Listening Sessions on Feb. 27, Professional Development Trainings and More

Listening Sessions Set for Campus’s Compensation Strategy

UC Merced has launched an initiative to develop a compensation philosophy that will help guide development of our competitive pay strategy and support our workforce needs for the 2020 Project. 

For the initiative to be successful, it is critical that to understand the perspectives, opinions and experiences of employees.

Dennis Larsen, executive director of compensation programs and strategies at the Office of the President, will lead listening sessions for nonrepresented employees. Your thoughts, concerns and experiences will help shape the campus’s compensation philosophy and strategy. Four employee sessions will be held Feb. 27 in KL 232. The times are: 

• 11 a.m. to noon
• 12:30 - 1 p.m.
• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
• 3 - 4 p.m.

The original announcement is available online for review.

Deadline for Medical Plan Change is March 31

If you were enrolled in the wrong medical plan for 2014, you can talk to the benefits office about making a change. UC made significant changes to its medical plan offerings for 2014, and some faculty and staff members who didn’t make choices during Open Enrollment might have been defaulted to a plan they don't want. Or, maybe you learned more about one of the plans and want to change your selection.

If you've used medical services in 2014 and haven't yet requested the change, there might be an option to correct your enrollment retroactively, too. If you think you are enrolled in the wrong plan, contact Leticia Aldama before March 31. You can reach her by email or at ext. 2348. Remember: This only applies to medical plans.

Professional Development Workshops

Below are the upcoming professional development courses through March:

• Feb. 25 – Building Skills for Leadership and Empowerment
• Feb. 27 – Recruiting and Hiring
• March 11 – Ethical Leadership – Leading by the Golden Rule
• March 12 – Team Building
• March 19 – Crucial Accountability
• March 20 – Conducting Performance Appraisals
• March 25 – Supervising According to Union Contracts
• March 26 – Communication and Influence

To register:

1. Log in to the UC Learning Center using your UC Merced Net ID.
2. Search for training by name in the search bar on the left of your screen.
3. Select the course you are interested in, click “register” to see offerings, schedule and location details.
4. Check the box next to the class that fits your needs and click “submit” to register.

For more information, email hrtraining@ucmerced.edu or call ext. 8247.

New Employee Orientation, Resources

The next new employee orientation is from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 7 in KL 232. For more information, visit the new employee orientation webpage.

The first few weeks in a new job can be challenging. To ease the stress of settling in, Human Resources has compiled a list of resources to assist new employees in acclimating to the university. Whether you are new to UC Merced or in a position of supervising others, you will find value in this tool.