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Classification/Compensation

In 2013, the Commonwealth of Virginia adopted provisions necessary to ensure compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), that limits all state, part-time employees to working no more than 29 hours per week, on average, over the course of a 12-month measurement period. The 12-month measurement period as determined by the Commonwealth of Virginia is May 1 through April 30 of the following year. Careful planning and scheduling should be a priority to avoid exceeding the yearly limit.

Important Reminders

  • This applies to all part-time employee types including:
    • Wage
    • Adjunct
    • Temporary Non-Teaching (TNT)
    • Recurring Non-Teaching (RNT)
    • Part-time Salaried Non-Teaching (PTS)
    • Student
  • Hours worked are cumulative for employees working multiple part-time jobs at JMU throughout the measurement period.
  • Weekly work schedules may vary depending on the needs of the department, provided the 29 hour per week average is maintained
  • JMU is not authorized to grant exceptions to these provisions.
  • JMU may only rehire former retirees into a wage Helpful Links position or an adjunct faculty position.

Helpful Links

Did you know?

Per ACA regulations and commonly referred to as the “1326 rule,” higher education agencies in the Commonwealth of Virginia must not re-hire former full-time employees into any part-time position at the same agency until the employee has been separated from the agency for a minimum of 26 weeks.

A competitive salary offer may be an option to retain mission-critical employees. Whether or not an employee is critical to the unit’s mission is based on management’s evaluation of the following:

  • The specific knowledge, skills and abilities the employee brings to the job
  • Specialized training and/or licensure the employee has obtained that is critical to their current work tasks & duties
  • The unavailability of specialized skills in the current labor market
  • Excessive turnover in the position
  • Other factors as identified by the department

Specific Guidelines

  • The offer MUST be in writing and shared with HR. If received electronically, the original email and attachments from the organization making the offer needs to include the position title and salary information.
  • Supervisors MUST work with their HR Consultant to discuss the process and determine the appropriate salary – taking into consideration similarities of the two positions, internal equity and overall performance.
  • This pay practice MAY NOT be used when a JMU employee is offered another position at JMU or at another state agency.
  • Once a salary has been determined and before the competitive salary offer is extended, the supervisor must obtain the appropriate approvals and submit the appropriate paperwork based on the classification of the employee:
    • A&P Faculty employees: Complete the A&P Faculty Salary Adjustment Request Form and a Personnel Action Request form (PAR).
    • Classified employees: Complete the Pay Action Worksheet (PAW) and a Personnel Action Request form (PAR).

Forms and Resources

Did you know?

The total value of your pay plus benefits? Check out the Total Compensation Calculator to see an illustrated breakdown of the estimated value of your total JMU compensation package.

What is a job classification?

All classified positions (and even non-student wage positions) are broken down into occupational families and then career groups and, lastly, to roles. This structure helps to group similar positions based upon the type of work performed and then to further distinguish into various roles, within different pay bands, based on complexity, results and accountability. The levels of complexity, results and accountability are determined by the position description. Job classification is indicated by the state role title (ex: Trades Tech I, Electronic Technicians III, Administrative Office Specialist III, etc.).

Classification Example:

Occupational Family: Engineering and Technology >> Career Group: Electronics >> Role: Electronics Technicians III

Classification Impacts:

  • Compensation analysis
    • Hiring decisions
    • Salary studies
    • IBAs/role changes
  • Type of personnel transaction: Lateral transfer (within the same pay band), demotion (lower pay band), promotion (higher pay band)

It is important to review and continually update position descriptions as significant changes in a position description (scope, duties, and/or responsibilities) could warrant a change in classification (role change). This could be a lateral, upward or downward role change.

Process to Request A Role Change:

  1. Update position description
  2. Consult with your HR Consultant
  3. Complete and submit the Personnel Action Request (PAR) Form and the Pay Action Worksheet (PAW) Form

Role changes can be submitted at any time during the year and are reviewed during an in-band adjustment period, which is typically in the fall. This year there will be a spring review of role changes (upward only)! Requests must be submitted to the HR Consultant Team by February 28 for consideration in this cycle. All requests will be reviewed to determine appropriate classification.

The Virginia Department of Human Resources Management has a complete listing of all classifications.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, record keeping and child-labor standards affecting full-time and part-time employees.

Under the federal FLSA, a non-exempt employee is one who is entitled to at least the minimum wage for each hour worked and to overtime whenever working more than 40 hours in a workweek. The standard JMU workweek begins 12:01 a.m. Sunday and ends at midnight the following Saturday, except for those employees whose workweek is designated differently. By contrast, an employee who is exempt from the overtime provisions of the FLSA is not eligible to be paid overtime by the university.

Guidelines for Non-Exempt Employees

  • Employees designated as non-exempt by the FLSA must receive monetary compensation for hours physically worked in excess of 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than one and one-half their regular rates of pay, which is referred to as "overtime" pay and must be pre-approved by the supervisor.
  • An employee who is eligible for overtime pay cannot volunteer to work “off the clock” and is not permitted to waive their rights under the FLSA.
  • Performance of any work, such as answering phone calls and/or emails during “off hours,” like lunch breaks or in the evenings, for example, is considered work and must be compensated accordingly.
  • With supervisor approval, an employee may adjust their schedule during the workweek to offset extended workdays provided the adjustment occurs within the same work week.
  • It is management’s responsibility to exercise control to ensure that work is not performed beyond scheduled hours without prior approval and to initiate disciplinary action if the process has not been followed.

Resources

Compensation Corner

Agency Business Need: A pay factor that describes the specific activities and organizational, financial, and human resource requirements that are derived from the university’s mission and describes how the position and the employee fit within the mission.

The position description should accurately reflect the essential functions and measures, specific knowledge and necessary skills and abilities of the position. When well-written, the position description reflects a realistic picture of the position. Additionally, a position description sets the foundation for recruiting, developing and retaining talent, and also sets the stage for ideal work performance by clarifying responsibilities and expected results.

The essential job functions and measures section of the position description should describe the fundamental nature and core responsibilities of the position. When writing this section, some things to consider include:

  • List, in detail, the job duties that reflect the position requirements and ensure they are not based on the capabilities of a specific person.
  • Focus on the outcome of the tasks and how the tasks will be completed.
  • Assign a percentage of time spent on each essential function. Remember that a function may be critical to the position but also have a small percentage of time assigned to it.
  • Reference areas of decision-making that the position will influence or impact.
  • Identify areas of direct or indirect accountability

The qualifications section includes the level and depth of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position and should include specific details required for successful completion of job tasks. Other skills considered for this section include internal or external communication, computer, creative thinking, customer service, decision making, multi-tasking, problem-solving, project management, supervision, teamwork, etc.

Hints for writing a thorough position description:

  • Write in a concise, direct style.
  • Use descriptive action verbs (for example: writes, operates, or performs).
  • Focus on essential activities, instead of occasional tasks.
  • Only include current assigned duties; not potential future duties.
  • Avoid abbreviations and acronyms. If abbreviations and acronyms are necessary, define them the first time you use them.

Did you know?

In summer 2023 the Commonwealth updated DHRM hiring policy 2.10, changing how classified and wage positions are recruited. Specifically, the policy eliminates educational degree requirements unless required by accreditation or certification standards (such as nursing). As a result of this regulatory change, classified position descriptions must have degree requirements removed from the document. Human Resources is working on updating position descriptions on behalf of supervisors.

What is it? An IBA is an adjustment to an employee’s base salary.

Why? IBAs may be submitted for the following reasons:

  • Change in Duties
  • Newly Acquired Knowledge, Skills or Abilities (KSAs)
  • Retention
  • Internal Salary Alignment

Who qualifies? Non-probationary classified and wage employees after one year of service.

Who submits? The supervisor initiates the IBA process through collaboration with Human Resources and/or the reviewer

When? IBAs can be submitted at any time during the year. Funding of IBAs is completely dependent on fiscal resources available through JMU’s annual budget process.

How? After reviewing with HR and/or reviewer, the supervisor completes a Personnel Action Request (PAR) and a Pay Action Worksheet (PAW) and submits, with appropriate signatures, to HR.

FAQs:

  • All grant-funded positions are funded by the grant and not centrally
  • Supervisors should not communicate to the employee that an IBA request has been submitted to Human Resources until that request has been approved and funded by the appropriate vice president.
  • Wage employees are eligible for an IBA after 12 months of continuous employment at JMU.
  • IBAs for wage employees must be funded by the department’s own budget (not from the Central Funding Pool).

Resources

In 2013, the Commonwealth of Virginia adopted regulations to ensure compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Part-time employees are limited to working no more than 1,500 total hours (an average of 29 hours per week) over the course of a 12-month measurement period. This applies to all part-time employee types including:

  • Wage
  • Adjunct
  • Temporary Non-Teaching (TNT)
  • Recurring Non-Teaching (RNT)
  • Part-time Salaried Non-Teaching (PTS)
  • Student

Important Reminders:

  • The standard measurement period as defined by the Commonwealth is May 1 through April 30
  • Hours are cumulative for employees working multiple part-time positions
  • Schedules may vary from week to week provided the 29 hour per week average is maintained

Additional guidance on part-time employee work hours may be found on the HR website.

