The University will be downsizing its human resources department in an effort to consolidate positions across the Academic Division, Medical Center and University Physicians Group. The plan, called UFirst, would cut 40 positions from Human Resources, reducing the number of people employed in HR positions from 240 to 200.
The Cavalier Daily recently received an anonymous letter from an HR employee at the University, who expressed their concern regarding the plans to eliminated HR positions. The worker, who signed the letter as ‘A Dedicated and Concerned U.Va. Employee,’ said the process is not being handled appropriately.
“They won’t tell us who will have jobs, where they will be, or if we will keep our same amount of pay,” the employee said.
University Spokesperson Anthony de Bruyn said in an email to The Cavalier Daily that the University communicated its plans for consolidating and redefining HR positions to current HR employees in person, beginning in May and April.
“Events being held throughout May are providing the HR community specifically, and the University community as a whole, a chance to learn more about the future of HR at U.Va.,” de Bruyn said.
The University initiated the UFirst project in 2015 as part of the University’s Cornerstone Plan to reduce organizational costs.
UFirst started an “extensive design phase” that year, collecting input from HR employees in all three departments, de Bruyn said.
“In August of 2016, the project transitioned from design to implementation,” de Bruyn said. “UFirst project teams have worked closely with over 150 subject matter resources and dozens of customer representatives to define the University’s future-state services and a service-delivery model.”
When UFirst began, there were approximately 270 HR employees. That number has since gone down to 240 as a result of attrition and reassignment of responsibilities, but there have been no layoffs, de Bruyn said.
UFirst Talent Transition Lead Michael Latsko sent an email to a number of UFirst employees May 16, sharing the list of HR employees at the University impacted by the plans to transform Human Resources.
The email defined impacted employees as “full-time and part-time, benefits-eligible employees who have an HR job title or are part of a specified HR department.” Employees whose position description entails 20 percent or more HR work are also considered impacted employees.
Over 250 names were included on the Impacted Employee Roster from across all three organizations — the Academic Division, the Medical Center and the University Physicians Group.
According to Latsko’s email, managers of impacted employees would receive notification of their staff and team members who are impacted employees May 17. All impacted employees would then receive notification of their status on May 18.
The email also mentioned that impacted employees will be given priority to apply for “internally competitive positions” within HR after the redesign. However, not all impacted employees will necessarily join the future HR organization and some may find new positions that do not include HR work.
“The University expects to be able to offer HR or other positions within the University to impacted employees who desire to remain at UVA,” de Bruyn said. “A number of transition options are being vetted at this time.”
The anonymous letter, dated May 13, said the University administration previously informed impacted employees of opportunities to apply for other jobs within HR and other areas at the University but said the information was vague and uncertain.
“We were … told that we will have to interview for new jobs but they don’t know if there will be enough jobs for everyone,” the employee said. “This is not the way people should be treated.”
De Bruyn said the new model accounts for approximately 200 HR employees.
“Because the model and technology bring such substantial change in how HR is delivered at the University, much work has been done with the HR community to determine the desired future state HR and payroll services,” de Bruyn said. “The next six months of detailed planning on the unit level will further define these functions.”
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