OPUS Glossary of Terms
-AAppointment Percent of FTE - For salaried employees; the percent of full-time that the
employee will work for that particular appointment.
Appointment Pay Rate - This field contains the monthly/hourly amount paid to the employee
for this appointment.
Appointment End Date - The date on which a specific appointment expires.
Appointment Number - A two digit number from 01 to 10 assigned to an appointment for
organization and reference purposes.
Appointment Start Date - The date on which a particular appointment begins/began.
Appointment Status - This status encompasses the pay period not a particular date; therefore,
an appointment with a distribution that includes any day within a pay period is "Active", an
appointment with no active distribution in the current pay period is "Inactive", or "Leave"
which indicates an employee with a leave earn type active during the current pay period.
“Separated” status indicates the employee is no longer working at the UW.
-B-
-CCost Accounting: Option - This is a three digit alphanumeric data element. The use of this
element is optional and may be used for any purpose to further define a program element. The
option code is unique to each department.
Cost Accounting: Project - This is a six digit element which is unique to the system, but not
unique to each department. The program element roles up four levels to provide summary
level reporting. The most common use of this element is to accumulate financial data by
project, grant, or work authorization.
Cost Accounting: Task - This is a three digit alphanumeric data element used to represent a
specific task performed on a project or work authorization. The task codes are unique to each
department. The use of a task code is optional and serves to further define the program
elements.
-DDepartment Budget Number - The six digit FAS budget number indicating the department
responsible for monitoring all employee payroll/personnel information or the department
responsible for primary time reporting for that particular appointment. This number serves as a
key into the financial database.
Distribution Amount - The content and use of this field is dependent upon whether the
appointment is monthly or hourly. If the appointment is monthly, this field contains the amount
of pay the employee should receive monthly, distributed bi-monthly, from the associated
budget. If hourly then this field simply displays the hourly rate.
Distribution Budget Number - This is a six digit control number which is assigned to a particular
department, division, function, activity or objective to keep an account of its financial
transactions. This is a key into the financial data base. Valid values are determined by the
contents of the financial data base.
Distribution End Date - The end date input into a distribution line. On this date payment from
the associated budget will cease. All nines (99-99-9999) in this field would indicate indefinite
funding.
Distribution Percent of FTE - The percent of full-time associated with the budget input in that
particular distribution line. At any given time, the sum of these percents for the active budgets
must not exceed the Appointment's Percent of FTE. For salaried appointments, this field may be
used to develop the budget amount from the appointment full-time rate.
Distribution Start Date - The date on which payment from the associated budget begins/began.
-EEarnings Type - The three character code which identifies the type of payment being made.
This field is a key into the Earnings Type Table.
Effective Date of Change - The date on which the action being processed is to take effect.
Employee Summary - This screen summarizes an employee's current and prior
employment/appointment transactions.
Employment Date - The date of initial employment at the University of Washington.
Employment Status - An employee's relationship with the institution as it is determined by the
current pay period.








Active
Employee Identification Number Changed
Inactive
Paid Leave of Absence
Partial Leave of Absence
Retiree with Supplemental Pay
Separated
Unpaid Leave of Absence
Employee Type - A code indicating an employee's primary personnel classification. This code is
derived from the job classification type and various appointment fields.















Bargaining Contract Classified Staff
Classified Staff
Hall Health Physician
Professional Staff
Faculty
Graduate Student
Hourly Employee (Classified/Professional)
Ica Contract
Courtesy Faculty Employee
Print Plant Employee
Retiree With Supplement or No Emeritus Title
Stipend
Exempt Employee
Undergraduate Student
Affiliate
-FFTE - Full Time Equivalent. The % of full time employment.
-GGraduate Student Appointment - Employees who are enrolled in a University of Washington
graduate program for a minimum of 6 credits during the academic year and 4 credits during the
summer. Graduate Student Appointments are not eligible for paid leave of any kind.
-H-
-IIncrement Month - The month in which an employee is due to receive a salary step increase.
(Applies to classified job classification in which the employee has not yet reached the maximum
step.)
Initial Employment – A new employee hired that has not worked at the UW previously.
Inquiry Only - This term is used for system authorization which allows an individual to "read
only" but does not allow the individual to make changes to the records.
-JJava Virtual Machine - Software which allows a computer to run applications written in the
Java Language. Many of the University's new web systems require each PC to have a copy of
the Java Virtual Machine loaded. This usually happens automatically when your computer is
built or when an Operating System (e.g. Windows 2000) is loaded. Refer to Microsoft JVM.
Job Class - A four digit code corresponding to the job title for the employee on a particular
appointment.
Job Class Entry Date - The date on which the employee was first appointed to that
appointment's job classification/title.
Job Reclassification - Reallocation due to substantive changes in the functions involving the
addition, reduction or modification of duties and responsibilities. See also Promotion
-K-
-LLateral Movement - Appointment of an employee to a position which has the same salary
range maximum as the employee's current class.
Leave of Absence Reason - A description of the type of leave an employee is/has taken. Certain
reasons may not be available choices for a particular job class. All leave reasons should be
verified with Human Resources.












