ALC-Personnel

Right members and that to have called this meeting to order i'm gonna go ahead and turn it over to you tony robinson. They've been chairman item be as the first request on the agenda and be as a request from the apartment of transfer transformation for review of their proposed proposed performance valuation system kay barnhill with the office personal management will present the information and take questions as needed. You'll state your name and who you're with for the record thank you yes I am kate barnhill with permanent transformation and shared services. What I have what i'm presenting out today we have three documents I believe that have been distributed to you one is the policy that will govern the performance evaluation system another part of that document is the actual standards that employees can be valuated against and the third package would be a mattrex trying to help rating supervisors understand what level to actually evaluate their employees at so we have any questions on any three thousand handouts please let me know but i'm a try to summarize what we've done and changed and what has changed as our previous years evaluation but one thing we've just changed a whole name of the system it's now called my arkansas performance and that's to go along with everything else we've been doing with my are careers we now like straight are pretty sure we had five right in categories that she will have or rating categories ranging from unsatisfactory tech seats expectations so there's four possibilities for an employee for levels and employee can be evaluated at we have seven performance standards that have been identified which include customer service communication accountability professionalism initiative job knowledge skills and work product and supervisory leadership employees will be evaluated against some of these standards they may not be evaluated against all of these standards the hr department for the the hr department of the department will determine what the applicable standard for for each job classification within their departments have every family service workers should be rated the same but gets the same standards every account with in the department human services will be rated against the same standards. Each sander contains typical functions that are expected in that standard and um. That's to help the employee writing supervisor with an employee's understand what they're being that evaluated against compensation eligibility to be eligible for an increase this next year you must have been employed by the state. Executive branch as of july one twenty twenty three and in your department from january second twenty twenty four so that's the standards that employees will be a value and if that's the time frame for these evaluations another change that we will minute this year that we've never had in previous years and is an appeal process every department will establish an appeal process for employees who disagree with their writings open has some gunits with bad that departments can make that individual to their needs. Okay ever an employee is rated and satisfactory or needs improvement they need to be a signed up performance improvement plan that will ask at least thirty days but no more than ninety days for their real bad way to and you determine what you want to continue their employment with the state I would say if they fall into the needs improvement or in satisfactory category again termination of that ploy would become a very balance training one of the big things that we're doing trying to consistency across the state because what we heard from your previously is there were inconsistencies you thought among the various departments starting tuesday of next week will be out around the state conducting numerous training sessions every day with all evaluating managers are rating managers as we call them so we can make sure the employees understand those people that will be doing the evaluation to understand how the system works how operates and will have consistent training on how they need to manage our assessed their employees there is a scheduled by the way I think in a very tony passed out a little bit earlier that shows when there's trainings of taking place and where they will be located with well be gone across the state trying to sure that we cover of areas of the state that particular point here's the new additions that are new the sure that we're not previously with the performance evaluation system one under each standard or measure area we have a blank textbook so if we missed something in a department until it's critical that employees be evaluated against a specific standard they can add that level of specificity to the standards. We also created a rating matrix and I think this matrix will be very helpful because it gives you examples of what is unsatisfactory what might be a satisfactory or meeting standards and what would be exceeding so you have something to gauge against when you're trying to assess what star to the phone to each employee we ask her requiring established establishment of performance with the committees within each department. These committees will be a sand the task of making sure that standards selection process goes well as well as reviewing the end results and making sure that one division in department is not getting all the force and the other divisions are all getting too so that committee is created to make sure that there's equivalent distribution of those ranges across state your across their department and the big thing you need to be aware of no bell curve is required to be followed this time that was a previous issue I think there were a lot of complaints about during the previous session. And that pretty much sums up my presentation i'll be happy to take any questions that anyone might have. All right I don't see any questions from members on the committee but we will take a couple questions from non members representative spring area recognized. Good afternoon thank you madame chair on page question regarding the policy I bonus rating policy on page three paragraph eligibility for performance compensation is that is that new or is that something that and particularly interested in the part to see is imported to transfer promote or demo between departments after january second twenty twenty four are ineligible to receive performance compensation yes I mean some is that new or is that something it's a variation of what is previously been affected your call last year if you had not been with the executive branch of government for