The position description identifies the essential elements of a position to include core responsibilities, specific knowledge and necessary skills and abilities and preferred and required qualifications.

Why is an up-to-date and accurate position description important?

  • It is the basis for the university’s performance management plan, particularly in terms of disciplinary actions and annual evaluations
  • It clearly defines job expectations and how performance is measured
  • It is the foundation for the recruitment process and is used to create the job posting, establish screening
  • criteria and develop interview questions.
  • It is used by HR in compensation reviews

When should a supervisor review and update a position description?

  • As changes are made to a position
  • Prior to a recruitment
  • During the annual performance evaluation process
    • Have the employee participate in the position description development by asking them to review and provide feedback

Reach out to your HR Consultant with questions

Did you know?

All newly hired employees complete four HR Compliance Training modules within 30 days of hire. Newly hired or newly appointed supervisors complete two additional modules – a supervisor unit on Alcohol and Other Drugs and a module focused on Understanding and Using the Grievance Procedure.

Are you aware JMU has a guiding document for making compensation decisions?

The Salary Administration Plan (SAP) serves as a guide to ensure consistent application of compensation decisions across campus. The SAP is primarily for classified and wage employees; however, many of the philosophies and compensation practices within the SAP are applicable to A&P Faculty. The SAP also contains information regarding performance management including probationary reviews and the probationary period.

As a supervisor or manager, you should:

  • Familiarize yourself with the SAP and the information it contains
  • Utilize your HR Consultant to determine appropriate pay increases
  • Regularly review employees’ position descriptions for accuracy and update them as needed
  • Gather information supporting a requested pay action to provide thorough justification

Did you know?

The A&P Faculty Salary Adjustment Request Form was updated to include important information regarding budget information and routing changes and to make the form easier to fill out. If you’ve downloaded a copy to your desktop, please ensure you are using the correct form. Additionally, the Employee Recognition Nomination Form is for classified and wage employees only. To process a bonus for an A&P Faculty member, use the Supplemental Pay ePAR.

  • In certain situations, temporary pay may be provided to an employee who experiences substantive changes in job duties for a specified period of time, such as an assignment to a special project, reassignment during organizational changes or temporary changes in supervisory responsibility.
  • Temporary pay is not intended to cover brief recruitment periods.
  • Supervisors must work with their HR Consultant to determine if temporary pay is appropriate as well as an appropriate amount of temporary pay in accordance with the Salary Administration Plan.
  • Temporary pay must be approved by the HR Consultant and the appropriate vice president in advance.
  • To initiate temporary pay, a supplemental pay ePAR must be submitted.
  • Temporary pay may continue for up to six months. For periods beyond six months, the appropriate vice president may approve an additional six-month extension.

Did you know?

Temporary Pay does not replace overtime for non-exempt employees. Non-exempt employees must be paid for all hours over 40 physically worked within the workweek at one and one-half times their regular rate(s) of pay, including any temporary pay.

What is total compensation? Total Compensation is the estimated value of your pay plus benefits which includes direct and indirect pay.

What is direct pay? Direct pay is your “paycheck.” Direct pay includes annual salary or hourly rate, bonuses and other pay

What is indirect pay? Indirect pay is the value of your benefits package, including health insurance, retirement, leave, short and long-term disability, life insurance, educational assistance programs and more.

Why is Total Compensation important?

  • Highlights the financial investment/cost JMU incurs with employees’ benefits packages.
  • Uses the value of JMU’s benefits package as a recruitment and retention tool.
  • Encourages employee participation in benefits programs if not being utilized.
  • Reinforces JMU’s commitment to employees.

The Total Compensation Calculator provides an illustrative breakdown of the estimated value of an employee’s compensation package. By answering a few questions, this tool will calculate and provide a summary of the estimated value of your total compensation package. See the example to the right based on a $40,000 annual salary.

The standard JMU workweek begins at 12:01 am on Sunday and ends at midnight the following Saturday.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that non-exempt employees working in excess of 40 hours in a workweek be compensated at one and one-half times the regular rate of pay.

As a reminder

  • All overtime at JMU requires pre-approval by the supervisor
  • An employee's work schedule may be adjusted within the workweek to avoid the occurrence of overtime
  • Overtime leave may be offered to the employee in lieu of overtime pay

Supervisors should:

What is a working title? A working title describes the nature of work performed by the position and is beneficial in differentiating between similar roles by clarifying the function of the position.

A position’s working title differs from the state-defined role title. For example, a position classified as an Administrative Office Specialist III may have a working title of “Front Office Assistant” or “Fiscal Assistant” to provide clarification between positions within the department.

What should the working title reflect? A working title should clearly and precisely describe the function, responsibilities, or scope of the position and use terms that are easily recognized and understood. Working titles are limited to a maximum of 30 characters in length. Avoid using terms or abbreviations which may be misunderstood.

Why are working titles important? Working titles appear within the JMU Campus Directory as well as on an employee’s JACard.

Working title guidelines:

Working titles should not misrepresent the authority of the position; the use of inflated titles can create inaccurate expectations.

Working titles containing the words “director” or “manager” are generally reserved for those positions that oversee a department or unit or those who have one or more supervisors reporting to them.

Changes to working titles are made by contacting your HR Consultant.

Compensation Corner

Work Experience and Education: Work experience and education is a factor used for pay determination purposes and refers to the relevant employment history and academic qualifications of the employee or applicant.

Performance Management

Administrative and Professional faculty (A&P faculty) are normally referred to collectively. Both Administrative and Professional faculty require advanced learning acquired by prolonged formal instruction and/or specialized training and work experience.

A&P Faculty Contracts:

A&P faculty members are generally appointed on an annual basis from July 1 through June 30. While the standard contract period for A&P faculty members begins on July 1, A&P faculty contracts may be entered into at any time throughout the year. TheA&P faculty contract should be completed upon hire and attached to the hire ePAR with all required signatures. Human Resources recommends completing a revised A&P faculty contract when an employee transfers to a new position or is promoted within their current position.

A&P Faculty Performance Evaluations:

Consistent with the contract period, performancee valuations for A&P faculty members are completed annually to ensure the assigned duties and responsibilities are being performed satisfactorily and with a high level of professional excellence. Annual performance evaluations for A&P faculty are conducted between June 1 and August 31 and must be submitted to Human Resources by the last workday in September.

The performance evaluation process includes reviewing the progress of goals and objectives set for the preceding performance cycle as well as setting goals and objectives for the succeeding performance cycle. Multiple sources of information such as client/customer feedback, feedback by subordinates, peer feedback, and self-assessment should be incorporated into the evaluation process.

Resources

Document all details regarding attendance issues as they occur, such as dates and times of arriving late/leaving early and unscheduled absences. Include reasons employee gives for unscheduled absences and late arrivals and/or leaving early.

Be proactive to address attendance issues as they start to occur with a verbal conversation first.

  • Remind employee of attendance expectations.
  • Ensure employee understands proper call-in procedures if they are not going to be at work on time.
  • Describe the impact that continuous unscheduled absences may have on the department and co-workers.
  • Ask the employee why they are arriving late or leaving early. There could be underlying circumstances.
  • Explain that additional attendance issues may result in further disciplinary actions being taken.
  • Document any conversation that takes place by following up with the employee in an email, summarizing the conversation.

If attendance issues persist, contact your HR Consultant to discuss further disciplinary actions that may be taken such as issuing a Counseling Memo and/or taking additional progressive discipline steps.

Resources

Recognition of a job well done can be a powerful motivator. To recognize contributions that support the university's overall objectives, JMU offers monetary bonuses to acknowledge the success, exceptional performance, special acts, or innovative ideas of employees.

Classified & Wage Employees

Total monetary awards for classified and wage employees cannot exceed $5,000 per employee per fiscal year and require approval from the respective vice president. Supervisors wishing to acknowledge the contributions of a classified or wage employee must do so by using the Employee Recognition Nomination Form and may choose from two bonus types:

  • Individual Impact Bonus: Recognizes exceptional performance on short-term tasks; may be awarded for performance or the completion of a project or event.
  • Customer Service Bonus: Recognizes individuals or groups who have contributed to exceptional customer service.

Instructional Faculty, A&P Faculty, TNT, RNT & Adjunct Faculty

Bonus requests for other non-student employee types may be submitted using the Supplemental Pay ePAR.

Academic Affairs Awards: There are nine different faculty awards.

All Faculty and Staff

Duke2Duke: Peer recognition program that allows any faculty or staff member to acknowledge behaviors and actions of their peers that align with the university or an individual’s departmental Mission, Vision and Values.

Purple Star Awards: To recognize an employee’s outstanding efforts and achievements that contribute to the success of the university during the prior year.

Informal Recognition: Includes unscripted and spontaneous recognition. It can be a powerful motivator for employees. It is given regularly and can include words of praise, gratitude, encouragement or a handwritten ‘thank you’ note.

Emeriti Status

Staff Emeriti Status: A retired staff member is eligible for appointment to emeritus staff status if the individual:

  • Has been an active, full-time classified employee for a minimum of 10 years at James Madison University
  • Has retired in good standing
  • Has a record of noteworthy contributions throughout his or her JMU career

Faculty Emeriti Status: A retired instructional faculty member is eligible for appointment to emeritus status if the individual has served full-time for a minimum of 10 years on the James Madison University faculty; has attained the academic rank of Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor; and has retired from James Madison University in good standing.