Disciplinary Suspension
Educational - Leave without pay for educational purposes.
Family Leave - See Family and Medical Leave
Government Service or Industry - Non-paid leave granted to permit an employee to
accept temporary employment with government or industry.
Illness/Disability - Employee is unable to perform assigned duties because of an illness
or non-work related disability after employee has used all accumulated sick leave. No
pay is provided.
Instructional Year (Summer Leave for Faculty) - Leave without pay for time periods
between instruction years or academic quarters.
Military Training - Paid leave for the purpose of serving active military duty, military
training, and/or service (not to exceed 15 calendar days in a calendar year). The
employee must be under military orders, a copy of which should be given to the
department at the time of the leave request.
Paid Professional Leave - Leave granted to faculty members, librarians, and professional
personnel to increase their scholarship and professional development and thereby
enhance their capacity for service to the university. Leaves granted to provide the
opportunity for study, investigation, and research.
Parental - Unpaid leave granted to an employee after childbirth (or adoption) and after
the employee has used all accumulated sick leave for the first year care of newborn or
newly placed adopted child or foster child. The employee is obligated to return to work
as soon as health permits.
Personal - Non-paid absence from active status for personal reasons not better
classified by other sub-elements.
Teaching Elsewhere - Leave without pay to permit an employee to teach at another
institution.
Work Related Disability - Absence resulting from an on-the-job injury wherein the
employee is covered by Workmen's Compensation Insurance.
Leave of Absence Return Date - The date on which an employee expects to return to work
from a leave of absence.
-M-
-NName - The employee's legal given name written in the order: last name, first name, and
optional middle name (or initial).
Name Suffix - Jr., Sr., M.D. etc.
Notes - A function in which the enterer may attach a note/email explaining the reason for a
change. The note is attached to the PERM for the reviewer to see.
-OOASI - This is the acronym for "Old Age and Survivors Insurance". It refers to the payroll
deduction that most people call "Social Security".
Object Code - The categories for aggregation of expenditures within object codes paid via the
Payroll/Personnel system. These object codes are salaries and wages, stipends, and retirement
supplements.
Original Temp Employment Date - The date on which an employee first began work at the
University of Washington.
-PPayroll Unit Code (PUC) - A four-digit code identifying the department or university area
responsible for payroll functions. Larger departments may have more than one PUC. The PUC
assigned to a budget is shown in FIN (OFIS screen 4).
Payroll Unit Name - Name of either the home department which is responsible for monitoring
all employee's payroll/personnel information or the appointing department which has primary
time reporting responsibility for that particular appointment.
Pending - Pending means that changes have been made but are not complete due to enterer
choice or unresolved entry errors. Such changes will not be reflected on ETRs, PTRs, or payroll
Earnings Statements (check/direct deposit stubs) until they have been Finished. If changes
remain in Pending status more than 3 days without fresh activity (i.e. additional changes) they
will be automatically be dropped by the system and the record will return to the original entry.
Also, at the beginning of each Payroll Calculation (cutoff), all pending changes will be dropped.
In either case, the person who entered the changes will be notified by email when this happens.
One important note is that "pending" applies to all appointments for an employee (i.e. not just
the appointment being worked on). When the employee's record is in pending, only the person
who entered the pending changes (or someone else in their unit) can Save or Cancel those
changes, and no new changes can be entered on any of the employee appointments by
someone else. It is highly recommended that changes be left in Pending status for as short a
time as possible.
Personnel Actions 














