Floater Program

  • Hire a Floater

    1. What is the purpose of the floater program?

    The floater program provides short-term administrative support to all departments at the University of Richmond. Departments primarily use the program when a position is vacant, or when their permanent administrative support person needs to be away from the office for personal, sick, parental, or vacation leave. Assignments can range from one hour to 12 weeks in length.

    2. What is the commitment for departments using the floater program?

    All departments using the floater program must follow the HR Floater request process (do not book floaters independently), use the program for short-term assignments (1 hour-12 weeks), approve floater time, provide department training, and give feedback on floaters and the program.

    3. Floaters are considered casual employees. What does that mean?

    As casual employees, floaters are not eligible for benefits, leave, or holiday pay. Floaters are also considered external employees when applying for other positions on campus; however, casual employees can use their ID cards to receive community benefits and discounts, as well as participate in Staff Appreciation Days.

    4. What is the commitment to be a floater?

    Floaters must complete all required program training, perform duties in various departments assigned by HR, and provide feedback to HR on each assignment. Schedule flexibility is expected for this role, and floaters must work between 310-999 hours per year. Failure to accept four consecutive assignments may result in removal from the position.

    5. What is the difference between a floater and a temporary employee?

    Departments may need to fill a position with a temporary employee instead of a floater when they identify an external individual that they want to hire for a project. The assignment would have a beginning and an end date for the project, and the total time for the project would be less than 6 months.

    6. How do I request a floater?

    To request a floater, complete a Floater Form and submit it to HR through the URHR Inbox (URHR@richmond.edu). You can find the Floater Request Form here. 

    7. What if I need to fill a position for longer than 3 months?

    If you anticipate needing assistance for longer than 3 months, HR can help you with your staffing needs. Let HR know that you have a longer term staffing need by e-mailing the URHR Inbox (URHR@richmond.edu) or by contacting your HR Business Partner, and they will guide you on the best way to get it filled.

    8. During what hours do floaters work?

    Standard work hours for administrative floaters are 7.75 hours a day, 38.75 hours a week, Monday-Friday, with one hour for lunch. If a floater works less than 7.75 hours in a day, he/she is paid for the specific amount of hours worked.

    9. How do I extend a floater’s assignment?

    To extend the dates/time of an assignment, submit an e-mail to the URHR Inbox (URHR@richmond.edu) requesting that the assignment be extended. Please specify a projected end date for extension and reason for request. Keep in mind that, if for some reason the assignment ends up going beyond 3 months, you will need to work with HR to determine the best way to fill your staffing need.

    10. How are floaters funded?

    Funding for floater assignments are paid out of the department’s budget.

    11. Do we provide Banner access for floaters?

    For an assignment that is longer than a week, the supervisor may request that a Banner account be set up for the floater. When filling out the Request for Banner Access form (found here), the supervisor should indicate that the individual is a floater and include the date on which the access should be terminated.

  • Become a Floater

    1. What is the process to become a floater?

    The university maintains a pool of floaters to meet the administrative needs of departments across campus. When there is a need to add floaters to the program, the university will open a position and individuals can apply online. Consistent with university hiring processes, all applications will be reviewed, and qualified candidates will participate in an interview process. 

    2. What is the pay range for floaters?

    Pay rates are determined based upon individual skill sets and experiences.

    3. What is the purpose of the floater program?

    The floater program provides short-term administrative support to all departments at the University of Richmond. Departments primarily use the program when a position is vacant, or when their permanent administrative support person needs to be away from the office for personal, sick, parental, or vacation leave. Assignments can range from one hour to 12 weeks in length.

    4. What is the commitment to be a floater?

    Floaters must complete all required program training, perform duties in various departments assigned by HR, and provide feedback to HR on each assignment. Schedule flexibility is expected for this role, and floaters must work between 310-999 hours per year. Failure to accept four consecutive assignments may result in removal from the position.

    5. Floaters are considered casual employees. What does that mean?

    As casual employees, floaters are not eligible for benefits, leave, or holiday pay. Casual employees are also considered external employees when applying for other positions on campus; however, casual employees can use their ID cards to receive community benefits and discounts, as well as participate in Staff Appreciation Days.

    6. What is considered when placing a floater?

    Several factors are taken into consideration when placing a floater, such as the floater’s skills, experience, availability, and length of the assignment.

    7. During what hours do floaters work?

    Standard work hours for administrative floaters are 7.75 hours a day, 38.75 hours a week, Monday-Friday, with one hour for lunch. If a floater works less than 7.75 hours in a day, he/she is paid for the specific amount of hours worked.