New Human Resources policies for staff are now in effect

A little tan book, Personnel Policies for Staff Members, appeared in many staff mailboxes this summer. The personnel program policy manual marked the first phase of the implementation of the Human Resources Management Initiatives (HRMI), which took effect July 1.

Developed by the Office of the President in consultation with all the UC campuses, the policies draw broad outlines under which individual campuses can develop local procedures to fit their needs and cultures.

The initiatives are meant to streamline the personnel system and simplify policies; distribute authority to the campuses; link compensation more closely to the market, and reward systems to performance; and support training and development needs at each campus.

UCSC plans to go slowly as it implements the new policies--especially in the area of compensation. "We've had major financial administration changes, major personnel system changes," said Kathie Kenyon, a senior human resources analyst, at a campuswide forum in August. "Before we take on any additional change, we will let things ride for a while."

Kenyon and compensation manager Judith Martin-Hoyt organized two campuswide forums this summer to help staff understand what kinds of changes the new personnel policies bring and promise for the future.

The following is a summary of the information presented at the forums. (The changes to personnel practices don't apply to represented staff who have elected exclusive bargaining agents and who are or will be negotiating contracts with the university.)

What changed as of July 1?

* Four personnel programs for nonrepresented staff were merged into one governed by Personnel Policies for Staff Members. The single program contains three groups of nonacademic employees:

* Professional and Support Staff (PSS), comprising former Administrative and Professional Staff (A&PS) and Staff Personnel (SPP) programs; Managers and Senior Professionals (MSP), of formerly Management and Professional (MAP) employees; and the Senior Management Group (SMG), of those formerly in the Executive program.

* Staff hired since July 1 into the PSS group accrue vacation according to a new schedule: the vacation accrual schedule previously accorded only to those in SPP. That means new staff who would have been classified as A&PS under the old policy will have lower vacation accrual rates under the new policy. For example, Professional and Support Staff hired after June 30 must work for the university for ten years before their vacation accrual rate rises from ten hours a month to twelve hours, compared to five years for those in the former A&PS program. Staff in A&PS prior to July 1 continue to accrue vacation at the same rate and on the same schedule as before.

* Staff may take sick leave to care for any sick member of their household and traditional family members. Staff may also take bereavement leave if any member of the household were to die.

* New employees eligible to earn vacation may take vacation before finishing their six-month probationary period.

* Casual employees may take jury duty leave, although without pay.

* Casual employees classified as Professional and Support Staff receive up to three months credit toward their probationary period if they are subsequently hired as career employees in the same position.

* Grievances and administrative reviews are combined into one procedure called complaint resolution. Applicable to all but the Senior Management Group, the new procedure retains all concepts and principles specified in the former procedures, said Kenyon.

What will happen in the future?

Over the next few years, Staff Human Resources plans to do research and continue to consult with employees about additional changes being considered in campus procedures.

Campus administration plans no major changes to UCSC's compensation and classification programs at this time, Martin-Hoyt said. "We will look at various options for compensation and classification methods over the next several years. At the very least, we don't anticipate any changes for a couple of years," she said. "We certainly won't make any until we've researched and consulted with the campus."

Of the nine campuses, only UC San Diego has proposed to make changes to its compensation practices at this time, she said. UC San Diego has proposed eliminating steps from salary ranges, eliminating six-month increases, and moving to one merit date.

Staff Human Resources has assembled a task force made up of Joyce Ryan, human resources manager, Arts Division; Dario Caloss, assistant dean, Humanities Division; Frank Trueba, Crown College administrative officer; Jo Ann McFarland, Math Department administrative manager; Ute Christensen, OPERS personnel coordinator; and Gesna Clarke, assistant director, Housing Services. This task force is making recommendations about how the initiatives should be implemented.

In addition, Staff Human Resources will:

* Revise existing reference materials and document procedures for implementing the new policies. As procedures are revised and created, they will be placed in the UCSC Staff Human Resources Manual.

* Streamline wherever possible.

* Continue to explore possible redesign of the compensation and classification programs over a several-year period.

* Make preliminary revisions to UCSC's performance management program and provide training programs for managers in performance evaluation.

* Examine the Incentive Awards program for ways to streamline and simplify it.

* Redefine the market area used for salary surveys.

* Begin planning for future projects.

Staff may read draft and final versions of the new procedures created by Staff Human Resources at McHenry Library's reserve desk or on-line by clicking here.

All employees covered by the new policies should have received copies of the new policy manual this summer. Employees covered by Personnel Policies for Staff Members who did not receive a copy of the manual can call Mimi Fonseca in Staff Human Resources at ext. 3933, send e-mail to mimi@cats, or access the document on the Web click here.

-FRANCINE TYLER

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