Human Resources & Payroll June 25, 2005 – June 24, 2006

Annual Report

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Index

Page Number

I. Introduction by Dr. Maurice W. Scherrens 3

II. Overview & Introduction 4

III. Classification & Compensation 6

• Reward & Recognition

IV. Training & Development 9

V. Work/Life 11

VI. Payroll 13

VII. Employment 14

VIII. Benefits 15

IX. Employee Relations 16

X. Customer Service Center 18

XI. HR/Payroll Accomplishments 19

• Mason

• HR/Payroll Staff

XII. Appendices 21

1. HR/Payroll Organization Chart 2. COLA Brochure 3. Background Check Departments 4. Background Check Statistics 5. Exit Interview Data 6. Employee Relations Events 7. Customer Service Center Call Volume 8. Customer Service Center Statistics 9. Lunch & Learn Session Data 10. New Rewards & Recognition Tools

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Message From the Senior Vice President

I am pleased to introduce this first annual report of the Human Resources and Payroll Department. Much change and many new initiatives have come from HR/Payroll this past year. As you peruse the report, I hope you will see the many benefits, services, and opportunities that Mason faculty and staff have here at the university. HR/Payroll plays an integral role in the career cycle of everyone at Mason. Our objective is simple – this is your family, and we are committed to doing everything possible to make you proud to be a member of the Mason family. We are dedicated to becoming the employer of choice in the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area. We have a dedicated staff of HR professionals with not only a sensitivity to the diverse needs of our faculty, staff and student employees, but an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement. Our journey to institutional excellence will only succeed if we collectively dedicate our efforts to our shared institutional vision. Our HR/Payroll office is here to serve you. I hope you enjoy this more in­depth look at our department.

Dr. Maurice W. Scherrens October 2006

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Overview

This past fiscal year was a changing and rapidly growing one for George Mason University and its Human Resources & Payroll Department. HR/Payroll experienced a re­organization, recalibrating our team to enhance customer service and data integrity as well as providing more career development and retention opportunities for our HR/Payroll staff. Our team grew this year and we experienced both turnover and new hiring. Our metrics reflect our state of flux as we continue to hone not only what we do but how we measure what we do. As this is our first annual report, it is our launching place so to speak. The data contained in the report generally reflect the period June 25, 2005 through June 24, 2006 unless otherwise specified. Appendices at the end of the report will highlight additional data for those who may be interested.

HR/Payroll reflects not only the university it serves but the wider world of work as well. The accomplishments that will be reflected throughout the report reflect a number of trends within the university community as well as economic, cultural, and technological trends that impact our university community as well as the world in which we live.

Locally we enjoy:

• A workforce which is rapidly growing in numbers and complexity,

• Partnerships with our Mason colleagues for enhanced flexible strategies in eWork,

Employee Relations, Compensation, Telework, and Eldercare,

• An energetic and professional staff who embrace change and customer service,

• A collaborative and supportive team of HR Liaisons throughout the university,

• A University administration who value and support the faculty and staff who make

up the Mason community and value creativity in HR/Payroll management. We

appreciate that support!

More broadly, the past fiscal year and HR/Payroll’s strategic direction have been impacted by new American workplace issues highlighted most effectively in The New American Workplace (James O’Toole and Edward E. Lawler, III). Some of the effects described are:

1. Technological change and increased use of IT,

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2. Increased risks in job security and workers’ need to manage their own careers causing

today’s workers to experience greater risk, stress, and uncertainty.

3. More knowledge intensive and service oriented work.

4. The rise of pay for skills and performance and the impact of benefits which are critical to

recognition and retention.

5. More employee input and less supervisory control in workplaces.

The university’s entrepreneurial focus encourages the knowledge and customer­based workplace highlighted by O’Toole and Lawler. Our focus on telework relates to the lowering of supervisory control. Faculty and staff governance bodies, university surveys (UPIC, Quality of Work/Life, Eldercare, etc.), University Benefits Committee, and the HR Liaison Advisory Committee help the university gather more employee input. HR/Payroll’s strategic focus on helping employees balance work and life issues, integrating faculty and staff into our training and learning environment and communicating with them via paperless communication all relate to both Mason’s growth as an institution and to the transformation of work in general.

As you review the annual report, we hope to engage you in the depth and breadth of the issues addressed within Human Resources & Payroll. As always, we welcome input and suggestions on how we can best be of service to our colleagues and fulfill our mission to be proactive, responsive, creative, and compassionate in maintaining “a fair, equitable and quality working and learning environment for all employees….”.

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Classification & Compensation

Class & Comp is a primary strategic area for both Mason and HR/Payroll. Class & Comp was at the forefront of many initiatives this past year and looks forward to FY07 as planned staffing growth and expanded electronic job descriptions are on the horizon. Emphasis on compensation is important to Mason in its high cost of living area. We participate in many regional and national salary surveys and expect to have more comparisons available for management in the future. A look back at this past fiscal year includes the following Class & Comp initiatives:

A. COLA Initiative: In response to a request from the administration and to address the unique financial challenges of living in the Northern Virginia area, we worked tirelessly to analyze the area's employment market and the salary structure at Mason. Working with a team of outside consultants, we created supporting data to prepare a request for an area salary differential. Mason's working group on compensation (of which HR/Payroll was a part) prepared a compelling narrative to accompany the data. The project resulted in a request for $8 million each year over three years. This amount would bring Mason’s average salaries to the Washington DC metro market average. While the state has not yet committed to the increase, it remains a high priority for the university administration and will continue to be pursued in 2007.

