UPE met and conferred with DHA regarding a resumption and expansion of feedback forms for both HSSs in 008 and Office Assistants and Senior Office Assistants in 005. These forms will provide statistics to workers on how much work they performed during the previous week compared to their unit's average.
The county plans to use these as a factor during yearly evaluations, which they plan to resume for the first time in over 20 years. UPE views the forms as a thinly veiled attempt to implement quotas across DHA. Despite the Department's claim that the forms will be used to identify areas for improvement and 'coaching,' UPE called out the Department for implementing a form that has nothing to do with quality and everything to do with quantity. It's about ratcheting up the pressure on workers to show more and more 'productivity.' UPE does not believe the Department's claims that the forms will be used for kudos and recognizing good work. Instead, the UPE views the forms as punitive and likely to put employees on the defensive during every one-on-one meeting.
The Department attempted to assure UPE that supervisors would conduct extensive research into worker performance and why one person may produce less than another. UPE does not believe supervisors will do any of this. Supervisors lack the necessary program knowledge to understand the work being performed by 005 and 008 members. UPE made extensive information requests, and we will continue to fight against this unnecessary policy change.
