NCIRE’s Expectations for Principal Investigators

NCIRE's Expectations for Principal Investigators

Expectations for Principal Investigators Supervising NCIRE Employees

The following expectations provide a summary of essential information and conduct for Principal Investigators involved in the recruitment and management of NCIRE employees. NCIRE requires that you review and acknowledge with your signature these expectations annually. If there are questions or concerns reach out to NCIRE Human Resources at ncirehr@ncire.org.

Hiring Employees

Principal Investigators seeking to recruit employees via NCIRE are encouraged to review the following information and to reach out to NCIRE Human Resources for additional guidance.

All employees hired by NCIRE must be eligible to work in the United States.
The Principal Investigator must have funds currently available to pay employees.
NCIRE employees are VA Research Without Compensation (WOC) appointees (except those on H-1B Visas) and are individuals who perform research-related duties without any direct monetary compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. NCIRE employees must complete the WOC process as part of onboarding and before starting work.

Terms of Employment and Supervision

NCIRE employees will report to a Principal Investigator who may serve as their direct or indirect supervisor. NCIRE retains the role as employer of record and assumes all associated responsibilities. It is essential to clarify that these individuals are employees of NCIRE, not the Principal Investigator, SFVAHCS, or UCSF. Employees are encouraged to participate in cross-training opportunities within their laboratory and to assist with other studies administered by NCIRE when required.

Principal Investigators are required to treat NCIRE employees with professionalism, dignity, and respect. Any reports of discrimination, retaliation, or harassment will be thoroughly and promptly investigated by NCIRE Human Resources and reported to the appropriate affiliate organization involved.

At-Will Employment

NCIRE is an At-Will Employer. At-Will Employment means that an employment relationship may terminated by either the employer or employee at any time for any reason, as long as the reason is not unlawful (e.g. gender, race, religion, disability status, etc.)

Equal Employment Opportunity

NCIRE is committed to being an equal-opportunity employer and fully complies with all relevant anti-discrimination legislation. This commitment applies to all individuals involved in NCIRE’s operations. Personnel decisions will be made solely on legitimate business grounds and will not be influenced by race, color, religion, age, gender sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law. Furthermore, NCIRE strictly prohibits discrimination based on the perception that a person possesses any of these characteristics or is associated with someone who does or is perceived to have them.

Anti-Harassment Policy

NCIRE is firmly committed to maintaining a workplace free from harassment. Harassment is defined as any unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical behavior that creates an intimidating, offensive, or hostile atmosphere, disrupting an individual’s ability to perform their job. A hostile work environment arises when any staff member contributes to conditions that are intimidating or offensive, regardless of whether these actions occur on or off the premises. NCIRE’s anti-harassment policy applies to all individuals involved in NCIRE’s operations and explicitly prohibits unlawful harassment from any NCIRE employee, including both supervisors and coworkers, as well as from third parties. NCIRE will actively implement reasonable measures to prevent and address harassment by non-employees, including collaborators, vendors, customers, and contractors who engage with our staff in the workplace.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

At NCIRE, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policies are designed to support employees in managing their health and well-being while ensuring a productive work environment. FMLA and CFRA provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for specific family and medical reasons without the fear of job loss, while ADA mandates reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities to perform their job duties effectively. If a Principal Investigator is approached by an NCIRE employee requesting time off for FMLA related reasons or accommodations under ADA, please reach out to Human Resources immediately for guidance and support. It may not be initially clear that an employee’s request is related to FMLA or ADA, but HR will be able to assist you in identifying and addressing their need appropriately.

Compensation and Salary Guidelines

NCIRE retains the authority to make decisions related to recruiting, hiring, terminations, job assignments, and the setting of salary levels, in consultation with the Principal Investigator. The following points outline our compensation policy:

Salaries will be designed to remain competitive with similar roles in the local market and in accordance with NCIRE’s Affirmative Action Plan (AAP).
Compliance with minimum wage laws is mandatory for all salary determinations.
Employee will receive pay only for hours worked after their designated start date.
Work is prohibited prior to an employee’s official start date.

Employee Policies

Principal Investigators must be well-acquainted with the NCIRE Employee Handbook, particularly the sections addressing employee conduct and the complaint filing process. It is essential to understand that only the CEO and Human Resources staff of NCIRE have legal authority to make decisions regarding hiring, reappointment, termination, or changes to an employee’s work status or salary. Any statements or promises regarding these matters made by other personnel are not binding.

Workplace Violence Prevention

Training & Awareness are crucial in preventing workplace violence. It is strongly recommended that you take NCIRE’s online Workplace Violence Prevention Training session so you may be educated on the correct response to a violent incident to keep you and your staff safe. As the Principal Investigator or supervisor, you are legally required to know how to react when an incident occurs. To take the NCIRE training, contact May Ng at may.ng@ncire.org or at ext. 25202.

