Supervisors are responsible for supporting, encouraging, and managing staff performance from their first day with the University. This includes creating a respectful and fair working environment, which supports the University’s vision and mission, and fosters respect and productivity. Employees have the right to work in a respectful environment and need to understand their rights to address workplace concerns.

Seminars by Employee & Labor Relations

Performance management encompasses coaching, rewards, annual performance appraisals, and corrective action.

These seminars are provided to help represented and non-represented staff and supervisors understand their rights and responsibilities under University policy and collective bargaining agreements, and to ensure difficult conversations are done compassionately, and with an eye to building and maintaining a respectful and fair workplace.

• Just Cause - Held Mar. 12   |   Presentation slides and video below.

• Does the employer have good reason for a disciplinary action?

  Just cause is the guiding principle underlying disciplinary actions at UC Davis. At its core, just cause equates to fundamental fairness. The University is required to demonstrate "just cause" to support the discipline of most career staff.
  
  This session will provide supervisors and employees with an understanding of:
       What is just cause?
       Why must the University have just cause to support discipline for most career staff?
       How does just cause support a respectful and fair workplace?
  
  Presentation Materials: PowerPoint, Survey, Recording

   

• Understanding the Disciplinary Process - Held April 16   |   Presentation slides and video below.

• Supervisors and staff need to understand their roles, responsibilities, and rights in the disciplinary process. 
  
  Supervisors should draft disciplinary letters that are clear, fair, and designed to improve employee performance. Disciplinary letters usually follow after non-disciplinary corrective action is unsuccessful in improving performance. The goals of a disciplinary letter are to make clear the seriousness of the supervisor’s concerns while setting out clear expectations for the employee to improve performance and be successful.

  Employees need to understand what to expect and their rights in the disciplinary process, including their various rights of appeal.

  This session will provide supervisors and employees with an understanding of:
       When is a disciplinary letter appropriate?
       What are an employee's rights before, during, and after receiving a disciplinary letter? 
       How does a supervisor draft an effective and appropriate disciplinary letter?
       How does issuing a disciplinary letter support a respectful and fair workplace?
  
  Presentation Materials: PowerPoint  |  Survey  |  Recording
   

• Leaves of Absence - Held May  28  |   Presentation slides and video below.

• How to support employees requiring leaves of absence while meeting operational needs.

  University employees have rights to various types of leave, and supervisors are responsible for understanding those rights and appropriately engaging with the employee about their need for leave. Sometimes, operational needs are impacted by an employee's leave of absence, placing stress on the relationship between employee and supervisor. These situations can be managed effectively by ensuring close coordination and clear communication between the employee and the supervisor.
  
  This session will provide supervisors and employees with an understanding of:
       What is the interactive process and how does the University determine reasonable accommodation?
       How does a supervisor address performance concerns with an employee needing a leave of absence or accommodation?
       How does engaging in the interactive process and providing reasonable accommodations support a respectful and fair workplace?
  
  Presentation Materials: PowerPoint  |  Survey  |  Recording (estimated availability Wednesday, June 5th)
   

• What would you like to know? 
• We want to hear from you! The Employee and Labor Relations department is committed to meeting your needs and providing helpful information.
  Please submit future Employee and Labor Relations Seminar ideas anonymously here. 
   

Presented by:

Stephen M. Green
Executive Director, Employee & Labor Relations

Steve is a 14-year University employee who’s first role in Employee and Labor Relations was as a Labor Relations Consultant, administering the collective bargaining agreements and grievance process to support an active and healthy dialogue between University supervisors, and employees and their union representatives. He has served in various capacities in ELR, including as the Employee and Labor Relations Manager for the Davis campus from 2011-2017. In his current role as the Executive Director, Steve oversees the ELR function on both the Davis campus and UC Davis Health.

Steve is also a proud alumnus of King Hall School of Law and the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. Go Aggies!