HRF Meetings 2005-02

Ombudsperson Introductions

The number one recommendation of the Task Force for a Better Workplace was to establish a University Ombudsperson. Chancellor Moeser adopted this recommendation and elected to establish two ombuds positions. The new University Ombudspersons are Wayne Blair (wblair@unc.edu) and Laurie Mesibov (mesibov@email.unc.edu). Their office is located at 134 E. Franklin Street (off Porthole Alley).

Although the office is not yet officially open, you can contact them by email (see above); the office phone number is 843-8204.

Emergency Loan Program

The Emergency Loan Program, begun on Oct. 1, 2004, continues to benefit staff. The program is funded by an anonymous contribution to UNC-Chapel Hill of $25,000. To date, 92 staff employees have received emergency loans.

An informative article appeared in the Nov. 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.

Recognition and Awards

UNC Awards Registry: The new Awards Registry was launched on Oct. 18, 2004. 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. Any programs that grant monetary awards must be registered. These forms should be returned to employee_services@unc.edu.

Awards Policy Review Committee: In February a review committee comprised of representatives from campus departments including Employee Services, Controller's Office, Internal Audit and HR Records & Data Management began meeting to formally review the current policy on Monetary and Leave Awards for SPA employees. This committee will meet for the next several months to review the policy and University departments' use of award programs to determine if updates or changes are necessary. A projected date of June 1, 2005, has been selected for any new changes or updates policy to take effect. HR Facilitators will receive email notifications of any policy changes.

Twenty-Year Service Appreciation Banquet: Verifications of TSSD dates were due from HR Facilitators Friday, February 18. The Twenty-Year Service Appreciation Banquet will be held at the Carolina Inn on Saturday, April 30, 2005. This event honors all permanent SPA and EPA Non-Faculty employees who will reach their anniversary date during the 2005 fiscal year (July 1, 2004 -- June 30, 2005). At the banquet, the employee is presented a personalized engraved plaque and is inducted into the Carolina 20-Year Society. Also invited are those employees reaching their anniversaries at five-year increments (25, 30, 35 years, etc.). Invitations will be mailed to employees in mid-March.

Tax Programs

Information flyers were mailed in January to all employees who may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. To claim the EITC, you must meet certain criteria and income limits. For assistance in determining eligibility and any questions regarding the EITC, employees should visit www.irs.gov/eitc or speak with their tax preparer.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free tax preparation assistance to the University community. Volunteers from the University's Master of Accounting program and the School of Law have been trained to provide assistance to those with gross household incomes of $50,000 or less, who do not itemize deductions, and those who are not self-employed. They do not have appropriate training to assist those holding international visas. Two locations have been set up on campus, at the Cheek-Clark Building and the Giles Horney Building. Appointments are strongly recommended and can be made by calling 962-1483. Appointments can be scheduled on Monday-Thursday evenings and some Saturday afternoons, and are available through April 14.

Basic Clerical Skills

The Clerical Skills program is scheduled to launch in April for participation in 2005 summer classes. The program design will be different from the past. Participants will be attending classes at one of three local community colleges: Durham Tech, Alamance County Community College, and Central Carolina Community College. Participants will be encouraged to use the Educational Assistance Program to cover their tuition fees, and may seek your guidance to utilize this program. The Educational Assistance Program is monitored by Nancy Maltais in the Benefits Program Administration Department. You can reach Nancy at 962-9684 or nancy_maltais@unc.edu. For questions about the Clerical Skills Program, please contact Felecia Perry in Training & Development at 962-9681 or fperry@email.unc.edu.

Outstanding Encouragement of Learning and Development Award

One of the primary outcomes of the Chancellor's Task Force for a Better Workplace was to create a campus environment in which all members of the University community are encouraged to pursue opportunities for learning and professional growth. To support this effort, the task force has created the Outstanding Encouragement of Learning & Development Award to recognize supervisors who facilitate and support their staff members' participation in professional learning activities.

One outstanding supervisor will be chosen annually and rewarded with a plaque and 24 hours of paid time off. The recipient will also be automatically nominated for a Chancellor's Award, in the category of Human Relations, which comes with a monetary prize.

Nominations are now being accepted by the Training & Development Department. The deadline to receive nominations is March 7, 2005. Nomination forms and additional information are attached, and are available at http://hr.unc.edu/Data/SPA/training/oeld_info.

For additional information, please contact Sarah Miller, Training & Development Programs Manager, at 962-2550 or scmiller@email.unc.edu.

 

Summer Job Fair

This year's Summer Job Fair will be held Tuesday, March 8, from 9 a.m. -- 1 p.m. at the Friday Center. The job fair is designed to inform family members of University employees about temporary summer employment opportunities at the University. All departments and units that anticipate summer hiring opportunities are encouraged to sign up to participate in this year's Summer Job Fair.

