This page was setup to act as a quick referencing guide for research project administrators/coordinators and principal investigators. The following are some basic Human Resource guidelines for your reference relative to Hamilton Health Sciences:

All hiring of temporary and permanent staff must be done through HHS Recruitment. Questions may be directed to recruitment@hhsc.ca or 905-393-2700. This does not apply to the hiring of McMaster University employees.
All temporary research positions are subject to the same hiring procedures as other HHS staff; i.e. employee health clearance, corporate orientation, WHMIS and fire safety training. (As per HHS Policy HR-New Employee Orientation)
Temporary Research employees are often incorrectly referred to as “contract”, but are, in fact, HHS temporary employees. Do not use “contracts” to hire any employees.
A temporary position should have a termination date that coincides with the research project funding, but must not exceed one year from the date of hire.
A temporary position continuing for more than one year may constitute a permanent employment status legally and, therefore, severance implications exist upon termination. Please contact 905-393-2700 should this situation arise. (As per HHS Policy HR-Job Posting and Selection Process, Sec. 2.8)
Regular part-time employees who are scheduled for 20 or more hours a week will be eligible for HHS benefits.
Occasional part-time/regular part-time employees scheduled for less than 20 hours a week, or temporary employees will receive 13% in lieu of benefits. If the occasional or part time employee enrolls in the Hospitals of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP), the percentage in lieu is reduced to 9 per cent. Temporary employees are not eligible to enroll in HOOPP. (As per HHS Policy HR-Employee Benefits)
HHS employees may not hold more than one position at HHS.

For more detailed information, refer to HHS intranet - Policies & Procedures for Human Resources. If you are unable to access the intranet, please contact 905-393-2700 for paper copies.

Employment Status Terminology

Temporary
An employee hired to work either full-time or part-time for a specified period, not to exceed one year

OPT An occasional part-time employee without specific scheduled hours

Part-time A permanent, regular part-time employee, either working < 20 hours per week, (receives percentage in lieu in place of benefits), or working 20 hours per week or >, (entitled to benefits)

Full-time A permanent employee working 37.5 hours per week

For more information Contact the Human Resources General Line at 905-393-2700