B. Law Enforcement Compensation Restructure: Effective December 2005, in partnership with the University Police, we enacted a new compensation plan for law enforcement employees. The plan was designed to provide promotion potential and salary increases that are similar to other local police department plans at a cost to the university of $60,000 per year (not including 30­40% fringe costs). The goal was to be both more competitive and to reduce turnover. In addition, the University Police department is now being paid on a bi­weekly basis so that overtime pay is paid more rapidly. This bi­weekly process move was so enthusiastically received that Facilities Management will be next to convert.

C. Pay Bands 1, 2 & 3 Salary Structure: Washington’s high cost of living is particularly difficult for employees earning less than $30,000. Each year since 2002, the minimum starting salaries of the classified pay bands 1, 2 and 3 have been increased at a cost to the university of $120,000 per year (not including 30­40% fringe costs). The result has been an overall increase in base salary of at least 30%, to as much as 47%. For example, in Fiscal Year 2003, the minimum starting salary for pay band 2 was $17,116. As of July 10, 2006, the new minimum is $25,200, a 47% increase in three years. With increases in the pay structure, most staff in these pay bands have also received salary increases to maintain internal alignment.

Payband 1, 2, 3 History Chart

History Effective Date Pay Band 1 Minimum

Pay Band 2 Minimum

Pay Band 3 Minimum

FY03 6/10/2002 $13,101 $17,116 $20,455 FY04 11/25/2003 $19,000 $20,915 $22,864 FY05 10/25/2004 $21,000 $23,000 $25,000 FY06 11/25/2005 $21,630 $23,690 $25,750 FY07 07/10/2006 $23,000 $25,200 $27,500

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D. Central Funds Compensation: Mason has included funds in the budget each year to be distributed to each Executive Council member and may be used to increase salaries based on the needs of the unit. Some units have used the funds to increase salaries of all employees; others have given increases based on exceptional performance, retention, or internal alignment. These increases have been given since 2003. One million dollars (not including 30­40% fringe costs) will be available university­wide for administrative/professional faculty and classified increases effective October 25, 2006. The Compensation staff will help departments in their utilization of these increases.

E. Student and Non­Student Wage: During this past fiscal year, the transition to separate student and non­student wage employees was planned and completed. This process was necessary to benchmark other institutions and properly adhere to federal and state regulations. Revised salary structures for both groups are on the drawing board for fiscal year 2007­08.

F. Reward & Recognition Program: An important part of Classification & Compensation is our award­winning Reward & Recognition Program. Mason embraces recognition. And the importance of it is best exemplified by Dr. Merten who takes a personal interest in reward & recognition by presiding over our Employee of the Month ceremonies since July of 1996 – 123 ceremonies and still going strong! Dr. Merten’s enthusiasm has spread throughout the university. The numbers below tell a warm and wonderful story about the kind of people with whom we are fortunate to work.

1. A total of 249 Individual Impact Awards were awarded in the 2006 Fiscal Year

• The total dollar amount in Individual Impact Awards was $53,350.00

• 12 wage, 211 Classified and 26 Admin Faculty received Impact Awards

• Impact Award totals by Executive Council Members were:

Provost $10,100.00 Finance & Administration $10,250.00 Information Technology Unit $28,650.00 Development $2,250.00 University Life $1,100.00 University Relations $1,000.00

2. Other Awards

• 16 Outstanding Achievement Awards $8,000.00

• 12 Exceptional Support Awards $3,000.00

• 2 Martha J. Reiner Awards $1,000.00

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• 1 Margaret C. Howell Award $500.00

• 1 Team Excellence Award $500.00

• 1 Mason Quill Award $500.00

• 2 Outstanding Supervisor Awards No Monetary Value

3. “New” Rewards and Recognition

The Rewards and Recognition program developed many new ways to thank employees for their efforts. Everything from a “Connect the Dots” Award – a box of Dots candy ­­ which recognizes employees who take that extra step to ensure that a project, meeting, or communication is completely understood by all participants to “You’re a Reel Mason Star” – two movie tickets and a $10 coupon for the concession stand – to recognize someone who has made an extra effort in the course of their job. A complete list of new recognition tools can be found in the appendix. Each one represents a way to say thank you for a job well done, thank you for your customer service, your persistence, creativity, or ingenuity; in short, thank you for making a difference at Mason!

4. Ongoing Awards

• $20.00 Gas Cards (400 awarded)

• Mason Umbrellas

• Thank You Cards

• Recognition Leave (200 days awarded)

• Employee of the Month Program started in 1991. We have had 187 recipients since the start of the program.

• The University Service Award recognizes employees who have served George Mason University and/or the Commonwealth of Virginia for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 or more years of service. These awards are presented in April during the annual University Day breakfast. Recipients receive a pin and certificate through twenty years of service. Employees with twenty­five years of service or more also receive a gift. Classified employees, administrative/professional faculty and instructional/research faculty are recognized. We had a total of 362 employees receive Service Awards this year.

