Performance Management

The trade union side continues to have grave concerns about the scheme. We do not agree that staff performance and potential can be summarised in one overall rating. We are also extremely concerned about the manner in which personal data relating to the PDR process will be stored and circulated and we do not yet feel satisfied that staff will have access to a fair and transparent appeals process.

We are continuing to speak to management about our concerns and we hope that some aspects will be clarified and improved.

However, we are also aware that members have been asked to participate in the scheme and are seeking guidance from their union.

At this stage, we cannot advise members to boycott the scheme.

In this period when we are seeking greater clarity and agreement, we advise members to clarify the following matters with their own line managers in this early phase of the new scheme. It is very important that members relay their experiences of the scheme back to the branch committee in order to help us guide the membership through this early phase.

1. We advise members not to engage in target setting for PDR until their workload for the following year has been agreed. It would be helpful to engage your line manager in discussion about how work required for PDR will be registered in your workload.
2. We advise members to ask their line manager how their personal data will be stored, who will have access and under what circumstances and how their area proposes to deal with any sensitive issues involving personal disclosure.
3. We advise members to ask their line manager how targets will be viewed within their area, including any local understandings of how the achievement of particular targets might be rewarded or assessed.
4. We advise members to ask their line manager what support will be provided in their area to ensure the meeting of targets, particularly where such targets represent new areas of work.

It is our understanding that individual targets will be agreed between members of staff and their line managers. It is important, therefore, that members seek to clarify the 4 issues above before agreeing their own targets.

In the event that you experience any untoward pressure during the course of your PDR you are strongly advised to contact your union representative as soon as possible.

We have agreed further meetings with management and will keep members informed of progress.

Anyone interested in reading this report please contact Dave Hyde for a copy at D.Hyde@uel.ac.uk

Performance Management and the New Workplace Tyranny
A Report for the Scottish Trades Union Congress
Professor Phil Taylor
University of Strathclyde
philip.taylor@strath.ac.uk

PLEASE ATTEND JOINT UNION MEETINGS ON PROPOSALS TO INTRODUCE A STAFF PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SCHEME TO REPLACE THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT REVIEW.

THURSDAY 5th FEBRUARY 1.30 LT.03 (STRATFORD)
FRIDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 1.30 EB.G.06 (DOCKLANDS)

REGIONAL OFFICALS FROM JOINT UNIONS WILL ALSO BE PRESENT ALONG WITH JOINT UNION NEGOTIATORS

THESE PROPOSALS HAVE SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR CONDITIONS AND HOW WE ARE MANAGED

PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR NEGOTIATORS AND MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD.

The NEW scheme asks reviewers to rate performance in different areas including behaviour. Staff can be judged as unsatisfactory for example against a range of ‘competencies’ some very generic. Reviewers then have to come up with one overall rating of your performance. Included also are ‘stretch’ objectives and it is not clear what consequences would follow from a failure to meet any objectives. Finally a reviewer has to rate a staff member in relation to their “aspirations and potential to make a wider contribution to UEL.”

Please attend the meeting to discuss this proposal and how it should be responded to.
If you are unable to attend please send your thoughts, however brief to G.BHATTACHARYYA@UEL.AC.UK BY 13th February

You may recall before the Professional Services Review that management expressed an intention to change the Staff Development Review (SDR). Some of you may also have been involved in pilots of the proposed new scheme in the past year and registered concern about the new scheme both to unions and to management. In the mid-summer management advised the Unions that they intended to go ahead and implement the scheme with effect from 1st September.

The Joint Unions raised objections to this and made representations to the Chair of the Board of Governors on your behalf. Following an initial impasse, which required intervention by ACAS, discussions with a view to reaching an agreement on the proposals have commenced between management and the Joint Unions.

It is too early to predict what the outcome of these negotiations will be but early discussions have been both productive and constructive. We will give full reports on the discussions at our various branch meetings, our next meetings with management will be on 30th October and 4th November.

Please make every effort to attend all forthcoming branch meetings as it is vital that you hear and consider these discussions.

UCU; Unite; Unison