HRMS Taking Us Through to 2000

The Human Resources Management System (HRMS) is the state’s new automated payroll and personnel system. HRMS is designed to decrease the amount of time necessary to maintain and access information, facilitate the sharing of this information among agencies, and enable the processing of paychecks in the year 2000. HRMS is Year 2000-compliant, which will allow data and processing to remain unaffected by the onset of the new century.

HRMS is now nearing implementation. Two recent upgrades to HRMS have improved the efficiency of the system. The changes include installing a Year 2000-compliant version and the developing new Personnel Action (PA) approval process.

Over the past few months, the HRMS team has installed the Year 2000-compliant release of HRMS, and has been moving the database and data to a new region of the mainframe. HRMS can be accessed by typing CICSHRMS on the ODN banner screen, instead of typing CICSFIN or pressing the PF3 key. No other steps have been changed and the current Payroll/Personnel System (non-HRMS) will remain in CICSFIN region.

In addition, the HRMS PA approval process was changed. A new method that will allow processing changes to occur more efficiently was developed. Because of this restructuring, HRMS classes were delayed, but instructors began teaching classes involving PA approval in late May.

Guest Perspective

SERB Ruling on the Failure to Process Grievances

The State Employment Relations Board (“SERB”) has recently addressed the issue of an agency holding grievance meetings past the timelines in the collective bargaining agreement. The Ohio Revised Code §4117.11(A)(6) provides that an employer commits an unfair labor practice when it establishes a pattern or practice of refusing to process grievances. SERB found probable cause of a violation of this section in a case that the parties subsequently settled. However, while reviewing this case, SERB expressed some concern over the language in the state’s collective bargaining agreements regarding grievance processing.

In response to similar cases in the past, the Office of Collective Bargaining has maintained that the collective bargaining agreement precludes agencies from failing to process grievances. For example, Article 25 of the OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11, AFL-CIO contract provides that the employee or the union may automatically advance a grievance to the next level of the process if the agency fails to respond at a lower level. This language affords the grieving party a remedy when an agency does not respond to a grievance, and allows the grievance to proceed without action by the agency. Therefore, the agency cannot fail to process a grievance because the employee or the union can always proceed to the next step of the process unilaterally.

SERB is concerned with the contractual language providing for automatic advancement of grievances. Consequently, SERB’s recent probable cause action implies that this issue may have significant impact on both the agencies and unions. Agencies should be on notice that they must comply with the grievance deadlines, or risk a probable cause finding and a subsequent hearing. This notice means that the unions will have to provide union representation at grievance meetings in a timely manner so that the agencies can meet the contractual deadlines. In addition, this issue presents a question on the interaction between contractual and statutory language regarding the processing of grievances.

FLSA Questions Arise Concerning Working vs. Waiting

Under certain circumstances, the time employees spend waiting to work is not considered time worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Generally, the facts may show that the employee was engaged to wait (which is work time) or the facts may show that the employee was waiting to be engaged (which is not work time). For example, a secretary who reads a book while waiting for dictation or a fireman who plays checkers while waiting for an alarm is working during such periods of inactivity. These employees have been “engaged to wait.”

An employee who is required to remain on call on the employer’s premises is working while “on call.” An employee who is required to remain on call at home, or who is allowed to leave a message where he/she can be reached, is not working while on call in most cases. However, additional constraints on the employee’s freedom could require this time to be compensated. The crucial distinction used to determine the compensability of time spent by employees in on-call status is whether “the time is spent predominately for the employer’s benefit or for the employee’s benefit.” Armour & Co. v. Wantock, 323 U.S. 126, 133 (1944). The Department of Labor has indicated that this principle applies to employees required to carry pagers. Wage and Hour Opinion Letter (December 9, 1985).

Courts will determine the compensability of on call time on a case-by-case basis. If an employer requires an employee to remain on call while on or close to the employer’s premises, then that employee is considered working. 29 C.F.R. 785.17. When a public employer permits an employee to leave the premises, the inquiry focuses on the amount of freedom an employee has while in on-call status. If an employer places severe restrictions on the behavior of an on-call employee, then the employer must compensate the employee for the time spent on call. 29 C.F.R. 553.221(c). If not, the time spent on call is not considered hours worked.

