Facilities Management
Human Resources & Training
Connecting for Excellence:
2014-2015 Annual Report
Supporting FM employees in building,
maintaining, and sustaining the
Contents
Foreword
1
Headcount-Related Statistics
3
Employee Recognition
6
Training & Development
8
Compensation and Classification
11
Career Paths
11
Communications
12
1
Foreword
“Connecting for Excellence” is this year’s HR&T theme representing Facilities Management’s pursuit toward making better connections with those we serve as we strive for excellence. Early in the fiscal year, a sizeable reorganization within Facilities Management occurred involving folding E&U into Operations and separating out Work Management and Safety to report into the CFO Office. With the construction under way for the new Leake building and the Early Retirement Incentive plan offering, to some new faces in Human Resources and through the apprentice program, we are pleased to have our eyes open to each and every new opportunity provided to us to connect for excellence at the University of Virginia.
This year also marked the following highlights:
•
A redesign of our staffing support model to focus on our customer relationships and add value to the recruiting process, including pre-screening of candidates and strategic recruitment planning,•
The finalization and implementation of the online rewards and recognition system which has automated and streamlined the nomination and approval process,•
HR&T team participation in the revisions to the Lead@ software systems and the creation of a new Oracle responsibility and related training for those with delegated authority,•
Respectful Workplace Program classroom training provided for all FM employees,•
Graduation of 6 apprentices and recruitment of 13 apprentices for our new class,•
Creation and recruitment of a Safety and Health Director, Senior Associate Director in Operations as well as an Associate Director of Housing, and Custodial Services Superintendent,•
Graduation of the first Custodial Services Workers to complete stage 4 of the career path,•
By year end, 39 FM employees had selected to take advantage of the Early Retirement Incentive offering – 15 of who were supervisors or managers,• Collaborative redesign of the Customer Service job subfamily to better fit the needs of Facilities Management,
• Work continued on the mass reorganization within Facilities Management that folded Energy and Utilities with Maintenance into one Operations department. A new Western Zone was created and central maintenance shops eliminated, moving all maintenance technicians into the zones.
As change continues on through the next year, as we fill out our HR&T staffing and move into our new facilities, we will likely still be working on connecting for excellence while supporting those who are building, maintaining and sustaining the University of Virginia.
Rebecca Leinen
3
Headcount-Related Statistics
Staffing
Following a reorganization that resulted in Project Services, Work Management and Safety becoming separate departments and the appointment of Cheryl Gomez as the Director of Operations, a combined Operations organization was formed including energy and utilities, the maintenance zones, central shops, fire systems, elevators, landscape and housekeeping. Due to these reorganizations, the comparison of last year to this year in the below charts is separate due to an inability to make a one-to-one comparison as in years past.
The overall headcount increased by just 16 full-time employees during this Fiscal Year. This was a 1.44% increase but within the approved FM staffing plan. Total terminations increased due to an increase in retirees (not including ERIP employees) and removed employees.
As it has been the practice of adding temporary staff to the Housing Department for the summer conference season, we were able to rehire 13 summer staff from last year and to contract with UVa Temp Services to fill the remaining 22 vacancies. As part of the rehired employee group come directly from their 9-month assignment with Dining Services, HR&T was again able to partner with Dining Services to employ some of their staff for the summer months when they would typically be unemployed. At the conclusion of the summer conference season, the Dining Services employees returned to their previous positions.
Compared with last year, there has been a small increase in overall hiring (88 to 94 FTE); however, there was a shift in the type of hires. Salaried FTEs increased dramatically while temp/wage hires decreased. This was primarily due to temp employees in building trades, housekeeping, landscape and recycling applying for and being offered salaried positions.
Management Services saw an increase in overall headcount due to the addition of Work Management and Safety under this organizational area. Operations lost Project Services but gained Energy and Utilities which left the staffing count relatively the same. Facilities Planning and Construction saw the largest decrease in
headcount losing 18.5% of their full-time employees through attrition.
Based on our overall staffing summary for the 2014-2015 year, there is a possible trend between the number of new hire FTEs and the number of temporary employees converting to new hire full-time status. We had a total of 51 temps convert to full time, supporting that many positions’ qualifications and requirements are often best met by existing temps.