Did you know?

Student wage employees who will continue working after the end of the semester may need to transfer to general wage employment status. To determine if this applies to your student employees, please refer to the Student Handbook.

"Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance.” - John Whitmore, Coaching for Performance

Aside from situations that require specific directives from you as a supervisor, consider adopting a coaching mentality with your subordinate(s).

A Coach is:

  • Motivating
  • Inspiring
  • Patient
  • Caring
  • Relationship-focused
  • A sounding board
  • A cheerleader
  • A connector of the dots
  • A facilitator
  • An awareness raiser

A Coach is not:

  • A problem solver
  • A teacher
  • An advisor
  • An instructor
  • An expert

Professional Coaching:

  • Is a process of assisting another’s individual growth and development through listening and asking deliberate questions to build self-awareness and accountability
  • It is a solutions-focused approach
  • Empowers ownership of successes and failures
  • Develops skills to make more effective decisions
  • Improves employee performance, engagement, job satisfaction and development

Coaching can be formal (scheduled meetings) or informal (situational, on the spot). It entails giving less directives and asking more questions. Follow the GROW model, asking open-ended questions to progress through the phases of coaching:

Goal: What do you want >> Reality: Where are you now? >> Options: What could you do? >> Will: What will you do?

Resources:

A counseling memo outlines an employee's deficiencies, areas for improvement and expectations going forward. Additionally, it provides the employee an opportunity to improve behavior and/or performance prior to escalating consequences.

Objective: Encourage and guide an employee to improve their performance and/or behavior. This benefits not only the employee, but the success and effectiveness of the department and university.

Although a memo is considered informal corrective action and stays in the departmental file, a memo can be used to support future formal disciplinary action. Content and communication is key!

What Makes for an Effective Memo?

  • Include specific examples of poor behavior/performance
  • List potential consequences of non-improvement and expectations going forward
  • Provide excerpts from Policy 1317: Standards of Conduct, procedures, departmental values, position descriptions, and other relevant policies
  • Describe impact of behavior on co-workers, students, department, objectives, etc.
  • Affirm employee’s value, positive attributes, behaviors and accomplishments
  • Meet with employee to discuss memo and communicate expectations

Counseling Memo Template

Please contact your HR Consultant for additional information or assistance.

Goals and learning >> Increase employee skills >> Increased personal job satisfaction >> Increased employee motivation and engagement >> Elevated employee job performance through productivity and innovation >> Higher departmental performance >> Meet mission and objections

Additional Benefits:

  • Employee retention
  • Recognition opportunities
  • Support of departmental goals

Supervisor's Role:

  • Establish trust and respect
  • Delegate more and with purpose
  • Provide honest feedback
  • Job enrichment (additional responsibilities / cross training)
  • Offer your employee opportunities for special projects, trainings, and conferences
  • Encourage participation in professional organizations or JMU committees
  • Make learning a part of your regular meetings
  • Coach employees to research and be confident in decisions
  • Ask your employee about their goals/strengths/weaknesses/special talents/what they enjoy doing

If knowledge is power, then learning is a superpower." - Jim Kwik

Compensation Corner

Duties and Responsibilities: This is one of the Pay Factors used for pay determination purposes. Duties and responsibilities describe the primary and essential work functions performed by an employee or group of employees. Variation in duties and responsibilities helps distinguish one employee from another for comparison purposes.

One of the most challenging aspects of supervision is having a difficult conversation with an employee. This is especially true when the conversation requires providing constructive or disciplinary feedback to an employee. Avoiding the conversation is a frequently used technique which ultimately has detrimental effects on the employee/department.

When facing a difficult conversation, consider the following six-step strategy for success:

Step 1: Identify the Appropriate Time to Provide Feedback
Ensure you have the employee's full attention; ensure privacy

Step 2: Use a Gentle Approach
Explain that you need to discuss an issue/concern; acknowledge that the conversation may be difficult for you and/or the employee

Step 3: Provide Direct Feedback
State the concern; allow the employee to respond

Step 4: Describe the Impact of the Behavior
Explain how this impacts “the big picture”

Step 5: Provide Expectations for Future Behavior
Describe acceptable behavior moving forward

Step 6: Follow-Up & Provide Ongoing Feedback
Revisit the issue; recognize improvement or discuss further, if needed

Best Practices

  • Take Time to Prepare
  • Don’t Use a Script
  • Ensure Privacy
  • Provide Examples
  • Don’t Argue
  • Be Specific with Your Expectations
  • Offer Praise & Recognize Improvement

Feedback is essential to employee success!

Let your employees know what they are doing well,areas for improvement and the steps they can take to be more successful. Positive feedback has the potential to improve employee engagement, motivation, job satisfaction, productivity and overall performance. Providing critical feedback can be particularly challenging to give as a supervisor; however, it is often the critical feedback that is most impactful in personal and professional development, especially when it is given in a caring and respectful manner.

Although feedback should be continuous, annual performance evaluations are a great opportunity to share and document feedback.

Tips on providing effective evaluation feedback

  • Let the employee know that their success is important to you.
  • Share both positive and critical feedback. Everyone has areas in which to improve, grow and learn and this should not be viewed negatively.
  • Be descriptive and share examples; such as, excerpts from emails, specific customer interactions,feedback from colleagues and/or performance on a particular project.
  • For classified staff, provide feedback on Departmental Values. It is often an employee’s ability to exercise these values that is a key indicator of success and performance; for example, team work,integrity, service, respect, etc.
  • Share impact of performance on co-workers, students, and customers.

Failure to provide effective feedback can minimize potential success, limit or delay future disciplinary action,and potentially impact the morale and performance of co-workers.

Annual evaluations for both classified and Administrative & Professional Faculty are due in Human Resources by the last working day in September.

Resources

What is a facilitated conversation?

  • A conversation between two or more individuals/groups in which a facilitator helps parties overcome communicative barriers and engage in productive conversation regarding issues of mutual concern
  • A highly effective tool in addressing interpersonal, behavior and some performance issues between co-workers or supervisors and their subordinates
  • A less formal process than mediation which utilizes an impartial third party who can offer a different perspective, to help with communication and resolution of issues. There are no written agreements and no formal steps to follow

Benefits to a facilitated conversation:

  • Gives people a voice without having to invoke a formal process and can be used at any stage, even before a formal conflict has been declared
  • Provide individuals with an opportunity to step back and engage in a respectful discussion
  • Re-establishes trust and engagement in meaningful communication
  • Offers people the opportunity to speak freely and openly about their needs, interests and opinions
  • Unlocks understanding of the other person’s perspective
  • Initiates understanding about emotions and personal contributions to the issue
  • Restores interpersonal workplace/education relationships and a future focused process for moving forward

Want more information?

Contact your HR Consultant with any questions you have or to discuss facilitated conversation services.

The importance of documenting performance concerns cannot be understated, particularly as we enter a new classified performance management cycle. Effective performance management hinges on clear documentation of performance deficiencies as they arise. Documenting these concerns serves multiple crucial purposes that contribute to the overall health and success of the organization. Here’s why it matters:

  • Documentation provides a clear, objective record of performance issues. This clarity helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that both the supervisor and the employee have a factual basis for discussion.
  • Documented performance concerns form the basis for constructive feedback and improvement plans. This enables supervisors to provide specific examples and data-driven insights during performance reviews or coaching sessions.
  • Documenting performance concerns reinforces organizational values and expectations. This helps maintain consistency in performance management practices across teams and ensures that everyone is held to the same standard.
  • Documented performance concerns provide evidence-based support and enable supervisors to make informed decisions grounded in observable data.

Documenting performance concerns isn’t just about managing underperformance—it’s a fundamental practice that supports fairness, transparency, and organizational effectiveness. By creating a clear and factual record of performance issues, supervisors can enhance communication, ensure legal compliance, and ultimately create a more productive and engaged workplace

Best Practices for Documenting Performance Concerns

  • Be Consistent and Timely: Documentation should be a regular, ongoing process rather than a last-minute effort during the annual evaluation process. Make it a habit to document both positive and negative performance consistently, not just when there is a problem.
  • Be Objective and Specific: Focus on measurable outcomes and behaviors rather than subjective opinions. Use specific examples and avoid vague language.
  • Link to Goals and Objectives: Always tie feedback to specific performance goals or objectives. This ensures the documentation is actionable and helps employees understand what needs improvement and how to achieve it.
  • Provide Expectations for Improvement: Clearly state expectations for future performance. Provide specific deadlines, how performance will be measured, and consequences if improvement is not achieved.

Performance documentation doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complicated – Contact your HR Consultant for guidance.

What is Mediation:

  • Process designed to encourage open conversation and understanding between participants through facilitation
  • Participants are encouraged to have open and honest discussion, allowing them to address issues in a safe environment
  • Solutions are reached at the base level, instead of moving up the chain of command
  • The role of a mediator is to assist fellow employees in arriving at their own solutions

Who is Eligible to Participate:

Mediation services are available to all non-student JMU employees

Common Reasons for Mediation:

  • Work style differences
  • Supervisory style differences
  • Conflict affecting a working relationship between co-workers that cannot be resolved on their own or with a supervisor
  • Communication problems or difficulties
  • Issues surrounding a grievance

Privacy

Issues discussed in mediation are private. Although the agreement written by the participants is not private, it will not be discussed or shared except on a need to know basis with the consent of the participants.

