Moving roles within UCD

Page updated 5 May 2022

This section contains information about the process of moving roles within UCD for both managers and employees including notice periods, references, pay, probation and leave. For information on finishing work with UCD altogether please see the Leaving UCD page.

Contractual and recruitment issues

If you are moving between roles in UCD then the following information may help answer some of the most common questions.

Moving does not mean resigning

Moving to a new School or Unit is not the same as resigning from UCD and does not require the completion of a resignation form.

As a manager, do I need to see references?

Under the recruitment and selection policy, no offer of appointment can be made unless satisfactory references have been received. However, in cases where an existing employee is moving between different units or moving within the same unit, the Board of Assessors may wish to discuss waiving references with their Resourcing Consultant.

Probation and moving units

If an employee has already completed their probationary period then no further probationary period will apply. If the employee has some of their probationary period left to be completed then this will carry forward to the new unit.

Notice Periods / Start Dates

When moving between units, it is expected that some flexibility will be shown in relation to notice periods. As the employee is not leaving the university, contractual notice periods do not need to be rigidly adhered to and it is understood that both the current and new line managers will agree to a start date which balances the operational requirements of both units as well as the employee’s expectations of a timely start in their new role. Once a date has been agreed between both managers, the hiring manager will update their Resourcing Administrator so that the contract can be finalised.

Work Permits / Hosting Agreements

Work Permits and Hosting Agreements are non-transferable and list the precise role an employee was appointed to. Employees moving to a new role within the university will require a new work permit or hosting agreement and should contact their Resourcing Consultant for advice before making an application as some roles may be ineligible for a permit.

What happens to my pension when I move units?

There is no change to your pension scheme when you move roles.

How are my P4G objectives affected?

If the Reviewee moves to a new School/Unit during the P4G review year, a P4G conversation should be scheduled in the new School/Unit as soon as possible to set objectives in line with the relevant strategy. Objectives and development planning should be adjusted to relate to the timeframe remaining in the current P4G review year. Further information can be found in the P4G FAQ section.

Moving units and the impact on contract dates (see Secondment Policy)

Moving to a new role may affect your contract dates depending on your contract type.

• Permanent employees
  The new post will be treated as an internal secondment and your permanent status will not be affected.
  
  Where a secondment is less than 2 years duration you will return to your substantive post and grade at the end of the appointment.
  
  If the secondment is greater than 2 years duration (or is renewed, thereby taking it over 2 years), your substantive post will not be retained. Your permanent status is unaffected and you will return to your substantive grade but not necessarily to your home School/Unit. Assigned duties and responsibilities will be consistent with their grade
  
  
• Fixed Term employees
  If you are an existing fixed-term employee, appointment to the alternate UCD post will supersede / overwrite your existing fixed-term post (assuming that the new appointment is longer than the existing one).
  
  In the unlikely event that an appointment is of a lesser duration, you have no entitlement to return to your former fixed-term post. However, in situations where a Manager may be in a position to facilitate a return they can discuss their options with the Resourcing Consultant.

Does my annual leave carry over?

When moving to a new unit, employees should make their new line manager aware of any holidays they have booked at the earliest opportunity. Employees moving roles within UCD remain with the same overall employer and so they cannot receive payment in lieu for holidays not taken before they move to another role. Any days which cannot be taken carry across to the new unit. Employees on revised annual leave arrangements as a result of a temporary promotion or secondment will return to the entitlement of their substantive post following the ending of the temporary promotion.

Will the new role require Garda vetting?

On occasion, changing unit may mean moving from a role which does not require Garda vetting to a role which requires it. Learn more on the Garda vetting webpage.

Handover and related issues

Handover

Before moving between units in UCD it is helpful for both manager and employee to consider the following:

• Has a meeting been arranged to hand over outstanding work and ensure continuity of service?
• Has the employee's departure been communicated to the wider team and is it clear where future queries should be directed?
• Has the employee set an 'out of office' message so that queries are directed to a new colleague?
• Do you need to remove the employee’s profile from the Staff Profile section of the School / Unit website.
• Are there passwords or logins for social media services that need to be noted or changed?
• Does the employee need to be removed from School / Unit mailing lists? 
• Have you removed access to shared folders on Google Drive? (Otherwise the employee will still have access to those drives in their new unit).

Equipment, IT and other issues

Where relevant, it is important that arrangements to return the following items are made:

• Mobile phone / Laptop / tablet or other electronic equipment
• Access keys / locker keys / desk keys / swipe cards
• Files / email list
• ID Cards

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