UNISON opposes threat to central appraisee training.

The Executive Committee sends an open letter to Susan Lacey about proposals to save money by cutting staff training:-

 

Susan Lacey

Learning and Development Manager

Town Clerk’s Dept

 

Dear Ms Lacey

 

Appraisal Training

 

At its meeting of 10 May City UNISON Executive Committee agreed that I would write to you to express our concern at the proposed withdrawal of appraisee training for staff.

 

UNISON believes this would be a retrograde step for the following reasons:

• Staff appraisal is a sensitive procedure in which the appraisees need to be clearly informed of how the appraiser should behave as well as how they themselves should approach it – including rights of appeal
• It is not to be relied on that all appraisers will be punctilious in providing this information – UNISON has in the past advised staff about their disagreements with appraisals in cases where there has been a clear mismatch between the appraiser’s and appraisee’s understanding of the procedure
• In any case, the transmission of appraisee training through appraisers will certainly lead to variations in what is transmitted – at best there will be different versions of what the appraisee is told, at worst appraisee ignorance will be used in order to bully

 

For these reasons UNISON believes it is essential the City keeps central appraisee training. In terms of value for money, this is not an area where costs can be cut without severe risk of devaluing performance management.

 

In its discussion, the Committee expressed surprise that this move was being made, along with recent cancellations of other training courses, in the light of the City’s policy for global Investor in People status, given the likelihood of these cuts being raised at inspections.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Malcolm Key

Branch Secretary

 

18th May 2006