Want More Information?

Visit and become familiar with Mediation Services available to JMU employees. As always, you may contact your HR Consultant with any questions you may have or email workforcemgmt@jmu.edu.

What better way to start a new year than creating great Individual Performance Goals?

Coaching For Success!

Collaboration between supervisor and employee greatly enhances the success of achieving individual personal development goals. These goals should challenge employees to build competencies and skills in their current roles. A meaningful personal development goal may also consider career aspirations. Are there development goals that will enhance the employee's role today and prepare them for future career opportunities?

Some questions to ask during the goal-setting process:

  • What competencies or skills do I need to master to improve my performance in my current role?
  • What competencies or skills do I need to master to progress towards my career aspirations?
  • How will mastering these competencies or skills prepare me for expanded responsibilities?

Goals are a partnership between the employee and supervisor. They are a route to a destination. Like any trip you are on, you need to frequently look at the journey and see if any adjustments need to be made to reach the goal. Supervisors should meet regularly with their employee to review goal progress, adjust timelines and dates, and collaborate on removing roadblocks to success. Goals should be treated as a living and active part of personal growth and work satisfaction.

Normally, goals are developed during the employee performance evaluation process, but it’s never too late to establish goals for the upcoming review cycle. These goals should grow the employee’s knowledge, skills and abilities and meet departmental objectives. Remember to include the specific steps the employee may take and resources available to accomplish the professional development goal.

Human Resources and Talent Development are here to help!

Consider enrolling in the following training to learn more about goal development, help your employees write goals, and learn how to give a constructive and meaningful performance review:

Resources and Links

The university strives to ensure that the performance planning and evaluation system will provide for the establishment and communication of performance expectations as the basis for evaluating an employee's work performance. Employee performance is a key component of employee retention and how pay will be administered. As a supervisor, be intentional and mindful in the evaluation of your employees this performance evaluation season by including a variety of evaluative sources such as:

  • Direct observations of the employee behaviors and work products. Supervisors should mentor, coach and reinforce progress toward expected results and outcomes and address areas of concern and acknowledge positive contributions as they occur.
  • Information solicited from peers, customers, subordinates and other supervisors who interact and work with the employee.
  • Self-evaluations. All employees must be given the opportunity to provide their supervisor with a self-evaluation of their performance for the evaluation period. Consider requiring your employees to complete a self-evaluation. The self evaluation allows employees to conduct an assessment of their performance and is a valuable tool for supervisors to utilize prior to completing an evaluation of the employee’s performance.

Set time aside for the performance meeting. The evaluation meeting requires careful planning and preparation on the part of both the supervisor and employee. The purpose of the evaluation meeting is to provide the supervisor and employee an opportunity to discuss job performance and achievement of professional development goals during the previous performance cycle and to plan for future performance objectives.

Classified Employees

The non-probationary, classified employee performance cycle is October 25- October 24. The completed performance evaluation should include the annual evaluation and Individual Professional Development Plan with all appropriate signatures.

Administrative & Professional Faculty

The Administrative & Professional Faculty performance cycle is July 1- June 30. The completed performance evaluation should include position description, objectives for the performance cycle, and the performance evaluation with all appropriate signatures.

All performance evaluations may be submitted to Human Resources as early as July 1 but are due no later than the last workday in September.

Tips:

  • Collect and document information on a continuous basis
  • Use the performance evaluation meeting to set or re-define developmental goals for the next year
  • Utilize upward feedback. Employees’ feedback on their supervisor’s performance can be used for development purposes in assisting supervisors with improving their supervisory and leadership skills.

Interested in learning more about annual performance evaluations for classified employees?

Did you know?

Adobe Sign can make the performance evaluation signature process a breeze! Adobe Sign is a cloud-based e-signature service that allows users to send, sign, track, and manage signature processes using a browser or mobile device. 

This is a video on the Performance Evaluations.

The university strives to ensure that the performance planning and evaluation process will provide for the establishment and communication of performance expectations as the basis for evaluating an employee's work performance.

In order for performance evaluations to be effective and reflect the actual performance of the employee, it is imperative for supervisors to collect and document performance information on a continuous basis. Supervisors should use a variety of sources when gathering performance information.

Sources may include:

  • Direct observation of employee behaviors and performance throughout the year
  • Information solicited from peers, customers, subordinates and other supervisors
  • Self-Evaluations
  • 360 Degree Evaluations
    • A 360 degree evaluation is a performance tool that solicits confidential feedback from the people that work closest with the employee, such as managers, co-workers and direct reports.
    • Feedback received from 360 degree evaluations is a way for leaders and employees to understand their personal strengths and weaknesses, using the constructive feedback of others who work with them the most.
    • Working in conjunction with HR, supervisors may develop supplemental evaluation tools such as a 360 degree evaluation.

Performance Cycle Timeline:

  • Non-probationary, classified employees: October 25 – October 24
  • Administrative & Professional Faculty: July 1 – June 30
  • All performance evaluations may be submitted to HR as early as July 1 but are due no later than the last workday in September

Helpful Links:

Compensation Corner

Performance: Performance considers previous and/or current work accomplishments or outcomes and behavioral interactions that are assessed as part of the performance management program.

What is a probationary period?

The probationary period is the introductory phase of employment required for all new and rehired classified employees. JMU utilizes the probationary period to evaluate an employee’s capabilities, work ethic, and overall performance. This provides supervisors with an opportunity to determine if the employee meets the position requirements and departmental values and objectives. The probationary period also provides employees an opportunity to acclimate to their new role, team dynamics, and departmental expectations. During the probationary period, either JMU or the employee may end the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause. JMU Policy 1322 provides guidance on the probationary period for classified employees.

How long is the probationary period?

Normally, the duration of the probationary period is twelve months; however, the probationary period may be extended up to six additional months when performance concerns exist. Additionally, probationary periods must be extended when an employee is on leave for more than 14 consecutive calendar days.

How is performance evaluated during the probationary period?

The supervisor must complete the Probationary Progress Review at 3, 6, 9, and 12- month intervals. This form is used to record and review employee progress toward meeting established essential functions and performance expectations. Supervisors should document both positive progress toward fulfilling the responsibilities of the position along with areas where additional growth is needed.

How is poor performance addressed during the probationary period?

Performance concerns must be documented using the Probationary Progress Review. If a rating of “Unsuccessful” is assigned, the supervisor must complete an Employee Development Plan to outline expectations for improvement. If the supervisor determines that the employee is not suited for the position and is unable to improve satisfactorily, the employee may be terminated. Supervisors must contact their HR Consultant prior to the issuance of an “Unsuccessful” rating and/or terminating an employee.

Did you know?

Employees may receive a bonus for completing their degree? JMU Policy 1408 has more information on degree attainment bonuses!

The probationary period as defined in JMU Policy 1322 is the introductory period of employment that allows the employee and JMU to determine if the employee is suited for the job. All classified staff are required to complete the probationary period which is 12 months; however, it can be extended up to an additional 6 months. The acceptable reasons for extension are noted in the policy.

Supervisor Responsibilities

Issue the Probationary Progress Review Form at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Meet with the employee to discuss the employee's progress towards meeting established performance expectations. Send completed forms to HR for retention in the employee's personnel file.

Why is it important to complete the Probationary Progress Reviews (PPR)?

  • The probationary period is a critical time for an employee to learn the expectations of the employee's role and what is necessary to be successful in it. Critical feedback is essential to the employee's growth and development.
  • The PPR allows the supervisor to address performance issues as they arise, clarify the expectations, and allow an employee ample time to correct the behaviors.
  • Communication during the review process helps to establish trust, build professional relationships and confidence.
  • It is a great opportunity to solicit feedback from the employee to determine what guidance and training they might need.
  • Merit increases for probationary employees, when available, are based on the employee’s most recent PPR rating.

Guidance on Completing Effective PPRs

  • Be honest
  • Feedback: positive, constructive, actionable and using specific examples
  • Express the employee's value and impact on others and the university
  • Submit in a timely fashion
  • Avoid negative language such as “you shouldn’t” and use positive language such as “maybe you could try…”

Did you know...

  • An employee going from A&P faculty to classified or re-hired classified employees with a break in service must serve a probationary period
  • If the probationary period ends between July 1 and October 24, the PPR suffices as the annual evaluation
  • 12 month reviews are to be completed 3 weeks prior to the probationary end date

A system of increasingly significant measures that are utilized to provide feedback to employees to correct unacceptable job performance or conduct. Consider this process like a road map.

Progressive Discipline provides your employees the opportunity to correct their unacceptable performance/behavior. The goal of progressive discipline is not termination but to better your employees. Progressive discipline allows a supervisor to address deficiencies and to share expectations going forward. The use of progressive discipline is not intended as punishment, rather, to assist the employee to understand that an opportunity for improvement exists. The goal is to help employees become fully contributing members of the university community.

