HR Update; November 21, 2008
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In this Edition
- New, Expanded Wage Offer for Service Employees
- Benefits Open Enrollment 2009 for Faculty & Staff—Only 5 Days Left
- Temporary Employment Program Plans for the Future
- Improve Your Skills Before the December Holiday Break
- Evaluate Your Computer Setup with Online Office Ergonomics
- UC Retirement Readiness Education Programs
New, Expanded Wage Offer for Service Employees
On Monday, November 17, the University formally offered the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union (AFSCME) another enhanced wage proposal for UC service employees. The enhanced offer would provide approximately $26.5 million in wage increases for service workers over three years, and represents an increase of more than $6 million over the University’s last offer. The enhanced offer underscores the compromises UC has made throughout the negotiations, and provides substantial guarantees in the form of the following:
- A guaranteed minimum rate of pay of $12/hour in the first year, with incremental increases in each year of the contract;
- Local equity increases;
- Transition to an experience-based step structure as requested by the union;
- Step movement in the 2nd and 3rd years of the contract;
- Minimum across-the-board increases in each year.
UC’s proposal is fundamentally responsive to the union’s key demands, and provides employees with guaranteed raises during a time of serious budget cuts and long-term economic uncertainty.
Health Care Benefits: Continued, excellent health benefits for service employees using UC’s salary-based rates so that lower-paid employees pay lower monthly premiums, with UC paying the vast majority of the benefits costs. In fact, as a result UC’s strategy for 2009, thousands of UC employees, including AFSCME-represented employees, will see decreases in their net monthly medical insurance premiums (details at At Your Service). Additionally, UC will guarantee limitations around employee costs, which, if exceeded, would automatically trigger further negotiations.
Retirement: UC proposes to continue to provide service employees with the same high-quality retirement benefits as offered to all other UC employees, and guarantees to negotiate any significant changes and/or employee contributions.
Benefits Open Enrollment 2009 for Faculty & Staff—Only 5 Days Left
Faculty and staff have until 12 midnight on Tuesday, November 25 to make certain changes to their Health and Welfare plans, add eligible dependents, and/or enroll/re-enroll in the Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
Please note: Open Enrollment (OE) started earlier this year so it is ending a bit earlier than previous years. Given this change, we encourage you to not overlook the mid-week, November 25 deadline—and to spread the word to your colleagues. Details about the new FSA vendor and FSA plan details, medical plan rates, and Health and Welfare plan changes are available on At Your Service Online:
When you’re ready to make changes, please log into At Your Service Online and select the Open Enrollment link. Be sure to CONFIRM ALL ACTIONS! OE actions will be effective as of January 1, 2009.
Temporary Employment Program Plans for the Future
With the expiration of the Clerical (CX) contract on October 31, 2008, departments may experience increased rates with future contracts when hiring CUE-represented clerical employees through the Temporary Employment Program (TEP). As of November 1, 2008, if contract agreements include retroactive salary payments to CUE employees, TEP will bill the department the difference in rate of pay, based on the number of hours worked during the retro period, to ensure the costs of the salary increases are appropriately funded. We are truly sorry for this inconvenience, but it is necessary to ensure appropriate cost recovery.
Improve Your Skills Before the December Holiday Break
Encourage your staff to master immediately useful job skills. Simply click the course names below to learn more and to register for December training. Please share this article with coworkers and those you supervise. View a complete listing of all Development & Training classes.
Business & Administrative Processes
Cash Deposit Basics
Dec 5, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., $35General Ledger / Fund Accounting using OLFS Weblinks – Part I
Dec 2, 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon, $35General Ledger/Fund Accounting using OLFS Weblinks – Part II
Dec 11, 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon, $35OLPPS Weblinks – Payroll Personnel Reporting
Dec 9, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., $0Travel & Entertainment Expense Processing
Dec 11, 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon, $35UCSF Revised Recharge Review Process NEW!
