Your First Month

Questions? Contact Shared Services

Overview

Now that you're getting settled into your new role, this information will help you become more familiar with your UCSF community and make some important choices about your benefits.

Orientations & other information

All new Health hires must attend New Employee Orientation within their first 30 days of hire. You can reference our policy here (if prompted, use site key code UCSFMedCen).

  • Complete New Employee and Transfer Check List: Documentation of New Employee Orientation, initial and date all relevant items, return completed check list to Human Resources Department within 45 days of hire by submitting a case through People Connect.

Human Resources has launched a recorded new employee orientation (NEO) for campus staff, academic and postdoc new employees. The link to the presentation will be provided to new hires in their first day welcome email. The presentation includes important information and resources for new hires such as:

  • Navigating and using UCPath
  • HBS timekeeping
  • Benefits enrollment
  • UCSF’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion efforts to create a safe, welcoming environment

Additionally, new employees will receive information about optional drop-in Q&A sessions scheduled twice monthly via Zoom. These sessions are hosted by HR generalists and provide an opportunity for new hires to ask questions and get support from HR in real time to aid them in their onboarding process.

Occasionally, it is necessary to make changes to a timesheet that has already been approved. Please review "What happens if I forgot to submit my timesheet?" in the timekeeping section of the HR website for details on how to submit a correction.

UC Retirement Plan

  • If your offer letter states that you are covered by PPSM or Teamsters Local 2010 - CX and are eligible for full benefits, make your retirement choice selection within 90 days of your start date. 
  • If your offer letter states that you are covered by any other bargaining unit and are eligible for full benefits, you are automatically enrolled in the 2013 Tier of the pension plan upon date of hire. Please see Benefits Welcome Kit for Represented Employees for further details.
  • If your offer letter states that you are eligible for mid-level, core or no benefits, you are not eligible for a primary retirement program. UC offers Safe Harbor, a defined contribution plan, which requires your participation.
  • To elect your beneficiaries for all primary retirement plans, go to UCRAYS. Access to UCRAYS may take 2-3 weeks from your date of hire.
  • If you're a member of both the University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP) and the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), you may become vested sooner or be able to retire with a higher benefit than if you were a member of just one plan.  This is referred to as reciprocity.
    • To take advantage of these benefits, you'll need to establish reciprocity between the two plans.
    • Please review the Reciprocity Fact Sheet to see how reciprocity works, who is eligible and how to establish it. You may also contact 888-CALPERS or the CalPERS website

Voluntary Retirement Plan

  • The Voluntary UC Retirement Savings Program offers several convenient, tax-advantaged ways to save for retirement.
  • Attend a live voluntary savings plans webinar with Fidelity to learn more and get answers to your retirement questions.

Telework

  • UCSF supports flexibility and ongoing telework for job duties that can be done remotely, integrating ongoing telework with a combination of onsite work, as part of the way the University does business.
  • For more information about telework policies and procedures, please visit the Telework website.

Ergonomic resources

  • UCSF's ergonomics program is committed to improving employee safety by providing risk reduction solutions and educational resources to prevent workplace injuries.
  • Health staff can find more information and request an evaluation through the UCSF Health Ergonomics website.
  • Campus staff and academic employees can find more information and request an evaluation through the UCSF Ergonomics & Human Factors website.

 

As an employee of the University of California, you are automatically covered by workers compensation benefits if you sustain a work-related injury or illness.

If secondary to an injury you require medications, the University of California and Sedgwick have selected Helios as their workers’ compensation pharmacy benefit network (PBN). This plan provides that drugs (and other services) prescribed for treating your work injury can be obtained only from providers specified in your plan network. 

Visit the workers' compensation website for more information.

 

Commuter benefits can add up to some serious tax savings. Commuter benefits allow UCSF employees to set aside tax-free money to pay for eligible commuting expenses like public transit and parking.

New employees: Please note that it may take up to six weeks from your hire date for Edenred to recognize you as eligible to register in the system.

For information on how to enroll, visit tiny.ucsf.edu/pretaxsavings.

 

Paid time off (PTO) for policy-covered employees

  • Members of the Professional and Senior Staff (PSS) personnel program participate in the UCSF Health Paid Time Off program. You will accrue paid time off (PTO) and extended sick time based on your type of appointment, number of hours on pay status, and years of qualifying service. You will earn days of PTO based on your personnel program:
    • Professional and Senior Staff (PSS) — (21) days of PTO per year (prorated if less than 100%) in quadra-weekly increments, with an annual payout for hours in excess of 75% of the maximum accrual balance every December.
    • Management and Senior Professional (MSP) — (24) days of PTO per year (prorated if less than 100%) in quadra-weekly increments, with an annual payout for hours in excess of 75% of the maximum accrual balance every December.
  • You will earn approximately six days of extended sick time per year (prorated if less than 100%), which generally can be used after three consecutive shifts of unplanned sick time. You will also be eligible for 14 University paid holidays each year.
  • For additional information, review the UCSF Medical Center paid time off (PTO) policy within your first week of employment when you have MyAccess credentials. If prompted, use sit key code: UCSFMedCen.

Vacation/sick leave time off for represented employees

Additional information is also referenced in this article on vacation, sick and/or PTO.

The University understands and appreciates that employees require time away from work for a variety of reasons. To that end, the University provides a full array of time-off policies to help eligible employees integrate work and personal obligations. Your appointment percentage and length of appointment determine your eligibility for sick pay, vacation pay and legal holidays. 

Additional information for campus staff is also referenced in this article on vacation, sick and/or PTO.

 

Employees appointed to a staff career position — with the exception of Manager and Senior Professionals (MSP) and Senior Management Group (SMG) employees — generally serve a probationary period of six months. Time in either a per diem/limited appointment directly preceding a career appointment or time on leave may affect the length of an employee’s probationary period. During the probationary period, an employee may be released at the sole discretion of the University.

The probationary period ensures that new employees have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform the job.

Employee steps

  1. At the beginning of your employment:
    • Review and sign the Job Description/Employee Requisition Form (JD/ERF).
    • Discuss performance goals, expectations and metrics with your supervisor.
    • Ask questions to ensure that you understand your role and responsibilities.
  2. Consult with your supervisor on an ongoing basis regarding your performance.

Relevant probationary period policies, guidelines and collective bargaining agreements