37.5 hours per week in the same appointment type, would be receiving a short-term extension.

Workday uses both FTE and True FTE. Please note, these terms measure different aspects of an appointment and should not be used interchangeably.

FTE

FTE, or full-time equivalent, is based on the number of hours an appointee is scheduled to work each week.

At Brown, the standard full-time schedule for a postdoctoral appointee is 37.5 hours per week. An appointee scheduled to work 37.5 hours per week generally has an FTE of 100% in Workday, while an appointee scheduled to work fewer than 18.75 hours per week has an FTE of less than 50%.

True FTE

For example:

• A 12-month postdoctoral appointment represents a True FTE of 100%.
• A two-month postdoctoral appointment represents a True FTE of approximately 16.67%.

The Benefits Office within University Human Resources can confirm the FTE and True FTE associated with a specific appointment or job change after it has been entered in Workday. Questions may be directed to benefits_office@brown.edu. Please specify when you are referring to True FTE. It may also be helpful to define True FTE as part of your inquiry.

Short-Term Appointment

A postdoctoral appointee who is new to Brown, returning after a break in service, or transitioning from another Brown classification generally is not eligible to accrue vacation time if their short-term postdoctoral appointment falls below 50% True FTE and the appointment was confirmed at the outset to be for less than six months. 

An eligible individual who has worked at Brown for at least one year in another position that accrues vacation under a different leave program may be eligible for a payout of unused vacation time when leaving that position. When applicable, the payout should be included in the individual’s final paycheck from the prior position before the short-term postdoctoral appointment begins.

Questions may be directed to accommodations@brown.edu. Please specify whether you are referring to True FTE or FTE and a short-term appointment or a short-term extension.

Short-Term Extension

When a full-time postdoctoral appointee’s existing appointment is extended for less than one year without a change to the appointment type or scheduled weekly hours, the appointee’s FTE remains 100% in Workday. 

A Postdoctoral Research Associate in this situation will continue to accrue vacation at a rate of two days per month. The short-term extension does not reduce or otherwise change the appointee’s existing vacation balance. 

A Postdoctoral Fellow in the same situation will also continue to accrue vacation at a rate of two days per month, and the existing vacation balance will not be affected when the extension begins. However, vacation time for Postdoctoral Fellows is maintained for tracking purposes only and is not eligible for payout upon separation from the University.

Questions may be directed to accommodations@brown.edu. Please specify whether you are referring to True FTE or FTE and a short-term appointment or a short-term extension.

Short-Term Appointment

A postdoctoral appointee who is new to Brown, returning after a break in service, or transitioning from another Brown classification generally is not eligible for the full 14 paid sick days provided to eligible Postdoctoral Research Associates and Postdoctoral Fellows if the appointment is confirmed at the outset to be for less than one year. The 14 paid sick days are described elsewhere for eligible PDRAs and Postdoctoral Fellows and are distributed at the start of an appointment or reappointment.

If the appointment is confirmed at the outset to be less than one year, the postdoctoral appointee will receive a prorated amount of sick time for the extension period. Any unused sick time from the preceding status at Brown is forfeited on the final day of that status and the sick time balance should reset to zero. Then, at the start of the short-term postdoctoral appointment, the department administrative manager must manually enter the prorated sick time in Workday.

To calculate the approximate amount of sick time, divide 14 sick days by 12 months, which equals 1.16666667 sick days per month, and multiply that amount by the number of months in the short-term appointment.

For example, an incoming Postdoctoral Research Associate with a 4.5-month short-term appointment and working a full-time schedule of 37.5 hours per week has an FTE of 100% and a True FTE of 37.5%. That Postdoctoral Research Associate should receive a prorated amount rather than the full 14 sick days for their extension period. Multiplying 1.16666667 sick days per month by 4.5 months results in 5.25 sick days, which should be manually entered into Workday by the department administrative manager at the start of the short-term appointment.

Questions may be directed to accommodations@brown.edu and postdoc-affairs@brown.edu. Please specify whether you are referring to True FTE or FTE and a short-term appointment or a short-term extension.