4 The reorganization moved FTEs into different units than last year but overall headcount increased by 15.6 employees
nearly returning overall headcount to FY 2012-13 levels.
There was a dramatic jump in New Hire FTE, nearly half of whom were hired from those currently working as temps in the department. Hiring employees as temporary employees first has proven to be a helpful source of qualified applicants for our
posted vacancies. 85 55 669 176 138 1123 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
MS FP&C OPS HSPP PS TOTAL
Headcount by Business Unit FY 14-15
37 73.5 681.5 152.8 182.6 1127.4 37 67.5 676.5 149.8 176.6 1107.4 -100 100 300 500 700 900 1100 1300
MS FP&C O&M E&U HSPP Total
Headcount by Business Unit FY 12-14
2012-2013 2013-2014 104 127 81 81 77 80 60 103 62 105 107 69 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
New Hire FTE New Hire Temp/Wage Transfers & Promotions
Staffing Summary
5
Terminations
During the fiscal year there were a total of 92 Full Time Employee terminations, a 10.8% increase from last year’s total of 83. This number, while not concerning, has been trending upward over the last four years.
There have been no strong trends regarding types of terminations over the last four fiscal years.
Total Terminations by Business Unit
The chart below compares the terminations by business units representing all terminations both voluntary and involuntary. Due to the reorganization, a comparison by unit is not possible; however, overall, there has been a slight increase in total terminations.
Total Terminations by Business Unit FY 13-14
Department MS FP&C O&M E&U HSPP Overall
Total Employees 37 67.5 676.5 149.8 176.6 1107.4
Employee Terminations 3 6 52 10 10 81
% of staff termed 8.1% 8.9% 7.7% 6.7% 5.7% 7.4%
FY 14-15
Department MS FP&C OPS PS HSPP Overall
Total Employees 85 55 669 138 176 1123 Employee Terminations 7 5 56 13 13 94 % of staff termed 8% 9.1% 8.4% 9.4% 7.4% 8.4% 37 24 8 9 0 78 37 26 11 11 0 85 40 19 8 14 2 83 42 26 10 10 4 92 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Resigned Retired Medical Disability Removed Deceased Total
Comparison of Terminations (FTE)
6
Voluntary Terminations by Business Unit
The chart below compares the number of resignations and retirements (voluntary terminations) on a year-to-year basis. We put forth 2 retention IBA salary offers avoiding the loss of those employees to competitive salary offers. Voluntary Terminations FY 12-13 Department Overall Total Employees 1127.4 Voluntary Terminations 63 % 5.59% FY 13-14 Department Overall Total Employees 1107.4 Voluntary Terminations 59 % 5.33% FY 14-15
Department MS FP&C OPS PS HSPP Overall
Total Employees 85 55 669 138 176 1123
Employee Terminations 6 3 42 8 9 68
% 7.06% 5.45% 6.28% 5.80% 5.11% 6.06%
Employee Recognition
Facilities Management recognizes and acknowledges the efforts of our employees through the use of promotions, Role Changes, and Reward & Recognition awards. This past year, FM had 54 Promotions/Role Changesand 46 In-Band Adjustments for individuals who advanced through Career Paths, completed Essential Work Skills, or due to Strategic Salary Alignment or Lowest Paid Initiative Funds.
Reward and Recognition Awards
by Year FY 11-12 FY 12-13 FY 13-14 FY 14-15
Total Award Amount ($) $105,300 $92,250 $87,784 $115,450
Total Number of Awards 265 226 227 276
Average Award Amount $397.36 $408.19 $386.71 $418.30
Both total award dollar amounts and number of awards have increased over the course of the last fiscal year.
MS FP&C OPS PS HSPP Business All Unit Total
Number of Awards 36 3 184 33 20 276
Award amount per Business Unit $21,100 $5,000 $73,400 $10,200 $5,750 $115,450
7
The charts above show the distribution of Reward and Recognition Award dollar amounts between Business Units over the course of the last three fiscal years; due to departmental restructuring, FY 14-15 is shown separately. Operations is by far the largest user of rewards; however, this is due to the reorganized unit having more than half of FM employees within it.
