• SFU is a unionized campus and many roles are affiliated - affiliation is based on the nature of the work, which is defined in current agreements.
• It is best practice to have a signed employment contract before work begins, though this is not currently a requirement for ONC positions.  
• SFU continues to work towards being a living wage employer. Living wage should be paid to all employees, unless they are:
  • Casual employment of fewer than 120 hours of work per year
  • Multiple small contracts
  • Interns and students who are completing practicum placements or co-op terms
  • Apprentices and trainees, as long as their probationary period or training period has a defined end point (at which time they will be paid the living wage)
  • Staff in their probation period (up to 6 months)
• Compensation is subject to source deductions (CPP, EI, WCB, EHT).
• Onboarding, training and supervision is the responsibility of the Department.
• Refer to SFU’s hiring guidelines to determine eligibility for employment at SFU.

Existing agreements determine whether roles are affiliated. ONC appointments must be considered within this framework.

• If the role exists and is affiliated – work with your HR Strategic Business Partner (HRSBP) for hiring steps.
• If the role does not exist it will need to be assessed for affiliation. HRSBP will guide on the next steps. 

✔ If the role is found to be non-affiliated, proceed with appointing the role as an ONC position.

• If the role does not exist – your HRSBP will assist with the creation of an appropriate job description or list of duties.

Step 1: Determine whether the appointment is Other Non-Continuing 

An ONC appointment is: 

• Temporary: typically seasonal, event based, short-term, task-focused, and intended as a one-time engagement. 
• Not affiliated with CUPE, APSA, APEX, POLY, SFUFA or TSSU.
• The nature of the work is not research, administrative or office/clerical (e.g., routine office, technical services), or does not provide academic or teaching support that is directly tied to the delivery of credit courses.
• Compensated by SFU Payroll.
• Number and scheduling of hours may be variable.
• Duration may be variable, but not more than 3 months except where the duration spans the term of a semester and the individual is expected to work irregular hours and work fewer than 20 hours over the length of the appointment. 

An ONC appointment is not: 

• One-time payments made to individuals performing work for SFU but not expecting remuneration or expecting a token payment for service, e.g., volunteers, guest speakers. 
• One-time payments made for student recognition or awards.  

Exception – the ONC category is used to process appointments that are:

• Work performed at an SFU campus but compensated by another legal entity as part of a business relationship with SFU for Payroll services.

If the individual is an SFU employee, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Determine Whether Affiliated 

Nature of Work

The collective and basic agreements have outlined the nature of work for affiliated roles:

CUPE represents the office, technical, and clerical employees at the University: “The CUPE Local 3338 bargaining unit includes any position employed by the University that falls within the Union’s Labour Relations Board certification, unless the position is explicitly excluded.”

APSA  “consists of all administrative/professional employees except those employees represented by other employee groups formally recognized by the University, those employees who have contracts of employment with the University, and those employees who hold the positions listed in Appendix A and who shall be available to represent the University in consultations and negotiations with A.P.S.A.” 

Alignment with Existing Roles

If the job duties closely align with existing APSA/CUPE positions, the role is likely affiliated.