Short-Term Extension

When a full-time postdoctoral appointee’s existing appointment is extended for less than one year without a change to the appointment type or scheduled weekly hours, the appointee’s FTE remains 100%, while their True FTE reflects the length of the appointment in relation to a standard 12-month appointment period.

A Postdoctoral Research Associate whose appointment is extended for a period of less than one year is generally is not eligible for the full 14 paid sick days provided to eligible Postdoctoral Research Associates. Instead, an appointee with a short-term extension will see their sick time balance replaced with a pro-rated amount of sick time during the month of their reappointment. The prorated amount must be manually entered into Workday by the department administrative manager during the month of the reappointment.

If the extension is confirmed at the outset to be less than one year, the postdoctoral appointee will receive a prorated amount of sick time for the extension period. Any unused sick time from the preceding yearlong appointment is forfeited on the final day of that appointment and the sick time balance should reset to zero. Then, at the start of the extension, the department administrative manager must manually enter the prorated sick time in Workday.

To calculate the approximate amount of sick time, divide 14 sick days by 12 months, which equals 1.16666667 sick days per month, and multiply that amount by the number of months in the short-term extension.

For example, a current Postdoctoral Research Associate with a 4.5-month short-term extension and working a full-time schedule of 37.5 hours per week has an FTE of 100% and a True FTE of 37.5%. That Postdoctoral Research Associate should receive a prorated amount rather than the full 14 sick days for their extension period. Multiplying 1.16666667 sick days per month by 4.5 months results in 5.25 sick days, which should be manually entered into Workday by the department administrative manager at the start of the extension.

Questions may be directed to accommodations@brown.edu and postdoc-affairs@brown.edu. Please specify whether you are referring to True FTE or FTE and a short-term appointment or a short-term extension.

Short-Term Appointment

Postdoctoral appointees who are new to Brown, returning after a break in service, or transitioning from another Brown classification should consult the Benefits Office (benefits_office@brown.edu) to understand how the appointment’s True FTE may affect eligibility for medical, dental, and vision coverage and the amount of any required employee contributions. Please specify whether you are referring to True FTE or FTE and a short-term appointment or a short-term extension.

When coverage is available, the appointee’s contribution toward insurance premiums may be higher than the contribution required for an appointee with a 100% True FTE.

For example, someone with a two-month appointment (True FTE of approximately 16.7%) would pay the full cost of their full health insurance. Brown would not contribute toward the premium. Current premium rates are available from University Human Resources under the “Faculty and Staff” rates. For this reason, recent Brown PhD graduates are encouraged to stay on their student health insurance plan until that coverage ends in August, when possible.

Meanwhile, someone with a seven-month appointment (True FTE of approximately 58.3%) would pay half the cost of their full health insurance premium. Brown would contribute the remaining half. Current premium rates are available from University Human Resources under the “Faculty and Staff” rates.  

Short-Term Extension

When a full-time postdoctoral appointee’s existing appointment is extended for less than one year without a change to the appointment type or scheduled weekly hours, the appointee will generally continue to pay the same contribution toward the University-provided medical, dental, and vision coverage that applied during their original full-time appointment.

Postdoctoral appointees may review the “Faculty and Staff” rates published by University Human Resources to identify their contribution amount.

The Benefits Office will need to review the specific job change in Workday to confirm continued eligibility and premium contributions. Questions should be directed to benefits_office@brown.edu. Please specify whether you are referring to True FTE or FTE and a short-term appointment or a short-term extension.

Postdoctoral appointees with short-term appointments (Dean’s Faculty Fellows or to Brown doctoral students who have completed their PhD and are appointed immediately afterward) or extensions (current Postdoctoral Research Associates or Postdoctoral Fellows) are or remain members of the Brown Postdoc Labor Organization (BPLO) bargaining unit. The length of their appointment or extension does not affect bargaining unit membership.

A break in service may affect eligibility for insurance, vacation, sick time, and other benefits.

Questions about the effect of a break in service on medical, dental, and vision coverage should be directed to the Benefits Office at benefits_office@brown.edu.

Questions about the effect of a break in service on vacation or sick time should be directed to the Leave and Accommodations team at accommodations@brown.edu. Please specify whether you are referring to True FTE or FTE and a short-term appointment or a short-term extension.