Immediate Changes to Hotlining Process

The following email was sent to the HR Network on Thursday, August 28, 2025.

Dear HR Network:

We are writing to let you know that, effective immediately, Columbia is making changes to its hotlining process. Please make note of the following so that you know what to expect should your department need to hotline an employee.

What is Changing

Hotlining is the process at the University that local departments may use to immediately suspend the pay (but not benefit coverage) of an employee. It should be used in urgent circumstances when there has been little or no notice of an employee’s temporary or permanent departure from Columbia. As in the past, when a department wishes to hotline an employee, they should call the HR Service Center at 212-851-2888. However, several new steps are outlined below.

Only the Department Administrator or the local HR representative has authority to hotline an employee, and the role of the caller will be asked by the Service Center Analyst. 

IMPORTANT: The Service Center only handles requests for a hotline for Morningside administrative and support staff employees (union and non-union). If the employee to be hotlined is an academic or research officer on Morningside, please contact Zeid Sitnica ([email protected]) in the Office of the Provost. 

If you wish to hotline any CUIMC employee, please contact Lenard Ruiz ([email protected]) in the CUIMC Controller’s Office. Previously, the office was responsible only for academic staff; however, this responsibility has now been expanded to include all CUIMC employees.

When making a hotline call, you will need to provide the following information:

• The employee’s name
• The employee’s EMPLID
• The employee’s job code
• The effective date of the hotline (the day after their last day at Columbia)
• The reason for the hotline. If this is a temporary suspension, for example. If this is a leave of absence, you will need to provide an estimated return date.

The Service Center Analyst will use this information to create an incident, copying the caller and HR Compliance. Once the incident has been created, the department will have five business days to terminate the employee or update the employee’s record with a PAF that provides the appropriate reason code (for example, a PAF indicating a LOA). The department’s Sr. HRBP will also be notified of the hotline request and will follow up with the department. When warranted, the Sr. HRBP will also coordinate with CUIT to initiate an Urgent Termination Protocol (UTP) as necessary. The UTP will suspend or terminate the employee’s access to all Columbia’s systems.

Why Are We Doing This?

At times, employees have remained in hotline status for extended periods, which has led to the continuation of University-paid benefits during, for example, unpaid leaves. This practice is costly and can create compliance risks because it may violate benefit eligibility rules. The updated process is designed to prevent such issues by ensuring that the hotline status is applied correctly and reviewed in a timely manner.

What if I Don’t Know What Action Reason Code to Use?

If it has been five days since you initiated the hotline but you are unsure of how to update the employee’s status, speak to your local HR representative. If you are part of a local HR team and not sure which Action Reason Code to use, start by contacting your Sr. HRBP. They can help you decide what steps to take next.