Implementation of START Program
at UC Merced
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE:
The Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program is a temporary tool that department heads may offer to their organizations to address the current serious budget deficit facing the University. Under the program, eligible staff and academic personnel may volunteer to reduce their time and corresponding pay in exchange for a number of advantages. Approval of an employee’s participation in the program is contingent upon departmental business operations and workload needs. Some departments may elect to not offer START.
There is no difference between the START Program and the furlough plan for non-represented employees, with regard to benefits accruals. Non-represented employees might wish to participate in the START program if the preferred reduction in time is beyond that of the furlough plan.
The percent reduction for START through June 30, 2010 has to equal or exceed the 12-month pay reduction prescribed for that person. Please note, if the required furlough or layoff reduction exceeds the START reduction, you are still subject to layoff or a reduction in time pursuant to the applicable personnel program or collective bargaining agreement.
HOW START WORKS:
Subject to your department head's approval, START arrangements may be available as of September 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. To START, you volunteer to reduce your working time by a minimum of 5 percent to a maximum of 50 percent of full-time. Your work schedule cannot be reduced below 50 percent of full-time in any month of START participation. You can volunteer to reduce your time in monthly increments from a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 10 months. No START contract can extend beyond June 30, 2010. You may change the percentage of time reduction of your START contract during the contract period with 30 days advance notice. You or your department head can end your START arrangement earlier than the end date in your contract provided that a minimum of 30 days advance notice is given. Advance notice will be waived if termination of your contract is due to an emergency situation.
ELIGIBILITY:
All regular status (non-probationary career) staff employees and all academic appointees, except those in faculty and student academic titles and Postdoctoral Scholars, are eligible to participate in START.
Bargaining Units eligible to participate in the START program are as follows:
· American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
· American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
· California Nurses Association (CAN)
· Coalition of University Employees (CUE)
· University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE)
Bargaining Unit employees who elect to participate in the START Program for at least as much as or greater than their prescribed pay reduction will not be subject to layoff.
ADVANTAGES OF START PARTICIPATION:
· You will accrue, on a month-by-month basis during your START contract, vacation and sick leave credits at the same rate as you did before you began START.
· If you are a UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) member, you will accrue, on a month-by-month basis during the START Program, UCRP service credit for each START month at the same rate as you did before your START—provided you are on pay status for at least 50 percent of full-time during each month of participation. UCRP service credit during START will be reduced, under UCRP rules, for periods of leave without pay or other periods of time off pay status not reflected in the START contract. The service credit feature is specific to UCRP members and does not apply to UC members of other retirement systems.
· There will be no reduction in UCRP benefits such as retirement, disability, or survivor benefits as a result of your START time reduction, provided that you are on pay status for at least 50 percent of full-time during each month of participation. (This feature does not apply to UC members of other retirement systems.)
· Your UC health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision) will not be affected during your START contract. Remember, you cannot reduce time worked below 50 percent under the program.
· You may find that the actual impact of reducing time on take-home pay is cushioned by the corresponding reduction in tax withholding.
· At the end of your START contract, you will return to the percentage of time you held before START.
KEY POINTS:
If you are an exempt (salaried) employee, you should be aware that although you are normally expected to work your appointment percentage, greater emphasis is placed on meeting the responsibilities of your position than on working a specified number of hours. For this reason, you and your supervisor will need to agree on appropriate workload adjustments if you participate in START.
It is not appropriate for employees with existing reductions in appointments to increase their appointment and then reduce their time under the START program.
Your participation in START will not change the applicability of layoff or termination policies consistent with your regular appointment.
TIME REDUCTIONS:
Eligible employees volunteer to reduce their time from a minimum reduction of 5 percent to a maximum reduction of 50 percent of full-time as long as participants’ work schedules are not reduced below 50 percent time in any given month of participation. Time reductions are made in monthly increments or two bi-weekly increments for employees paid on a bi-weekly basis. The minimum increment is one month or two bi-weekly periods for employees paid on a bi-weekly basis.
Employees are required to complete a START contract prior to their participation in the program. All contracts must end by June 30, 2010. An eligible employee may participate in START more than one time, as long as participation ends by June 30, 2010.
It is not appropriate for employees with existing reductions in appointments to increase their appointment and then reduce their time under the START Program.
PERCENTAGE OF TIME:
The reduced percentage of time needs to be the same during each month of the START contract. You should have the same reduction in time and pay in each pay period of your START contract. However, with your department head's approval, your work schedule within a pay period may be flexible from week to week as long as the total time reduced during the pay period is the same as the percentage time reflected in your START contract.
START BEGIN DATE:
For employees who are paid monthly, a START contract must begin on the first day of a month and end on the last day of a month. For employees who are paid bi-weekly, time reductions are to be made in two bi-weekly increments, so a START contract would begin on the first day of the bi-weekly pay period and end on the last day of the second bi-weekly pay period.
All approved START Contracts which are to be effective September 1, 2009 should be submitted to the Human Resources Department by close of business, Monday, September 14, 2009 for review. It is not the intent of the Human Resources Department to approve or reject a START Contract, but rather to verify the Department is effectuating the savings that would have been realized under the furlough plan.
All other contracts must be submitted to the Human Resources Department 10 days before pay compute of the Month in which the contract is to be effective.
FORMS:
A START contract, UBEN 270, must be completed and signed by both the START participant and the department head to initiate a START contract. A START contract Amendment, UBEN 271, must be completed and signed by the START participant and the department head when a START contract is terminated early or the percentage of time reduction is changed.
START AMENDMENT TO CONTRACT:
The time reduction under a START contract may be changed during the term of the contract with approval by the department head and the employee and with as much advance notice as possible, but no less than 30 days. The effective date of the change is the first monthly or the first bi-weekly pay-period of the month following receipt of the employee’s 30-day notice. Employees must complete Form UBEN 271 (R5/09), START Amendment to Contract Form, to make any changes to their current START Contract.
APPROVAL:
· In all cases, participation in START requires approval by the department head.
· Human Resources will review all START Contracts for conformance with START Guidelines.
· A START contract must specify the reduced percentage of time, the begin and end date of the contract, and the participant’s work schedule.
· The contract must be signed by both the employee and the department head.
DISTRIBUTION AND RETENTION OF START CONTRACT:
The home department is the office of record for both forms. Forms are retained for five (5) years after separation, except in cases of disability or retirement in which case such forms are retained until age 70.
The home department must provide copies of all staff forms to:
1. The employee
2. Human Resources
The Human Resources Department is responsible for reviewing every START Contract for compliance. Once Human Resources has determined conformity of a START Contract the Contract will be sent to the corresponding EDB Processor and the employees’ Management Services Officer (MSO). The EDB preparer should only input START Contracts that have been reviewed by Human Resources.
The Human Resources office will forward copies to the Retirement Administration at the Office of the President.
CONCLUSION OF A START CONTRACT:
At the conclusion of a START contract, the participant returns to his or her pre-START percentage of time and salary (including merit increases and other adjustments to salary received while participating in START). The right of return to the prior percentage of time and salary will apply unless the employee is subject to layoff or a reduction in time pursuant to the applicable personnel program or collective bargaining agreement.
IMPORTANT LINKS
START Contract Form (UBEN 270)
START Contract Amendment Form (for changing or cancelling your START contract)
Impacts of START on benefits and other aspects of employment
Changes in my contract once I'm participating
Relationship between START and other budget-related actions