We hope to continue to expand this diverse program and improve the taxability of the semi­annual awards so that employees receive the full benefit of their awards.

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Training & Development

HR/Payroll experienced an exciting year in its Training & Development area. Since hiring a new Training Director in December of 2005, there has been much activity in the training area. From our Orientation/Welcome to Mason experience to enhanced wellness initiatives, significant training efforts are underway. Our FY07 agenda is exciting and includes our Faculty/Staff Enrichment Day – fully funded by Mason’s administration – and our new and improved Supervisor Series.

A. Orientation: Classified Orientation has been updated to include new policies (such as Telework & Flextime and Criminal Background checks) and employee extras. Held in space donated by the Mason Enterprise Center, the session is more interactive, with participants suggesting topics of interest and contributing to the discussions. The group is encouraged to meet afterwards and use each other as resources. Each participant receives a

welcome card from HR/Payroll as well as a picture of their orientation class. A total of 164 new employees have attended classified orientation during the period January 10 – July 11, 2006 with an average class size of 12 participants.

B. Telework: Processes and procedures of how to telework were created and the information was added to the HR/Payroll and ITU websites. A new website devoted to telework will be up and running soon. Telework training has been highlighted at Do­IT dialogues, Orientation, Lunch & Learn programs, and with our HR Liaisons. HR training partnered with ITU, Telecom and Video services to create a Telework Campaign similar to the e­ mail security campaign. The topic was presented at the Departmental Technical coordinators meeting and our telework committee looks forward to further promoting the “Telework Advertising Campaign.”

C. Lunch and Learns: Lunch and Learns are one hour training sessions to which participants are welcome to bring their lunch to discuss a wide range of non­work related topics. Everything from home buyer tips to how to use a fire extinguisher are covered in these lively and engaging sessions. From February through July of this year, a total of 130 employees have attended the Lunch & Learn sessions with an average class size of 12 participants.

D. Health & Wellness Certificate Program: The Health & Wellness Certificate Program is a new initiative brought to us by Virginia CommonHealth. This program is taught by Marsha Abeson of the CommonHealth program. If an employee participates in 3 workshops by October 27 th , 2006, their name will be entered into a drawing. The winner

will receive a free fitness pass for 1 year. 2 nd prize is 3 free trainer sessions.

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E. eWork Working Group: In a partnership among HR/Payroll, Equity, and the Provost Offices, this committee met all year to develop agreed upon processes and procedures for hiring classified, Admin and Instructional Faculty at Mason. A manual is in the development process and training has begun. Already developed: Search Committee Training (HR and Equity).

F. HR Training: HR 101 and Coffee Talk training sessions are ongoing for HR/PR Staff and Liaisons. Some examples of in­service HR/Payroll training include security issues, customer service, and background checks.

G. Distributed Campuses: HR/Payroll is dedicated to providing excellent customer service to the Arlington and Prince William Campuses. To increase our physical presence in each location, an HR/Payroll staff person regularly works on each campus ­­ Thursdays in Arlington, Wednesdays at Prince William. And, every other Friday, someone from the Training area visits Prince William. Going forward, we hope to increase our presence on all campuses.

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Work/Life

As we wrote in our 2010 plan, “HR recognizes that a positive, employee­friendly environment improves employee retention and productivity.” Part of a positive environment includes regular communication, a responsive HR/Payroll team, and opportunities for faculty and staff to grow in their careers and manage the balance between work life and home life. To that end, we have been striving to provide timely and relevant information on a variety of topics, respond to our customers’ needs and suggestions, and provide opportunities for growth and development. Some of our efforts include:

A. Benefits Communication • Enhanced faculty and staff communication via e­files, e­mails, website and Staff Senate

gazette

• Benefits Road Show – Presentations on the wide ranging benefits offered to faculty and staff at Mason were made to a number of groups & departments including the President’s Council, Vice President’s Staff Meeting, University Life, Staff Senate, Facilities, the ITU, Library, English Language Institute (ELI), and the Prince William and Arlington campuses.

• Pre­ Retirement Seminar – Virginia Retirement System (VRS) pre­retirement seminar with emphasis on life after

retirement – 85 attendees in 2005 which was a 102% increase from 2004 Our first Optional Retirement Program (ORP) pre­retirement seminar was held with an

emphasis on life after retirement – with 63 participants

• Benefits Committee – HR/Payroll created a university benefits committee with representatives from a number of Mason departments and campuses. The committee reviews and discusses benefits proposals. This year, it has approved several incentive programs for Mason employees and the community. For example, Mason now has discounts on a Panasonic on­line shopping site, a floral website called Flowerpetal.com, and at the Sport and Health Fitness Center and Curves. Additionally, Fairfax County Federal Credit Union is now available to the Mason community.

B. Paperless Communications • Year­end newsletter – The first annual year end newsletter was electronically

communicated to all staff and faculty in December 2005.

• Targeted e­mails – All benefits open enrollment communication was distributed to employees online.