Step #1: Verbal Counseling

  • Used to address performance deficiencies when they begin.
  • For positive reinforcement, this should be a continuous and ongoing conversation.
  • Documentation is key. Send an email to the employee recapping your discussion and the expectations moving forward.

Step #2: Written Counseling

  • Counseling memo- Written document outlining performance deficiencies and unacceptable behavior that is issued to the employee, signed by the employee, and filed in the departmental files.
  • Notice of Improvement Needed (NIN)- Used to identify poor, substandard, or unacceptable performance of any essential function, learning goal special assignment, agency, or unit objective that fall below the Contributor level. A detailed improvement plan must be included.
  • Although written counseling is considered informal corrective action and stays in the departmental file, a counseling memo or NIN can be used to support future formal disciplinary action.

Step #3: Formal Corrective Action & Discipline

Positive Impact of Progressive Discipline:

  • Performance improvement from the employee
  • Boost morale within the department or workgroup
  • Overall higher performing and engaged workforce
  • Opportunity to establish expectations
  • Enhance communication between employee and supervisor

How:

  • Be timely to address performance
  • Discuss in a private setting
  • Focus on the impact of the behavior
  • Share consequences of continued behavior
  • Actively listen and collaborate for future success
  • Document! Document! Document!

When it comes to progressive discipline always contact your HR Consultant.

Annual performance evaluations can be submitted to HR as early as July 1 and are due by September 30.

During the yearly performance evaluation process, each classified, non-probationary employee must be afforded the opportunity to provide their supervisor with a self-evaluation. Completing a self-evaluation is a great opportunity for an employee to review their position description, which can be viewed in MyMadison if published, and reflect upon accomplishments and opportunities for development. Their perspective and recollection of work achievements and struggles can be useful to a supervisor in completing the evaluation of the employee. The self-evaluation stays in the departmental file and is not part of the employee’s permanent personnel file.

Benefits of self-evaluations:

  • Conveys employee’s perception of job performance.
  • May uncover duties or tasks that you weren’t aware the employee was completing.
  • Communicates to the employee that you value his/her input and involvement in the performance management process.
  • Is a valuable tool for supervisors – recall of performance, examples, and special projects throughout the performance cycle

Resources:

Many workplace disagreements can be resolved with honest, open, and respectful communication. If a conflict persists despite these efforts, your HR Consultant is a resource to provide coaching and guidance on resolving workplace issues. Check out our updated Workplace Conflict Consultation website.

Coaching: One-on-one conversations to assist supervisors in identifying problem areas and developing action plans to foster change.

Facilitated Conversation: A dialogue between two or more individuals led by an unbiased third party to overcome workplace obstacles. Though not designed to result in agreements, it may serve that purpose.

Mediation: A structured and interactive process designed to provide participants with the opportunity for open dialogue so that a workable solution is reached for moving forward.

DHRM Resources

The Office of Employment Dispute Resolution (EDR) provides state agencies and their employees with a broad range of workplace dispute resolution tools that assure solutions to workplace conflict consistent with the Commonwealth's human resource policies and related law.

Policy & Compliance

The university is responsible for informing all employees:

  • About the dangers of alcohol and other drug use or abuse in the workplace
  • Available alcohol and drug counseling
  • Available approved rehabilitation and employee assistance programs
  • The penalties for committing prohibited acts

Training on this topic is mandatory for new supervisors of classified employees.

Resources

Virginia’s Standards of Conduct Policy 1.60's intent is to help employees become fully contributing members of the organization. The policy allows agencies to progressively administer corrective actions or discipline to improve performance or conduct of its employees. This policy further allows for termination of employees whose conduct and/or performance doesn’t improve through progressive discipline.

Important updates and changes to this policy effective January 2025:

Addition: Employees are required to notify their supervisors and Human Resources of criminal charges and convictions within 3 business days. Additionally, supervisors are accountable for reporting an employee’s criminal charges or convictions to Human Resources.

Addition: Instruction for agencies to conduct a fact-finding review and/or an administrative investigation into the alleged misconduct, criminal charges or other violations of the policy.

Revision: Clarifies that the administrative notice (letter of intent) must be provided to allow a reasonable opportunity for the employee to respond to the allegations. This minimum is one full-business day. For example, if you issue the letter of intent on Tuesday morning, then the full-business day would be Wednesday, and the written notice issued on Thursday (or later).

View the full DHRM Policy, 1.60 Standards of Conduct and additional changes

Note: JMU’s Policy 1317: Standards of Conduct mirrors the state’s policy with only minor differences specific to JMU. This policy is in the process of being updated.

Punxsautawney Phil might have predicted six more weeks of winter, but it’s never too early to start spring cleaning! It’s time to clean out some of those old documents in the office, but where do you start?

Chapter 7, Public Records Act in the Code of Virginia and JMU Policy 1109, require departments to follow specific guidelines for retaining and disposing records and files. The lifecycle of a record, regardless of format, is determined by its record retention period. The General Schedules is the Library of Virginia approved timetable governing the length of time a record must be kept.

Follow these steps for record destruction:

  • Check the General Schedules to identify whether or not your documents are ready for destruction.
  • If documents and their timelines meet the appropriate criteria, complete a Certificate of Records Destruction Form. This form is routed to the records officer who will review the request.
  • When the records officer approves the request and you receive notification, you may proceed with destruction per the methods outlined by the General Schedules.

For any questions, please reach out to Leigh Ann Bowles at recordsofficer@jmu.edu.

Did you know?

In-Band Adjustments (IBAs) for wage employees are funded through departmental budgets and are processed monthly. The submission of an IBA must include a paper PAR (Personnel Action Request) and a PAW (Pay Action Worksheet) submitted to your HR Consultant with appropriate signatures.

As students return to campus for the fall semester, employees may begin thinking about their own personal and professional development using tuition assistance. Completion of performance evaluations and personal learning goals provide the perfect opportunity for employees to learn more about this valuable benefit.

JMU offers tuition waiver and tuition reimbursement as a benefit for eligible full-time and part-time employees. The Tuition Waiver Program allows employees to have tuition waived for courses taken at JMU. Tuition reimbursement is available for employees taking an approved course at another education institution. The cost of the class will be reimbursed if the program is to train employees on:

  • the use of new or modified equipment
  • skills and knowledge required by changes in current positions that maintains or improves skills required in the job
  • or in the case of Tuition Reimbursement, to meet degree requirements in a program for which the employee is enrolled and the university does not offer an equivalent course

Helpful Resources

Tip: Departmental approval for tuition assistance is required prior to the employee registering for classes.

Further information about eligibility, process, limitations, and more.

Compensation Corner

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Competencies: This is one of the 13 pay factors used for pay determination purposes. These are the job-related behaviors and attributes necessary to effectively perform a particular job. Knowledge refers to acquired principles and practices related to a particular job; skills refer to acquired psychomotor behaviors; and abilities are the talents, observable behaviors or acquired dexterity. Competencies are behaviors, knowledge and skills that directly and positively impact the success of the employee.

Announcements to close the university, delay the opening of the university or close the university early will be made in a variety of ways, including through JMU’s emergency notification systems. Supervisors should encourage their employees to register for closings and emergency notifications from JMU through MyMadison.

Designated employees (employees who are required to work during an authorized closing) earn compensatory leave for hours worked up to the maximum number of hours of their normal daily work shifts. Non-exempt designated employees will be compensated in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for any hours physically worked over 40 within the workweek.

In the event of an authorized closing, a supervisor may change the status of any employee to designated status, based on the needs of the department.

When inclement weather or other emergency conditions create transportation difficulties that result in an employee’s late arrival, supervisors may authorize up to two hours of such lost time as an authorized absence not charged as leave. Supervisors should decide each case on its own merits.

For additional information or questions, please refer to:

All leave is subject to supervisor approval. Leave should be requested in advance when possible and approved by the supervisor prior to the absence.

A best practice is to have all leave requests submitted at least 24 hours in advance. As a supervisor, you should evaluate all leave requests against departmental needs and approve the request if adequate department coverage can be maintained.

While every attempt should be made to approve leave requests, it is sometimes necessary to deny a request or collaborate with the employee to modify the request when business needs are impacted.

As a supervisor, you have access to Manager Self-Service in HR Management. Through Manager Self-Service, you can access employees’ leave information and approve or deny leave requests.

Reminder: The leave year ends on January 9, therefore, all outstanding annual leave, community service leave, compensatory leave, family/personal leave, overtime leave, personal day, recognition leave, and sick leave requests for the leave year must be entered into MyMadison and approved by the supervisor as soon as possible. The leave year for entering and approving A&P Faculty leave ends on June 30.

For questions regarding leave, please contact Reagan Neese, Leave Specialist.

Did you know?

In addition to Manager Self-Service, supervisors can approve leave requests in MyMadison, in the “My Approvals” tab.

What is a less than 12-month schedule agreement?

Less than 12-month schedule agreements are one option used for alternative work schedules outlined in Policy 1310 Alternative Work Schedules. Positions designated as less than 12-months can be determined anytime throughout the year;however, the work agreement usually begins at the start of the academic year and the rest months are typically in the summer.

