DEANS, DIRECTORS, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS & ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS
Re: Proposed Revisions to Staff Policy 34 (Incentive and Recognition Award Plans) and Proposed Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Plan
The Office of the President has proposed revisions to Staff Policy 34, “Incentive and Recognition Award Plans–Managers & Senior Professionals and Professional & Support Staff.” The recommended changes will provide direction and authority for the oversight and administration of non-base-building incentive and recognition awards for Managers & Senior Professionals (MSP) and Professional & Support Staff (PSS) employees.
Incentive awards are cash awards that are intended to motivate individuals or teams to produce results that have been pre-defined and communicated in advance to the participants in accordance with an incentive award plan, and to reward them for achieving the stated performance objectives. An incentive award plan’s performance objectives must require participants to stretch their performance beyond their normal duties and responsibilities so that they are rewarded for the achievement of stretch objectives. The incentive award is determined by a formula based on weightings of the objectives, degree of accomplishment, and other factors. The UCLA Medical Sciences will be implementing the Proposed Clinical Enterprise Management Recognition Plan 2 (CEMRP 2), which will be issued separately to participating departments in the near future.
Recognition awards are discretionary cash awards that are intended to recognize and reward excellence in University service, significant achievements and contributions, and outstanding individual and team performance. Eligibility criteria, performance standards, award limits, and other elements governing recognition awards will be included in UCLA’s campus guidelines for the recognition award plan, consistent with the systemwide Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Plan, as noted below.
The revised policy requires that incentive awards and recognition awards be governed by plans that are documented and approved prior to implementation. The revised policy would replace Personnel Policies for Staff Members 34 (Incentive Awards), dated July 1, 1996.
Proposed Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Plan
In addition to the above policy change, the University is proposing to implement the “Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Plan.” The STAR Plan will provide the opportunity for cash recognition awards for policy-covered (MSP and PSS) employees similar to UCLA’s former Staff Achievement Award (SAA) Program and will be governed by the above-described Staff Policy 34.
Eligibility for exclusively represented employees to receive awards under the STAR Plan depends on the collective bargaining process and the terms of the applicable collective bargaining agreement and plan. Revised Staff Policy 34 and the systemwide STAR Plan are posted in Related Information.
UCLA STAR Plan guidelines will be issued to Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, and Administrative Officers following completion of the policy review process. As this is a formal policy review, please circulate the proposed revisions to policy-covered staff in your organization. Employee comments are welcome and may be sent to Campus Human Resources at chr@chr.ucla.edu or to Health System Human Resources at mgardner@mednet.ucla.edu. We will appreciate receiving comments by Wednesday, January 25, 2012.
Sincerely,
Campus Human Resources, Personnel Services
Phone: (310) 794-3147 | Fax: (310) 794-0865
