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Professional Staff Organization

Category: Human Resources

2024 DEI Forum Achieving Equity Together: April 30-May 1, 2024

The Professional Staff Organization DEI Committee is thrilled to announce the upcoming 2024 Annual DEI Forum will be held on April 30 and May 1. This year’s forum will focus on overcoming the challenges associated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in higher education. 

The event will center around the UW’s commitment to social justice and will feature workshops and small group discussions among campus leadership, esteemed faculty, and dedicated professional staff. The sessions are designed to foster open discussions to develop strategies for creating diversity initiatives to ensure the success of marginalized communities across the tri-campus community. 

Mark your calendars, and join us as we work together to create a university community that embraces diversity, champions equity, and values inclusion. 

Registration is now open: https://wholeu.admin.washington.edu/uwnetid/twuext/EventDetail.aspx?regid=&eventid=1655&eventsessionid= 

For more information, please email the PSO DEI Committee. 

Resources to navigate a work-life balance

The PSO Board sometimes hears from professional staff needing extra assistance navigating difficult work situations. Here are some important resources you should know about:

When communicating with your supervisor regarding your job performance, expectations or responsibilities become unproductive, and you feel your concerns are not being heard, who should you turn to?  After your manager your next stop should be to your department’s human resources director.  A link to a searchable HR directory is available here.  

For questions that require extra attention, as professional staff we are fortunate to have additional options.  For free and confidential counseling of any type (from legal advice, financial guidance, work-life solutions, consultation for managers, and critical and traumatic events), you could contact the UW CareLink at 866-598-3978 at any time, 24/7. 

Another valuable option is the UW Ombud whose charge is to assist our staff with navigating and resolving workplace conflicts.  The Ombud’s office has a wonderful website describing their resources here.  

For specific questions regarding potential violations of the University’s policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment by employees, the University Complaint Investigation and Resolution Office (UCIRO) is available for consultations regarding your concerns by email:  uciro@uw.edu or by phone: (206) 616-2028.  

The UW community is here for you and has created these benefits for when you need assistance to be successful while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Let the PSO Board know if you need help figuring out what resources are available to you.

HR Changes in the New Year

Head’s up! There are two changes to Washington State law that go into effect on January 1, 2023 that you should know about. First, due to the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA), all Washington State employers (including the UW) must post the pay range, benefits information, and other compensation on each job opening and employers cannot seek an applicant’s wage or salary history. You can learn more about pay transparency for job postings at UW HR’s website.

Second, the threshold rate for Overtime (OT) Exempt employees will rise to $65,484 annually. In short, if a professional staff member receives less than that amount in a year, they will convert to overtime eligible no later than the last week of December 2022. Anyone under the threshold will need to track their hours worked and be paid time and a half (or compensatory time at time and a half) for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. You can read more information about this change on the UW HR Compensation web site.

How to submit a PSLF form completion request

When you can apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), you’ll need a representative from UW to complete and sign a section of your application. When you are ready for this step, go to the Integrated Service Center (ISC)’s PSLF Form Completion Request page. The page has PSLF frequently asked questions and information and how to submit your request. The process differs depending on your UW employment history and whether you were employed by UW Physicians or Northwest Hospital prior to 2020.

If you plan on submitting for PSLF, checkout UW HR’s PSLF information page and submit the ISC PSLF Completion Request as soon as possible. The temporary waiver that broadens PSLF participation ends on October 31.

BIPOC Staff Development Program Launching October 19th

Launching in October, this new program for staff who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color BIPOC is designed to foster community, advance professional development and increase engagement and retention of BIPOC staff at the University of Washington. Content includes self-paced online programming, in-person and Zoom events, competency-based workshops and specialized content — all  free for BIPOC staff while enrolled in the program. The program will follow a cohort model and space may be limited. You are encouraged to register for the “Welcome to BIPOC Staff Development Program” online orientation and then formally enroll by November 16th to ensure your spot in the Autumn 2022 cohort. Staff that complete the program will receive one of the following certificates depending on their chosen are of specialization:

  • BIPOC Staff Development Program Certificate in Administrative Excellence
  • BIPOC Staff Development Program Certificate in Human Resources Administration
  • BIPOC Staff Development Program Certificate in Supervisory Skills

Additionally, staff who successfully complete the program will be given credit for six months of experience when applying for UW jobs related to their area of specialization.

