Conditions applying in common to all trades and services staff

This Part shall apply in common to all trades and services staff except where otherwise expressly provided.

Section 3 - Salaries and Related Matters

24. Incremental Advancement and Performance Enhancement - HEW Levels 5 and above

24.1 Objectives of the performance enhancement scheme are:

• To provide role clarity and reach agreement on annual goals and objectives of the position;
• To provide feedback to the staff member and supervisor on a regular basis throughout the annual cycle;
• To highlight developmental training needs for the individual relative to the position and for career development purposes;
• To formally review performance and achievement of agreed goals and objectives at the end of the cycle based on self-assessment and discussion with the supervisor and/or Head of the Administrative Unit.
• To plan goals and objectives and staff development/training activities for the next annual cycle.

24.2 The process

The first incremental step shall be automatic. Incremental progression beyond the first step shall be based on an assessment of satisfactory performance in accordance with the following provisions:

1. The staff member and the supervisor shall meet to agree on goals and objectives to be pursued during the forthcoming annual cycle and to familiarise them with the requirements for future incremental progression.
2. Three months before the increment of a staff member falls due, or the anniversary of appointment in cases where the staff member has reached the top of the incremental scale for his/her classification, the supervisor shall convene a meeting at a mutually agreeable time, to discuss the staff member's performance over the past review period and to identify factors which demonstrate the staff member's enhancement and/or acquisition of relevant skills. This meeting shall also be used to identify skills which may need to be developed or acquired over the ensuing review period.
3. When a supervisor/Head of Administrative Unit is satisfied that the staff member's performance and development merits the granting of an increment for which he/she is eligible, that increment shall be paid at the appropriate due date.
4. An increment may be withheld if the supervisor/Head of Administrative Unit identifies factors where the staff member has not satisfactorily met the agreed goals and objective of the cycle under review. The supervisor/Head of Administrative Unit shall write a report which clearly identifies these factors and the improvement in performance and/or skills required to achieve these goals and objectives. The report shall be prepared and made available to the staff member as soon as possible after the meeting referred to in clause 24.2(b) above. A copy of the report will also be forwarded to the Head of the Administrative Unit and Divisional Director (Student and Staff Services).
5. One month before an increment falls due, the staff member who is in receipt of the advice pursuant to clause 24.2(d) above shall again meet with his/her supervisor/Head of Administrative Unit to discuss the issues identified. In the event that in the intervening period there has been no satisfactory progress towards the plan outlined in the report, the staff member will be advised of the reasons that an increment will be withheld, in writing.

24.3 This scheme is applicable to all staff members at HEW levels 5 and above inclusive of those at the top of their incremental scales.

24.4 Consideration will be given to granting accelerated increments within the staff member's HEW level in cases where it can clearly be demonstrated by the supervisor that the staff member has consistently exceeded the required performance level. Administrative units must have the capacity to fund such payments from within existing resources.

24.5 Review of decision to withhold an increment

If the staff member wishes to seek a review of the decision to withhold an increment, the staff member may make written application to the relevant Divisional Director or Dean and a nominee of the relevant union who shall consider the merits of the case.

An increment shall not be withheld other than by utilising these procedures. Nor shall it be withheld in circumstances where a staff member can demonstrate that he/she has been unreasonably denied staff development and/or training and such denial was directly related to the staff member failing to attain satisfactory performance in the position.