ARTICLE 10 EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

Every employee should receive fair performance evaluation by an “evaluator” who is familiar with the regular duties of the employee. A performance evaluation should be a review of the employee’s performance and should be based upon job-related criteria. Employee performance evaluations are for the purpose of evaluating individual employee performance and for providing guidance for performance development and improvement. Employee evaluations should acknowledge changes affecting the employee’s position, including workload, which have occurred since the last evaluation. [10.5]

WHEN ARE EMPLOYEES EVALUATED? Permanent employees should receive annual performance evaluations. [10.1] Probationary employees should be evaluated by the end of the third, sixth, and eleventh month of the probationary period. [10.2] A temporary employee should be evaluated “periodically.” [10.3] A written record of a performance evaluation shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file. The employee shall be provided a copy of the written record of the performance evaluation prior to its placement in the personnel file. Regardless of the overall performance evaluation rating scale, or other terms that a campus may use to evaluate overall performance, the campus shall use the term “satisfactory” to indicate an acceptable level of performance. [10.7]

PERFORMANCE EVALUTION CONTENT The performance evaluation should cover your work performance, conduct and ability to handle your assigned duties. Your position description (PD) is the basis of the performance evaluation. The position description should provide the job-related criteria that your “evaluator” uses to measure your performance. [Article 17]. An up-to-date position description protects you against unreasonable work expectations, excessive workload and out-of-class work. Prior to your evaluations, you should have an accurate, official position description which includes your specific job duties and the percentage of time spent on each category of duties.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROCEDURES The “evaluator” (someone who is familiar with your job duties) shall submit a draft evaluation for your review, input, and discussion. [10.8] Upon your request, the evaluator shall provide you with a copy of your position description that is in your personnel file, as outlined in Article 17. You have five (5) work days to review the draft evaluation and provide input. If you need more input time you may request an additional five (5) work days. [10.9] The draft evaluation should not be signed by either party, and you should feel free to rebut anything that you believe is inaccurate or unfair. You can request to meet with the evaluator to discuss the evaluation; such meeting shall take place within seven (7) work days of your request. [10.11] The evaluator shall consider the input you provide in preparing the final performance evaluation, and prior to placing it in your personnel file. [10.10] Further, upon your request and subsequent to the meeting between the you and the evaluator, the appropriate administrator, the evaluator, you and your representative shall meet to discuss the evaluation; such meeting shall take place within fourteen (14) days of the request. [10.12]

STILL DISAGREE WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION? If you still disagree with any aspect of your evaluation, you have a right to submit a rebuttal and have your evaluation reconsidered in light of the rebuttal statement. 10.13 ~ “if an employee disagrees with the record of a performance evaluation which has been placed in his/her personnel file, the employee may submit a rebuttal statement which shall be attached to the performance evaluation. The evaluation shall be reconsidered by the appropriate administrator in light of the rebuttal statement and if the evaluation is amended, the amended evaluation shall replace the original evaluation and its rebuttal”. Prior to submitting your rebuttal, you should review it with your CSUEU steward. Although you may not want to sign an evaluation you disagree with, your signature simply indicates that you have received and read the document, NOT that you agree with its contents.

CAN YOU FILE A GRIEVANCE? Yes and No- huh? Although you cannot grieve the content and overall evaluation rating [10.6], you may file a grievance on any violation, misinterpretation or misapplication of other contract sections, particularly if the university did not follow proper procedures [10.15]. Examples of possible grievances or complaints include the following; The evaluator did not follow timelines The evaluator was unfamiliar with your job duties The evaluation was not based on the appropriate job description or The evaluation was arbitrary, retaliatory, or discriminatory. CONTACT YOUR CSUEU STEWARD IMMEDIATELY WHENEVER YOU SUSPECT A CONTRACT VIOLATION, SO THAT TIMELINES ARE FOLLOWED.

Q & A Brenda C. Brown, LRR CSUEU, 2016