HRF Meetings 2004-11

Arrivals/Promotions

• Cheryl Adams - HR Generalist, Health Affairs Team
• Kathy Bryant - HR Communications Director
• Corrie Parker - HR Generalist, Administration and Student Affairs Team
• Felecia Perry - Staff Development Specialist, Training & Development
• Lou Ann Phillips - Director of Workforce Planning & Compensation

Departures

• Karin Abel - Director, Benefit Program Administration
• Leslie Bacque - Work/Family Manager, Employee Services
• Stan Cleverley - Director, HR Project Management

• Effective Monday, Nov. 29, UNC-Chapel Hill is automating its application processes for SPA positions only. The new process is called ApplicantWeb.
• Applicants for all SPA positions will be asked to apply online, instead of submitting an application via email or US Mail, or in person, once ApplicantWeb is available.
• ApplicantWeb will be available from computers with an Internet connection, at the University's Human Resources Web site, http://hr.unc.edu.
• For those without computer access, computer kiosks will be available in OHR. A listing of campus computer labs (for current UNC-Chapel Hill employees only) and public access computers will be available online and from the Workforce Planning & Compensation office.
• Trained assistance will be available at OHR kiosks. You may also call Workforce Planning & Compensation at 962-2991 with questions.
• Online applicants will be walked step-by-step through the entire process, from developing a user ID and applicant profile, to completing the application and special skill inventories, to attaching a cover letter and/or targeted resume if desired.
• The applicant profile and application will be automatically saved online for use in applying to future jobs, and can be updated at any time. Once an applicant profile and application are saved online, applicants can immediately access that information from any computer with Internet access, update the information if necessary, and forward it for consideration for additional positions.
• Online applicants will receive email responses to confirm that their application was received.
• Applicants can follow the progress of position recruitment to see if the position is open or closed.
• Applications submitted prior to Nov. 29 will not be impacted and will continue to receive full consideration.
• See separate handout for a preview of what the new tool looks like.

• We are completing our work on the IT Career Banding pilot. Banding for all IT positions was effective September 6.
• We are now working with the IT Directors and OSP to finalize several process changes that are now needed under a career-banding program -- such as dispute resolution, competency evaluation and the posting process. We will have a final wrap-up meeting with the IT Directors in late November.
• We will communicate process updates to you as we finalize them.

We are near completion of Phase II of our FLSA compliance review. Since June, we have been reviewing SPA positions to ensure compliance with updated regulations from the Department of Labor regarding the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. In Phase I, during July and August, we reviewed positions that were exempt to determine if they needed to be classified as non-exempt. Most of the Phase II work involved looking at non-exempt positions to determine if they should now be classified as exempt. (There were some additional exempt positions in IT roles that were included in the Phase II review.)

All managers of affected employees in Phase II have now been notified. With the exception of 13 positions still under review, all employees will have been notified by Nov. 9.

The effective date for Phase II FLSA status changes was Nov. 15.

• The 16-campus University of North Carolina system is exploring the possibility of creating a pilot health insurance plan for UNC System employees and their dependents. An effort is under way to develop a proposed plan that would provide better and more affordable coverage than the current State Health Plan.
• The Employee Forum held a community meeting on this topic last month; the task force has decided to hold similar meetings on all campuses, as well as meetings with each Faculty Council.
• A brief employee satisfaction survey was administered to all employees of the UNC System.  As of Oct. 29, there were over 12,000 completed online surveys and 200 IVR out of a total University employee population of 37,000 for a response rate of approximately 34%. 

2004 Employee Appreciation Event

• The 2004 Employee Appreciation Event was held on Friday, Nov. 5.  The Planning Committee would like to thank all HR Facilitators for spreading the word about the event. A survey has been emailed to all Facilitators regarding the days events. Please forward this survey to all employees so they can share their thoughts with the committee in planning for next years event.

University Awards Registry

• The new Awards Registry was launched on Oct. 18.  Developed as a result of a recommendation from the Chancellor's Task Force for a Better Workplace, the Awards Registry is a central repository for information about all official award and recognition programs across campus. The Registry has detailed program information about University-wide and departmental programs, an awards calendar and suggested reading material for managers and supervisors who are beginning new award programs.
• The Registry is available at http://hr.unc.edu/employees/spa-employees/recognition/award_registry
• All campus departments are encouraged to complete an Awards Registry Form to register their individual programs. These forms should be returned to employee_services@unc.edu.