Dec 16, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., $35
Management & Leadership
Supervising According to Union Contracts and PPSM
Dec 2, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., $35Coaching for Improved Performance
Dec 9, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., $35Recruiting & Hiring
Dec 10, 8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m., $35Supervising within the Law
Dec 17, 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon, $35
Technical Support Partnership
Distributed Computing Support at UCSF
Dec 3, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., $0Information Security & Privacy Practices
Dec 18, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m., $0
Research Administration
PAM of EMF – Advanced OLFS Weblinks for Sponsored Projects
Dec 5, 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon, $35PAM of EMF – Compliance
Dec 8, 8:30 a.m. – 12 noon, $35
Computer Software Training - Laurel Heights Campus
Excel 2003 3
Dec 1, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135Filemaker 8 Fundamentals
Dec 15 – 16, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $255Intro to Programming
Dec 3 – 4, 9 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., $537Microsoft Project 1
Dec 10, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135Microsoft Project 2
Dec 12, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., $135
Computer Training – E-learning: Mini-Courses at Your Desk
Excel Techniques (Live on Line)
Dec 9, 9:30 – 11:00, $49Managing & Organizing your Inbox (Live on Line)
Dec, 2, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., $49Total Organization (Live on Line)
Dec 16, 9:30 – 11 a.m., $49
Need other Computer Training? Check Out Downtown SF Courses
In addition to courses on the UCSF Laurel Heights Campus and Live-on-Line, Development & Training offers a full range of computer training (Microsoft, Adobe, Web, and programming) in downtown San Francisco at the office of our computer training provider, AcademyX. To learn more, visit Class Catalog and Enrollments. Then use Search Class Catalog to find a course topic or click the big green button, Choose Classes, and Enroll Online.
Evaluate Your Computer Setup with Online Office Ergonomics
A new and improved Online Office Ergonomics Training & Self Evaluation is now available. Whether you use a computer set up in an office, laboratory, or clinic, the same ergonomics principles and recommendations apply, and this new training is highly recommended for all computer users.
The Office Ergonomics Training module provides information on ergonomics principles and and guides the computer user to modify his or her workstation and/or equipment. Once you complete the training and self evaluation, Department Safety Advisor and Ergonomists () are available for additional consultation and product selection assistance.
Preferred Product List
To facilitate your office ergonomic product selection and prevent risk of injuries, a preferred product list can be founds on the OEH&S website. This list has been evaluated by the campus ergonomist as the tools to safely fit the majority of UCSF faculty and staff. The items are available for demo (by appointment only) at the ergonomics lab located a Mission Bay, Byer’s Hall/QB3 BH-116. To make an appointment to visit the ergo lab, complete the online Office Ergonomics Training and Self Evaluation, and then contact your Department Safety Advisor (DSA).
UCSF Ergonomic Equipment Matching Fund Reimbursement Program
The reimbursement program is designed to provide campus departments a cost-effective way to improve employee’s workstations and prevent computer-related injuries. The program focuses on ergonomic modification of individual employee computer workstations. Funds that are available to subsidize 50 percent of ergonomic equipment costs are not to exceed $500 per qualifying employee. Matching funds are available for furniture or accessories recommended through the online Office Ergonomics Training and Self Evaluation and/or a computer workstation evaluation completed by a qualified evaluator:
- OEH&S Department Safety Advisors (DSA)
- Campus Ergonomist
- Faculty Physical Therapist
- Ergonomics evaluator contracted by OEH&S or Disability Management Services
The Ergonomic Equipment Matching Fund Reimbursement program is currently only covering office ergonomics equipment but will shortly be available for other type of ergonomics equipment. Visit the OEH&S website for more information. For ergonomics assistance, please contact the Campus Ergonomist () or your Department Safety Advisor.
UC Retirement Readiness Education Programs
Please pass this on to your colleagues, circulate invitations, post the actual scheduled workshops happening near your location, or otherwise re-broadcast these weekly reminders about our valuable (free) education programs for faculty and staff. Bring your lunch, your questions, your spouse/partner ...
- UC Retirement Plan (UCRP)—UC’s Defined Benefit Plan
- “The Features of UCRP”
- Coming again soon
- Refer to these schedules for details and future workshops
- The Future of UCRP
- UC Retirement Savings Plans—the 403(b), 457(b), and DC Plans
- “Enrolling in Your UC Retirement Savings Program”
- December 4, Laurel Heights, LHts – 376, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m.
- “Determining Your Investment Strategy”
- December 4, Laurel Heights, LHts – 376, 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
- “Achieving a Sound Retirement”
- Coming again soon
- “Understand the How-tos of Fidelity’s NetBenefits Website”
- December 4, Laurel Heights, LHts – 376, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Refer to these schedules for details and future workshops
- Arrange to have these workshops at a meeting in your department
- Focus on Your Future!
Usually there can be at least one (or more) workshop(s) per week scheduled at various UCSF locations around town. For more details and listings for upcoming scheduled presentations, please refer to our Workshops and Presentations Schedules menus found at our local UCSF HR/Benefits website.
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