• HR Liaisons – HR Liaisons play an important role in the delivery of HR/Payroll information and services. We communicate with our liaisons regularly through a listserv and conduct training sessions on a regular basis to keep everyone current on what’s going on in the field. In addition, an HR Liaison Advisory Committee was formed in March 2005 and met three times between June 2005 and June 2006. The Advisory Committee, comprised of a

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small group of HR liaisons, provide important feedback on how we’re doing, offering suggestions on enhancing the team work between the department and all of the liaisons.

C. Work/Life Effectiveness Program: • Commuter Choice – During the period from January through June 2006, on average, 68

faculty and staff received $86/month through the commuter choice program which offers a tax free benefit of up to $105/month for faculty and staff who utilize public transportation.

• Work/Life Brochure – A work/life brochure is being finalized which contains all of Mason’s work/life initiatives, encouraging work/life balance.

• Retirement Connection – All Mason retirees receive two tickets to the Center for the Arts, complimentary passes to the Aquatic and Fitness Center (10 free) or the Freedom Center (one month free) depending on where they are retiring from, four tickets to a men's or woman's basketball game, an annual parking decal, plus a special retiree ID that provides them with the same privileges they had as employees. Retirees with 30 years or more Mason Service Years also receive a lifetime pass to the Aquatic and Fitness Center.

• Health & Fitness Center discounts – In an effort to better serve our employees who do not have access to an on­campus fitness center as well as to build relationships with outside vendors, HR contacted area fitness centers for special group rates. As a result, discount memberships are available at Sport and Health Arlington, Curves, Gold’s Gym, and Lifetime Fitness.

D. Coming Soon: • Elder Care – In collaboration with the College of Health and Human Services, we are

rolling out an eldercare service in Fall 2006 to offer employees eldercare resources, caregiver support information, and resources on elder issues.

• Concierge Service – We are researching concierge services for employees. Areas of concentration may include dry clean services, auto detailing etc.

• Backup Childcare – We are looking to build a partnership with Bright Horizons for back up childcare mainly in the area of sick childcare.

• Child Care Center Arlington Campus – We hope to partner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to have a daycare center available for employees at the Arlington Campus.

• Retention Work Group – This pilot group includes HR & Payroll staff who are brainstorming ideas on how to retain employees

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Payroll

Paying people on time and correctly is one of the cornerstone services of HR/Payroll. Our Payroll team has been working hard to hone processes and provide timely, responsive customer service.

A. Over the course of the last fiscal year, July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006, Payroll:

• Issued 10,736 W­2 forms

• Issued 262 1042­S statements

• Issued over 200,000 payments

• Paid over $66 million dollars in federal and state taxes with accompanying returns and statements

• Established a W­2 hotline assisting 750 employees with W­2 questions during the period mid­January through the end of April.

• Partnered with Parking to put forth an ongoing real­time, on­line, pre­tax pay as you go parking permit system and deduction program

• Partnered with the Foundation on taxation issues for faculty and staff

• Continued to work with other departments to provide them with automated deduction information (childcare center, Freedom center, etc) via the web to ease the information flow and fund movement

• Continued to serve as a resource for other institutions converting to Banner. Hosted Towson University for a Banner information day as well as served as an extensive resource for both Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and the College of William and Mary.

• Encouraged and supported Payroll staff development

• Fun Payroll fact: Since January 1, 2003, we have processed over 172,000 Electronic Approvals (EAs), averaging about 50,000 per year.

B. Coming Soon:

• Launching the paperless W­2 initiative for Mason as well as laying the groundwork for employees to receive their 2006 W­2 (with the exception of terminated wage employees) totally from PatriotWeb in January 2007.

• Utilizing the services of the vendor QAS, Payroll will be working to clean up the address data in Banner thereby ensuring a more accurate database from which to work.

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Employment

Recruiting and hiring employees is another of HR/Payroll’s core missions. Because of it’s proximity to the nation’s capitol, Mason has access to a dynamic, well educated and technologically experienced work force. The low unemployment rate (2%) and the high cost of living in the local area provide special challenges to all hiring.

The numbers tell an interesting story about both Mason and the nature of the work force in Northern Virginia:

• 721 positions were posted (classified and faculty)

• 608 positions were filled

• A total of 28,403 job applications were received in the following categories:

o 15,905 applicants (classified)

o 7808 applicants (faculty)

o 326 applicants (adjunct)

o 212 applicants (wage)

o 4152 applicants (graduate assistant)

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Benefits

From orientation to retirement counseling, our benefits team sees faculty and staff throughout their Mason life cycle advising them on a range of important issues. Our Benefits area has been under construction this past year. We are adding positions to this important function including an Assistant Director of Benefits and Absence Management. Plans for the coming year include more coordinated assistance for leaves of absence and increased communication on financial and retirement planning. This past year found the benefits team involved in:

A. Benefits Counseling – Provided in both classified and faculty orientation and includes a range of topics such as tax shelters, purchase or prior service, life insurance, health insurance and COBRA issues.

B. Open Enrollment – Assisted in conducting open enrollment to provide the opportunity for employees to make changes in a number of plans including UNUM (long­term disability), health insurance, Optional Retirement Program (ORP for faculty) and flexible spending accounts for medical services or dependent care.

