Operating Staff Council Meeting minutes

March 08, 2005

Members in attendance: Doreen Palmer, Jennifer Morin, Stephen Hunter, Toni Searles, Charlene Hill, Jason Brodeur, Stephanie Higgs, Julie Johnson Dubois, Jennifer Dubé

Guests: Lonn Sattler-SPPC, Sharon Demers-HR, Ken Gagnon-Campus Journal

Stephanie Higgs opened the meeting by noting that, because of the OS/PAT joint planning retreat last month, there were no minutes to accept.

Agenda Items

District assignments:

Reconfiguring the districts in order to serve the operating staff more efficiently would involve several factors. Location on campus, the various departments, and the populations within those departments will be considered. Since the OS and PAT districts are already divided differently, changing the current OS assignments shouldn't pose a problem. Toni will provide an updated list from the Banner system, enabling Steph to recommend new districts. She will email council reps by the April meeting.

Family Friendly Proposal:

A final draft of the proposal should be available within the next few days. There have been several opportunities for input from operating staff, so this would the final chance for any questions or concerns to be raised before the proposal is presented to the Board of Trustees.

As outlined at last month's retreat, the OSC goals for 2005:

- continue to work on new and different ways to improve communication to and from constituents

- keep updated on Managing/Supervising, paying particular attention to performance management: pay for performance vs. pay according to tenure

- review issues:

- some employees are reviewed by supervisors who don't know them well,

- HR is looking at the ways in which reviews are administered, including the forms themselves. Parts of the forms are not relevant, although it was acknowledged that using some kind of form allows for a certain amount of structure and/or guidance.

- HR does audit reviews

- Ann Driscoll will be here next month, speaking about management training as well as performance evaluations

- looking at other forms of recognition for performance; non-monetary

- a point system (currently used in dining services) where employees are able to earn points to be turned in toward 'prizes' of their choice

- continue to explore benefits, looking for opportunities to improve/increase

- explore individualized sick pool accounts; conversion options

- employee suggestion plan update: !dea website is www.greatideas@unh.edu

Concern was raised re: people hired as short term, non-status, with minimal benefits available, working for the university for 'long term' (at what point does short term turn in to LONG term?)

- Fair Labor Standards?

- Privitized - non-benefited

- temporary housekeepers plugging spaces not yet filled

There is a committee looking at 'temporary employee' situation

Reminder: next regular OSC meeting will be on April 5