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I. Upcoming Annual Performance Evaluation
II. Projected Annual Salary Increase and Pay Band Adjustments
III. Projected U.Va. Minimum Hiring Rate
IV. Next Steps
V. Resources

Requirements
Each year, we ask that you take the time to meet with the people you manage for their annual performance review. This is much more than a required exercise; when done properly, the performance review is a valuable tool for both the employee and the manager. It provides an opportunity to talk about performance goals, demonstrate the connection between the goals of the school/department and university and the employee’s work, and maintain open lines of communication.

Classified/University staff performance reviews for 2007-2008 are due to University Human Resources (UHR) by Oct. 10, 2008. Please check with the person who handles HR issues in your office to see if there is an earlier deadline within your area.


How Do I Do It?
For the current performance cycle, the University will use Parts V through IX of the state Employee Work Profile (EWP) to assess employee performance. Managers can choose either to submit the entire EWP as in the past, or reduce paperwork by submitting only Parts V through IX. Links to both the full EWP and the shortened version are also provided at the end of this memo in the Resources section.

Managers are required to offer employees an opportunity to complete a Self Evaluation, which helps involve the employee in the performance management process. Some departments have their own forms; those who do may continue using them. For those without a Self Evaluation form, a link to a template is provided in the Resources section at the end of this document.

Please note that Jobs@UVa is now the home of official job descriptions. We encourage you or your staff to continue entering job descriptions (similar to Parts I and II of the EWP) into Jobs@UVa’s Position Description Module (https://jobs.virginia.edu/hr). For information on how to use the Position Description module see the Resources below.


Ratings
If you wish to give an overall performance rating of "Extraordinary Contributor" you must complete an additional form; the link is provided below in the Resources section. An overall rating of “Below Contributor” can result from either a written notice given in this performance cycle or by completing the Notice of Improvement Needed/Substandard Performance Form (the link for this form is also provided in the Resources section). In order to evaluate an employee with an overall rating of “Below Contributor” the Notice of Improvement form must have been provided to the employee on or before 8-8-08 (60 days prior to performance evaluation submission).


Who Gets Reviewed?
In case you’re not sure who should receive a performance evaluation, your HRMS Specialist will be running the “IS.HR Next Performance Review” report in Discoverer to identify employees who require one. Instructions for running the report will be sent directly to HRMS Specialists. Please contact Amy Grubb at 924-4394 for questions regarding running this report.


Upcoming Changes
As in the past, you should complete the performance planning for your staff no later than Dec. 31, 2008, using the EWP form. This will be the last year that we will use this form, as we will have a new performance management process and software available in 2009. You need not turn in the performance planning documents to UHR, but do retain a copy for your records that you can use when the new system becomes available.

Section IV of this memo, Next Steps, provides further guidance and a timeline for performance planning for 2008-2009.

As of Oct. 9, 2008, The Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia deferred the 2 percent salary increase scheduled to go into effect Nov. 25 that is covered in the following section of this memo. This salary deferment applies to all University employees, both staff and faculty. To read more about the effect of this deferment on the University, go here.

In the 2008 budget session, the Commonwealth of Virginia approved a salary increase of 2.0% for all Classified and University Staff. Pending final notification from the Commonwealth Department of Human Resources Management (DHRM), all staff receiving a rating of at least contributor will get the increase. Completed annual evaluations (Parts V through IX on the EWP) must be received by UHR by Oct. 10, 2008, in order for staff to be eligible for this increase, effective Nov. 25, 2008.


Applicability
These projected pay increases apply to the University’s academic division (Agency 207), U.Va.’s College at Wise (Agency 246), and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center (Agency 948). This includes both probationary (those hired on July 25, 2007 through July 24, 2008) and non-probationary staff.

Employees rated “Below Contributor” will not receive the increase.

If a manager does not submit an evaluation for an employee, that employee will not receive the increase.


Recent Hires
While it is not required to review employees hired on July 25, 2008 through October 24, 2008, managers may do so at their discretion. Employees hired during this period who receive a performance evaluation rating of “Contributor” or “Extraordinary Contributor” can receive the anticipated 2.0% increase.


