This policy was a part of the former UPS Policy set that was integrated into the System Administrative Policy set. It applies to all University of Wisconsin institutions except for UW-Madison. For UW-Madison’s policies, please see the Human Resource Design Policies website.

Original Issuance Date: July 1, 2015
Last Revision Date:

1. Policy Purpose

To purpose of this policy is to provide the necessary administrative framework for the temporary interchange of UW System employees with governmental agencies.

2. Policy Background

Wis. Stat. § 230.047 outlined the procedures for temporary interchange of personnel.  Intergovernmental cooperation, including that specified in the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970, is an essential factor in resolving problems affecting this state.  The interchange of personnel on a temporary basis between and among governmental agencies at the same or different levels of government and with institutions of higher education is a significant factor in achieving such cooperation.  Effective July 1, 2015, UW System institutions will continue to have the authority to temporarily interchange employees as outlined in this policy.

3. Policy Definitions

Please see SYS 1225, General Terms and Definitions, for a list of general terms and definitions.

4. Policy

A. Eligibility

Any UW System institution is authorized to participate in a program of interchange of employees with departments, agencies or instrumentalities of a foreign government, the federal government, another state or local government, an institution of higher education, other municipal corporate agencies, or other agencies or instrumentalities of the state as a sending or receiving institution.

B. Status of UW System Employees During Interchange

  1. Employees of a UW System institution participating in an exchange of personnel are on detail to regular work assignments of the receiving agency.
  2. Employees who are on detail are entitled to the same salary and benefits to which they would otherwise be entitled and shall remain employees of the UW System institution for all purposes, including the payment of their salaries, and their continuous service benefits except that the supervision of their duties during the period of detail may be governed by agreement between the sending institution and the receiving agency, and except that a receiving agency other than a receiving agency of the state may provide supplemental salary and benefits to the employee for the duration of the interchange.
  3. Any employee who participates in an exchange under the terms of this policy who suffers disability or death as a result of personal injury arising out of and in the course of an exchange, or sustained in performance of duties in connection therewith, for the purposes of Wisconsin worker’s compensation law, is an employee of the sending institution or agency.

C. Travel Expenses of Employee of Sending Institution

A sending institution shall not pay the travel expenses of its employees incurred in connection with their work assignments at the receiving agency.

D. Status of Employees of other Entities

  1. When a UW System institution acts as a receiving agency, employees of the sending agency who are assigned under authority of this policy are on detail to the receiving UW System institution.
  2. Employees who are detailed to the receiving UW System institution shall not by virtue of such detail be considered to be employees thereof, nor shall they be paid a salary or wage by the receiving UW System institution during the period of their detail.  The supervision of the duties of such employees during the period of detail will be governed by agreement between the sending agency and the receiving UW System institution.

E. Travel Expenses of Employees of other Entities

A receiving UW System institution, in accordance with the UW System travel regulations, may pay travel expenses of persons assigned thereto under this policy during the period of such assignments on the same basis as if they were regular employees of the UW System institution.

F. Salary Reimbursement

  1. Any funds received by a UW System institution from a receiving agency as reimbursement for salary expenditures made under an employee interchange agreement shall be credited to the appropriation from which the expenditures were paid.
  2. A receiving UW System institution may, in accordance with the salary provisions of the sending agency, reimburse the sending agency for salary and fringe benefit expenditures for employees on detail to the receiving UW System institution.

5. Related Documents

Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970

6. Policy History

 Wis. Stat. § 230.047, Temporary interchange of employees