A majority of the State Collective Bargaining Agreements provide for “Stand-By Pay,” where an employee receives a percentage of his/her base rate of pay for each hour that he/she is required to be available for possible call to work. Such time is not considered hours worked under the FLSA. Employees who are on call and are not confined to their homes or to any particular place, and must only leave word where they may be reached, are not considered to be working for the purposes of overtime compensation. 29 C.F.R. 778.223. However, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that “on-call time spent at home may be compensable under the FLSA if restrictions imposed are so onerous as to prevent employees from effectively using time for personal pursuits.” Martin, etc., Employees of the Ohio Turnpike Commission v. Ohio Turnpike Commission, 968 F. 2d 606 (6th Cir. 1992).

For more information on SERB Ruling and FLSA Update, contact Gabriel Jiran at gabriel.jiran@das.state.oh.us or 614-466-3317.

Measuring Diversity in the Work Place

The Department of Administrative Services, Human Resources Division has been working on a project to fulfill responsibilities under Executive Order 96-54V, which states, “DAS shall conduct better data collection and provide more consistent reporting.” A statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether the gender and minority representation in the state’s workforce is what would be expected, based on the qualified labor force.

The first step in the process was to do an analysis of the state’s workforce. Each of the state’s approximately 2,000 job classifications was placed into one of 183 job groups. The number of women and minorities in each job group was determined from data maintained by payroll.

The next step was to determine what the expected workforce would look like, based on the qualified available labor force. Agencies provided estimates of whether a job group was filled from within the agency, another agency or externally. Where positions were filled internally, agencies indicated the job group from which the position would likely be filled. Where positions were filled from other agencies, agencies indicated which agency and the feeder job group. Finally, where positions were filled externally, agencies provided the geographic location from which the positions would likely be filled so that U.S. Census data could be used to determine the availability of women and minorities in the appropriate geographic region.

The final step was a utilization analysis, which is a statistical comparison of the percentage of minorities and women in each job group to the percentage of available minorities and women. Underutilization is found when fewer members of a specific race or sex are in a particular job group than reasonably would be expected by their availability in the labor force.

Individualized agency reports have been completed. The results are an effective baseline for measuring the diversity in our workforce. Individualized meetings were held with agencies to discuss the results and strategic planning for achieving a diverse workforce.

For more information contact the Policy Development Office at 614-752-5393 or e-mail christine.thompson@das.state.oh.us.

Each year, agencies are required to submit Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) plans to the Equal Opportunity Division (EOD). Because the method for measuring diversity in the work force is changing, the deadline for agencies to submit their EEO Plans has changed. Agency’s fiscal year 1999 plans will not be due until January 1999, after the transition to the new method is made. EOD will issue guidelines for the fiscal year 1999 plans to state agencies in November 1998.

The quantitative employment goals of 13 percent minority and 41 percent female will no longer be used, and any reports based on these population goals will be discontinued. The new method, developed by the Human Resources Division, is based on classifications combined into job groups, and considers the qualified available labor force in the relevant geographic area available for the job group.

The new guidelines for the strategic plans will incorporate this innovative approach to measuring work force diversity.

If you have any questions regarding the EEO strategic plan submittal or implementation, please contact Felicia Godbolt, EEO program supervisor, at 614-466-8380.

Personal and Career Development Opportunities

The Training and Development section has a variety of programs to help state employees develop new skills for current jobs or to prepare for their next positions. Agencies’ efforts in promoting these programs is appreciated.

Statewide Training Catalog: The Statewide Training Catalog lists 64 different one-day training classes at eight two-year colleges around the state for $60 per class. The participating colleges are Belmont Technical College, Central Ohio Technical College, Cincinnati State Technical College, Lima Technical College, Sinclair Community College, University of Toledo Technical College, Stark State College and Columbus State Community College.

PETE: The Personal Enrichment Through Education Program (PETE) is now available in 18 counties around the state. The counties include Lucas, Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage, Stark, Allen, Delaware, Licking, Knox, Fairfield, Madison, Pickaway, Ross, Montgomery, Warren, Scioto, Gallia and Franklin. PETE provides state employees the opportunity to brush up on basic skills, reading, writing, math, language and study skills.

Workforce Development: The Training and Development Section in the Human Resources Division houses the Workforce Development staff, who are working jointly with OCSEA to provide bargaining unit members with a number of educational opportunities. Tuition assistance is currently available, in the form of tuition vouchers at 37 universities and branch campuses around the state, or tuition reimbursement at any other colleges accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Computer Enrichment Training: Computer Enrichment Training provides vouchers to attend computer training classes that are not for college credit. These classes help individuals become more proficient at using their computers at work or at home.