Appointment Change - Data correction at the appointment level.
Automatic Annual Increment - Automatic increase in salary related to reaching the
annual increment month previously set.
Career Enhancement/Growth Program(CEGP)- See Classified Staff Additional
Compensation Programs
Change to Employment Date - Change to the employee’s initial hire date. This change is
done by the Payroll Office.
Change to Home Department - Change of department responsible for primary time
reporting. Change is made to home department in the information section of the
record.
Change to Percent of Full-Time - An adjustment resulting from an increase or decrease
in the number of hours to be worked by an employee.
Change to Separation Date or Reason – Update to a separation date or the reason an
employee is separating.
Change to Stipend Competitive Offer - Change to full-time rate based on a competitive offer.
Data Correction – A change done by a Central Office such as a change to the initial start
date or the employment status of temporary/permanent.
Disciplinary Demotion - Changing an employee from a position in one classification to a
position in another classification with a lower salary range maximum for just cause as
defined in WAC 251-10-110.
Disciplinary Suspension - A forced absence without pay for just cause.
Distribution Change – Change made to a distribution line such as the start and/or end
date.
Extra Compensation – For work performed outside the employee's normal appointment
and above a full-time (100% FTE) workload. The maximum allowable E/C payment is
25% above the employee's regular semi-monthly gross salary.
General Salary Adjustment - A salary increase provided for by legislative action.
























Hourly Rate Change - Change to pay rate on an hourly appointment.
Increment Increase - Periodic salary increase based on length of service.
In-Grade Increase - A permanent salary increase within a position's current grade level.
Initial Employment - A new employee is being hired by the University.
Job Reclassification - Reallocation due to substantive changes in the functions involving
the addition, reduction or modification of duties and responsibilities.
Lateral Movement - Appointment of an employee to a position which has the same
salary range maximum as the employee's current class.
Leave of Absence Change – Change made to an employee’s leave of absence.
Leave of Absence With Pay - A temporary absence from a position with pay (either full
or partial) wherein the employee is expected to return to an active status with the
agency. Requires a leave reason and an expected return date.
Leave of Absence Without Pay - A temporary absence from a position without pay
wherein the employee is expected to return to an active status with the agency.
Requires a leave reason and an expected return date.
Mass Budget Number Change - Change in home department number, appointing
department number, and/or distribution budget number as a result of a budget number
change.
Merit Increase - A salary increase granted by the agency on the basis of the employee's
past work performance or the increase provided for by legislative action.
Name Change - Employee's first, middle, or last name has been changed.
New Appointment - New appointment is added to an employee other than an initial
appointment.
Periodic Maintenance - An update made automatically by the system to clear out
expired information or to make updates automatically set to occur.
Promotion - The advancement of a permanent employee to a position into another
classification having a higher salary range maximum.
Reappointment - The reappointment of an employee for the succeeding appointment
term.
Reassignment - A management-initiated movement of a classified employee from one
position to another within the same classification.
Rehire - The employee is currently on the data base as separated and is being rehired.
Return from Leave of Absence - The reinstatement of an employee who has been in a
leave of absence status with the agency.
Reversion - The return of a permanent employee from trial service to the employee's
former classification.
Salary Adjustment-Recruitment/Retention - See Classified Staff Additional
Compensation Programs
Separation - Indicates a resignation, retirement, layoff, or dismissal from service with
the agency. Requires a separation reason.
Summer Extension of Appointment Temporary Salary Increase - Compensation added to the regular salary for assuming the
duties and responsibilities of higher level position on an acting basis.



Title Change - The title of the employee's existing job has been changed; or a title has
been added/deleted and related job responsibilities and/or salary have been changed.
Transfer - An employee-initiated movement of a classified employee from one position
to another within the same classification.
Voluntary Demotion - (a) Changing an employee in one classification to one with a
lower salary range maximum at the employee's request, or (b) acceptance by the
employee of an option to a position in a lower class in lieu of layoff from the institution.
Permanent Status - Status given to full-time employees. Determined by an
appointment/distribution end date of 99/99/9999 (indefinite employment).
Position Number - The position number that applies to this appointment. It serves as a key into
the Budget System data base. Position numbers are required when using/updating the
following budget number: 02-XXXX, 03-XXXX, 06-XXXX, 07-XXXX, 08-XXXX, 09-XXXX, 10-XXXX,
12-XXXX, 14-XXXX, 15-XXXX, 59-XXXX, 74-XXXX and 75-XXXX.
Probation End Date - The month, day, and year in which an employee's six month probation
period will be completed for the job classification associated with that appointment, or the six
week trial period date for promotion or transfer of a CSA employee.
-QQuit- Exiting out of the OPUS system completely. This will require the user to re-authenticate
when returning.
-RRange/Grade - A two digit position code pointing to a salary range or grade on the Pay Scale
Table which is applicable in this job classification.
Reassignment - A management-initiated movement of a classified employee from one position
to another within the same classification.
Rehire - Re-activate an employee whose status in the payroll system is separated.
Reversion - The return of a permanent employee from trial service to the employee's former
classification.
Reviewer Duties - A reviewers duties are to view the Post Entry Review Message and ensure
that an entry is complete and correct. The reviewers are responsible for monitoring updated
data after the entry has been made by departmental staff (enterer).
-SSeparation - Removing an employee from active pay status completely from the University.




