the full year you were not eligible for evaluation this is saying if you're with the executive branch for a full year but you transfer after january second you are not eligible to receive a a merit increase at that particular point time between departments now be stayed within your department you good but if you go to a different department and the filling there is that you need at least six months of performance from a supervisor to be able to effectively valuate your performance they'll get sold can you will that help to even put what you just told me and there so can be better explained I can understand the point that you're making now but reading that the way that it is it's up account and confused in to me so I can appreciate what you just stated thank you. Representative may vary a recognized thank you madame chair and thank you I am a non member of this committee and I have very much appreciate the opportunity to to share we are elected to represent our constituents and I have a constituent that reached out to me and i've had this discussion with you and many other members and II have heard some explanation but I feel like this needs to be brought to the attention of everybody so we understand what what is actually taking place here I have a constituent with an emailed me who will be adversely affected by this and I have a small request to make that adverse effect not take place so in january she made the decision to transfer from one department to another department and in january the policy that was in place at the time is not what the policy will be after this goes into effect or after this gets voted on now or on friday. So when you're making a decision. To transfer to a new job you factor in lots of things and for this person. This policy was not in place. So she could not factor in the idea that she is going to make a later on move from one department to another there's no pay increase whatsoever and now she's being told that she will not have the opportunity for a merit increase if she qualifies if she's a great. Employee. Why do we need to make this retro active because and that would be the solution in what my request would be for this committee. To make it effective after um friday if this gets approved on friday they'd be very nineteenth or maybe even march first because there might be a lot of employees out there who are trying to make decisions right now and don't even know that this goes into effect it would help tremendously this is. You don't change the rules. Later. And make it retro active can can you address why we can't start with the start date of february nineteenth or march first or something yesterday on the primary reason for that is that as I think I mention when I was talking to represent a spring or liberties have six months within the position for an evaluate running supervisor to have the ability to have a fall knowledge of the employee's skills and how they react to each particular standard and that's six month date pass back to january second so that was the reason for that decision. The. Yes you may have a follow up II just beg this committee. If you had a constituent reaching out to you you would be doing the same thing right now there is a very simple solution objects changing the day to february nineteenth instead of making this go backwards to january second she made those decisions based on the policy that was in place and I promise you if you were that person you would be doing the exact same thing and asking for this as well. Thank you very much and again a very appreciate the committee for allowing me to even say anything and help represent my constituent so thank you thank you representing my very week you know as you know i've been working on this for months and months and have worked through all types of scenarios and trying to hammer out all the details to get him right and I think i'll recognize representative at this time to give more detail on it thank you manager so first of all you I mean I doubt this was the the reason that you can constituent per transfer gladly that was probably it may be a part of it but I will say that this do this entire process from the governor's office to the secretary. Open all of the cabinet secretaries directors house and senate leadership had a say in this this process it's not a perfect. Process but is a whole lot better than what we had so in even the ACA just it is really proud of the policy that we're providing them and. Like miss barnhall stated for a person to go to a now this this started out at a year we were at a year and through a collaborative effort with all the parties in bob house and senate leadership the governor's office and in the secretary everybody we negotiated down to six months which the cab secretaries were willing to accept that because they want to have a period time that taken about they wait their employees before giving them a a some incinerpate or increase so were that being said I think it's it's it's appropriate this unfortunate for and there may be one season tuesdays but we have to do something we've got to get this plan on the roads or a personnel can be evaluated but I also will say that this now there will be an appeal process in evaluations in if she doesn't agree with her evaluation there's an appeal process that will be in place and she can that's a tool that she will be able to use but so I appreciate a miss barnhill and her staff as well as selling from the governor's office in in all the others that really to spend a lot of time working on this and and I think the six months is entirely appropriate thank you madame chairman. Thank you senator hammer you're recognized thank you moved here on the appeal process it it says that. Each agency is going to develop a process is there going to be gonna be a uniform standard across the board for all agencies so that if an employee moves from one agency to the other it wouldn't be a different set of rules based on which agency there in I think the process would be very similar to the only reason we didn't establish a process of number of days or something along those lines is because in a some one department's forty employees one department six thousand it may take them a little bit longer we have some gardens that we worked on to prepare to give to the departments to say this is the way that the appeal should take place and we have that really and will distribute that to them next week okay just louds it's consistent across the board understand the volume factor but the consistency as to how employees are being treated like DHS versus I don't