G1. Performance Planning and Review

G1.1 Introduction
G1.2 Policy statement
G1.3 Procedures
   G1.3.1 Supervision
   G1.3.2 Performance review
   G1.3.3 Rewarding employee performance

G1.1 Introduction

G1.2 Policy

The University will provide all employees and their supervisors with an opportunity to plan, manage, review, recognise and improve individual employee performance.  Through performance planning and review employees and supervisors are able to clarify the employee's responsibilities, agree on standards of performance, plan work and development activities and provide feedback.

(Approved by Council June 1998)

G1.3 Procedures

G1.3.1 Supervision

G1.3.1(a) Each employee will have a supervisor who will normally be the head of their work unit.

G1.3.1(b) A supervisor is expected to provide leadership and support to employees for whom they are responsible and to monitor their performance.

G1.3.1(c) An employee may request the Category 2 Delegate to designate an alternative supervisor where a change would remove potential conflict of interests or contribute to more harmonious relations within the work unit.

G1.3.1(d) All employees who assume supervisory responsibilities will have access to appropriate training in performance planning and review.

G1.3.2 Performance review process

G1.3.2(a) Each employee will participate in a performance review at least once each year.  All employees are to have a performance review linked to the University's goals and objectives completed by the end of February each year.

G1.3.2(b) Annual reviews will:

• Assist employees to be fully aware of their responsibilities and duties and the effect which these have on the University's operations;
• Provide feedback to individual employees on the perceived performance of the responsibilities;
• Provide a basis for further professional development of employees;
• Identify employees whose continued high quality performance should be particularly recognised and rewarded or whose performance is a cause for concern and possible remedial action;
• Provide an opportunity for accelerated or additional incremental progression.

G1.3.2(c) Review forms are available from the Human Resources website.  Each form contains the instructions for its completion and distribution.

G1.3.2(d) The Reviewing Officer may consult other employees whose judgements they believe may be helpful in completing the review report. The employee will be encouraged to provide relevant information on their performance and take an active role in appraisal and planning.

G1.3.2(e) The nominated Reviewing Officer will interview the employee who is the subject of the annual review and discuss past performance and future goal setting and development plans.

G1.3.2(f) The employee must be given the opportunity to read, comment on and sign the report.

G1.3.2(g) The Reviewing Officer will forward the completed report, via the relevant delegate to Human Resources for further action and confidential storage.

G1.3.3 Rewarding employee performance

G1.3.3(a) An employee will be eligible to receive an annual incremental increase after 12 months, at each step within the limitations of the salary range for the employee's classification level, until the top salary step is reached unless the employee's performance is assessed by the employee's supervisor to be unsatisfactory.  The employee's increment date is the date that the employee commenced at that salary level, except for employees who have been promoted or have taken a period of leave without pay, in which case it is either the effective promotion date or the altered date as a consequence of leave without pay.

G1.3.3(b) An employee absent in excess of three months, in aggregate, may, if agreed by their supervisor in consultation with the relevant delegate, have the review delayed by the period of absence.  Any resultant incremental increase will also be delayed by the period of absence.

G1.3.3(c) An accelerated incremental increase in salary may be recommended where the employee's performance consistently and significantly exceeds the agreed performance indicators documented in the BUILD Performance Management and Development Review form, provided that:

• an employee's incremental adjustment is made on one occasion per year of completed service, ie on the increment date; and
• the number of increments (within the range of the employee's classification level) an employee can receive in any one year of completed service is two (2); that is, the annual incremental increase plus one additional incremental step.

Note: accelerated incremental progression may be granted on any step except where the employee is only one step from the top of the salary level.

G1.3.2(d) An employee who has been paid at the top incremental step of their substantive classification level for a period of at least one year may be eligible to receive an additional incremental increase of 90% of the difference between the top step of the substantive classification level and the bottom step of the next classification level where their performance consistently and significantly exceeds the agreed performance indicators documented in the BUILD Performance Management and Development Review form.  The additional incremental increase is made once on the employee's increment date. The application of the additional incremental increase will be reviewed annually and continue only whilst performance continues to exceed agreed performance indicators. 

G1.3.2(e) Additional incremental increases for employees at USQ Level 10 and Academic Level E will be managed on a case by case basis and advice should be sought from the Executive Director, Human Resources in this regard.