C. Retirement – Provided pre­retirement counseling within the employee’s last five years prior to retirement. Retirement counseling (provided four to five months before actual retirement) includes helping with paperwork, retirement options, retiree health care, Medicare, as well as answering the prospective retirees’ and spouses’ questions. More programming for pre­retirement is on the horizon in partnership with our Training Department.

D. Investment Policy Committee – Human Resources manages this committee and significant changes have occurred this year with the TIAA­CREF change of administrative systems.

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Employee Relations

Among the key ingredients in a positive work environment are communication, trust, ethical behavior, fairness, acceptance, and appropriate conflict management. The Employee Relations staff supports all members of the university community in promoting this standard.

A. Criminal Background Checks

One of our most popular and expanding areas, Employee Relations, has had a very busy year. The newly approved Criminal Background Investigation Policy (Policy #2221) provides pre­ employment criminal checks (including the sexual offender registry and a credit check for certain identified positions) for top candidates in faculty and staff positions in selected areas (please see appendix for impacted departments). This policy was in the development phase for 1½ years and includes an on­line criminal check process with a national vendor. Some departments (Freedom Center and Hemlock for example) have contracts for checking their wage hires as well. Of 198 applicants who underwent a background check between March 30, 2006 and June 24, 2006, none had felony records. However, 12 had a misdemeanor record. If we remove Hemlock and the Freedom Center from the analysis, 7 applicants had misdemeanor records for such things as traffic infractions, DUI, and one fake ID. One applicant was not hired as a result of a background check during this period. Further data can be found in the appendix.

B. Exit Interviews Exit interview forms are available on­line and are also sent to all separating faculty and staff by the HR Assistants. Ninety­one faculty and staff returned exit interviews. Women were more likely to respond than men (57% to 38%) and classified staff made up a significant portion of respondents (64%). On a percentage basis, the top reason shared by respondents for leaving Mason (respondents may select multiple reasons) was a lack of opportunity for advancement (29%). While at Mason, respondents felt that their supervision and benefits were very good (on a scale of 1 to 5, benefits averaged 4.07 and supervision averaged 3.82). Respondents were least satisfied with compensation (2.99 on the 5 point scale). All that said, over 85% of respondents would recommend employment at Mason to someone else. Complete data on exit interviews can be found in the appendix.

C. Employee Relations Events Over 300 employee relations events occurred during FY06. These events include individual and group coaching and counseling, joint problem solving sessions, and diverse dispute resolution processes including informal meetings, mediations, and facilitated discussions. In addition, the Employee Relations staff ensures the fair and equitable treatment of employees by coordinating the application of the guidelines set forth in the state Standards of Conduct for classified staff and other handbooks such as the Administrative/Professional Faculty Handbook. Included in this category of employee relations events are more formal actions such as counseling memorandums, Group I, II, and III Written Notices, and grievances. Summary data for the fiscal year can be found in the appendix.

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D. Other Employee Relations Initiatives Other Employee Relations initiatives include partnering with the Police, Counseling Center, and University Life on a workplace violence committee. This group set protocol for assessing and handling violence concerns within the university community.

As a reflection of our efforts to partner with other offices on campus, Human Resources meets regularly with University Counsel’s Office, the Office of Equity and Diversity Services, and the Provost’s Office to ensure that lines of communication are open and all opinions are considered on faculty employee relations issues.

Employee Relations staff also work closely with the Occupational Health Officer and the ADA Coordinator to ensure the timely and appropriate resolution of workplace issues with a health­ related component.

E. Resources The Employee Relations office has a number of resources available to employees in addition to those listed above. Brochures are available on topics such as recognizing drug and alcohol abuse, stress management, dealing with change, and effective conflict resolution tips. Other resources include contact information for grief counseling, Employee Assistance Programs, hospices, credit unions, and crisis lines. The Employee Relations staff members also work in conjunction with the HR Training Department to present workshops on stress management, handling difficult conversations, building effective working relationships, and best practices in discipline and discharge.

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Customer Service Center

During FY06, the HR/Payroll Customer Service Center was formalized and has grown into an essential service provider to faculty, staff and the public. From October of 2005 through June 2006, daily average call volume to the Customer Service Center has ranged from a low of 33 daily calls on average in November to a high of 90 daily calls in January. Caller issues cover the full spectrum of HR and Payroll topics with payroll, benefits, and eWork questions topping the list. The Customer Service Center fields questions for walk­in customers as well as via email. Monthly email volume has been running between a low of 167 emails in June to a high of nearly 500 in January. Our Customer Service Specialists are well versed in a wide array of issues and have rapidly become the backbone of our daily operations. Additional data on the Customer Service Center can be found in the appendix.

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Accomplishments

A. Mason

Mason was recognized by several award programs over the past year:

• Honorable mention, 2005 Best Places to Work category,Washingtonian magazine

• Best Workplaces for Commuters Award, Greater Washington Region’s Best Workplaces for Commuters Coalition

• Quality in Human Resource Practice Award, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (Southern Region)

• Recognized by Northern Virginia Family Services as an employer that provides its workers with family­friendly benefits packages and helps employees maintain a balance between work and family life

• One of the 72 best college or university workplaces for commuters (for Mason’s support of commuter programs and telework policies),U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation.