know labor or whatever and I think senator hammer there was one change it's pretty consistent here instead of employee appealing their valuation to the rating supervisor who conducted the valuation they're gonna appeal directly to the performance review committee that's established for that department who will be able to notice if it's consistent consistent with the practice that that's great thank you thank you very much. Representative or law you're recognized thank you madam chair and I think it's important for the committee of studying this issue on the six month thing pretty hard in the last couple of days. I think it's important we understand how it's calculated so can can you walk through. If I started in january and we're evaluated to july that is a six month period roughly. But that's not how it's counted it's counted up did you like january second am I correct yes because january can you walk the committee through how that works so that we have an understanding again I think what let me make sure even employee has worked for executive branch government since july twenty twenty three that's the first point of eligibility they have to be eligible to have to have a full year service the second point of a little bit thought comes that they have worked for the department which they are currently being evaluated since january second and the reason for that six month time primacy these evaluation results will get probably going to affect in july of twenty four so that's where the six months come from at that particular thank you and then about moving that to the six month versus the one year which is what you guys proposed in the beginning yes it actually helps most of the employees catchers at captures a lot more and I think is important that we understand that the chairman buries right we can't do this for one or two we have to do it for the whole and what we've agreed to actually helps the mass correct right thank you thank you manager. Senator chesterfield you recognized thank you madame esparnel could you tell me the give me an estimate of the turnover rate that we're having in these various agencies we send you trying to fix a problem but still suffering from individuals not being particularly appreciative of how they're being treated so could you tell me what that the turn off a rate give me a couple of agencies in tell me well it does I think the state wide turnover average is around fifteen point six to eight dollars point about fifteen corrections it's gonna leave the way i'm to some house because they have so correction steal about two percent yes ma'am they have in their correctional office officer of series not necessarily within the whole department but within their correctional officer and DHS was at one time over fifty percent where they are now DHS I think we have one I can't give you a total correct amount i'd have to look it up and know we just have been looking at turn over statistics back but rural's classications I know nursing right now is running about eighteen percent to an overall this one that I looked at just last week some filling relatively confident with that think that's a little bit higher than the overall DHS okay so dhs below forty percent now because it was about consistently forty percent for a while right and I think that was because of the family service worker series at that particular point time that was what that was the highest turnover statistic at DHS which had a large volume of employees and I think we've addressed some of the issues there their labor market rights geographic differentials and other aspects so as we look at this this business of. Evaluation etc. Are you telling us to data because of the changes or has that been a mitigating circumstance to keep more people there or are people is unhappy as the individual to home the representative alluded I think most employers are happy with these changes I mean we listen to lounge clear from last year listen to yall when you were talking about internet twenty twenty three valuation process and we've tried to improve most everything that was brought to our attention at that particular point time so I think employees will be happier with this particular process are we do a win surveying the own and getting their ideas about what they think works and what is not working is there any way that we get feedback from our employees because I think that's going to be critical as we move forward with these changes I think you're right we have surveyed the departments let me say we didn't do a survey of individual employees but we asked departments to bring the concerns that they had heard and what they were hearing from their employees forward to this and we took those in a consideration or a writing several of these policies now was this in were these anonymous responses or where they put on the spat and just tell you what you wanted to hear I hope they didn't tell me just for but they weren't another you know what I say you anonymously may not be what I say yeah straight up that's true let me at add something here that one of the things are on the type of page three here when we're talking about the policy for performance father valuation we're trying to encourage all rating managers to let them ploys upload ride them any documentation that they bill that needs to be considered and one of the enhancements to the system this time is that can be uploaded to the valuation record so employees are encouraged that i've had any letters. I think they'd do it with letters commendation probably not with letter second hand but if they've had any commendations or any special consideration are been recognized for special efforts or encouraging them to make sure that their supervisor has that information when they complete the valuation all right thank you and happy balance as a day to you and have a value thank you very much thank you center chesterfield representative j richardson you're recognized. Thank you manager over here. It just real quick are based on the seven buckets are these criteria these are they individually wait yes sir okay do you know is that in here did I miss that somewhere what their percentage of weight now so that is a decision that is left up to the department there are everything has to add up to a hundred percent though it depends on how many. How many. Categories how many standards they choose so this the seven that I counted right communication customer service up their seven of those in the each one has the is a is equal and weight is what you're telling me to a hundred percent yes are unless. They could