Departmental representatives should plan to attend so they can talk with interested employees and/or family members, and provide information that can assist with applying for these temporary positions. For more information or to register to participate, contact Judy Sladen at judy_sladen@unc.edu or 962-8377.

Child Care Subsidy Program

The Child Care Financial Assistance Program, developed and funded through the Chancellor's Child Care Advisory Committee, is designed to provide financial assistance to UNC-Chapel Hill employees and students for quality child care. UNC-Chapel Hill contracts with Child Care Services Association (CCSA) to administer the program, with the Employee Services Department serving as the University's liaison to CCSA.  For more information, visit http://hr.unc.edu/Data/benefits/workfamily/childcare/subsidy.

Following a recommendation from the Better Workplace Task Force, an additional allocation of $35,000 per year was made by the University for child care subsidies for employees. This allocation increased the annual money available for faculty and staff subsidies to $98,862 per year.

Grievance Policy/Grievance Coordinator

Revisions to the SPA Dispute Resolution and Staff Grievance Procedure went into effect on Feb. 1, 2005. The policy was rewritten for greater clarity and conciseness. Major changes include:

• The process now includes two steps, rather than three
• Panel hearings will fall on a regular schedule of dates
• Filing deadlines have been modified for greater consistency
• The Grievance Coordinator position in the Office of Human Resources will take over the administrative functions of the panel hearings

Grievances initially filed prior to Feb. 1, 2005, will follow the procedures defined in the previous policy.

The Employee Services Department has completed interviews for the Grievance Coordinator position and expects to fill the position by mid-March.

Tuition Waiver Proposal

One of the long-term recommendations of the Task Force for a Better Workplace involved enhancing the tuition waiver benefit. Changes to this benefit require statutory action. UNC-Chapel Hill and other campuses sent forward proposals for legislative change to the tuition waiver program and the Office of the President is supporting a proposal to:

• Increase the number of courses an employee can take annually from two to three
• Provide a 25% tuition reduction for tuition for spouses and dependents at any UNC system school
• Provide an exception to the 12-month residency requirement for full-time employees of UNC system to allow them to pay in-state rates for their dependent children and spouse
• Study a tuition waiver exchange program between UNC and the NC Community College System
  

MetLife Update

The University Insurance Committee has recommended a renewal of the contract with MetLife to provide group life insurance to employees. Once final approval is granted by the University, tailored communications will be distributed to all employees. It is expected that the communications will be distributed beginning late February and will contain the following information:

• One of the changes going forward will be that MetLife will offer coverage for spouses after they attain age 70.
• In addition to the Life Insurance protection, through a special MetLife service, employees can now consult with an experienced local attorney who will complete (or update) a will for them and their spouse at no charge. This Will Preparation benefit is available only to participants in the MetLife Life insurance program.
• New hires will be able to obtain coverage for up to three times their salary without evidence of insurability. Elections for higher coverage will require evidence of insurability.
• During the month of March, current employees already enrolled in MetLife may elect coverage for up to three times their salary without evidence of insurability. Elections for higher coverage will require a shortened evidence of insurability form. During this timeframe, employees not enrolled in MetLife will be given the opportunity to participate using the shortened evidence of insurability form.

Health Insurance Task Force

Work continues to develop a pilot health insurance plan for the University system. This plan would require approval of the legislature. The Board of Governors has included this in its legislative agenda for this legislative session. Some of the expected features of the plan are:

• Choice of several plan options
• At least one "no premium" for employee coverage option
• Subsidy of dependant coverage
• New "Employee-Spouse" category of coverage
• Elimination of deductibles and co-pays for office visits under some options
• Enhanced preventive care benefits
• Inclusion of wellness program

Disciplinary Action Recordkeeping

Before any disciplinary actions may be taken, HR Services must review the disciplinary letter prior to giving it to the employee.

The department must attach a copy of the staff grievance procedure to all written warnings or disciplinary actions, and indicate in the letter that the action is grievable under the University's Dispute Resolution and Staff Grievance Policy.

Also, please note that departments are responsible for sending a copy of all disciplinary actions directly to the Employee Services Department, CB# 1045, immediately after providing the notice to the employee.

Employee Services logs the action and forwards the documents to the HR Records & Data Management Department for inclusion in the employee's personnel file. This includes all written warnings, pre-disciplinary conference notifications, and disciplinary action decision letters.

Any disciplinary letter from calendar year 2004 that previously had not been forwarded to the Employee Services Department for processing must be sent immediately. All subsequent actions must be sent as they occur.