• Human Resources Association of the National Capital Area (HRA­NCA – SHRM DC Chapter) recognized Mason as a Work/Life Effective Employer.

• Mason is featured in Fortune Magazine’s work/life effectiveness employer annual article in September 2006.

B. HR/Payroll Staff:

• Linda Harber received the College & University Professional Association for Human Resources’ (CUPA­HR) Distinguished Service Award at its national convention in Orlando last fall.

• Linda Harber and Pat Donini presented at the College and University Professional Association for Human Resource’s annual conference in October 20005 in Orlando, FL. Their topic was “The Quest for R­E­S­P­E­C­T.”

• Pat Donini served on the Governor’s Inter­Agency Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Advisory Council.

• Cheryl Sims was awarded two citations of merit for outstanding service to the American Payroll Association (APA). Cheryl also received certification as a Payroll Professional (CPP) in the fall of 2005 with the highest score for the Washington Metropolitan Chapter recorded on the exam.

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• Cheryl spoke at FOCUS on payroll related issues for the state university system

• Lori Ann Roth achieved Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) certification and was asked to work on the CPLP testing committee.

• Shira Goodfellow and Ilse Riddick have recertified as a Professionals in Human Resources (PHR) with the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

• Rizna Ahmed received an Outstanding Achievement Award in March of 2006 for her work in the area of communications and work/life.

• Merin Mani completed her Master’s degree in Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management at Mason’s School of Public Policy.

• Michelle Lim graduated with a Masters of Arts in Human Resource Management from Marymount University.

• Dan Taggart serves as a pro bono mediator in the Fairfax County General District Court.

• Susan Kehoe­Laptew and Janet Walker serve on the Staff Senate.

• All Payroll staff have completed one or more parts of the Mason sponsored Payroll Professional Learnings Series (PPLS) with everyone having enrolled or completed the advanced module.

• HR/Payroll staff engage in continual learning through workshops, webinars, and membership in professional organizations such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA­HR), the American Payroll Association (APA), the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), HR Summit, etc.

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Appendices

1. HR/Payroll Organization Chart

2. COLA Brochure

3. Background Check Departments

4. Background Check Statistics

5. Exit Interview Data

6. Employee Relations Events

7. Customer Service Call Volume

8. Customer Service Center Statistics

9. Lunch & Learn Sessions

10. New Rewards & Recognition tools

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Human Resources & Payroll Organization Chart (Appendix1)

Work/Life & Communications Coord.

(vacant)

Leave Coordinator Boo Dutta

University President Alan G. Merten

Senior Vice President Maurice W. Scherrens

Assoc. Vice President Chief Human Resource Officer

FA534 Linda Harber

Office Manager Janet Walker

Administrative Coordinator

Raquel Winston

Employee Relations and Deputy Director

FA071 Pat Donini

Assistant Director Benefits/Absence Rizna Ahmed

Training and Development Director

FA696 Lori Ann Roth

Payroll & HRIS Director FA365

Cheryl Sims Assistant Director Class & Comp Ilse Riddick

Employee Relations Specialist

Dan Taggart

Customer Service Supervisor Meena Rajan

Trainer 01594

Karen Mooney

Training Assistant Robyn Madar

Compensation Analysts (2)

Melissa Clokey Elena DeLiso

Reward & Recognition Coordinator

Lucy Cummings

Employment Manager vacant

Employment Coordinator (including eWork) Betty Beatson

Payroll Supervisor

Mira Halilovic

HRIS Applications Manager

Laurie Jones

HR Consultants Jennifer Irvin Ian Reynolds

HR Faculty Liaison Michelle Lim

HR Assistants Ray Carey,

Maurisha Macklin, Kathleen Biddick

Benefits Assistant

Bobbie McConnell

Elder Care Services Nancy Falk

Data Integrity Specialists Hollis McDonald

Sue Meade

Data Integrity Supervisor

Norm Howard

Benefits Accountant Susan Kehoe­Laptew

Payroll Accounting Supervisor

Abdul Conteh

HR Assistants (Cust. Serv. Specialists)

Lisa Rhein Haliya Roberts

Benefits Administrators Veronique Klimonda Nati Sullivan, (vacant)

Occupational Health Officer

Marianne Anderson

Webmaster John Creuziger

HRIS Manager Shira Goodfellow

Senior Payroll Specialist Merin Mani

Human Resources & Payroll November 2006

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COLA Brochure (Appendix 2) On the web at: http://www.gmu.edu/mlfacstaff/CompAdjust.pdf

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Background Check Departments (Appendix 3) C Cr ri im mi in na al l B Ba ac ck kg gr ro ou un nd d I In nv ve es st ti ig ga at ti io on ns s ­ ­ C Co ov ve er re ed d D De ep pa ar rt tm me en nt ts s ( (7 7/ /1 19 9/ /0 06 6) )

P Pr re es si id de en nt t Equity and Diversity Services

P Pr ro ov vo os st t Admissions Center for Biodefense Psychological Clinic (Psych. Dept.)