For the most part, reward usage is proportionate to population in FM across all units.
Service Awards
Facilities Management takes time each year with the University to recognize the outstanding service of our employees.
This year, 152 Facilities Management employees were recognized at the University’s service award ceremony as serving the University for 10 or more years. Of those employees, 42 were honored as having achieved 25 or more years of service.
10% 30% 19% 33% 8% 3% 15% 37% 37% 8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% MS FP&C O&M EU HSPP
Rewards & Recognition per
Business Unit ($) 2012-2014
FY 12-13 FY 13-14 5% 23% 64% 5% 9% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% MS FP&C OPS HSPP PSRewards & Recognition per
Business Unit ($) 2014-2015
40 20 13 11 11 12 4 1 112 60 30 20 9 18 9 6 0 152 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 16010 Year 15 Year 20 Year 25 Year 30 Year 35 Year 40 Year 45 Year Total:
Service Awards
8
Training & Development
Manager Enrichment
On April 1, HR&T hosted the fourth annual Manager Enrichment session which provided 65 senior level managers and directors with opportunities for networking and leadership development. The training activities were designed to engage the participants and teach them new skills.
The morning session titled “Developing your Leadership Brand” was presented by Carolyn Cullen from the Center for Leadership Excellence. Additionally, time was allocated for Project Services Assistant Director for Construction, Bree Knick and Sustainability Director, Andrea Trimble to provide updates on their departmental activities. The day included an update from CFO Don Sundgren and provided opportunities for shared learning between managers and directors in each area of Facilities Management.
Leadership Forum
With an enhanced emphasis on employee health and safety and the hiring of our first safety director, the 2014 Leadership Forum was held on October 7 & 8 at Zehmer Hall. The theme for this year’s forum was “Double-Check for Safety”. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Rick Shannon, UVa Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, inspired the 200 supervisors, managers and directors in attendance. He brought the understanding of the importance of safety into a level of everyday practice and shared stories of how a focus on safety can drive a business model.
Managers also had the opportunity to learn from each other as they rotated through four workshops on: Safety & Health Expectations; Safety Team Services and Accident Reporting; Healthcare and Construction Maintenance, and Job Site Safety. The afternoon was led off with a Facilities Management update by CFO Don Sundgren followed by a rousing game of Safety Jeopardy to test the knowledge learned throughout the day.
Supervisory Training and Respectful Workplace Training
With the support of senior leadership, our department achieved a significant milestone in reaching our goal to have all Facilities Management employees trained in the University’s Respectful Workplace Program, an initiative from President Sullivan that promotes “a caring community that aspires to treat every individual with kindness, dignity and respect” (retrieved from Respect@UVa). During this fiscal year, we coordinated weekly classroom-style training during which time 25-30 staff came together to hear a targeted message on
expectations for respectful behaviors and the responsibility that each community member has to uphold these values. In hosting these sessions, we were able to train over 900 employees, including temporary staff to total more than 1,100 employees trained. As new hires come onboard, they too, will receive classroom style training coordinated by our office and University Human Resources.
This year we continued efforts to offer our supervisory/managerial staff training on the University’s progressive discipline process. On the heels of the major push from FY 2013-2014, we trained an additional 21
supervisors/managers, many of whom were new to their role and/or the University. Utilizing the Standards of Conduct policy as the basis for the training, supervisors/managers learned about addressing employee conduct through the various steps of progressive discipline including Verbal Counseling, Written Letter of Counseling, as well as the formal Group Notices to address more egregious or reoccurring behavior. The training provided tools for addressing Unacceptable Attendance and utilized case studies to help emphasize the curriculum while giving participants an opportunity to engage in discussions with their colleagues about the various
9 to ensure that staff who have the responsibility of managing staff conduct and performance have the right knowledge and tools in place.
ESL & GED Classes
The ESL and GED classes that are offered on grounds remain as an important avenue for employees to develop. Because of continued employee interest, strong support from supervisors, and our partnership with the
Charlottesville City Schools Adult Education Program, this year 12 Facilities Management employees participated in GED classes and 15 employees attended English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Additionally, we honored one award winner from the GED Voices of Adult Learners essay contest.
