HR Update - FY 25 Issue 04

Issue Date: April 18, 2025

In This Issue

• Updated Process for Merit Increases Implemented January 1, 2025
• Supervisors Resources for Performance Evaluations
• Upcoming: OPD Position Control Change (PCC) Workflow Changes
• Labor Relations (LR) Moves to the Department of Law
• Workforce Services Attending Job Fairs Across the State
• DOP Comings and Goings

Updated Process for Merit Increases Implemented January 1, 2025

The State and the Unions bargained language that requires affirmative evaluations for both merit increases and pay increments. Denials of merit increases and pay increments still require evaluations with a low/unacceptable rating to be submitted. The affected bargaining units are:

• Alaska State Employees Association / General Government Union (GGU) (Article 18.02 Performance Incentives)
• Labor, Trades, and Crafts Union (LTC) (Article 13.04 Performance Incentives and Pay Increments)
• Alaska Public Employees Associations / Supervisor Union (SU) (Article 4.2 Performance Incentives)
• Public Safety Employees Association (PSEA/DOT&PF) (Article 18.03 Performance Incentives)

For many years, the State and the Unions engaged in Letters of Agreement (LOAs) to delay implementation of this requirement for merit steps. Those LOAs have expired. This means that increases that were once given automatically for merit increases now require a performance evaluation affirming an employee’s acceptable or better service effective January 1, 2025.

The Division of Finance will not be able to process merit increases or pay increments for GGU, LTC, SU, and DPS-DOTPF unless there is a mid- acceptable or better evaluation on file. This includes end of probation increases.

It is imperative that supervisors ensure performance evaluations are completed timely to avoid any delays in the processing of merit or pay increment increases.

Probationary employees will need off-cycle performance evaluations “launched” for both the interim (halfway through the probationary period) evaluation and the end of probation evaluation. Supervisors have access to view the end of probation date in IRIS ADV.

For permanent employees, the annual evaluation will be valid for any merit increase or pay increment due in the 12 months following the annual performance evaluation start (including the month that the annual evaluation is launched). For example, if your department’s annual evaluation starts in March 2025, that evaluation will cover granting or denying any merit increase or pay increment due March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026. If your department’s annual evaluation is August 2025, that evaluation will cover granting or denying any merit increase or pay increments due August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026.

To know when your department’s annual performance evaluation is scheduled to “launch,” check the Annual Launch Dates for All Departments (PDF) under the Performance Help in AspireAlaska.

Supervisors Resources for Performance Evaluations

In AspireAlaska we created a special help page exclusively for Supervisors to help them with all aspects of completing Performance Evaluations. This page is available under the Help section from the Welcome Page called Supervisor Performance Help. Some of the resources include:

• Rater's Guide (PDF)
• How to Launch an Off-Cycle Performance Evaluation (PDF)
• How to View My Team and Their Evaluations (PDF)
• Supervisor Narrative Guide (PDF)
• Recommended Actions List (PDF)
• Step by Step Guides
• Performance Evaluation Overview Guides
• Performance FAQs

All of these resources are a big help in understanding the Performance Evaluation process and the actions needed at each step.

Should you have questions after reviewing the help guides, please contact the following groups:

• For help with AspireAlaska please contact the help desk at AspireAlaska@alaska.gov
• For help with the specific employee performance scenarios you can reach out to Employee Relations.
• For questions about your department’s annual evaluation process and what to expect please reach out to your department Human Resource Business Partner.

Upcoming: OPD Position Control Change (PCC) Workflow Changes

Classification is working on updates to the Online Position Description (OPD) Position Control Changes (PCC) process. These updates are to help create efficiencies for both DOP and for department end-users.

The PCC process updates will realign workflows to grant departments/division authority to finalize changes that do not require approval by DOP and reassign PCC workflows to reflect staff expertise within DOP based on program core service areas. A summary of changes is bulleted below:

• Vacant Position Location changes will be handled at the Department level, with Department HR/Recruitment staff able to initiate and finalize location changes for vacant positions based on the location for which recruitment was opened, and a hire was approved. (This functionality is currently available in OPD subject to department discretion.)
• Filled position location changes will be handled by the HRBP’s office to align with the HRBP’s role in handling transfers for the good of the service.
• Home Unit changes will be initiated and finalized at the Division level (similar to supervisor changes). OPD will be programmed to require the effective date of filled home unit changes be the first day of a pay period.
• Position Type changes, as well as Transfers between Divisions and Departments will be handled by Classification Operations

Department Actions

As part of these updates, Classification has engaged with Department HR Business Partners (or their proxy) to highlight the importance of each Department identifying staff members who will participate in OPD workflow testing scheduled for May 2025.

Each Department will be responsible for establishing and implementing internal workflows for processing vacant position location changes. Department HR representatives or leadership will provide guidance on the expected workflows for your Department, including whether OPD actions will be initiated by Department Recruitment staff or Division staff.

Estimated Timeline

Classification is working on getting the end-user testing completed by May 2025. The plan is to implement all of these updates in OPD by the end of FY25.

Please be on the lookout from communications from your Department HR about these updates. Classification will be providing updated guidance and training materials for department staff who will be processing the PCCs.

PCC Workflow Quick Reference Table

Labor Relations (LR) Moves to the Department of Law

By Administrative Order 356, Governor Mike Dunleavy transferred State of Alaska Executive Branch labor relations (LR) functions to the Department of Law from the Department of Administration. The Division of Personnel (DOP) continues to process delegated Letters of Agreement and effect Letters of Dispute Resolution. DOP continues to administer all its authorities under the State Personnel Act and duties conveyed by regulation and other statutes. Please contact the Department of Law at law.laborrelations@alaska.gov or consult https://law.alaska.gov/department/civil/LSA/LaborRelations.html for information pertaining to LR matters including collective bargaining agreements and bargaining unit profiles.

Workforce Services Attends Job Fairs Across the State

Division of Personnel Workforce Services team has been busy attending job fairs across the state and actively engaging current and future job seekers. January / February our team attended multiple job fairs in Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks, meeting numerous potential candidates and sharing exciting career opportunities with the State of Alaska!

DOP Comings and Goings

Goings (leaving DOP)

• Evan Crow (Employee Relations)
• Melynda Courtright (Employee Relations)
• Shawna Krueger (Classification)
• Jenny Geary (Absence Management)
• Kimberley King (Employee Relations)

Comings (New to DOP/Internal Promotions or Transfers*)

• Megan Clough (Employee Relations)
• Selina Finley (Employee Relations)
• Zaynab Irish (Classification)
• Cassie Lingle (Employee Relations)
• Samantha Vukasin (Employee Relations)
• Ryan Dukowitz (Employee Relations)
• Lina Pazos-Jimenez (Employee Relations)