Research Administration Day Research Administration in the Fast Lane

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Research Administration DayResearch
Administration in the Fast Lane

• Humanly Possible Prequel
• For Support Staff
• Human Resource Consulting Services
• Elaine Carlson
• Judy Arnett
• May 29, 2007 1030 1145

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Five Questions

• Why cant I do it my way?
• Why the heck do we have a collective agreement
  anyway?
• How does the collective agreement affect me?
• Who do I call for help?
• What Next?

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Why cant I do it my way?

• They wont let us.
• Employment Standards Code
• Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism
  Act
• Workers Compensation Act
• Occupational Health and Safety Act
• FOIPP
• Public Service Employee Relations Act
• Case Law
• Collective Agreement
• University Policies and Procedures

4
Why the heck do we have a collective agreement
anyway?

• Trust Support Staff (other than casual) -1997
  decision by LRB
• Casual Support Staff - 2003 agreement before the
  LRB

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Ok, so I have to follow a Collective Agreement.
How does it affect me?

• The collective agreement is a binding contract.
  It includes
• Job Evaluation
• Employee Status
• Hiring
• Probation and Trial Periods
• Salary
• Benefits
• Overtime
• Vacation
• Harassment Discrimination
• Discipline and Terminations
• Layoffs
• Exceptions to Terms and Conditions

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Job Evaluation

• All jobs of more than 12 months in length must be
  evaluated.
• Job descriptions are called Job Fact Sheets.
  Instructions are on the web
• HR Services/Compensation/Job Evaluation/Steps
  to Writing a Job Fact Sheet

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Employee Types

• Excluded
• Casual 1 Trust- 1000 hours worked (FT students
  stay in this category with a 1.5premium)
• Casual 2 Trust- 1707 hours worked
• Auxiliary Trust
• 1707 hours worked, or
• Appointment 12 months long, but
• Regular Trust
• Bucket empties if there is a 4 month break (not
  including approved leaves)

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Which One?

• Meets excluded definition?
• - Excluded
• Continuing (4 yrs) and 40 workload?
• -Regular
• If not, then is job 12 months long and 40
  workload with regular hours?
• -Auxiliary
• If not, type determined by hrs. in ee bucket
• 1000 Casual 1
• 1707 Casual 2
• 1707 Auxiliary

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Posting Hiring

• If position 12 months, or once it is clear that
  it will be another 12 months must post
• Option to post if position 12 months. (Tip No
  need to post again if position is extended for
  the same employee.)
• Must consider internal candidates (Excluded and
  Casual 1 are not considered internal candidates.)
• Always do reference checks. Always check with
  past supervisors.

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Probation Trial Periods

• Applies only to Casual 2, Auxiliary, Regular
• New employees Probation - 6 mo.
• U of A employees Trial period - 3 mo.
• Extensions possible
• Give clear expectations, provide feedback,
  document meetings.

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Wages and Salary

• Wage set by benchmark or evaluation
• Dont have enough money?
• Shorter time
• Fewer hours
• Lower grade
• Exceptions to Terms and Conditions
• For casuals, budget 4 for vacation and 3.6 for
  statutory (paid) holidays. For auxiliary, budget
  6 for vacation and 4.23 for stats.

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Pension Benefits

• Excluded Casual no entitlement
• Auxiliary entitled to benefits
• Appointment 12 months Enrolled in pension and
  benefits
• Appointment 12 months 10 pay
• Regular enrolled in pension and benefits
• For Aux and Reg ees budget 23 for benefits
  10 for U of A benefits 13 for stat benefits
  (CPP,EI,WCB)

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Overtime

• If working more than FT hours, receive pay at 1.5
• If taken as pay, requires your approval, unless
  it has been 6 mo.
• Instruct ee that all OT must be pre-authorized
  by you in writing.

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Vacation

• Casual ees receive vacation pay at 4
• Auxiliary
• Hourly - receive vacation pay at 6
• Monthly accrue vacation time(rate is 3
  weeks/year)
• Regular accrual rate is at least 3 weeks/yr.
• If your employee is accruing vacation time, be
  sure to manage it.

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Winter Closure

• Four days between Christmas and New Years
• Casuals
• If not required to work, on leave-without-pay
• If required to work, paid at straight time
• Auxiliary and Regular employees
• If not required to work, paid for the regularly
  scheduled days or on an average
• If required to work, paid at straight time plus a
  day-in-lieu
• Winter Closure is different from Stat Holidays.

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Paid Holidays

• Casuals and Hourly Auxiliary
• If required to work, paid at double time but no
  day-in lieu (already receiving the percentage)
• Monthly Auxiliary and Regular
• If required to work, paid at double time plus
  day-in-lieu.
• Just because the Easter bunny comes on Sunday,
  that doesnt mean its a Stat. The paid holidays
  are Good Friday and Easter Monday.

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Harassment Discrimination

• Covered by GFC policy and the NASA/U of A
  collective agreement
• Complaints are taken very seriously
• Contact your HRC for assistance
• Performance management is not harassment

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Performance Management

• Give clear expectations and regular feedback
• Annual performance reviews
• No annual increment is discipline
• Coaching letters can help
• If progressive discipline is required, call your
  HRC.
• Do not whitewash the performance review. If
  performance is substandard, best face it now.

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Layoffs (Position Disruption)

• Casuals as per Employment Standards
• Auxiliary notice based on length of
  appointment no recall
• Regular (or Trust12) notice based on length of
  service 2 years of recall
• Call your HRC as soon as you know your grant will
  run out
• 1. You choose working notice or pay-in-lieu of
  notice.
• 2. If you offer working notice, the employee
  chooses working notice or pay-in-lieu(long term
  employees have to work at least one month)

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Exceptions To Terms and Conditions

• Allows us to bargain other terms with the Union
  when you cannot meet or want to exceed the terms
  and conditions of the agreement, e.g. salary,
  hours of work
• Call your HRC
• Applies when you are looking forward Doesnt
  work so well looking backward.

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Who do I call for Help?

• Own Departmental APO if you have one
• HR Central
• Usually your HRC or TaC Advisor
• Other areas are
• Compensation Job Design
• Employment Services
• Pension Benefits
• Staff Student Payments
• HPaWS
• Health Safety
• Office of Human Rights
• Staff Learning and Development

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5. What Next?

• Tip Sheets
• Other sessions
• Bargaining Focus Groups