No Negativity Here!

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Hi all! Had an interesting email today about midyear appraisals and how being negative can get you a needs improvement rating. Has any one else had this or is it just our AP area? I would be really interested to hear how negativity is rated/scored and if there are guidelines outlining what being negative actually is.

Oh interesting. I don't know, but I can give a whirl and see what happens. I do think that political/union action could be more inventive. Strikes are costly to the individual and get workedaround. A collective undertaking to "be negative in appraisals" might make a point and be actually quite empowering.

I'm just concerned that this is just another passive/aggressive email. I don't really get how negativity can be judged against personal standards. If the union were involved in setting the bench mark then where do I find the criteria?

With the new proposed pay structure (year 3) I wonder if a negative would = no pay rise???

But if you were top of the pay scale would you get one anyway...?

I'm not sure from my understanding year 3 structure lacks content. Who knows and that would make me apprehensive for voting for it but that is easy for me to say as a temp. The reality as a contract member of staff is I would probably bite their hand off. x

They have already been trying to link appraisals to pay! Last year I didn't receive my increment and when I queried this, was told that it was because I had received a 'needs improvement' on my appraisal! I asked for a copy of the policy which says a needs improvement score leads to withholding of an increment and Shared Services said I would have to ask the employer. Put it this way, my LDU head knew nothing of the sort and nor did any other manager I spoke to. I eventually got my increment because it transpired that the score had been entered in error anyway (I should think so!) but something very fishy was going on.

That’s appalling the Service are breaching policies.

I know someone who refuses to do them altogether.

Can you refuse to do them?

You can refuse to participate in the process. It doesn't help you but, technically, unless they can show how you can improve *other* than not being negative about the process, they cannot just say Needs Improvement. A Needs Improvement requires them to provide actual steps needing to be taken to show improvement, either through Line Management work or via the Performance Improvement process. Things like extra training, improved work, etc. The real problem is that there is a government "policy" that no more than 15% maximum of your workforce can get Excellent and no more than 15% can get Needs Improvement. If you exceed either, then an outside person/group has to come and see what the Line Manager is doing wrong. So, even if everyone is doing fine and no one "needs improvement", management will try to find some way to get some people onto Needs Improvement. Whole thing is ridiculous.

Culture of fear. Their ruthless efficiency is an abject illusion. The phones were down in my NPS office today because the bill hadn't been paid. The creaking weight of the bureaucracy of this is giving way, but terrified middle managers are trying to keep the show on the road.

Yes I got my first need to improve after 16 years!! Apparently I had too many complaints you couldn’t make it up!

That happened to one of our people here in Xxxxxxxxx as well - nothing official about the complaints and no suggestion of how to improve... Just making up the numbers.

I thought it sounded a bit fishy. I get the feeling if you are too negative it’s twisted around...

They need to show that negativity is affecting the qualify of your work and they rarely can. They just need something to move people out of Good or even Excellent because the numbers have to work out.

We always say in our office that the more complaints you get (from offenders), the more efficiently you’re doing your job!!

Yes I’ve heard that too.

And what about if you a trade union rep and are highlighting issues of concern?

Negativity it seems is being anti-corporate and standing up for TU rights.

I’m confused. Where does it say in the appraisal policy that you have to have 15% of staff needing improvement? I know that only so many people can have excellent but apart from that, everyone should be in good unless there are capability issues. I’ve never heard of anyone getting needs improvement.

I was shocked by the above suggestion and as an SPO have never been told to do this and as such I spoke with HR regarding this. This is an old myth that is not based on fact. There is no policy/guidance/suggestion/nudge from ACO anywhere that no more than 15% can get outstanding or needs improvement. It is not a policy or practice within any civil service department and definitely not in the NPS. The figure may reflect the general distribution of ratings across the organisation given that you will always have lower figures at the extremes of an assessment, but it is not pre-determined or driven by any policy. Hope that helps.

Thanks. Hopefully that applies to the needs improvement rating as well ie there’s no pressure on managers to have 15% in this category either.

Especially not!! Having a needs improvement is not something any manager I know enjoys giving or ever wants to give. There are no targets when it comes to SPDRs (other than they need competing.

It must vary from area to area - so much for consistency? Whilst absolutely not, no-one in my area is pressured to have a specific % as outstanding or needs improvement, we are advised this is the anticipated distribution of scoring and when we meet to discuss our provisional scores, they are compared to the expected distribution. And within my own area, roughly that proportion are assessed as outstanding or needs improvement.

Scary stuff.

What do you make of my comment above in my reply to Xxxxx? I not only (erroneously) got a Needs Improvement but SS withheld my increment because of it!

Bloody hell that’s shocking. It is in our existing terms and conditions that increments can be withheld if you are on capability but I’ve never come across it being used and there’s a long process to get to that point. Nothing SSCL does surprises me glad it was sorted for you. 

I know! Not only was I not on capability but I was on maternity leave when the SPDR rating was applied - which is contra policy because all staff on maternity leave must be given a notional 'good' rating!

Can we ask for something in writing from the NPS about what constitutes negativity? What are the 'criteria' for being assessed as being 'negative' by our employers?

I think it’s called the Thought Police. Orwell wasn’t far off! Just a little premature! My whole team should need improvement if that’s the case! Appraisals are total nonsense!

I’ve just seen this thread - my concern is that negativity or “an attitude that is not hopeful or enthusiastic” is just that - an attitude! Apart from the fact that it seems attitudes and emotions are now being policed! It could then be used to control a worker who is criticising NPS bureaucracy - i.e it’s over complicated excessive procedures - being an active Napo member; or being fed up with high caseloads etc.