RecruitmentWeb Addendums

We have modified our practice concerning SPA application addendums. Effective immediately, HR will no longer accept application addendums received AFTER the position closing date. This change is the result of feedback from some hiring departments that have expressed concern when they have received additional referred applicants and a second closing report well after the closing date.

This new practice will require that applicants update their application with addendums prior to the closing date so that all of their work history and education will be considered in reviewing their qualifications. Workforce Planning & Compensation and Human Resource Services will continue to advise applicants about the status of their applications.

If you are interested in recruiting an applicant, we advise you to inform the applicant to fully document his/her education and experience so that your HR Generalist has complete information to determine whether the applicant meets the minimum qualifications. If an application is still incomplete after the closing date and you want to consider the applicant, then you will need to open the recruitment again to allow the addendum to be considered.

Importance of Accurate Leave Records

Department management is responsible for accurate reporting of leave for its employees.  This includes all annual leave, all accrued compensatory time off, and all other forms of accrued paid time off.

Leave records are subject to audit.

The department must balance each employee's leave records at the end of each calendar year (December 31).

The department must also balance an employee's leave records when s/he:

• transfers to another UNC-Chapel Hill department
• transfers to another State agency
• terminates employment with the State
• is separated by reduction in force (layoff)
• schedules family and medical leave
• participates in voluntary shared leave
• goes on long-term military leave
• enters leave without pay status
• is covered by Workers' Compensation
• is covered by the Disability Income Plan (DIP)
• retires
• dies

Upon separation, the department certifies through HRIS that the leave record registered is accurate.

Departments must also report end-of-fiscal-year vacation and bonus leave balances each July ("leave liability reporting").

For SPA employees on medical leave of absence (LWOP-FMLA), the effective date in HRIS for the LOA action is not the date on which the leave status begins.  The correct date to enter in the system is the date on which the unpaid portion of the leave status begins.

We received 4,341 applications in December 2004 and 5,720 applications in January 2005 via ApplicantWeb. This represents an 82% and 53% increase, respectively, in the number of applications submitted. (See chart here.)

We had 594 new applicants in December 2004 and 739 new applicants in January 2005. This represents a 61% and 31%, respectively, increase in the number of new applicants.

In December 2004 we had 28 applicants come to OHR offices to use the ApplicantWeb kiosks. In January 2005 we had 33 applicants use the OHR kiosks.

74% of applications have been referred since implementation of ApplicantWeb on November 29, 2004.

We are monitoring the number of referrals for key positions to ensure that the number of applicants per job posting provides a sufficient pool of applicants.

UNC-Chapel Hill is participating in a Career Banding "Transition Team" at OSP (along with two other universities and one state agency) to begin work on designing the new career banding classifications for Research-related positions.

Positions included in this team's work are: Research Aide, Research Technician I, II, III, Research Analyst I, II, II, Social Research Assistant I, II and Social Research Associate I, II.

The team will propose competencies and the job family pay ranges to the State Personnel Commission for approval in August 2005.

Carolina Kids Camp

Applications were due Friday, Feb. 18, by 5:00 p.m. to be included in the lottery.

The Employee Services Department is accepting applications for the 2005 Carolina Kids Camp.

Carolina Kids Camp is a summer day camp for children of UNC-Chapel Hill permanent employees, UNC-Chapel Hill students, UNC Healthcare employees, and UNC-Chapel Hill General Alumni Association employees.

Families may also download the application form from the OHR website. For a direct link to camp info, go to: http://hr.unc.edu/employees/spa-employees/workfamily/childcare/kidscamp/

This summer, Carolina Kids Camp will enroll campers ages 6-12 in five two-week sessions beginning Monday, June 13. Carolina Kids Camp is located on campus at Woollen Gym and operates Monday-Friday, with drop-off beginning at 7:30 a.m. and pick-up ending at 5:30 p.m.

For more information contact Aimee Krans, Work/Life Manager, at 962-6008 or aimee_krans@unc.edu.

Summer Blood Drive

Blood Drive themes/logos were due Friday, Feb. 18. Email entries to sogreen@unc.edu.

The 17th Annual Carolina Blood Drive is set for June 7 from 7 a.m. -- 6 p.m. in the Dean E. Smith Center. The kickoff event, which will feature recruiter tips and other information, will be Tuesday, May 3, at Toy Lounge in Dey Hall.

You can register to donate blood by contacting your departmental recruiter, by dialing 96-BLOOD (962-5663) or registering online at the address below. You can begin signing up for donation appointments or to volunteer on May 3.

For detailed information, including important facts about new travel restrictions for donors, check the Blood Drive web site at http://www.sph.unc.edu/blood/.