College of Health & Human Services Financial Aid Research Administration

Office of Sponsored Programs Registrar Lab Safety

School of Law – Critical Infrastructure Protection Program

School of Computational Sciences – Laboratory for Computational Fluid Dynamics, Blast Center Program School of Information Technology and Engineering – Center for Secure Information Systems

Student Academic Affairs and Advising Unit Business Officers

S Se en ni io or r V Vi ic ce e P Pr re es si id de en nt t All employees University Police (already doing) Day Care Center (already doing) Outsourced Services Dining Services, Housekeeping (Mail Services, Bookstore, Housing, Parking, United Bank, Apple Federal Credit Union already doing)

V Vi ic ce e P Pr re es si id de en nt t, , C Ch hi ie ef f I In nf fo or rm ma at ti io on n O Of ff fi ic ce er r ( (I IT TU U & & L Li ib br ra ar ry y) ) All employees

V Vi ic ce e P Pr re es si id de en nt t, , U Un ni iv ve er rs si it ty y D De ev ve el lo op pm me en nt t a an nd d A Al lu um mn ni i A Af ff fa ai ir rs s All employees

V Vi ic ce e P Pr re es si id de en nt t, , U Un ni iv ve er rs si it ty y L Li if fe e Counseling Center International Programs

and Services Sexual Assault Services Early Identification

Program Student Health Substance Abuse Program

and Services Unit Business Officers

V Vi ic ce e P Pr re es si id de en nt t, , U Un ni iv ve er rs si it ty y R Re el la at ti io on ns s Office of Communications Community Relations

Web Communications Creative Services

U Un ni iv ve er rs si it ty y C Ca am mp pu us s A Ad dm mi in ni is st tr ra at ti io on n Arlington (including Unit Business Officers) Prince William (including Unit Business Officers)

25

Background Check Statistics (Appendix 4)

From 3/30/06 to 6/24/06

Combined Accounts: GMU1, Hemlock, and Freedom Center Summary for the date range:

Total Applicants 198 Total Felony Records 0 Applicants with a Felony Record 0 Total Misdemeanor Records 16 Applicants with a Misdemeanor Record 12

Statistics for the date range: Percentage of Applicants with a Felony Record 0.00% Average Records Per Applicant with at least 1 Felony 0 Percentage of Applicants with a Misdemeanor Record 8.08% Average Records Per Applicant with at least 1 Misdemeanor 1.33

GMU1 Account Alone (Without Hemlock or Freedom Center) Total Number of Checks Run: 71

65 Standard 6 Financial

Total Number of Traffic Hits: 3

Total Number of Misdemeanor Hits: 7 4 Traffic related 3 1 each for DUI, fake ID, traffic related but listed

as “dismissed”

Total Number of Felony Hits: 0

Number of Applications Changed: 2 1 added detail to existing offense listed 1 added traffic violation

Total Applicants Not Hired: 1 result of misleading disclosure

Average Time for Applicant to Complete: 1.36 Days Average Time for HireRight to Complete: 2.18 Days

26

Exit Interview Statistics (Appendix 5)

Total Number of Interviews Received 91

By Gender Number Percent

Men 35 38.46% Women 52 57.14% No Response 4 4.40% TOTAL 91 100.00%

By Race Number Percent

African American

11 12.09%

Asian 9 9.89% Hispanic 5 5.49% Native

American 0 0.00%

White 61 67.03% Other 1 1.10%

No Response 4 4.40% TOTAL 91 100.00%

By Employee Type

Number Percent

Admin Faculty 19 20.88% Instructional Faculty

5 5.49%

Research Faculty

1 1.10%

Classified 58 63.74% Wage 5 5.49%

No Response 3 3.30% TOTAL 91 100.00%

Reason for Leaving (may select more than one)

Number Percent

Accepted Position in Private Sector or University

17 18.68%

Accepted Position in Public Sector or University

21 23.08%

Anticipated Non­ Reappointment/ Tenure Denial

0 0.00%

Change in Direction of Career 9 9.89%

Compensation 19 20.88%

Contract Expired/ Tenure Denied

0 0.00%

Cost of Living 6 6.59%

Family Responsibilities 11 12.09%

Lack of Opportunity for Advancement

26 28.57%

Other 21 23.08%

Relocation of Spouse/ Partner 10 10.99%

Retirement 1 1.10%

Returned to School 10 10.99%

Temporary Appointment Ended 2 2.20%

Working Conditions 12 13.19%

TOTAL 165

Reasons per respondent = 1.81

27

Ratings ­ Scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest)

1. Supervision Number Total Percent

Outstanding 38 190 41.76% Very Good 21 84 23.08% Average 11 33 12.09% Fair 8 16 8.79% Poor 9 9 9.89% No Response 4 ­­ 4.40%

TOTAL 91 332 Avg: 3.82

2. Compensation Number Total Percent

Outstanding 14 70 15.38% Very Good 17 68 18.68% Average 24 72 26.37% Fair 18 36 19.78% Poor 14 14 15.38% No Response 4 ­­ 4.40%

TOTAL 91 260 Avg: 2.99

3. Benefits Number Total Percent

Outstanding 32 160 35.16% Very Good 38 152 41.76% Average 10 30 10.99% Fair 2 4 2.20% Poor 4 4 4.40% No Response 5 ­­ 5.49%