Abandonment of Position - Employee removed from an active pay status owing to an
absence.
Better Job Opportunities - Employee resigned due to better job opportunity. i.e. greater
opportunities for advancement, better salary/benefits.
Change to Per Diem/Hourly Status - Employee resigned, having accepted a per
diem/hourly position within the University.
Commute - Employee resigned due to his/her commute to work. (it took too much time,
too far from home, etc.)
Death - Employee removed from active pay status as a result of the employee's death.
Denied Tenure/Promotion Employee removed from an active pay status because
required tenure was not attained.
Disability Separation - Employee is unable to adequately perform the work of the
employee's position due to a disability for which they are separated after the institution
has made good faith efforts to reasonably accommodate the employee's disability.
Educational Pursuit - Employee returning to school to further education.
Failed to Pass Probationary Period Job-Connected Disability - Employee removed from active pay status as a result of an
on-the-job injury or illness.
Job Dissatisfaction-Salary/Benefits - Employee resigned due to dissatisfaction of their
salary/benefits.
Job Dissatisfaction-Schedule - Employee resigned due to dissatisfaction with their
schedule.
Job Dissatisfaction-Supervisor - Employee resigned due to dissatisfaction with their
supervisor.
Job Dissatisfaction-Work Environment - Employee resigned due to dissatisfaction with
their work environment.
Layoff/Lack of Funds - Reduction in force necessitated by lack of money/funds.
Layoff/Lack of Work - Reduction in force necessitated by lack of work.
Layoff/Other - Reduction in force for multiple causes or when it is not desirable to
differentiate for reporting purposes, the reason(s).
Layoff/Reorganization - Reduction in force necessitated by reorganization.
Military Service - Employee resigned to enter military service.
Not Reappointed/Renewed - Employee removed from active pay status because
faculty/staff member was not reappointed or the contract was not renewed.











Other Disability - Employee removed from an active pay status as a result of an injury or
illness that was not work-related.
Relocation - Resignation due to the relocation of the employee and/or spouse.
Resign in Lieu of Dismissal - Employee resigned in lieu of being dismissed.
Resignation/Accepted New Teaching Position - Employee voluntarily resigned, having
accepted a position to teach in another institution.
Resignation/Accepted Non-Teaching Position - Employee voluntarily resigned, having
accepted a position in a non-academic environment.
Resignation/General - Employee voluntarily quit either without stating a reason, or it is
not desirable to be more specific in classify the reason for the employee's resignation.
Resignation/Job Dissatisfaction - Employee expressed dissatisfaction with position,
salary, or other elements of employment.
Retirement - Employee removed from an active pay status as a result of employee's
retirement (either mandatory or voluntary.
Separated by the System – A separation was not entered by the department for this
employee. OPUS automatically separates employees several months after their
appointment ends or if pay has not been processed through the system.
Termination for Cause - Employee removed from an active pay status for just cause (e.g.
not qualified, unsatisfactory attendance, unsatisfactory performance, misconduct,
violation of institutional rules, etc.).
Termination from Student Employment Status - Student employee removed from
active pay status.
Social Security Number - The nine digit I.D. number assigned to an employee by the Social
Security Administration for purposes of tax information (international faculty and staff will have
a temporary number assigned by the Payroll Office).
Step - A letter or three character/digit code identifying the position of the employee on the Pay
Scale Table for that particular appointment.
Student ID Number - The seven digit number by which the employee is recognized in the
student registration system. Required for student appointments (e.g., Graduate students, work
study).
S-S Object - A category for aggregation of expenditures within object codes, salaries and wages,
stipends and retirement supplement.
-TTemporary Hours - Hours accumulated by an hourly employee. Limit is 1050 hrs during a 12
month period beginning with the original UW temporary employment date.
Temporary Status - A status given usually to hourly employees or employees working for a
limited duration.
Transfer - An employee-initiated movement of a classified employee from one position to
another within the same classification.
-UUW Service Period - The number of months an employee is eligible to work, either in the
calendar year or the academic year, based on their job class.
-V-
-WWork Study Amount - The maximum dollar amount a student employee can earn during the
academic year (or summer quarter) while participating in the institution's State or Federal
program.
-X-
-Y-
-Z-