be they could say pick one standard if they want to pick customer service I was like a review agent or somebody in the revenue office and customer service was a primary function of their job they could choose to make that customer service a heavier weight but then still everything i'm all standards must have been. So if each department can choose how much weight is placed on the categories that are here. Does that that seem like that could be that could cause a problem is it just me who sees the I mean if i'm if i'm in a department and I can choose to give more weight to this and department next to me can choose to give more way to another. And they're all the same. I think we did that because the jobs are not all the same across the government that gives a little bit ability to customers. Closer to what your employees are actually performing however if you are a say a customer service revenue since I started out with an example most of the people that weren't behind the desk you should have the same standards as all the other customer service reps and revenue so you would be a value waited on the same thing and again like they are customer service that I know is a top party for them at that particular point that now that's saying customer service factor may not be as a great at forestry department where they're out for you know doing the forest fire so we're trying to leave that differential up to the department themselves determine what's most critical there okay thanks and represent the richardson we had that concern a lot of us as well we've really worked through that over the last several months having conversations about what that look like but the truth there's all the agencies and departments are so different and so different things matter depending on what the job is and what the department is responsible for so just giving that flexibility for the ones who are evaluating to be able to say what's important to their department to insure that these evaluations are effective and actually measuring the jav of the employees. Yes sir so if I understand your so if i'm in earth if if you're in a customer service in their two supervisors operating customer service they're operating under the exact same criteria and waiting yesterday they just thank you. Center hammer you're recognized thank you may chair appreciate her but it's worked to went into it yet to a stage couple quick questions key under on page for about thirty year to complete the p e yes sir talked about evaluating manager who fails to complete the employer voice performance they were should they themselves could forfeit their performance competition for her their eligibility for a performance raise themselves if they have not completed valuations i'd seem like I remember when we had this discussion account prompted all this you know a year so ago when the issues was all those valuations come in like at the last minute how house how is a manager supposed to manage manager so that it doesn't have a repeat are they allowed to do it based on the six month anniversary of the employer talk me through how we've relieved those managers of that about it so right now since it's february and the valuations will take place like may early june is the time frame that we anticipate evaluations to take place here. That's that's the time prangs were working here but we are opening up the system as soon as it's finished we're still got some technical issues were working on the phone system to make easy but as soon as we open up the system managers and employees managers can start loading any information they want to be considered during the valuation process so we hope that should be about mine march month early march to mid march the system should be open so managers can start adding information making comments so when the actual evaluation period comes forward. They would already have the information they need to make make that decision right there and the future we're going to recommend that people do six month avaluations you know going forward but this time firm was a little bit compressed and we don't have that ability okay and and they're all aware of that then right then the sake of the second thing is. As far as the manager they waiting the employee that's one perspective. Where where is it in the process that the employees can evaluate the managers. It is not specified here but if you look under partial limited general we do allow partial evaluations as some page three. That's where a manager can request a partial praisibly contacted by anyone who may have direct and relevant knowledge of the employees shop performance this can employee the could include employees previous manager of management has changed a customer client vendor or other department. Employees at that time. So it saw an employee would be able to participate in the process of being able to contribute. To the. About you waiting evaluation of the manager. Because that's one of the things I hear and talk into people out of state government is the money is okay it's the management is why they're leaving so we're wearing this day but there is no place right now we're gonna see that the employed can actually participate I mean they could provide input to that man that manager has a manager or has some kind of person on top of them they could provide input to that manager but that managers manager would be responsible for completing the valuation with any information they have received so an appointee go round a supervisor to the supervisor about the supervisor with information about the supervisor that supervisor yes technically I thank you. Alright representative maybe you're recognized. Thank you thank you again just. Slightly different topic than. Yeah. In speaking to other state employees they often will say that they were always told that those who were doing the evaluation that they are not allowed to give that highest rating. Because they were told by their superiors. Basically do not give out that highest rating is and it was sort of an unspoken thing or not documented by you just knew you weren't supposed to do that so moving forward is that had a the underlying hip tone no we have totally moved away from that would just one of the changes one I haven't heard of the changes that there is no bell curb and previous years departments for directed to consider maybe top five percent would be outstanding maybe the ten percent excellent about seventy percent hit that meets expectations level on you had the same percentage of someone on the back and that is not a factor at all in this particular