Classified or University Wage Employees Including UVa Temps
Pending final DHRM approval of the anticipated increase, schools and departments may choose to provide pay increases to hourly employees of up to 2.0%. The increase is effective Nov. 25, 2008 for the biweekly payroll period of Nov. 19, 2008 through Dec. 2, 2008. No central funds are provided for wage (hourly) pay increases.


Payband Adjustments
It is anticipated that the state payband structure for Classified and University Staff employees will also be adjusted by the projected 2.0% on Nov. 25, 2008. The new structure will be posted on the University Human Resources department website at http://www.hrs.virginia.edu/employment/clapay.html as soon as we receive the authorization letter from DHRM.

As of Oct. 9, 2008, The Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia deferred the 2 percent minimum hiring rate increase scheduled to go into effect Nov. 25 that is covered in the following section of this memo. This deferment applies to all Classified and University Staff employees, both salaried and wage, including temps. To read more about the effect of this deferment on the University, go here.

The University’s academic division plans to increase the minimum hiring rate for Classified and University Staff salaried and wage employees (including UVaTEMPS) by the projected 2.0%, or from $10.14 per hour to $10.35 per hour, effective Nov. 25, 2008.

All Classified or University Staff salaried and wage employees who earn less than the projected new minimum hiring rate of $10.35 per hour will have their base salary or hourly wage adjusted to the projected minimum hiring rate. However, if salaried staff are rated “Below Contributor” in this evaluation cycle, they are not eligible for the increase. Their salary will remain below the minimum hiring rate until the employee receives a performance evaluation rating of at least “Contributor” and there is another opportunity for an increase in either the next review or IBA cycle.

The projected minimum hiring rate does not apply to U.Va.’s College at Wise (Agency 246) and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education center (Agency 948). The Medical Center (Agency 209) will announce its 2009 salary program in December, 2008.

This is an exciting time to be involved with the management of human resources at the University of Virginia. The University community has voiced its concerns with the performance evaluation process as part of the HR restructuring project, and a complete redesign of the process is underway.

• The redesigned performance evaluation process will cover both University and Classified staff.
  
  
• Comments and feedback provided overwhelming support for a 5-point performance rating scale, rather than a 3-point scale. This will be a feature of the performance review form and process for the 2008-2009 performance cycle.
  
  
• Management and employee training on the new process will be provided in early 2009. This timing is optimal, given the changes and training associated with HR Restructuring this fall.
  
  
• The redesigned process will be streamlined and technology-enabled. An RFP has been issued for the university to purchase performance management software; selection of our vendor will occur in the fall, and we plan to have the software piloted and available for use in 2009.

The timeline below provides you with the information you need to conduct your performance planning for the 2008-2009 performance cycle.

2007-2008 performance evaluations due to UHR	October 10, 2008
2008-2009 Performance plans completed (EWP)	December 31, 2008
Training available for supervisors and employees on the enhanced performance management process	January/February 2009

We have separated out sections of the EWP for your use, as follows:

• A copy of the complete EWP is online at www.hrs.virginia.edu/forms/ewp.doc
  
  
• The evaluation section, Parts V through IX, can be found at www.hrs.virginia.edu/forms/ewpeval.doc

For a detailed explanation of the ratings, visit www.hrs.virginia.edu/forms/perfmgthandbook.pdf

For forms to use when giving overall ratings of “Extraordinary” and “Below Contributor” go to http://www.hrs.virginia.edu/forms.html#employeerelations

For the Self Performance Evaluation form, go to http://www.hrs.virginia.edu/forms/selfeval.doc

For help on how to fill out an EWP, visit www.hrs.virginia.edu/ewp/instructions.html or call HR Consulting Services at 924-4105.

For help on Jobs@UVa’s Position Description Module, please call the Help Desk at 924-4598. You can also visit https://jobs.virginia.edu/hr for more information on the system.

For HRMS Specialists needing instructions on how to run the IS.HR_Next Performance Review Report in Discoverer for the evaluations that will be used for the November 25, 2008 salary increase, visit http://www.hrs.virginia.edu/infomgmt/nextperfrvwreport.html

Thank you for your attention to this memo. The performance review and the yearly increase are important parts of our annual cycle, and I appreciate you taking the time to share this information with your staff.