2009 Announcement: Modifications to the START Program
March 8, 2009
To: Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, and Administrative Officers
From: Patti Owen, Assistant Vice Provost -- Academic Personnel
Jeannine Raymond, Assistant Vice Chancellor -- Human Resources
Subj: Modification to the START Program
Last year the University implemented a two-year Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program, effective July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010, to enable non-probationary career staff and academic appointees (except those in faculty and student academic titles and Postdoctoral Scholars) an opportunity to voluntarily reduce their working time and corresponding pay. The reduction in time and pay are intended to help the University achieve temporary salary savings during the current budget crisis.
In response to campus requests, the systemwide START Program has now been modified to lower the minimum allowable reduction in time from ten percent to five percent. Beginning March 1, 2009, employees who are paid monthly may reduce their time and pay under the program a minimum of five percent, while employees who are paid bi-weekly may do so beginning March 8, 2009. The amendment is intended to encourage additional employees to participate in the program as part of further efforts by the University to respond to the State budget shortfall.
For Berkeley employees, the Chancellor has automatically approved participation at the 5% level for all departments. Employees and their managers will need to agree on a change in work schedule. Employees who wish to participate in the START Program at a level higher than 5% must request the department head's approval to voluntarily reduce working time up to 50% of full-time. The employee's work schedule should not be reduced below 50 percent time in any given month of participation. In exchange, the employee will be able to accrue vacation, sick leave, and UCRP service credit at his or her pre-START rate. For exclusively represented employees, participation in START is subject to collective bargaining, so these employees should check with their local Human Resources office to determine their eligibility to participate in the program.
Program guidelines, a program brochure describing the features of START with useful questions and answers, START contract forms, and Berkeley's implementing procedures are available online at:
http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies_employee_labor_relations/start/index.html
Arrangements should be made by the department to make these materials available to employees who do not have access to a computer.
The University has provided a considerable amount of flexibility in the design of the START Program, which gives departments a wide range of latitude to implement START effectively within the context of their missions, operational needs, service requirements, and budgets.
In negotiating individual START work schedules with employees, it is important that you evaluate departmental priorities and adjust workloads to ensure that functional objectives continue to be met.
For local implementation procedures, visit the Berkeley Implementation Procedures site. Questions about the Berkeley Implementation Procedures should be directed to your Department Human Resources Manager, your Employee Relations Consultant or the Academic Personnel Office at APpolicy@berkeley.edu.