As you may be aware, our medical plan has something called "Providers of Distinction" whereby utilizing one of the listed facilities/doctors earns you a small cash rebate/reward.  This week, those reward checks were mailed out to roughly 2,000 State Employees, unfortunately, the message associated with those checks was not very clear as to why the check was mailed and the checks looked very "odd" (an example is pictured in the thumbnail).  These checks are legitimate and are related to your use of a Provider of Distinction.  If you receive a check from "Navia Benefit Solutions" it is because you utilized a PoD.  All recipients of the checks will soon receive a follow-up message explaining why they are receiving this check, but it is important that you don't mistake this check for "junk mail", it is legitimate and you can deposit that check safely.

To view the list of Providers of Distinction visit this site: carecompass.ct.gov/providersofdistinction

The rights of employees to the presence of a union steward during investigatory interviews was announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1975 in NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc. Since that case involved a clerk being investigated by the Weingarten Company, these rights have become known as Weingarten Rights.  An investigatory inverview occurs when a supervisor questions an employee to obtain information that could be used as a basis for dicipline or asks an employee to defend his or her conduct.

If an employee has a reasonable belief that discipline or other adverse consequences may result from what he

Service Ratings are due no later than this Friday (September 30). 

The Rating Categories have not changed (Quality,Quantity, Dependability, Ability to Deal w/others, & Supervisory) .
The Evaluation Scoring has not changed (Excellent, Superior, Satisfactory, Fair, & Unsatisfactory).

However, the new Annual Rating actually comes in 2 parts now: the actual "Rating Form" (PER-127) and then a seperate "Comments Form" (PER-127A).

The 2 forms work like this: the Rating Form PER-127 must be signed after receipt and discussion with your supervisor/manager and will go into your personnel file...you must sign it, it doesn't matter if you agree with the rating, you are signing that you received it, not that you agree with it.   However, the Comments Form 127A is optional if you received a rating considered overall Good or better.  (Overall Good or better means no more than one category is rated as Fair AND there are no Unsatisfactory scores).  In this instance, if you do not want the comments attached to your Rating Form, then simply do not sign the Comments Form and they will not be included in your personnel file.  You may keep a copy of the Comments Form even if you do not sign the Comments Form. 

If you do sign the Comments Form, then you have 3 days to revoke your signature and have the Comments Form (PER-127A) removed from your personnel file.  If you receive a rating that is "Less than Good" (meaning multiple Fairs or a single Unsatisfactory) then the comments are required to remain with your Annual Rating.

There are some changes around "Less than Good" ratings.  There are 2 types of "Less than Good" ratings...an "Overall Fair" rating is when you receive 2 Fairs.  The first time this occurs it will not lead to the denial of a Step Increase (this is new this year).  The second type of "Less than Good" is an "Overall Unsatisfactory" rating which is comprised of either a single rating of Unsatisfactory in any category or 3 Fairs on the Service Rating.

A single Fair rating and every other combination of Excellent, Superior, and Satisfactory scores is considered an "Overall Good" rating and this year will lead to a Step Increase if you are not yet at top step.

If you receive an "Overall Less than Good" rating, then we strongly suggest you contact an A&R Steward and file a grievance (must be grieved within 30 days of receipt).  If the rating is not given to you by this Friday September 30 then it is considered late and can be removed.

TRAINEE CLASSES and PERSONAL LEAVE
Are you an ACT or CCT?  Please be aware that ACT's and CCT's now are granted 3 days of Personal Leave after successfully completing 6 months of service.  This is a recent change to our contract. Prior to this, persons in trainee classes did not qualify for PL days until they had completed their working test period, which could be up to two years.
(Contract language Article 18, Section 6)

VACATION ACCRUAL and BREAKS IN STATE SERVICE
Do you have many years of state service?  During that time did you take break and leave state service only to return and begin and the entry level vacation accrual rates?  In our recently negotiated contract, we changed the rate of vacation accrual for those who left state service and subsequently returned to state service.  Under the new language of our contract, all state service counts towards the calculation of your vacation accrual rate, rather than just the time since your date of last hire.  This change is prospective only and not retroactive.  If you think this change impacts you, please contact HR about changing your accrual rate.  If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the A&R office at (860) 953 1316.
(Contract language Article 12, Section 7)

4/19/23

Longevity - Reminder that the final paycheck in April and the final paycheck in October are when "Longevity" payments are made for those who qualify (must have over 10 years of service and hired prior to July 1, 2011); this means that Longevity payments are due in this week's paycheck.

A&R Scholarship Winners for 2023

A&R would like to congratulate the winners of our annual Scholarship Awards and thank our Scholarship Cmte members for their time and efforts in making this happen every year.

$2,500 Harry Zilber Scholarship Award winner: Krystal Li, daughter of Hong Chen (DCP)

$2

Planning for the 2022 A&R Holiday Party is underway!  The party will be held on Friday December 2, 2022 at the Aquaturf in Plantsville (Southington)  (view the flyer). 

This will be an in-person event...for the first time since 2019!  This year's party will have all of the flair of our "old" parties: there will be games, raffles, contests, prizes, photobooth, music/dancing, drinks...and of course a great meal!

To register, you can either complete the flyer and mail a check to the A&R office (or personally drop off the registration form at our office at 805 Brook St, Rocky Hill)...or you can register and pay by credit card online by following this link.

Of course, it wouldn't be an A&R Holiday Party without our annual Toy Drive (food donations and cash donations are also welcome).  Anyone who donates an unwrapped toy, or food, or cash will receive an extra raffle ticket!

Either way, we have a limit of 1,000 guests so don't delay! (registration closes November 22).

Hope to see you there!