Considerations for a less than 12-month schedule:

  • Administrative efficiencies
  • Departmental staffing needs
  • The delivery of academic, student, and administrative services must be considered first in determining if a less than 12-month schedule is appropriate. In some units, the duties and workloads may not be suitable.
  • Departments may not fill less than 12-month positions with wage employees during the non-working period of the less than 12-month employee
  • The employee, supervisor and reviewer must review and sign the Less than 12-month schedule agreement before it can be implemented
  • The less than 12-month schedule agreement and an ePAR must be initiated for the initial change to be made
  • Less than 12-month schedule agreements must be submitted to HR on an annual basis
  • Employees placed in a less than 12-month position may not return to 12-month status until after the full term of the less than 12-month schedule. The 12-month schedule includes the rest months.

Effect on compensation & benefits:

Compensation

  • Employee’s annual salary will be pro-rated for a less than12-month schedule based on the length of the employment term
  • Employee will be paid over 24 pay periods to accommodated eductions for benefits during the non-working months
  • Employee who separates from the university or changes employment status before the end of the schedule must repay any overpayment of salary
  • Employee’s salary must be at least equal to the legal minimum wage

Benefits:

  • Employees will continue to be eligible for healthcare benefits during the 12-month period
  • University will pay employer share of premiums;employee portion will be processed as a payroll deduction with full, half-monthly premiums deducted from salary each pay period
  • Employee will earn 12 months retirement service credit and contributions will be made at the pro-rated salary rate
  • Life insurance will be in effect
  • All leave balances are frozen and there is no accrual of leave during non-working period outlined in the less than12-month schedule agreement

Want more information? Contact your HR Consultant with any questions you have or to discuss implementing a less than 12-month schedule agreement.

Did you know that JMU Policy 1110: Alcohol & Other Drugs allows for reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing?

Employees will be required to participate in drug and/or alcohol testing when the individual’s behavior causes the supervisor to question the employee’s ability to perform his/her job duties.

Reasonable suspicion must be documented by the supervisor on the Behavior/Incident Documentation Form and focuses on observable factors which may lead the supervisor to believe the employee is under the influence. Examples of factors which may lead to reasonable suspicion testing include:

  • Behaviors: Is the employee stumbling, swaying or unable to stand?
  • Speech: Is the employee incoherent or slurring their words?
  • Odor: Is the smell of alcohol or marijuana present?
  • Appearance: Are the employee’s eyes bloodshot, pupils dilated, face flushed or sweaty?
  • Movements: Is the employee fumbling, hyperactive or acting erratically?

If you have reason to believe that an employee is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it is imperative to document the observable behaviors and contact your HR Consultant immediately

Taking Classes as an Employee

This is also the time of year employees may be thinking about taking a class in the spring semester. Employee tuition assistance through tuition waiver is a valuable benefit. Prior to signing up for classes, your employee should discuss how attending classes will affect the workplace and how absences for attending classes will be handled. Below are steps for signing up for classes through the waiver of tuition program.

  • Step 1: Apply for admission, either through Admissions or through Outreach and Engagement. Just remember, application fees cannot be waived.
  • Step 2: Sign up for classes through MyMadison or as directed by the admitting avenue.
  • Step 3: Fill out the Request for Waiver of Tuition. Supervisors and reviewers must sign the waiver. 
  • Step 4: Turn in the completed Waiver of Tuition to Human Resources BEFORE 5PM of the add/drop deadline for the upcoming semester.

Check out JMU Policy 1402 to determine eligibility.

Attendance

This time of year brings many requests from your employees for absences, whether for vacations, school events, or simply using up those few remaining vacation hours that are above the maximum carry over limit. Accommodating all requests can be difficult. Here are a few things to consider.

Talk with your classified employees now about vacation hours they may need to use prior to January 9th. Make a plan to schedule the time away.

Try to accommodate requests but also explain that business operations continue, and not everyone’s request may be granted. Ensure your employees know how competing requests will be handled.

Keep in mind that in order to be paid for holidays, employees must either work or be on paid leave the day before and the day after the holiday.

Other

The university encourages the exploration and use of alternative work schedules that enhance the balance of work, family, and personal responsibilities.

Alternative work schedule options include adjusted work hours, compressed workweek, telework, and less than 12-month schedules. It is the supervisor’s discretion to approve, deny, modify, or terminate an alternative work schedule. When granting an alternative work schedule, consideration should be given to relevant business needs and employee capabilities, such as:

  • Customer needs and service hours
  • Communication, staffing and security concerns
  • Employee self-motivation, productivity, performance and dependability

All alternative work schedules must conform to the overtime and record keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Alternative schedules need to be specified on the ePAR for all hire, transfer or separation transactions.

See Policy 1310: Alternative Work Schedules for additional options, considerations and information. Contact your HR Consultant if you have any questions.

Compensation Corner

Budget Implications & Long-term Impact Budget Implications: These are two of the thirteen pay factors used in making compensation-related decisions. Budget Implications consider the short and long-term financial consequences of pay decisions and how salary dollars are managed by an agency. Long-term Impact considers the strategic and financial effect of anticipated future salary costs, staffing changes, salary alignment among employees, career growth and salary reference data changes.

Supervisors are leaders. One might ask, how do you lead effectively with compassion in a way that is appropriate in the workplace? First, let’s focus on the dynamics of a great team.

Why is building a great team important?

Each member of a team is critical to the success of the entire team. Building a great team will help each member meet team/department goals. Great teams understand that when everyone reaches their goals, the entire team/department can benefit. When each member of your team is invested in helping the team succeed, the result is a more positive work environment.

Here are some ideas to help inspire you to be creative and think about how you can achieve greater team performance. After all, actions speak louder than words:

  1. Give everyone a clear role
  2. Address problems as they occur
  3. Celebrate success
  4. Be aware of team morale and apply strategies to improve where necessary
  5. Implement team-building activities
  6. Offer support and encouragement
  7. Celebrate success and achievements
  8. Remain sensitive to diverse backgrounds of team members
  9. Hold brainstorming sessions
  10. Set team goals

Compensation Corner

Current Salary: Current salary is the employee’s existing base pay rate, which is typically reported as an hourly wage or annual salary. Current salary does not include shift differentials, temporary pay, benefits, overtime, incentives, bonuses or other non-base pay compensation.

Internal Salary Alignment: Internal salary alignment is a pay factor that takes into consideration the salaries of other employees who have comparable levels of training, experience, duties and responsibilities, performance, knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Have you ever been hesitant to provide your team with feedback? Do you wish a conversation could have been avoided? Have you shunned confrontation?

Consider the benefits of establishing candid workplace relationships:

  • Providing constructive feedback can show your team how they are valued.
  • Displaying candor means to celebrate successes but also encourage after failures. Remaining transparent builds a thorough understanding of both parties.
  • Sharing and discussing opposing viewpoints promotes trust amongst colleagues, ultimately delivering high workplace contributions.

How do I implement candor?

  • Immediately establishing expectations can help avoid difficult conversations. Many focus on how they communicate and not what they communicate.
  • Do not delay feedback. Whether positive or negative, address topics early.
  • State your intentions and ensure clarity

Be mindful of…

  • Being unclear. Ambiguousness only leads to confusion.
  • Balance candor and compassion. Remember the context, timing, and extent of open communication.

Civility in the workplace is an important topic for supervisors to focus on because incivility has repercussions that can be detrimental to the organizational culture. Incivility impacts communication, trust, and productivity.

62% of USA workers mentioned that a manager has ignored acts of incivility in the workplace. *

44% of USA workers who have witnessed or experienced incivility in the workplace mention their coworkers were involved.*

How can we promote civility in our workplace?

  • Provide your employees training opportunities and resources that will help them recognize and address uncivil behavior effectively.
  • Lead by example by modeling respectful behavior.
  • Trust is built with open and respectful communication.Encourage this type of communication.
  • Respect and embrace each other’s differences.

Talent Development has a wide variety of workshops available for faculty and staff. These workshops are great tools to utilize to help promote civility in the workplace.

Workers are 3x more likely to be dissatisfied with their position if they believe their workplace is uncivil and are 2x more likely to search for a new job.*

Did you know?

The Workplace Conflict Consultation webpage, previously Mediation Services, is your destination for information to encourage open conversation and understanding between parties to include coaching, facilitated conversation, and mediation tools to create a harmonious work environment.Click the computer icon to learn more about WCC resources, information, and contact information.

*SHRM Civility Index 2024 Results

Managers who set clear expectations at the beginning of working relationships have fewer difficult conversations.

What is a candid workplace relationship?

The ability to communicate freely and professionally with your employees by setting consistently applied workplace expectations.

Why is candor important in workplace relationships?

People usually leave leaders, not jobs, so it is important to demonstrate your interest in those you lead and your desire to help them achieve success.

How to create candor in new and established work relationships?

  • Set clear job expectations - don’t assume employees know what you expect
  • Let your employees know you’ll be giving honest and consistent feedback and in turn, give your employees the permission to do the same
  • Consistently communicate with your employees and use these questions below from the book, How to Say Anything to Anyone, to help initiate conversations
  1. What are three things that will keep you with the organization?
  2. What's the one thing that will make you leave the organization?
  3. What three things do you need in a job to be satisfied?
  4. What is something you want to do that you have never had a chance to do?
  5. What skill(s) would you like to develop?
  6. How do you like to receive recognition for a job well done- publicly or privately?
  7. How will I know when you’re frustrated and need support?
  8. What would you like me to start, stop and continue doing?
  9. What is most important for me to know?