Educational Accomplishments
At that same ceremony, Facilities Management celebrated the educational achievements of six employees this year. Three employees earned their Associate’s Degree, two earned their Bachelor’s Degree, including one from the University of Virginia, and one of our HR&T Staff earned her Master’s Degree.
We continue to support two important UHR training courses by recruiting employees for Leadership Essentials (formerly known as Supervisory Essentials) and Essential WorkSkills. These foundation courses, for supervisors and entry-level employees respectively, provide critical information and skills for achieving successful job performance at UVa. During the fiscal year, Facilities Management sent 17 employees who completed Leadership Essentials and31employees who completed Essential WorkSkills.
Class Participation has decreased for both classes since the last fiscal year.
32 47 31 12 22 17 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 12-13 FY 13-14 FY 14-15 FY
Class Participation
10
Apprentice Program & Trades Training
We continued our on-site Trades Recertification training as a service to FM employees who are licensed in the construction trades. These training classes provide the required training for State license renewal. PVCC provides instructors for these classes, which FM HR&T offers twice each year. This past fiscal year, 211 employees participated in trades’ recertification classes, up from 151 the year before.
As of June, 2015, Facilities Management had 26 apprentices across the various trades of Carpentry, HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Masonry, Plastering, and Electronic Technicians specializing in Fire Systems, Elevator and Instrumentation, and Metering. Human Resources & Training continues to work closely with FM departments and State program liaisons to ensure apprentices receive the necessary on-the-job training and classroom instruction to be successful in their chosen trade.
After thirty-three years, the Program continues to be highly sought after and utilizes a competitive recruitment and selection process. During the 2015 application period, we received more than 600 applications for the six postings being recruited for in the trades of Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Plastering, Masonry, and Carpentry. Out of those applicants, 13 apprentices were hired due to their high caliber. We hired three into Electrical, one into Plumbing, three into Carpentry, one into Masonry, one into Plastering, and four into HVAC positions. New apprentices include five minority hires.
In addition to those apprentices who were inducted into the program this year, we also had the honor of graduating six apprentices, including two females and one minority into their trade. There was one graduate in Electrical, three in Plumbing, and two in Carpentry.
Compared with the graduating class, the incoming class has one fewer Plastering Apprentice, two fewer Plumbing Apprentices, and one more Masonry, HVAC and Carpentry Apprentices. Electrical Apprentice numbers remained the same.
0 1 2 3 4 Electrical Plumbing Carpentry HVAC Masonry Plastering
Apprentice Trades
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Compensation and Classification
Work on the Job Family structure continued this fiscal year with refinements to the titling structures and job family summaries as needed. HR&T recognized a level that was needed to accommodate the structure in our Work Management help desk so therefore negotiated redesign of the Customer Service job family with UHR. In addition, the former Licensed Trades Manager was changed to Trades Manager and moved into the Leadership sub family to accommodate both licensed and unlicensed managers.
The University engaged in several compensation initiatives this fiscal year. As occurred last fiscal year, the University implemented a merit pool (2%) to enable schools and units to recognize the performance of
University Staff. In addition, a 1% market adjustment for eligible University Staff and A&P Faculty was provided. During this time, a Lowest Paid Initiative (LPI) also occurred whereby FM was provided $100,978 to use toward addressing compensation issues with university staff that are low paid in comparison to market. These funds were spent on apprentice increases, career path increases, and increases to staff that were low to market with effective or higher performance scores for the last two years.
The legislature also approved for a classified merit increase of 2% across the board plus a $65/year compression adjustment for eligible Classified Staff.
With compensation initiatives touching all FM employees this year, the analysis and processing spread over four months, trickling into FY 15-16. Utilizing the compensation module through Lead@UVa, FM-HR&T worked with senior leadership to execute the salary adjustments in keeping with the established guidelines.
