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Per diem service

hexagon with blue background and symbol of person representing UFT Per Diems Committee

Per diem service refers to pedagogic personnel serving on a day-to-day basis in a school and/or any of its programs. Employees serving on a per diem basis are commonly referred to as substitute teachers. However, per diem employees can be either teachers or other types of pedagogues. The categories of service paid on the per diem payroll include:

Occasional per diem

A teacher assigned on a day-by-day, as-needed basis to fill occasional vacancies due to a teacher absence. These teachers are covered by the day-to-day substitute teacher contract. This employee is paid at a fixed rate for each day of service. 

Long-term per diem (Z-Status)

An occasional per diem teacher for 30 or more consecutive days, with no absence, becomes an other-than-occasional per diem teacher. These teachers are covered by the UFT-DOE teacher contract. 

Payment: Other-than-occasional substitutes are paid 1/200th of the regular teacher salary (differentials and steps up to 4A are included, where applicable) for each day worked.

Sick leave: Sick leave is credited at the rate of one day for each calendar month of employment (so long as the calendar month includes 20 work days, inclusive of holidays).

Vacation Pay: Other-than-occasional teachers earn three days of vacation pay after 60 days of service and earn an additional day of vacation pay for each 20 days served thereafter, up to a maximum of nine days of vacation pay. Vacation pay is payable upon completion of the substitute service.

Note that 30 consecutive days of per diem (occasional) sub service in one school does not automatically qualify for Other-than-Occasional service (Z-Status). The change from occasional per diem to other-than-occasional should occur automatically if the timekeeping is entered correctly at the school and all of the following conditions are met:

  • You are covering for an absent teacher.
  • You are covering that teacher’s program for a minimum of 30 consecutive school days.
  • You are not absent within the first 30 days of the consecutive service.

Please note: if you use an earned CAR day it must be medically certified or it will cause a break in service and your pay will revert back to the per diem rate of pay.

Please contact the UFT if you meet all of the conditions above and your rate of pay did not change.

Full/part-time (F-status)

F-status is regularly scheduled, part-time service of less than five days per week, e.g. two full days per week or three mornings per week. F-status positions are typically posted within a school.

Payment: F-status teachers are paid 1/200th of regular teacher salary (differentials and steps up to 4A are included, where applicable) for each day worked.

Vacation Pay: Other-than-occasional teachers earn three days of vacation pay after 60 days of service and earn an additional day of vacation pay for each 20 days served thereafter up to a maximum of nine days of vacation pay. Vacation pay is payable upon completion of the substitute service.

Sick leave: Only teachers working regularly scheduled, part-time positions of 4.5 days per week accrue sick leave at the rate of one day per month.

Health & UFT Welfare Fund benefits: Employees working regularly scheduled, part-time positions of at least half of the weekly hours of the title are entitled to benefits. For example, a teacher in a F-status position must be regularly scheduled for at least half of the work week for teachers to be eligible for benefits.

Non-Appointed Full-Term Regular Substitute (Q-status)

Full-term regular substitutes, commonly referred to as “regular subs”, are non-appointed teachers who are employed on a full-term basis in one school, covering one assignment. Full-term substitute positions are discretionary positions created and filled by the principal, based on special assignments or coverage needed for a teacher who will be going on an approved, long-term absence.

Full-term regular substitutes are part of the same payroll bank (Q-742) as appointed pedagogues, and therefore, they are entitled to accruing Cumulative Absence Reserve (CAR) days at the rate of ten days per year, or one day accrued each month.  

Regular substitutes are not entitled to borrow CAR days or use grace periods. Regular substitutes are eligible for health benefits from the NYC DOE, as long as they meet all of the eligibility requirements.

There are two types of Full-Term Regular Substitutes:

  • 5BA - FT Regular Sub: These regular subs are fully staffed and given their full-term assignment within the first 15 days of the school year. Salary is established per their collective bargaining agreement, up to step 4A including differentials. 5BA Subs are eligible for longevity, seniority and probation credits upon appointment to a full-time teaching position.
  • 5BP - FT Regular Sub Treated as Per Diem: These regular subs are staffed or given their full-term assignment after the first 15 days of the school year. Salary is established per their collective bargaining agreement, up to step 4A including differentials. Per Diem service is creditable towards a salary step with Per Diem verification for each block of 85 aggregate days. For every block of 85 days worked, one term of credit will be awarded towards your salary step.

There are two primary reasons why a teacher will serve as a regular sub for the year:

1. They are acting as a replacement for a teacher who is out for the full year on a sabbatical or other full-term leave of absence: These teachers are selected by the school principal and nominated directly for the available assignment.

2. They are currently enrolled in an Alternative Certification Pathway Program: (e.g.: NYC Teaching Fellows, NYC Teaching Collaborative, Teach for America, etc.) and working towards their NYSED teacher certification. Candidates who complete these programs are eligible to be appointed to a regular teaching position once they complete the requirements to obtain a Transitional B Certificate from the NY State Education Department.