Johnsen responds to staff governance compensation requests
May 31, 2017
President Johnsen announced changes to personal holiday days and the annual leave cash-in program in a May 26 memo to Staff Alliance and the Statewide Administration Assembly in response to five recommendations by those staff governance bodies. Each decision is supported through consultation with the Summit Team and Chief Human Resources Officer Keli McGee.
1. Increased personal holidays
Currently, only nonexempt staff are eligible for one personal holiday each fiscal
year. President Johnsen approved the personal holiday benefit to all nonrepresented
exempt employees but did not support the request for an additional personal holiday
day for nonexempt staff.
2. Employee recognition program
Each of the three universities and the system office will continue to manage their
own employee recognition programs.
3. Loyalty/retention bonus
In response to a Staff Alliance recommendation to implement a small longevity bonus
upon achieving a specified milestone, Johnsen noted the lack of a funding mechanism
to support the effort, but he encourages retention bonuses on a case-by-case basis.
4. Nonmandatory winter closure
No changes will be made at this time to change the current practice of a winter hard
closure with specifically approved exceptions. The practice is a cost-saving measure
that occurs at a predictable time each year.
5. Annual leave cash-in
Johnsen is expanding the annual leave cash-in program to allow all eligible nonrepresented
exempt and nonexempt employees to cash in up to 40 hours of their annual leave bank
provided they have already taken 80 hours of annual leave and have 40 hours remaining
in their annual leave bank. In addition, the president and Human Resources will recommend
a policy change to the UA Board of Regents to increase the cap on annual leave maximum
balance. The human resources departments at the multiple campuses will work on the
implementation. More details will be communicated soon.