During this fiscal year, FM HR&T developed and published a new rewards and recognition tool that allows any employee to nominate another for a reward via an online portal. This portal has a connection to the Integrated System, allowing for employee data to be populated automatically. The request then gets routed to the
supervisor and Director before coming to HR&T. This new portal has allowed for streamlined processing and removal of most paper forms from the process. HR&T also took over keying authority for rewards into the Integrated System which has significantly decreased processing time between nomination and the employee receiving the reward.
Career Paths
Across the three Career Paths of Housekeeping, Landscape, and Recycling, Facilities Management has nearly 200 employee participants. Supervisors in each of these areas completed two separate assessments for their staff, one in the fall and one in the spring, coinciding with the performance management cycle. In the Fall
assessment, FM had two Custodial Services Workers complete stage-4 of the career path, becoming the first graduates. In total, 45 staff were recognized for having completed a stage and those who were eligible received a compensation adjustment. Specifically, there were 30 advancements in Housekeeping, six in Landscape, and six in Recycling, our most recently implemented Career Path.
HR&T puts forward a significant effort to implement the process surrounding Career Path administration, a large part of which is still not automated. We are responsible for assisting departments through this process,
reviewing and analyzing the results, and implementing salary increases for those employees who advanced along the path. The hard work is worth it though; since launching the Career Path, we have seen an increase in the level of enthusiasm employees are showing toward their professional development. Additionally, we believe that the transparency of the paths and the ability for the employee to take greater ownership of their
12 career along with the tie-in with compensation will enhance FM’s employee satisfaction, retention, and develop a more knowledgeable, motivated workforce.
Communications
HR&T continued to publish the quarterly Facilities Management newsletter, Perspective, with the goal of recognizing the varied work and responsibilities of our employees. The newsletter also recognizes our
employees’ educational and professional accomplishments and serves as a convenient reference with links and descriptions of educational and professional resources. Over the past fiscal year, multiple issues were expanded from the usual 8-page format to 12 pages in order to accommodate the department’s abundance of projects and accomplishments. HR&T’s quarterly double-sided flyer, Fast Facts, now in its third year, continued to provide concise, easy to read information on training and resources to those who have limited computer access and are less engaged in information exchange.
In response to feedback submitted to the CFO Office regarding Perspective, a committee of five employees across multiple FM departments was established in January 2015 to examine both the goals of Perspective and Fast Facts and suggest improvements to these publications. The “Name the Newsletter” contest was hosted in May 2015, resulting in six submissions from employees that were considered by the committee in addition to other proposed changes to the design and content of the publications. The committee anticipated proposing changes to FM Directors in the fall of 2015 with implementation in early 2016.
During the spring Apprenticeship Program recruitment window in April 2015, both current and former
apprentices, HR&T staff and FM leadership appeared on television and radio programs promoting the program and the Apprentice Job Fair which took place on April 8, 2015. HR&T Employee Relations Specialist, Sarah McComb, appeared on the Newsplex UVA Today program, Zone Manager and 1986 Apprentice Graduate, Clarence Wells, appeared on the Newsplex evening news and Chief Facilities Officer, Don Sundgren, and Plumbing Apprentice, Caitlin Murtaugh, appeared on WCHV Joe Thomas radio program. Media coverage of our July 23, 2015 Apprentice & Education Recognition Ceremony included features on both NBC29 and Newsplex as well as a feature article in the Daily Progress.
Throughout the year, HR&T staff worked closely with the U.Va. Communications Office to identify possible story ideas for UVA Today coverage as well as external media outlets. Notable coverage has included the Rotunda renovation project, the Day of Caring, the African American cemetery, Veterans Day, Final Exercises preparation, the Hereford Residential College light replacement and a story highlighting some of our women in the trades planned for publication at a later date. In December 2014, UVA Magazine published a photo essay highlighting FM’s work to maintain the steam tunnels.
HR&T also worked together with FM Technology & Innovation to introduce additional content on our newly revamped FM website, with feature stories providing background information about the banner photo posted on the FM homepage. Our social media accounts on Twitter and Flickr were regularly updated with photos of FM projects, employee gatherings and special events.
