MyAppraisal Boycott update
This is an update on the issue of UCL’s imposed “MyAppraisal” system for conducting appraisals, and our ongoing boycott of it.
At our last branch meeting of 10 April, an overwhelming majority of members present voted for the motion calling on members to boycott the “MyAppraisal” system, which has not been agreed with UCU or even consulted on.
UCL management and HR have been informed of the union’s objections, and branch officers met with UCL before Easter. We have requested further meetings to resolve this matter.
Several members have subsequently written to say that they have completed their appraisal using the old forms, but their line manager is unable to record this, and they continue to receive automated reminders to complete MyAppraisal.
Colleagues are understandably concerned that they might be denied the right to apply for promotion or additional increments.
We have written to UCL management to resolve this concern by simply asking for confirmation that appraisal completion is formally logged in the normal way in the department. The relevant policies for promotion and additional increments do not specify how appraisals are to be carried out.
In the meantime colleagues may continue to receive reminders generated by the MyAppraisal system, but if you have completed your appraisal with your line manager this should be more than sufficient.
Our advice remains not to complete your appraisal using the platform “MyAppraisal” if possible.
Reminder of Actions we are asking you to do:
- For all non-professorial staff, please use the relevant “old” online form. A complete set of the UCL agreed forms are archived on our website for staff to download. (Some forms were last updated less than a year ago.) When submitting the forms to your appraiser you may also include this UCU email.
- For professorial staff, the advice is to use “MyAppraisal” despite its problems. This is because there is no recent ‘old’ Appraisal form. The Professorial Appraisal Review (PAR) process has also been different from the standard appraisal scheme for more than a decade, it introduced a performance assessment element, and appraisals have been managed online for most of that time.
- For staff who have completed their appraisal on “MyAppraisal”, our advice is twofold. First, you should review whether your Appraisal Objectives are appropriate. Second, it is wise to ask your department to ensure your appraisal data will not be used by UCL for any new purposes except in tracking appraisal completion.
Where staff are at the top of UCL Grades 8 and 9 and in line for an additional increment, pay will not be affected by the appraisal mechanism. UCL has said in their most recent communication (3 April) that all staff except those within the capability or disciplinary processwill have the increment awarded.
The Appraisal window has now been extended until the end of May.
UCL UCU Executive Committee