Dear Colleagues,
I write to provide a long-awaited update on the UCPEA Classification Project and to share a timeline on next steps.
The current UCPEA classification system has been in place for more than thirty years, and it has contributed to the development of a professional workforce that is one of the pillars of the University. However, the purpose or mission of the classification system has been subject to long-standing misconceptions.
Historically and at times, rather than considering UConn’s institutional workforce and organizational needs, individual classification decisions were made as a “means to an end” to meet compensation preferences. The development of the new UCPEA classification system, Career Paths, is an opportunity to implement a system that avoids such pitfalls. To do so, HR engaged the services of an outside consulting firm to provide objective input and guidance. This firm offered a baseline to develop new occupational groups, job families, job levels, and job titles. Human Resources has spent the last year analyzing this information, extracting and assimilating the details obtained from the Job Inventory Worksheets (JIW) and developing classification levels to reflect the work of the bargaining union. We are now preparing to engage Subject Matter Experts, recommended by both management and UCPEA, to advise and help reconcile an objective review of the characteristic job functions reflected in the new job templates with UConn’s unique organizational and workforce needs.
The new system will change payroll titles and classifications, while leaving workplace duties and responsibilities the same. Working titles, like those used on business cards, will remain unaffected. Implementing the new classification system focuses on organizational classification and not individual employee performance or compensation, so employee salaries will not decrease, and employees should not expect any across-the-board compensation increases.
While this has been a time- and labor-intensive project, we are confident that the emerging system will be better aligned with the needs of both our employees and our organization. To achieve this, Human Resources has met with an Advisory Group, comprised of University leadership, and membership identified by UCPEA.
Over the coming weeks and months, Human Resources will pursue several steps toward finalizing and implementing the new system.
Spring 2019
- Human Resources will engage Subject Matter Experts to review job templates, adjusting the number and level of jobs within the system to meet on-the-ground organizational needs.
- Human Resources will meet with University leaders to share the structure of Career Paths.
- Human Resources will finalize the structural framework of Career Paths, including the occupational groups, job families, and job paths.
- Adopt the new classification system, establishing job families and sub-families, pay bands, and draft job templates.
Summer 2019
- Human Resources will determine where to map work into the new classification system.
- Implement the new classification system for new hires.
Fall 2019
- Map current positions into new system.
Beyond this schedule, Human Resource intends to evaluate and adjust the Career Paths system continuously to ensure that it meets our ever-changing workforce.
We encourage membership and leadership to review the detailed information about the new classification system on the Career Paths website. We anticipate providing periodic updates on the website. Please direct any questions to hr-communications@uconn.edu.
Thank you,
Christopher Delello
Associate Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
For more information, contact: HR Communications at hr-communications@uconn.edu