point this time we're telling supervisors to write the employees as they perform this a critical concept between the system now or the review process will come into insurer with consistent is that the department level or that review committee is and they should make sure that if you have all these employees value or do this for that it's a consistent for a crass that department is but it should not matter what grade has application or anything that that employee is and it should be their response to that particular standard and that final product thank you center sale then you're recognized thank you i've worked with some of these projects and private industry in their very labour intensive. You know to hit be accurate you end up sitting down with your employee and discussing is more of a discussion than it is a rating and they provide examples and you provide examples is that kind of the intent here yes sir yes sir then ten here really ever valuation is to improve the employees performance but a sad effect is the actual rating and compensation level that is the same as you just said it's supposed to spark conversations that should come as no surprise at that particular point time and you should be able to have a free exchange it's really it's good but it's very intentional so my experience was in private sector was that there is a certain amount of money available in my ability to give. Raises. And once I reached that cap and this kind of representative to maybe he is talking about I think once I reach that cap I can't compare the otherwise you I think was been our experience here we give above what is available so will there be a bucket of money that a manager says they're told this is your bucket of money to apply for raises and you're gonna have to stay within that or that something similar happened. Ness are not at this point there will be later on in the process that a percentage will be just decided on as to what their performance reward will be but that has not been decided as of yet and we have not had this to the payroll is the previous system was the previous system at the governor came out and said I want to give a two percent raise to state employees it would have meant two percent of the agencies told payroll cost this year we've taken that factor out now i'm not going to act like we're pretending that that didn't exist because it does and we have a department come through where every department ever employees been right at the board and they're all extraordinary we're going to go back and try to ballot date that and verify that with that department but we've taken out that specific reference to the money amount of time how does one keep total raises from just kidding out of control if a manager doesn't have a cap at some point that you can't exceed right I mean that's the department I mean sometimes I have buyers people maybe when you're doing your section you want to go in and do a whole ranking of the mistake who you think is most important you know to the end of who does the best opportunity but you've got to you've got to manage that in the department level hopefully that performance review committee will see an automatic cut off point that when we go from here to hear the performance significantly changes so that I understand that they're right now this system were proposing there's no mechanism for a manager or to be sure they operate within the money that's available for raises there's no mechanism in this are not as proposed here today. Ok thank you madame jeremy yes but mrs senator just pull in your leg so I will add a center solvent one of the things that they're also looking at we've encouraged into considers other ways to reward our employees for outstanding performance such as time off boards where you may you may not have a large pot of money to work with so you can give a like a forty hour time off award or twenty seven hours but trying to be creative and look at other ways it doesn't necessarily directly impact the budget yesterday yes. I'm sorry. Yeah. The I understand that I would been through that in the private sector but there is actually a cost of associated with their but one of those things you mentioned. And if there's no bottom line and if the manager done understand what the bottom line is then they we exceed what money is available nethwort represented maybe I think was getting at its very hard to if there's not a that that's when you start moving people down or up the scale so that you can accommodate what money is available and there can be I don't know if it's right or wrong but it's a reality of what happens in business when you get people time off there's a cost so I appreciate it thank you thank you mister thanks misses having more questions from the committee. The. Seeing none would constant consider this item review. And item seemed thank you mischairman item see his request for the department of labor in licensing to strengthen one department administrative law judge at a giast wealth and return for one managing attorney position at a gesture team they were in licensing says they need the higher greater title to entice an experienced attorney to replace the one that recently transferred to another agency opms recommended the requested position and estimates the cost to be about eleven thousand dollars from general revenue to fill the position any questions from the committee. Seeing none of the motion. No. I have a motion to have a second. As I have a second all in favor say I will post see a non motion passes. Mischairman item d this is an approval request item from the university of arkansas community college of baits for to hire missus tami pierce into an extra help position to function as the director of development is pierces the spouse of representative shad pierce and under architect code twenty one one for two the institution is required to get approval by the legislature following sign off by the governor which you can see on. Any questions from the committee. Seeing none to have a motion we have motion the second got second on favor say I i'll policy a non motion passes thank you. And we'll move on to reports. Mr chairman items e through his reports from opm or the department higher education also include the quarterly employment reports for the first and second quarters i'd have taken questions but there's no action required on these any questions from the committee seeing none. Is there any other business mode that come to bring forward the committee saying. That's an appropriate motion that I have second all of they were say I motion passes it down.