[pps-news] Functional guideline for Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program

[Gabe Nwandu]

June 30, 2008

 

To:       All Departments

Fr:        Human Resources and Payroll Offices

Re:       Functional Guidelines for the START program

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program were recently
announced.  The Functional instructions for processing START program via
the Payroll /Personnel System (PPS) are available online at:
http://www.accounting.ucr.edu/forms/start.pdf.  The full announcement is
below.

---------------------------------------

To:        All Regular status (non-probationary career) employees and
all academic appointees, except those in faculty and student academic
titles and Postdoctoral Scholars

 

RE:       New Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program

 

Summary of the START Program

 

In order to help UC cope with anticipated budget cuts, the University is
implementing a new Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program,
a temporary voluntary time reduction program, to achieve salary savings.
Under the program, temporary salary savings would be achieved through
participants' voluntary reduction in time and corresponding pay. The
program is a tool that departments may make available, at their
discretion, to employees during the period July 1, 2008 through June 30,
2010.  Some departments may elect to not offer START.

 

Coverage

 

All regular status (non-probationary career) employees and all academic
appointees, except those in faculty and student academic titles and
Postdoctoral Scholars, are eligible to participate in the START program.


 

For exclusively represented employees, participation in START is subject
to collective bargaining.  At this time, the University Professional and
Technical Employees (UPTE) union, representing the RX, TX and HX
bargaining unit employees, has agreed to participate in the program.
All other exclusively represented employees should check with their
local Human Resources or Academic Personnel office to determine their
eligibility to participate in the program.

 

How START Works

 

*	Subject to your department head's approval, START arrangements
may be available between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2010. 
*	To START, you volunteer to reduce your working time by a minimum
of 10 percent to a maximum of 50 percent of full-time. Your work
schedule cannot be reduced below 50 percent of full-time in any month of
START participation. 
*	You can volunteer to reduce your time in monthly increments from
a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 24 months. No START contract can
extend beyond June 30, 2010. 
*	You may change the percentage of time reduction of your START
contract during the contract period and with 30 days advance notice. 
*	You or your department head can end your START arrangement
earlier than the end date in your contract provided that a minimum of 30
days advance notice is given. Advance notice will be waived if
termination of your contract is due to an emergency situation. 
*	You and your department head sign a written START contract
<http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies_employee_labor_relatio
ns/start/contract.pdf>  [PDF] and START contract amendment
<http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies_employee_labor_relatio
ns/start/contract_admendment.pdf>  [PDF], specifying the percentage
reduction of time, the beginning and end dates of the contract, and your
work schedule. 

 

Advantages of START Participation

 

*	You will accrue, on a month-by-month basis during your START
contract, vacation and sick leave credits at the same rate as you did
before you began your START. 
*	If you are a UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) member, you will accrue,
on a month-by-month basis during your START, UCRP service credit for
each START month at the same rate as you did before your START-provided
you are on pay status for at least 50 percent of full-time during each
month of participation. 
*	UCRP service credit during START will be reduced, under UCRP
rules, for periods of leave without pay or other periods of time off pay
status not reflected in the START contract. The service credit feature
is specific to UCRP members and does not apply to UC members of other
retirement systems. 
*	There will be no reduction in UCRP benefits such as retirement,
disability, or survivor benefits as a result of your START time
reduction, provided that you are on pay status for at least 50 percent
of full-time during each month of participation. (This feature does not
apply to UC members of other retirement systems.) 
*	Your UC health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision)
will not be affected during your START contract. Remember, you cannot
reduce time worked below 50 percent under the program. You may find that
the actual impact of reducing time on take-home pay is cushioned by the
corresponding reduction in tax withholding.  At the end of your START
contract, you will return to the percentage of time you held before
START. 

 

Other Key Points

 

*	If you are an exempt (salaried) employee, you should be aware
that although you are normally expected to work your appointment
percentage, greater emphasis is placed on meeting the responsibilities
of your position than on working a specified number of hours. For this
reason, you and your supervisor will need to agree on appropriate
workload adjustments if you participate in START. 
*	It is not appropriate for employees with existing reductions in
appointments to increase their appointment and then reduce their time
under the START program. 
*	Your participation in START will not change the applicability of
layoff or termination policies consistent with your regular appointment.


 

Additional Resources

 

*        START guidelines
<http://www.humanresources.ucr.edu/news/start2008/START%202008%20Guideli
nes%20Final.pdf> 

*         START brochure
<http://www.humanresources.ucr.edu/news/start2008/START%202008%20Brochur
e.pdf>  (includes description of the program and Q&A's)

 

If you have any questions, please contact the following individuals. 

 

Heidie Rhodes, Human Resources, extension 2-2463 or e-mail
heidie.rhodes at ucr.edu 

Katina Napper, Academic Personnel, extension 2-3385 or e-mail
katina.napper at ucr.edu 

Roberta Nardico, Payroll, extension 2-1943 or e-mail
roberta.nardico at ucr.edu    

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