Legal Requirements

Principal Investigators must understand that NCIRE adheres to California Labor Law, which includes specific requirements that differ from federal regulations, particularly for those who have primarily managed employees under federal guidelines. Key distinctions include the calculation of overtime pay, which is based on hours worked over 8 in a day rather than just exceeding 40 hours in a week. Furthermore, California Law mandates that employees receive their final paycheck on their last day of employment. Failure to do this results in the employee being owed a full day’s wages for each day the payment is delayed. If an employee is hired who resides outside of California, additional regulations from their home state may also need to be considered.

Timecard Review and Approval Procedure

At the end of each pay period, it is the responsibility of supervisors and Principal Investigators to assess and approve employee timecards. If any inaccuracies in time reporting are discovered, either the supervisor or employee must notify NCIRE Payroll Staff at payroll@ncire.org immediately to facilitate necessary adjustments before payroll processing occurs.

The approval from the supervisor will be documented and will act as confirmation of the employee’s contributions to their project during the par period. If corrections arise after payroll has been finalized, they must be communicated to NCIRE Payroll at payroll@ncire.org without delay.

Employee Exemption Status

It is the Principal Investigator’s/supervisor’s responsibility to understand the exemption status of each employee who reports to them as the rules that govern the position are determined by the exemption status. There are two different types of exemption status at NCIRE, exempt, and non-exempt.

An exempt employee is someone who is not legally entitled to overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). These employees are paid a salary rather than an hourly wage. Determining whether an employer can be categorized as exempt involves a careful analysis of several factors, including a consideration of job duties and salary level. The classification of the role is done by Human Resources and applies to all individuals in that job role. Exempt employees are generally expected to exercise independent judgment and discretion in their roles. They often have more control over their schedules and may be responsible for supervising other employees or managing significant projects.

Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay for any hours worked beyond 8 hours in a day or 40 in a workweek. These employees are typically paid on an hourly basis and often perform routine tasks under the supervision of a senior employee, supervisor, or manager. They are typically not involved in managerial or decision-making responsibilities and do not have the autonomy or exempt employees.

If you are uncertain how any position in your laboratory is classified, NCIRE Human Resources can assist you in understanding the exemption status of any position.

Volunteers in the Laboratory

General

NCIRE does not have or support volunteers. All volunteers in your laboratory should be brought in via the SFVAHCS Volunteer Services Department. This protects you and the volunteer in the event of an injury or accident.

Current NCIRE Employee

A paid NCIRE employee may not volunteer to work on your project, even if their primary job is in another laboratory. That includes via the Volunteer Services Department. California labor code does allow paid employee to do unpaid work that is substantially similar to their paid work for the same organization. Allowing such work may result in legal issues and is a violation of CA law. If you have questions regarding volunteering, please reach out to a member of Human Resources prior to engaging in this type of agreement.

Opportunities for Professional Development

NCIRE recognizes professional development as a vital component of the employee experience and expects all employees to engage in at least one professional development activity annually. Principal Investigators are responsible for encouraging and facilitating participation in various and appropriate opportunities, such as training sessions, workshops, or conferences. Employees should document their participation and share this information during their annual performance evaluations. NCIRE will provide the necessary resources to support these activities, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth within the organization.

Annual Performance Evaluations

All regular full-time and part-time NCIRE employees are entitled to an annual performance evaluation. It is the responsibility of Principal Investigators/Managers to provide timely and constructive evaluations for any employees assigned to them. Given the close working relationships between Principal Investigators and NCIRE personnel, the evaluations should reflect a comprehensive assessment of employee performance over the previous year. The feedback gathered from these evaluations will be utilized to support decisions related to promotions, salary adjustments, and performance coaching.

NCIRE staff may work on various projects under the direction of multiple supervisors or Investigators, in these cases annual reviews should be comprehensive and include feedback from all supervisors and Investigators.

Work Performance and Conduct

When NCIRE employees fail to meet expectations, it is important to promptly contact NCIRE Human Resources for assistance in addressing the issue, which may involve coaching or implementing a performance improvement plan. Timely intervention benefits the employee, the Principal Investigator, and NCIRE as a whole. Additionally, if an employee exhibits inappropriate conduct or violates policies or ethical standards, HR should be notified immediately for guidance on the necessary actions. Principal Investigators are advised to consult with NCIRE HR before initiating any disciplinary measures to ensure adherence to proper procedures.

Termination

Voluntary Terminations:

Principal Investigators are required to inform NCIRE Human Resources immediately upon learning that an employee intends to resign or has already resigned. Prompt notification is critical for ensuring that final paychecks are processed in accordance with legal requirements.

Involuntary Terminations:

If a Principal Investigator determines that an NCIRE employee should be removed, they must notify NCIRE Human Resources. HR will evaluate the circumstances to decide whether the employee can be reassigned to another project or if termination is warranted. Together, HR and the Principal Investigator will develop an appropriate transition plan.

Principal Investigator Manual

In addition to the above expectations, all Principal Investigators are required to familiarize themselves with the NCIRE Principal Investigator Manual. The NCIRE PI Manual can be found here.

Thank you for reviewing this information and for your ongoing contributions to maintaining NCIRE as a productive and positive workplace. Your engagement is greatly appreciated.