HR&T staff assisted with the production of the FM Diversity Committee 2015 Calendar, which featured photos of FM employees at work in addition to listing the official national holidays of different countries that are
representative of our diverse employee population. The purpose of the calendar is to help FM staff appreciate both the days throughout the year that are important to them, and those that are important to others as well.
13
Outreach
In October 2014, U.Va.’s Office of Equal Opportunity Programs (EOP) recognized three Facilities Management employees as EOP Champions by EOP Director and University Title IX Coordinator, Darlene Scott-Scurry. HR&T Director, Rebecca Leinen, was honored as an EOP Champion for her outreach practices to recruit non-traditional applicants to the skilled trades, including her work to highlight women in the trades at FM. An EOP award was also presented to the U.Va. Military Veteran Employee Working Group, which includes FM Senior Project Manager, Mike Vanderweide, and Systems Control Center Manager, Nina Green. The group was honored for their work to form a liaison program for new employees who are veterans, help UHR with recruitment and improve the culture on Grounds for faculty and staff who are veterans.
In preparation for our 2015 Apprenticeship recruitment window, HR&T emailed information and posters to more than 55 community contacts, including area Social Services offices, the Charlottesville Redevelopment & Housing Authority, the Charlottesville NAACP, Virginia Employment Commission Workforce Services, VA
Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), in addition to posting information on area bulletin boards and supply houses. Recruitment information was also sent to principals and guidance counselors at 26 area schools. We participated in job fairs at PVCC and one through the local veteran’s office and hosted our own apprentice job fair for community attendance.
Employee Relations
Human Resources & Training provides on-going counsel and support to FM employees and supervisors regarding conduct and performance management. Effort is given to assist in setting clear expectations and to ensure consistent treatment across Facilities Management.
As a result of the 2014 performance management cycle, one employee was rated “1-Unsatisfactory” on their annual evaluations and received a formal Re-Evaluation Plan in accordance with Policy 1.40 – Performance Planning and Evaluation. During the 90-day re-evaluation period, management provides the employee with specific details of the performance deficiencies, expected behaviors for success, and regular coaching and training to facilitate growth. HR&T worked closely with management to ensure that the Re-Evaluation Plans afforded the affected employee with an opportunity to improve while addressing the department’s needs. This required a careful review of all documentation, particularly those formal progress reports at the 30- and 60-day intervals, as well as the final 90-day Re-Evaluation. The employee was able to demonstrate the desired
performance levels in order to successfully complete the plan in accordance with policy.
This year, 36 written notices were issued to employees who violated University policies and/or the Standards of Conduct, four of which resulted in termination. Three of these were later rescinded at the request of and formal agreement by the employee to resign their employment with the University in lieu of termination. While the number of formal disciplinary actions decreased slightly from FY 13-14, 20 of these disciplines (55%) resulted in unpaid suspensions, demotion, or termination of employment. Much of this is the result of the progressive disciplinary process in which earlier attempts to correct the employee’s behavior were unsuccessful and
discipline had to be advanced to a higher level. The most common violation among the department is Failure to Follow Instructions and/or Policy, with a variety of specific policies being addressed depending upon the nature of the conduct. Other commonly addressed conduct issues this fiscal year include Disruptive Behavior and Abuse of State Time.
Six grievances were initiated this fiscal year which followed varying processes based on the nature of the disciplinary action which was issued. Three of the grievances were upheld by the respective resolution steps
14 including the CFO, Hearing Office, and the Circuit Court. One grievance was untimely having been filed by the employee after the 30-day period had passed and was therefore denied further access to the grievance process. One grievance was dismissed by the Department of Human Resources Management (DHRM) as a result of a settlement to allow the employee to resign. Finally, the sixth grievance is on-going; at the end of the fiscal year, the disciplinary action had been upheld by the 1st and 2nd Resolution Steps and was advanced by the employee
to the 3rd Resolution Step, Colette Sheehy, Vice President for Management & Budget.
This year, HR&T coordinated with FM management and the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs (EOP) to respond to two Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charges. One was filed on behalf of a terminated employee who alleged racial discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The second EEOC charge was filed by a current employee who claimed age discrimination against the department. We were able to defend that our actions in both cases were not the result of any discriminatory considerations, resulting in the charges being dropped.