Register to attend the Oct 19th online launch event, enroll in the online orientation, and find out more information on the BIPOC Staff Development Program website.

UW HR encourages department supervisors to familiarize themselves with this program, attend the launch event, and support their BIPOC employees who wish to enroll.

Apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) before Oct 31

Are you an UW employee with student loans? Due to a temporary waiver from the U.S. Department of Education, you have until Oct 31, 2022 to take advantage of a temporary rule change to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. You may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balances after making 120 payments while employed by public sector employers. (You do not need to have made 120 payments before applying to the program). You can either submit the paperwork yourself or pay a fee to use a service called Savi.

UW HR’s PSLF webpage has more details about eligibility, how to apply, and more information about Savi.

 

 

UWHR policy updates for vacation accrual, PFML and more

UWHR has shared updates to a few policies.

Effective July 1, 2022, more than 10 days unpaid time off no longer impacts two provisions of employment:

  • Unpaid time off will no longer affect the rate at which contract covered, classified, and professional staff earn a month of service towards a higher vacation accrual rate. While vacation time off is not accrued during a calendar month in which staff take more than 10 days of unpaid time off, staff will earn a month of service for each month in which they are active in the payroll system.
  • Unpaid time off will no longer affect the timing of step progressions for classified staff. Progression start dates will no longer be extended due to the use of more than 10 days of unpaid time off in a calendar month.

These changes are required for classified non-union staff due to revisions in the state civil rules that go into effect July 1, 2022 and are being extended to professional staff and other contract covered staff following UW’s determination to follow civil service law unless explicitly stated otherwise. Associated webpages that refer to the impact of unpaid time off on these two provisions of employment will be updated for July 1. Workday updates have been completed in anticipation of these changes.

 

PFML bereavement supplemental benefit: Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) has been expanded to allow up to 7 calendar days of paid leave following the death of a child when an individual expected to use leave for the child’s birth or to bond with their child after birth or placement. Effective June 9, 2022, UW will allow use of bereavement time off as a PFML supplemental benefit in these same circumstances. All contract covered, classified, and professional staff in non-temporary positions receive up to three days of paid bereavement time off for the death of a family member. Please contact your leave specialist should you have questions.

UW Research Scientists Unionize

RSEs vote to unionize

To fulfill the PSO’s mission to align the interests of the professional staff community with the university’s stated values the PSO will work to communicate new information to our Research Scientists and Engineers (RSE) regarding the ratification of the UWRU union as it becomes available.  Much still has to be determined since our Research Scientist Assistants and RSEs1-4 voted to be represented by the UW Researchers United / UAW 4121 by an 85% margin on June 8, 2022.  The next steps are for the Public Employment Relations Committee (PERC), the Washington State agency with jurisdiction over public sector labor relations, to certify the union.  Then there will be elections of peer representatives to negotiate aspects of our working conditions with the UW Administration in the form of a proposed contract. Researchers will be asked to vote on whether to approve the tentative agreement. If approved, it becomes a legally binding contract for Researchers. 

Read more at the links below:

Researchers United

The Stand

UW COVID-19 Employee Emergency Fund

Editors note 12/22: the fund and tshirt are no longer available

The UW COVID-19 Employee Emergency Fund Is available to support eligible employees who are experiencing a temporary financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colleagues who may need assistance can apply to the EEF online here: Apply for emergency funds

Everyone is invited to contribute to the fund by making a donation here: Contribute 

or purchasing a Husky Strong t-shirt here: Purchase a t-shirt