A. General
The performance of each employee shall be appraised annually, in writing, by the employee's immediate supervisor in accordance with the following procedures.
B. Purpose
Written performance appraisals are included as an essential part of several personnel policies and are the bases for many actions such as completion of probationary period, merit increases, corrective action, dismissal based on performance, and transfer.
C. Timing of Appraisals
While established personnel policies specify that written evaluations must be done annually, additional appraisals may be conducted at any time the supervisor or employee feels one would be of value.
- Probationary Employee - Probationary employees should receive at least one written performance evaluation from their supervisor during their probationary period. Evaluations may be done whenever circumstances indicate an evaluation would be of value.
- Employee in a Career Position Who Has Attained Regular Status - Career employees should be evaluated annually, in writing, preferably a few months prior to the annual salary review date, whether or not the employee is eligible for a salary increase.
- Employee in a Limited Position - Limited employees may be evaluated at any time.
D. The Appraisal Process
The Performance Appraisal process may consist of the following:
- Discussion Between the Employee and Supervisor - It is strongly recommended that face-to-face discussions between the employee and the supervisor form the basis of the performance appraisal. These discussions can help the employee and the supervisor in achieving established goals and objectives. In these discussions, the supervisor and the employee should reach agreement concerning the employee's specific job responsibilities, the supervisor should appraise the employee's performance, and they should plan together for future job development. The supervisor must insure that the employee has the opportunity to ask questions, to comment on the appraisal, and to discuss job problems.
The supervisor and the employee may wish to establish the specific job responsibilities on which the employee will be evaluated prior to the formal evaluation and to clarify major responsibilities several months prior to the written appraisal. When the employee and the supervisor discuss the employee's responsibilities, they may want to refer to the Job Description for the position and update it as necessary. The failure to have such a discussion shall not, however, undermine the validity of the written performance appraisal. - Employee Performance Evaluation Form - The supervisor may use an Employee Performance Evaluation Form* that consists of several sections in which the supervisor records the employee's job duties for the evaluation period, comments on the employee's performance, and notes future plans and objectives. This form also has a section for the employee to comment on the appraisal and space for the signatures of the employee, the supervisor and the department head. The supervisor shall discuss the contents of the performance appraisal with the employee.
- Departmental Performance Appraisal Form - Departments, with the approval of the appropriate Organization Head or designee, may also choose to develop their own appraisal form that is appropriate for their department, as long as the appraisal form is developed in consultation with the CHR Employee Relations Consultant; and the appraisal form utilizes the guidelines as outlined in this section (Section D, The Appraisal Process).
E. Records and Reports
The completed Performance Appraisal form shall be filed in the employee's personnel file in the department office.
*Performance appraisal forms are available from the UCLA Storehouse:
- Product number 71465-226 UCLA Employee Performance Evaluation (For Designated Classifications)
- Product number 71465-130 UCLA Employee Performance Evaluation