“If an employee quits and their manager is surprised, the manager doesn’t know the employee as well as they think they did. When employees are candid, they give you the chance to retain them.” - Shari Harley

If you ask questions consistently, you’ll never again be surprised by an employee who becomes frustrated or disengaged or who resigns.” - Shari Harley

Did you know? 

If an employee is transferring to or from another Virginia State Agency, this needs to be communicated with HR and noted on the ePAR in the comments section. For termination ePARs, the action reason should be Transfer to Other State Agency (TAF). It is imperative that an employee transfers without a break in service. A break in service can cause a disruption to upcoming merit increases and benefits (i.e. retirement and/or health insurance). Contact HR Benefits for more information.

No company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it. - Jack Welch

Does your department have a mission, vision and values statement? We all know that JMU has a mission, vision and values; however, did you know that departments can also have these?

They can help create common purpose, direction and underlying values of the department. Ultimately, when there is a collective purpose, direction and values within a department, a departmental culture can be established.

Make sure your employees know and support the mission, vision and values for the department.

So, what do these statements look like?

Mission + Vision + Values = Departmental Culture

  • Mission: A mission statement communicates the organization's reason for being, and how it aims to serve its customers. In essence, it states the department's purpose.
  • Vision: A vision statement is a future-oriented declaration of the organization's purpose and aspirations. It says, "based on that purpose, this is what we want to become."
  • Values: Values are the guiding principles and traits that shape the department's decision-making and interactions with its customers and employees.

Compensation Corner

Total Compensation: Total compensation includes all forms of cash compensation pay, shift differentials, overtime, on-call pay, bonuses, and the dollar value of the benefits package. Find yours at JMU's Total Compensation Calculator.

Recognize the important contributions your retiring employees have made through their years of dedicated service by requesting emeritus status appointments on their behalf!

This status is available for both faculty and staff.

Privileges of Emeritus Status:

  • JACard
  • Access to university dining services meal plans
  • Email account
  • Bookstore discounts
  • On-campus waiver of tuition
  • Participation in appropriate university events
  • Use of recreational facilities
  • Use of the libraries
  • Eligibility for membership in a JMU Emeriti Association
  • Limited-use emeritus parking decal
  • Listing in the catalog and other appropriate publications (faculty only)

Eligibility:

Staff: Minimum 10 years full-time service at JMU, record of noteworthy contributions throughout JMU career, and retired in good standing.

Instructional faculty: Minimum 10 years full-time service on the JMU faculty; attained the academic rank of Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor; and retired in good standing.

Administrative & Professional faculty: Minimum 10 years full-time service at JMU and retired in good standing.

Procedures:

Nominations for appointments to emeritus status are made by the employee’s supervisor (for staff and A&P) or the appropriate academic unit head (for instructional faculty) and proceed through the chain of command, up to the president, for approval.

Steps:

  1. A separation ePAR must be submitted to Human Resources.
  2. Nominator contacts Human Resources to confirm employee’s eligibility.
  3. Nominator completes the Recommendation for Emeritus Status form and submits to their director/unit head (for staff) or their dean (for instructional and A&P).
  4. Approval is obtained through the president (and finalized through the Board of Visitors for instructional faculty and A&P).

Please refer to Policy 1318: Emeritus Staff and Policy 2105: Emeritus Faculty for additional information. Contact a member of the HR Consultant Team if you have questions.

Appointment of Emeritus staff status is a privilege and not a right, and it is awarded at the discretion of the university. No employee is entitled to emeritus status, and emeritus status may be removed by the university at any time for any reason.

Employee engagement is an organization's effort to develop a positive relationship between employees and the organization's mission and values. Employee engagement is the strength of the mental and emotional connection employees feel towards their work, their teams, and their organization.

Fully engaged employees are more committed and motivated; they consistently exceed expectations and strive for improvement. Engaged employees have a stronger attachment to the organization, speak more positively about their employer and their job, and are more likely to stay with their employer. Engaged employees are committed to contributing to an organization's bottom-line success.

Engagement has little to do with what an employee is paid or their job satisfaction, but with how an employee feels about their work experience.

Elements of Engaging Leaders

  • Speak truth, directly, openly and honestly
  • Show emotions
  • See the future positively
  • Invest in the workplace and its people
  • Convey appreciation
  • Achieve results through relationships
  • Insist people learn from their mistakes; avoid punishment and using fear
  • Maintain a long and consistent view of workplace culture and values
  • Communicate frequently and personally are accessible

“Perhaps the most crucial element in improving engagement is finding, training and keeping good managers.” - James K Clifton, Chairman and CEO of the Gallup Organization

Compensation Corner

Training, Certification and Licensure: This is one of the 13 pay factors used in making compensation-related decisions.

  • Training refers to a specialized course of instruction outside of recognized academic degree programs.
  • Certification refers to a specialized course of study resulting in a certificate upon successful completion.
  • License refers to a licensing credential that is required by law to practice one’s occupation.

Trainings and certifications should be relevant and essential to the job.

Supervisors play a key role in shaping the experience and success of their employees. When your staff has access to learning opportunities, mentorships, and skill‑building resources, it strengthens not only the individual but your department and the university as a whole. Creating an environment that supports ongoing development helps employees adapt to change, contribute new ideas, and approach their work with confidence. It also prepares teams to respond effectively to current needs and future challenges.

Gallup results found a strong link between professional development and higher job satisfaction.

45% of employees who participated in employer‑provided training reported being satisfied with their jobs. By comparison, only 27% of employees who did not participate in training reported the same level of satisfaction.

Similarly, 48% of employees who engaged in a mentorship program in the past year reported high job satisfaction versus 29% among those who did not participate.

How can I start investing in the growth of my employees?

Training and Development

Be sure to touch base with your employees regularly to keep a pulse on their goals, training needs, and ambitions. Encourage your employees to take part in the many wonderful learning opportunities available to them:

Mentorship

Mentorship is a mutually beneficial relationship where someone with more experience offers valuable insights to someone with less experience. Not only does mentorship increase employee satisfaction, but it can also lead to increased retention, improved employee performance, and contribute to a positive organizational culture. Looking for mentorship inspiration on how to get started? Check out this TED Talk by Kenneth Ortiz, How to be a Great Mentor.

Did you know?

Virginia’s minimum wage increased to $12.77 per hour effective January 1, 2026. The minimum wage rate is adjusted annually by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry using a formula linked to the Consumer Price Index.

ePARs

Stay proactive and informed!

Because ePARs cover a wide range of pay-related actions— hires, terminations, bonuses, classification changes, supervisor updates, and more—it's crucial to stay up to date on process changes and best practices. Attend ePAR user group meetings throughout the year to get the latest updates, and if your department needs additional support, consider requesting a meeting with Rachel Sellers, the ePAR Coordinator, for group presentations or 1:1 training sessions. Keeping your team informed helps prevent processing delays and ensures compliance with the latest policies.

Summer School Adjuncts

Did you know that summer school adjuncts are handled differently than fall and spring semester adjuncts?

  • If a summer adjunct is currently active in a job in April and is being paid from the summer school budget (100076), they should be hired using the summer school spreadsheet. The summer school spreadsheet is sent out by Academic Resources each year to the departments.
  • If a summer adjunct is NOT active in a job in April, they must be hired/re-hired using a paper PAR. The form can be found here. Ensure all proper signatures are obtained before forwarding the PAR to HR.

For a smooth hiring process, always verify the adjunct's job status in April before proceeding!

Query Requests

What is it? It is a request for data from the HRMS system and typically involves specifying parameters that define what data you want to receive.

Where is the form located? https://www.jmu.edu/humanresources/about/services.shtm

What data can you request? Departmental information to include working titles, position numbers, emails, MSC, etc.

What data can you not request? Highly confidential data including but not limited to date of birth or social security number.

Questions? Contact Amber Lam, HR Data Manager

Dear stress, let's break up!

This month’s consulting tip comes from Tara Torkelson, Work Life & Engagement Coordinator, and is devoted to helping supervisors and employees alike successfully manage the upcoming holiday season.

The approaching holiday season is a time for celebration with family and friends, but for many employees, the holiday season can be a difficult time of year. Anxiety over finances, grieving the loss of a loved one, and the sheer busyness of the holiday season can cause employees to struggle. The Employee Assistance Program offers a wide variety of free resources including a library of pre-recorded webinars and informational articles that can assist with managing the stress associated with the holiday season. The Employee Assistance Program can be accessed at www.anthemeap.com using the code “Commonwealth of Virginia” as the login.