In September, additional voucher schools will be available and a Career Development workshop will be piloted.

Watch for further information from agency education advocates. For more information on training opportunities, contact Caryl Rice at diane.luff@das.state.oh.us or 614-466-2022. See related story.

During 1997, the Human Resources Division (HRD) reorganized its work units to group similar work processes and combine continuous processes. This new structure allows HRD staff to focus on customer needs through streamlined methods and effective communication. Changes to the sections are as listed below:

The Office of Payroll Administration added the State Services unit to its organization on the 29th floor of the Rhodes State Office Tower, next to Payroll Services. The Payroll Services unit was reorganized into three work teams, the Attachments Team, the Fiscal Team and the Payroll Team. The Office of Payroll Administration also includes HRMS Programming and HRD Programming.

The Office of Quality Assurance was created by combining County Services, University Services and the portion of the prior Classification/Compensation work unit that focused on job audits and position description decentralization audits. With this new section, HRD grouped the auditing, oversight and review functions.

HRD is developing the Employment Processing section. This section groups together the Centralized Recruitment Office, Test Services and the Certification unit.

The classification plan creation portion of the former classification/compensation unit has been aligned with the Policy Development Section. This move allows the development of classification and compensation policies and practices to be coordinated with the development of all human resources policies.

The Information Services section has added the Personnel Records Room section to its team. This reassignment facilitates a comprehensive review of the technology used in the Records Room and provides an opportunity to upgrade the storage and retrieval systems.

The HRD staff hope to be able to assist customers in a prompt and effective manner. Many of the DAS staff have new responsibilities and new locations. Please see the updated section administrators list, including e-mail addresses and phone numbers, located above.

The Centralized Recruitment Office (CRO) has geared up to assist agencies with hiring Information Technology (IT) professionals. Julie Harris, a specialized recruiter, joined the other CRO recruiters to devote full time to IT recruiting. Most recently, Julie was a personnel officer specializing in recruitment with the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services. She previously served as a technical recruiter for a national information technical consulting firm and was the associate placement director for DeVry Institute of Technology, Columbus. Julie is currently establishing a recruitment plan to enhance the recruitment of qualified, diverse IT candidates for positions within state agencies.

Currently, state agency job announcements are listed with the CRO and on the state of Ohio Web site at http://www.das.ohio.gov/hrd/emprec.html. A database has been installed on the Web site to allow candidates to search by various criteria; for example, job title, salary and location. This enhancement allows the IT professional to quickly review the job openings with each agency. The candidate can obtain job descriptions, qualifications and application procedures from the Web site. In addition, the candidate can complete a job application, download it, and distribute it to the appropriate human resources office.

For more information on IT Recruitment, contact Julie Harris at 614-466-6935 or e-mail julie.harris@das.state.oh.us.

Innovation Ohio and the Ohio Office of Quality Services in Partnership

Innovation Ohio and the Ohio Office of Quality Services teamed up to reward and recognize employees for their outstanding contributions to the effective operation of state government. The Ohio Office of Quality Services works with agencies in their efforts to establish quality processes to improve the operations of state government. These improvements include streamlining processes, improving customer services and saving tax dollars.

The Innovation Ohio program provides recognition and incentives for state employees whose ideas also streamline processes, improve customer services and save tax dollars. The combined efforts of these two offices improves services to all Ohioans while recognizing state workers for their commitment to provide the best possible services at the lowest possible cost.

In 1998, the two offices co-sponsored two first-ever recognition events. The Quality Innovators event, held during Public Service Recognition Week, recognized employees whose suggestions through Innovation Ohio and Quality Services through Partnership (QStP) have been outstanding. The combined effort of the individuals honored improved the level and quality of services provided to the citizens of Ohio. Their improvements resulted in a savings of over $2.8 million.

The offices also sponsored the Quality Contributors Event, a recognition luncheon to honor managers, supervisors and other individuals who support the efforts of the QStP and Innovation Ohio programs.

Innovation Ohio was re-engineered in 1994 to better support the QStP effort. Changes included a new emphasis on team participation and more meaningful team awards. Recently the two offices have discussed other ways to share resources to help maximize the effectiveness of both QStP and Innovation Ohio. Under consideration are joint promotions, co-sponsoring educational programs and similar efforts.

For additional information on Innovation Ohio, please contact Brenda Fulk at 614-644-5222 or brenda.fulk@das.state.oh.us. For additional information on the Ohio Office of Quality Services, please contact Ken Cookson at 614-728-2584.

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