Each month, our Advocacy Committee answers your questions about the AD 10 policies (aka, your terms and conditions of employment.)
Hello, I'm Andrew Boden, APSA's Executive Director and an advocate on our Advocacy Committee. I'm answering your questions related to our AD 10 policies. Questions? Submit them anonymously here. These questions will be answered in a future monthly advocacy corner issue. For an immediate answer, please contact us.
I'm wondering how often APSA employees are meant to have performance reviews (and is your review tied to your step progression)? Same for APSA managers. How is a manager's performance reviewed, and how can their employees give feedback on their manager's performance?
As reviewing employee performance falls under management rights, SFU manages performance reviews and not APSA. According to the SFU Performance Development Program (PDP), however, a performance review is conducted annually for all continuing non-academic staff and temporary non-academic staff with positions that are six months or longer. The PDP annual reviews run from May 1 - April 30, and there's a mid-year check-in.
Your step progression is based on satisfactory performance in your role. While you can be denied a step increase if your supervisor believes that your performance has been unsatisfactory, it is your supervisor's obligation to have made you aware of the challenges with your performance prior to denying your step progression. A denial of a step progression shouldn't be the first instance that you hear about difficulties with your performance; so, in short, it shouldn't come as a surprise to you. See more in AD 10-6 Section 4.02 - Step Progression.
According to SFU, the PDP is a shared partnership with an employee and their supervisor. APSA managers will have their PDP done by their supervisors. Their performance is reviewed through a similar process to non-managers. We're unaware of any way an employee can formally give feedback on their manager's performance.
I have just been diagnosed with a physical disability. If I request an accommodation, will my supervisor be informed of all of my personal medical information?
Although your supervisor needs to be involved with the Wellness and Recovery Office to help provide what you need for your accommodation, they do not need to know any of your private medical information. You can inform the Wellness and Recovery Office that you need an accommodation and meet with them along with your APSA representative. You can also inform your supervisor in writing about your request for an accommodation, but under no circumstances do you need to disclose any of your personal medical details.
The Wellness and Recovery Office should hold your medical information in the strictest of confidence and will be contacting your supervisor only to work on your accommodation's logistics.
When you make your accommodation request to the Wellness and Recovery Office, you can get APSA representation for the entire process.
See our infographic for further information on accommodations.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact APSA. Your call or email is always confidential.