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Currents At the April 4 communications meeting, Layton McCurdy, M.D., vice president for Medical Affairs and dean of the College of Medicine, discussed our difficult financial situation, which has resulted to a great degree from the 1997 federal Balanced Budget Act (BBA).  Dr. McCurdy explained that like the Medical Center, the College of Medicine has been adversely affected by the BBA, and measures are being taken to reduce costs.  He expressed confidence that with time, we will overcome our current budgetary restraints and that as an organization we will be stronger. Dr. McCurdy also commended all Medical Center employees for doing an exceptional job.  He explained that he sees many letters from patients and families expressing appreciation for the outstanding care.  At our April 4 meeting, we also heard an update on revisions to several core human resources policies planned for the Medical University Hospital Authority.  In general, the revisions serve to align the policies with specific needs of the Medical Center.  Some of the revisions could have been made within our current state system, while other revisions are possible due to the flexibility we will have as an authority upon implementation in July 2000. Our goal is to have fair and consistently applied human resources policies that are responsive to needs. The outline highlighting the revisions to the policies  below may be difficult to understand unless you are already familiar with the details of our current policies.  In the near future, a listing of Me Issues Committee questions and answers will be published and distributed to all employees, and the new paid-time-off plan for the authority will be communicated. Thank you very much. W. Stuart Smith Vice President for Clinical Operations and Executive Director, MUSC Medical Center Authority human resources core policies update Susan Carullo, manager of Medical Center Employment, Compensation and Employee Relations, and Eric Frisch, compensation and employee relations analyst, gave an update on revisions to core human resources policies as outlined below. Employment procedure Good documentation is the key to success in ensuring a fair and nondiscriminatory employment practice. The new employment policy incorporates recommendations made by an expert in equal employment practices (a former federal Department of Labor official) to improve documentation of the selection process. The new procedures and documentation requirements, which will be clearly explained in the policy, have previously been communicated to managers and business managers. Changes in the employment process Applicants must submit two copies of the application, with original signatures on both copies, for each posted vacancy for which they wish to apply.  Human Resources maintains a copy, and a copy is forwarded to the appropriate manager or director. Situations involving a change in the employment status of a current employee may not require posting. For example, the change of a current employee from a permanent position to a temporary position within the same cost center. For most positions, the PEAR form is valid for 60 days from the initial date of posting.  Exceptions to this requirement depend on critical staffing situations and difficult-to-recruit positions. The University’s procedures are slightly different from the Medical Center’s procedures. No change in the employment procedure for the following: Five working day posting requirement Applications forwarded weekly to the appropriate manager or director Completion of required hiring documentation, including the applicant review list All applicants referred while the position is posted must be indicated on the applicant review list Compensation The policy emphasizes a commitment to maintaining compensation levels that are internally equitable, externally competitive and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The authority will consider and appropriately balance its compensation plan with the plans of other MUSC entities. Job title or classifications will be maintained. Class codes and subclasses will not change with the authority implementation. The current 10-band system will be utilized. We will have greater flexibility to improve the classification structure as we move forward. The band schedule may be adjusted as needed according to market conditions.  Types of pay include base pay, overtime, shift differential, on-call, call-back and incentive/bonus pay. The authority will allow greater flexibility in adjusting shift differential rates, on-call rates and in developing incentive/bonus programs within the constraints of budget. Overtime Employees will continue to be compensated in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Time spent on the job by a nonexempt (hourly paid) employee in excess of 40 hours in a single work week will be paid at 1 ½ times the normal rate. Hiring above the minimum of the pay range Hiring rates will continue to be determined by an applicant’s credentials as compared to the required minimum training and experience for the position. Special hire rates will be established above the minimum of the range as needed, based on market conditions. Types of increases Performance increase—the amount of increase will be determined and announced on or around the beginning of each fiscal year Reclassification increase—up to a 10 percent increase Promotion increase—up to a 10 percent increase Market and equity adjustments—amount of increase determined by market conditions Band reallocation Equity/market in-band increases In-band increase—up to a 10 percent increase Additional duties and responsibilities—up to a 10 percent increase Additional knowledge and skills—up to a 10 percent increase Salary decrease No major changes from the previous policy, except in the extension of the trial period to one year. Reduction in salary in the amount previously received during the trial period is not grievable. The salary of an employee who was awarded an in-band increase for additional duties will be reduced by the amount previously received if the duties are removed within one year. Shift and weekend differential pay Shift differential will only be authorized for productive hours of work, and will not include periods of leave. On-call and call-back No major change in policy. Temporary pay for interim duties No major change in policy. Bonus and incentive pay The authority allows more flexibility in awarding individual, group, and recruitment and retention bonuses. Amounts will generally be limited to $2,000, unless otherwise approved. Temporary pay rates No major shift in policy. Performance management Steps for evaluating performance to ensure staff competency are outlined in the policy. Performance management remains a critical component of the competency assessment and maintenance process. Changes include the following: The combined position description and appraisal document is incorporated into the policy. The trial period is extended to one year. The work improvement process is defined and should be used to correct deficient performance. (See details below.) Types of reviews Annual review Probationary review Trial review—trial period also will apply to employees who receive a change in assigned subclass such as Clinical Nurse II to Clinical Nurse III Appraisal document All employees should be evaluated on: job tasks, core competencies and performance characteristics. Planning stage This document serves as the description of assigned duties and is a required component of the departmental personnel file. The document, with the employee’s original signature, remains in the department until the final evaluation is completed. Evaluation stage The formal evaluation should be sent to Human Resources at the end of the review period. There is no grace period. Work improvement process includes the following: The initial step in formally notifying an employee of substandard performance is a formal written reprimand. A work improvement plan for 30-60 days replaces the substandard performance warning period. The work improvement process is also linked with the disciplinary action policy to enable evaluation of performance plus work habits and behaviors. Disciplinary action Probationary employees should be informed in writing if their job is in jeopardy for disciplinary and performance issues. Every employee should be given an opportunity to correct deficiencies. Duration of a suspension now can extend from three to 10 days, depending on the severity of the infraction. Suspensions and terminations Remain grievable. Employee must initiate and complete the grievance application within 14 days. Would not rehire status The Hermit system does not have the “conditional rehire” designation. All terminating/separating employees should be a given a “would rehire” or “would not rehire” designation. Applicants with a “would not rehire” designation will be considered on a case-by-case basis if they reapply for employment with the authority. Some changes were made to the progressive disciplinary grid for clarification and to address common problems.