Manage Expectations

  • Avoid comparing yourself with others
  • Understand that not everything will be perfect
  • Be realistic about your schedule

Beat the Holiday Blues

  • Acknowledge your feelings
  • Talk to a trusted friend, family member or professional
  • Plan fun activities you look forward to
  • Stick to your routine as best you can
  • Find time for yourself

Holiday Health Tips

  • Watch what you eat
  • Exercise more or at least the same amount
  • Watch alcohol consumption
  • Plan your sleep

Compensation Corner

Salary Reference Data: Salary reference data is a composite of relevant salary information (e.g. average salary range, median salary, weighted average salary, etc.) extracted from available surveys that indicate market pricing for various jobs in the Commonwealth.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” - William Arthur Ward

Expressing gratitude with your employees and colleagues leads to improved:

  • Engagement
  • Productivity
  • Happiness
  • Relationships
  • Positivity
  • Physical & mental health
  • Motivation
  • Job satisfaction
  • Workplace culture

How to build a culture of gratitude:

  • Establish personal practice of gratitude. Take time daily (or weekly) to reflect on things for which you are personally grateful
  • Practice on-the-spot gratitude; see it and say it
  • Designate time during staff meetings in which to express your gratitude for each other and to share praises
  • Send thank you notes
  • Celebrate milestones such as work anniversaries, birthdays, etc.
  • Provide treats or small tokens of appreciation
  • Create gratitude bulletin boards (physical or virtual)
  • Take an interest in how others are doing and what is going on with them, both professionally and personally
  • Utilize JMU recognition tools

To make your gratitude more impactful:

  • Connect appreciation to departmental values
  • Be genuine/authentic
  • Share details and examples instead of generalizations, such as “Thank you for all you do”

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson

Source : Rampton, John. "Why Gratitude Makes Leaders More Effective." Entrepenour.com, September 13, 2019

As a supervisor, part of your responsibility is to maintain excitement and happiness in your employee’s jobs.

Why does happiness in the workplace matter?

Because happy employees:

  • Make better work decisions due to less stress, fear and anxiety
  • Are less likely to leave the organization
  • Provide stronger customer service
  • Tend to be more creative and thoughtful
  • Spread happiness to others in the workplace
  • Have less stress which leads to higher productivity
  • Lead to happier supervisors

How does a supervisor accomplish this?

According to the US Chamber of Commerce here are some impactful, simple ways to keep employees happy:

  • Embrace and support employees having autonomy in their job
  • Discuss opportunities for growth
  • Offer flexible work options, as permissible and feasible
  • Communicate consistently and transparently with your employees
  • Encourage professional development (consider JMU Talent Development’s offerings)
  • Show appreciation for a job well done
  • Create a departmental culture of positivity and lead by example

Sign up for TD2431 Making Their Job Fun Again!

Today’s workplace is more diverse in age than ever before and leaders face the unique challenge of managing and motivating employees from multiple generations. Each generation possesses differing values, communication styles, and work preferences that make effective leadership crucial for fostering collaboration and productivity.

Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) value loyalty, hard work, and face-to-face communication. They appreciate recognition for their experience and contributions and often prefer hierarchical structures.

Generation X (born 1965-1980) value work-life balance, autonomy, and flexibility. They appreciate direct communication and opportunities for skill development.

Millennials (born 1981-1996) prioritize meaningful work, work-life balance, and technology. They thrive in collaborative environments and seek regular feedback and recognition.

Generation Z (born 1997-2012) value diversity, social responsibility, and instant communication. They seek opportunities for growth and advancement and prefer a coaching leadership style.

Strategies for Leading and Motivating Across Generations:

  • Foster Inclusivity: Recognize and celebrate the unique strengths and perspectives of each generation. Encourage collaboration and mentorship to facilitate knowledge sharing.
  • Tailor Communication: Adapt your communication style to resonate with different generations. While Baby Boomers may prefer in-person meetings, Millennials and Gen Z may prefer digital communication channels.
  • Provide Growth Opportunities: Offer professional development opportunities that cater to different learning preferences. Implement a mix of traditional training, online courses, and mentorship opportunities to appeal to diverse generational preferences.
  • Offer Flexible Work Schedules: Recognize the importance of work-life balance across all generations. Consider implementing alternative work schedule arrangements to accommodate different needs.
  • Provide Regular Feedback and Recognition: Provide continuous feedback and recognition for achievement based on individual employee preferences.
  • Lead by Example: Demonstrate respect for diverse perspectives and foster a culture of open communication and collaboration.

Check out TD2433 Sticking Points: Generational Differences that Talent Development offers if you want to learn more about this topic.

You may think communication is only about relaying information, but communication is also connecting with those you lead.

One-on-one Check-ins: Periodically carve out time for collaboration, sharing and discussions.

Celebrate the Small Wins: Organizations usually focus on the big wins and celebrate in a big way, but celebrating small wins as well can go a long way in encouraging employees and keeping spirits up.

Promoting Self-Care: Healthy eating, exercise, ample sleep and disengaging from work while away are all forms of self-care. Self-care enhances your effectiveness in leading others and is important for your own well-being.

Team Building: Even with meetings moving to online platforms, focusing on team cohesion can still be accomplished with fun questions or ice breakers to start meetings.

Show Appreciation: Make sure to say “thank you” often and acknowledge a job done well.

Healthy Boundaries: An employee’s personal life may affect their professional one and can be a source of performance issues. Consistently share performance expectations and goals. When employees know what is considered acceptable at work, they are much more likely to meet those expectations. If the boundaries around specific things are not clear, they may unintentionally continue to fall short of your expectations.

Providing effective supervision is no easy task. Thankfully there are numerous tools available to assist you:

As you prepare for the year ahead, consider implementing the following practices:

  • Schedule regular touching base meetings with your employees. Frequent and consistent meetings ensure open communication and opportunities for discussion.
  • Document noteworthy projects and performance as they occur - You’ll thank yourself when it’s time to complete performance evaluations!
  • Plan on gratitude. Express appreciation for completed projects, extraordinary effort, or hard work during a busy season. Never underestimate the power of a thank you card!

Finally, the most valuable resource available is your HR Consultant. We welcome the opportunity to partner with you to ensure the success of your employees.

What is servant leadership?

It is a "servant first" approach – you focus on the needs of others, especially team members, before considering your own. You acknowledge other people's perspectives, give them the support needed to meet their work goals, involve them in decisions where appropriate, and build a sense of community within your team.

A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.

Check out this TED Talk on leadership verses authority

How Does Servant Leadership Differ From Traditional Leadership?

“…servant leaders go further. They focus on providing their employees with development opportunities. Employees today want to feel they have a job where they can succeed. They want an opportunity to be coached and mentored by someone. And since servant leaders put people first, they get to know them on a different level. They help them to develop, they give them opportunities because they empower them versus micromanage them.”

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” Peter Drucker

Proven Outcomes of Servant Leadership

Increased employee loyalty and a beloved company culture are benefits of this style of leadership. Productivity and problem-solving are also bolstered with servant leadership.

Servant Leadership - ‘The servant leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve first.’ Robert Greenleaf

Interviews start and end most employment relationships. We ask questions during the hiring process to identify the employee best suited for the position. When someone departs the university, we ask questions about their past experiences and why they are leaving.

Are there other ways you can lead, inspire and engage your employees?

During employment, employees and supervisors discuss annual performance reviews and if necessary, have conversations about performance deficiencies. Hopefully, there are celebrations of successes along the way!

These questions are designed to start a conversation and to nurture an on-going dialogue to ensure each employee is actively involved in fulfilling activities contributing to our collective mission to be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Some examples of stay interview questions you could ask are:

  • What motivates you to perform your best?
  • How do you feel I support your career goals?
  • When do you feel the greatest fulfillment in your role at JMU?
  • Why do you choose to come to work each day?

Consider a planned and scheduled conversation (a stay interview) where you and each employee have a conversation about why the employee chooses to continue working at JMU. The stay interview further develops professional relationships and demonstrates you care about the employee and appreciate their efforts. All of which helps to build trust.

This is a video on the Supervisor Toolkit.

As departments evolve and workplace cultures adapt, the lines between casual interactions and professional boundaries can blur. Spending day in and day out with your colleagues can make it difficult to navigate when “casual” becomes a bit too casual in your working relationships. It is important to recognize that keeping a respectful rapport between supervisors and employees fosters a productive and balanced work environment.

Consider the guiding points below:

Events outside of work - Although what you do outside of your workplace is personal, it’s important to be mindful of blurring lines during after hours, non-work-related activities. Remember that what happens outside of work often finds its way back to the office.

Sharing of information - Respect those who choose not to share personal details about their lives outside of work.

Communication - The avenues of communication with your employees are endless. Ensure that your communication is concise, comprehensive, and impactful. Adopting a too laid-back approach in professional communication can place colleagues in awkward situations.

Office Gossip - The urge to express opinions on contentious topics at work can be strong. What may seem like harmless venting can quickly spiral downward. It is best to steer clear of gossip altogether.

Maintaining professional relationships in the office is essential for creating and maintaining a respectful and efficient work environment. While casual interactions can create a friendly atmosphere, professionalism ensures that boundaries are clear and roles are respected. This approach helps prevent conflicts of interest, reduces the risk of perceived favoritism, and promotes fairness in decision-making processes.

Did you know?

Degree Attainment Bonus Applications, Less Than 12-month Agreements, and Nepotism Forms are now available to fill out and send on Adobe Sign. This is where you get access. Once logged in, click “Start from library” then choose “Workflows” and select your desired form. Obtaining signatures has never been so easy!

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Human Resources
Wine-Price Building
MSC 7009
752 Ott Street
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
Email Us
540/568-6165
Fax: 540/568-7916
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