HR Update; September 24, 2010
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In this Edition
- Open Enrollment News - Start Preparing Now
- Nurse Bargaining Continues at Irvine
- Online Manager Toolkit
- Free UC Retirement Readiness Education Programs for Faculty & Staff
Open Enrollment News - Start Preparing Now
Open Enrollment for 2011 will run from October 25th (8am) to November 23rd (5pm). Employees will have the opportunity to choose between eight health plans, including two new plans for 2011. The recent issue of Our University includes an article outlining the two new UC medical plan options for 2011. More detailed Open Enrollment materials/information will be available in mid-October.
You can begin preparing for Open Enrollment by reviewing current plan choices/costs to determine whether you might want to consider changing your medical plan during Open Enrollment. Studies show that individuals allot 30 minutes or less during Open Enrollment periods to review options and then pick the same plan they are currently enrolled in.
Start now to review your current health plan selections by asking the following questions:
- Are you satisfied with your current health coverage? If not, what aspects of the coverage would you like to change?
- Do you feel you have access to the providers you would like to see? Which health plan provides the best coverage for you/your family’s specific health concerns?
- If cost is a factor, determine how much you spent on health care this year. This includes the costs of monthly premiums as well as co-pays for medical care and prescriptions, co-insurance and deductibles. Project your anticipated costs for 2011; do you think you will have additional costs or might your costs decrease?
There is no one best plan for everyone, but assessing your current plan and medical needs will allow you to make informed choices; and ensure you are well prepared for Open Enrollment for 2011.
Nurse Bargaining Continues at Irvine
The University of California continued negotiations with the California Nurses Association (CNA) for a new contract for Registered Nurses on September 20-22 with sessions in Irvine. Staffing, break relief, wages, pension/benefits and educational leave were among the topics discussed at the bargaining table:
Wages: Contrary to CNA’s assertion that the University hasn’t offered a wage proposal yet, during the first bargaining sessions in August, UC proposed to guarantee a within-range step increase for all UC nurses in each year of a four-year contract. These within-range step increases would be in addition to the increases nurses received in July and September 2010 provided by the current contract.
The University relies on statewide data from the Allied for Health surveys to ensure that nurses’ salaries remain competitive. We anticipate receiving data from the 2010 survey in early October, at which time we will have a better understanding of whether additional increases will be necessary to ensure that UC nurse salaries remain competitive again this year. On August 20, UC sent the union a letter reviewing this process, which can be viewed on UCNurses.com.
Staffing: Several nurses provided testimonials during bargaining this week. Most noted that when they had raised specific staffing-related concerns to their supervisors, their concerns were addressed sufficiently. The University is confident that its staffing policies are both safe and in full compliance with state law. In fact, current contract language requires the University to comply with state law and provides the Union with a formal process to raise staffing complaints.
Break Relief: In line with current contract language, the University’s break relief proposals would provide nurses with premium pay and allow nurses to report to their supervisor when they believe they are going to miss a meal or rest break due to patient care needs.
Educational Leave: The University has proposed to incorporate verbatim language from the Board of Registered Nursing into the contract to help safeguard the standards for acceptable educational leave courses. The Board’s description of acceptable course content is available on the BRN web site.
As the current contract expires on September 30, both the University and the union agreed to an indefinite contract extension while bargaining continues. Please visit UCNurses.com for more information.
Online Manager Toolkit
Are you getting ready to give your employees their performance reviews or need some additional help in managing change more successfully or want to know how to help your employees mentor one another?
Please see below for a detailed description of each of these topics within our Manager Toolkit, available on our learning management system to enroll at any time that fits your schedule and are “just-in-time” tools for any busy manager!
10 Keys to Delivering Performance Reviews
In this online toolkit, review the 10 key components of delivering performance feedback to your direct reports. The right type of formal feedback can improve employee performance by more than 25 percent.
Managing Change
Use your influence as a supervisor or manager to improve your team’s ability to address change and its challenges. This toolkit will help you prepare your role in managing change by:
- Identifying obstacles you can address or influence as a manager
- Assessing your own response to the change
- Communicating Change to your team
- Managing employee resistance to change
- Assessing and planning for change
(New) Helping Your Employees Learn from Peers
On-the-job learning drives nearly three times more performance improvement than formal training approaches. This online toolkit will help you create a peer-to-peer learning environment where employees benefit from their coworkers’ experiences.
Through this toolkit, you will learn:
- Why coworker support matters
- How coworkers can help each other learn
- Specific tactics that support peer learning
To Access
Log in to the UC Learning Center http://learningcenter.ucsf.edu by entering your UCSF 9 digit employee ID. Type the title in the search box and click Go. Then click the Start button to begin.
Questions? Contact Patsy Kennedy, Learning Consultant at 415-476-3637 or patsy.kennedy@ucsf.edu
Free UC Retirement Readiness Education Programs for Faculty & Staff
Are you ready for retirement? Start to plan now - it’s never too early. Check the Retirement Readiness Workshop Schedules for new listings today!
Did You Know? You may attend a workshop at any UC campus. Just check the schedule for your preferred location and sign up online.
UC Retirement Plan (UCRP): UC’s Defined Benefit Plan
- Schedule “The Features of UCRP” workshop for your department - click here
- Read about The Future of UCRP
The UC Retirement Savings Programs: 403(b), 457(b) & Defined Contribution (DCP Plans)
- Attend a Workshop at a location near you and make your reservation online - click here for the schedule
- Arrange to have these workshops at a meeting in your department – click here
- Focus on Your Future - Resources
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