TOTAL 91 350 Avg: 4.07

4. Working Conditions/Space Number Total Percent

Outstanding 21 105 23.08% Very Good 31 124 34.07% Average 17 51 18.68% Fair 14 28 15.38% Poor 5 5 5.49% No Response 3 ­­ 3.30%

TOTAL 91 313 Avg: 3.56

5. Training Opportunities Number Total Percent

Outstanding 22 110 24.18% Very Good 32 128 35.16% Average 20 60 21.98% Fair 6 12 6.59% Poor 7 7 7.69% No Response 4 ­­ 4.40%

TOTAL 91 317 Avg: 3.56

6. Overall Satisfaction Number Total Percent

Outstanding 27 135 29.67% Very Good 29 116 31.87% Average 17 51 18.68% Fair 10 20 10.99% Poor 4 4 4.40% No Response 4 ­­ 4.40%

TOTAL 91 326 Avg: 3.75

Experienced Discrimination? Number Percent

Yes 10 10.99% No 81 89.01%

TOTAL 91 100.00%

Recommend work at GMU?

Number Percent

Yes 78 85.71%

No 13 14.29%

TOTAL 91 100.00%

29

Employee Relations Events (Appendix 6) From 6/25/05 to 6/24/06

By conservative estimate, the Employee Relations staff assisted Mason employees on more than 300 events involving individual employees, supervisors, colleagues and teams during FY06. Below is a sampling of these events:

• Daily and on­going coaching and counseling sessions with both Faculty and Staff

• Daily and on­going conflict resolution and problem solving

• Standing meetings and partnerships with Departments and Schools, maintaining open

communications

• Performance Evaluation Trainings for Classified Staff and Administrative/Professional

Faculty

• Goal Setting/Setting Performance Expectations training for the Libraries and the ITU

• Substance Abuse Awareness training

• Best Practices in Discipline and Discharge

• Handling Difficult Communications/Building Effective Working Relationships training

• Referrals to available resources including Employee Assistance Programs, Hospice,

Financial Counseling, Crisis Hotlines, Stress/Anger Management Workshops

• Mediations – 6 participants during FY06

• Managing the Grievance process for Classified Staff – 11 grievances during FY06

• Performance improvement and disciplinary actions including:

o 15 Counseling Memorandums

o 18 Due Process Notifications

o 7 Group I Written Notices

o 4 Group II Written Notices

o 5 Group III Written Notices

30

o 7 Performance Evaluation Appeals (Classified & Admin Faculty)

o 5 Notifications of Separation (Admin Faculty)

Employee Relations staff continued to build “best practices” through participation in legal updates, alternative dispute resolution programs, and topical updates from professional associations including CUPA and SHRM.

31

Customer Service Center Call Volume (Appendix 7)

FY 06 total call volume

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

October November December January February March April May June month

number o

f calls

32

FY 06 Customer Service Center Statistics (Appendix 8)

Month Tota

l

Average

per day

emails Banner/

EAs

Benefits Employment

verifications

eWork/

applicants

New

hires

Payroll Timesheets Calls * Miscellaneous

October 541 65.9 188 50 58 43 54 6 83 23 121 144

November 660 33 249 25 73 48 76 13 104 62 153 106

December 103

1

68.7 249 43 108 59 71 17 198 123 215 197

January 179

5

89.7 499 73 246 144 187 28 270 101 291 455

February 112

8

56.4 323 31 111 74 168 15 187 82 190 277

March 152

8

66.4 295 57 191 110 217 19 254 70 273 337

April 126

6

63.3 438 50 217 118 148 13 187 56 239 238

May 129

3

56.2 329 79 216 100 151 22 139 75 243 268

June 133

3

60.6 167 88 143 86 190 30 160 99 185 352

* Calls for specific people

33

Lunch & Learn Session Topics (Appendix 9)

Date Topic Number of

Participants

2/9/06 Feel the Heat 15

2/24/06 Home Buyers Assistance 14

3/9/06 Five Habits of Highly Successful Investors 13

3/23/06 Finding Balance 21

4/6/06 Determine Your Investment Strategy 7

4/26/06 Minutes Matter 11

5/12/06 Long Term Care Awareness 5

6/1/06 FMLA – Preparation & Planning 14

6/15/06 Feel the Heat (Back by popular demand) 9

6/29/06 Rewards & Recognition 5

7/6/06 Active Duty Women’s Fitness 16

7/27/06 Natural Disaster Preparedness

34

New Rewards & Recognition Tools (Appendix 10)

• “Connect the Dots” Award – A box of Dots candy

• “Thank you Beary Much” Award – A fuzzy green bear

• “Thank you for Knocking our Socks off” Award – A pair of Mason socks

• “We can’t spell Success without U in it” chocolate bars

• “Have a Sip on us” Award ­ $20.00 Starbuck’s Gift Certificate

• “You’re a Reel Mason Star” Award ­ 2 Movie Tickets and a $10.00 Gift Certificate

• “You’re a Bloomin Star” Award ­ $20.00 Outback Steakhouse Gift Certificates

• Winter Doldrums­ ½ day off leave (422 awarded)

• Lazy… Hazy…Crazy… Days of Summer Leave­ ½ day off leave (366 and counting)