The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (5 ILCS 430) requires the Illinois public university governing boards in coordination with the Illinois Board of Higher Education to demonstrate they have adopted and implemented for all employees under their respective jurisdiction and control specific personnel policies relating to the documentation of official State business. Further, this Act requires State employees to periodically submit records documenting the total amount of time spent each day on official State business to the nearest quarter hour (5 ILCS 430/5-5). However, the Act does not require employees to record their specific work activities every quarter hour throughout the day. It simply means that the total number of hours worked each day on University business must be recorded to the nearest quarter hour. For example, a full-time, Academic Professional employee who works their regular schedule will report at
least eight hours a day for a total of at least forty hours per week.
In Fiscal Year 2008, the University of Illinois implemented a Pilot Program for SOEEA Act reporting which involved employees from University Administration and the University of Illinois at Springfield campus. In addition, this policy framework was developed and received approval from University Policy Council in June 2008. Implementation plans (including implementation stages for various employee groups) for the policy statement are under development and will be forthcoming during Fiscal Year 2009.
Pursuant to The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (SOEEA Act), the University of Illinois requires Academic Professional and Civil Service employees to document all official business of the University. This includes all official University business conducted throughout the week to include evenings and weekends (i.e. twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week).
This policy is in effect to assure the University of Illinois is in appropriate institutional compliance with the SOEEA Act, all other applicable state laws, and the standards previously established. Information to be submitted pursuant to this policy is to be used to document compliance with the SOEEA Act only, and is not to be used for computation of employees’ pay or overtime; or any activities associated with grants and contracts reporting.
Employees Covered by this Policy
It shall be the responsibility of University of Illinois Academic Professional and Civil Service employees to comply with the provisions of the SOEEA Act and the requirement to document all official University business to the nearest quarter hour specified in this policy document. The University of Illinois monitors compliance with this policy through ongoing internal and external audits.
Academic Professional and exempt Civil Service (not eligible for overtime) employees are required to comply with the SOEEA Act via the provisions outlined within this policy. All other Civil Service employees (eligible for overtime) will comply with the SOEEA Act using previously established policies.
SOEEA Act Reporting for Academic Professional and Exempt Civil Service (Not Eligible for Overtime) Employees
All Academic Professional and exempt Civil Service (not eligible for overtime) employees are required to document all hours worked (twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week) while conducting official University business. Official University business will be recorded on a weekly basis. Pursuant to the SOEEA Act, official University business must be reported to the nearest quarter-hour. This reporting is being made pursuant to the SOEEA Act and will not be used for compensation or vacation/sick leave purposes; the requirement is separate from and in addition to other University reporting requirements and obligations.