Emergency Loan Program

• The Emergency Loan Program, begun on Oct. 1, is receiving a positive response from staff.  The Program is funded by an anonymous contribution to UNC-Chapel Hill of $25,000.  To date, 47 staff employees have received Emergency Loans. 
• An informative article appeared in the November 3 Gazette with FAQs about the Program which will answer many questions.  Any employees who have questions about the Program may contact Employee Services at 962-1483 or visit the following link: http://hr.unc.edu/Data/benefits/emerg_loan/emerg-loan-policy

Grievance Procedure

• The Chancellor has approved the proposed new SPA grievance procedure and it is now at the Office of State Personnel for review and submission to the State Personnel Commission.  If approved at the December Commission meeting, it will become effective in February.
• The major changes that are proposed include changing the internal process from a three step to a two step process by eliminating the current Step 1 (supervisor) and going directly to the next level supervisor.
• Also, there will be a grievance coordinator position established to process all the grievances including handling many of the administrative tasks that have been handled by the Step 3 panel chairs.  The intent is to remove the burden from the chairs and expedite the process.

 

Learning and Development policy

• Recently approved and will be introduced in the near future. Comprehensive policy statement that includes both the employee and supervisor responsibilities. See below.

Learning and Development Initiative Policy

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is strongly committed to a campus environment in which all members of the University community are encouraged to pursue opportunities for learning and professional growth and to draw on the institutions own intellectual resources as well as external sources in seeking those opportunities.  Such an environment is fundamental to staff morale and retention and to the character of a premier education institution.  While responsibility lies with the employee to seek appropriate learning activities, it is essential for this to occur within a supportive institutional climate.  The leadership of the University places particular importance on the role of supervisors in enabling employees to achieve their educational goals and expects those in supervisory positions to support and encourage the participation of staff members in learning activities as fully as possible within the framework of an effective workplace.  Employees are encouraged to seek the assistance of their supervisors and other university employees as they develop a professional development plan.

Basic Clerical Skills program

• In process of developing program in conjunction with local community colleges.

Certificate programs

• Funding has been allocated to allow development of several certificate programs for University employees through the Training & Development Department. Potential competency tracks might include Leadership, Project Management, Conflict Resolution, Customer Service and Office Skills. Planning is under way for these programs.

Pilot part-time undergraduate degree program

• Provides an opportunity for qualified employees to be admitted to the University as undergraduate degree candidates, continue their employment, and remain part-time students while completing requirements for the degree. It does not create a new UNC-Chapel Hill degree, but provides a means for employees to earn existing undergraduate degrees on a part-time basis.

 

The 2004 Winter Blood Drive will take place on Thursday, Dec. 16, at Woollen Gym.  The holiday season is a time when blood donations are most needed.  We will begin making appointments and registering volunteers on Monday, Nov. 29.  Please refer to the Nov. 17 edition of the Gazette for more information, or call Employee Services at 962-1483 for details.

Tuition Waiver Program

• New form is now online at http://hr.unc.edu/formfinder/forms-training/tuitionwaiver.doc.
• An employee may have tuition waived for only one course per semester and for a maximum of two courses per academic year (fall semester through second summer session). However, for UNC-Chapel Hill employees enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill, tuition waiver may also be applied to summer session courses. This feature is not available to UNC-Chapel Hill employees enrolled elsewhere nor to other state employees enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill.  Summer school is considered one academic term; therefore, tuition waiver cannot be applied to both first and second summer sessions of the same academic year.

Holiday Schedule

• Departments or work units may choose to close for public business during
  the holiday period if such a closing would meet departmental operational
  needs. In such a case, the department must allow the employees to (1)
  Code leave for all non-holiday workdays during which the unit is closed;
  (2) Code leave without pay if the employee has no available leave but
  wishes to be excused from work for those days; or (3) Come to work. 
• Employees cannot be compelled to use leave (or take leave without pay)
  for any non-holiday workdays that the department is closed. Therefore,
  employees who wish to work must be allowed to come to work. The
  department must find meaningful work for the employee to do during that
  time.