20
April
2023
|
14:55 PM
America/Chicago

The End of PACE: Major Changes in Performance Evaluation Process for all Employees

NewsIn listening sessions with our leaders and employees, we’ve consistently heard for years about the need for a more consistent, equitable and practical performance review process for our health care system.

We are excited to share with you major changes regarding our performance evaluation process.

After nearly 30 years, Cook Children’s will no longer use the PACE system for performance reviews.

Why? Cook Children’s is moving to Workday for the system’s HR platform and the timing of its launch this summer, along with Pace’s very dated system, demanded a change for the better.

We engaged with leaders from across the system to determine what was desired in a new performance evaluation format and a new system is being designed and created as we write.

A new performance evaluation review system will launch in the fall of 2024 (fiscal year 2025) and every employee will receive a performance review at the same time each year going forward.

By moving to the same evaluation time period, every employee will be able to have their performance linked to and measured against the same fiscal year system goals and initiatives.

As soon as it is ready to roll out, we will provide you with more information on the new performance review system when it is built and ready for implementation.

In the meantime, here’s what you need to know:

  • April 7, 2023 was the LAST day a PACE review launched in the system.
  • May 26, 2023: This is the deadline to submit all PACE paperwork to Human Resources for any employee who has an outstanding PACE review which has already launched (April 7,2023 or before).
  •  June 2, 2023: The PACE system ends and is turned off. Cook Children’s will no longer use the PACE system for performance reviews.
  • Other than the PACE reviews which have already launched (April 7, 2023 or prior), no performance review paperwork will be due to HR until some time in the fall of 2024 (exact date TBD).
  • Direct supervisors should still have a performance conversation with every direct report on their anniversary date and/or as needed until the new system launches in the fall of 2024 (fiscal year 2025). Please document these conversations in your own files and keep records of visits, thoughts on performances, opportunities for improvements, etc.
  • Leaders should ensure all of their employees complete their annual education and occupational health requirements, but it will not hold up the employee’s increase. Remember we still have Joint Commission requirements to meet!
  • Every employee will receive 100% of the budgeted merit increase, as long as the employee is in good standing (satisfactory job performance and no final written warnings in the past 12 months) in order to receive an increase, for each of their anniversary dates during fiscal year 2024 and until the new system launches some time in fiscal year 2025, i.e. 5% or 3%. In other words, every employee will receive the full 5% or 3% of their merit increase or cash merit over the next approximately 18 months.
  • Fall 2024 (Date: TBD): All employees will receive a focal point performance evaluation in the new performance and development system. This will be much like a touch-base/check-in conversation.
  • Fiscal Year 2025 and beyond:  Every employee will have a performance review at the same time each year going forward in the new, to-be-named performance and development system. The exact timeframe is TBD.
  • For employees in the same job code/role, this timeline will allow for leaders to evaluate and measure performance in a more equitable fashion. In addition, the top performers in each role will be more easily and fairly identified and rewarded and recognized accordingly.

We hope this is clear and is good news for you. Perhaps this will free you up to spend more quality time connecting and having meaningful conversations with your team members.

Stay tuned for more details about the new system as details and features are finalized.

No surprise, there will be plenty of training and resources available to you when the new system is ready to go live.

If you have any questions about this topic, please email CCcompensation@cookchildrens.org. 

Thank you for all you do!

FAQ
  • Question: Are we responsible for ALL PACE reviews that have launched prior to April 7?  So – those due in May and June? If so, does this mean we need to get those done ASAP to meet the May 26 deadline?
    • Answer:  Yes, that is correct.  Everything currently in PACE needs to be completed by May 26.
  • Question about the new Performance Evaluation Process: If an employee PACE has already launched and their review is not officially until June and July. Do we need to complete those early in PACE before the deadline of May 26th, 2023?
    • Answer:  Yes
  • Question: My annual review is usually in late July. So mine has not launched yet for 2023. I did read that all anniversaries in FY2024 will result in 100% of the merit raise (5% or 3%), but I am curious about my 2023 annual review?
    • Answer:  Any review due from July 8 through September 30th will receive the budgeted 5% merit increase on their anniversary date. 
  • Question: So that I can be clear. If I have an employee with a PACE date in August, they will not have a PACE this year and will not receive their merit increase in August. They will receive it sometime over the next 18 months, Is that correct? So Jan –July PACES receive their merit this year but later than that will be delayed. Am I understanding that correctly? I just want to ensure I can properly speak to questions that will be asked.
    • Answer:  They will not receive a PACE evaluation but they will receive the 5% merit increase on their August anniversary date.
  • Question: My hire date was April 30. I was promoted and PACE date was changed to August which I never really understood why but it pushed it out so there was a gap there of an extra 4 months, so 16 months to my PACE. My question is am I due for my next rate increase by April 30 or August? It said anniversary date, so I’m thinking it is April.
    • Answer: When you received your promotion, part of that was a pro-rated increase so you have a new review date in August.  So you would receive a 12 month evaluation in August.
  • Question: I have an employee whose anniversary date is in February, but her PACE would have been due in August of this year. Would she receive a merit increase in August 2023 or February 2024?
    • Answer:  It will be due based on the review date in Lawson so it sounds like August based on this information. 
  • Question: I have an employee who was launched April 4, 2023, that has not picked her reviewers yet, so no evaluations have gone out. I am not sure all will be completed by 5/26/23. Is that just for the Pace portion, her evaluation is due July 1, would she still have through June to complete her Ulearn courses?
    • Answer:  We are strongly encouraging everyone to complete all parts of their evaluation by May 26.  The merit increase would be processed on the review date.
  • Question: I have 2 employees who are in the PACE process now. I’m glad that I will finish them up before the PACE deadline. But, if no review paperwork will be turned in to HR until Fall 2024, how will we document that our employees with later anniversary dates deserve a 3% or a 5% increase during the interim?
    • Answer:  Any employee who has currently launched in PACE needs to be completed by May 26 and all usual documentation must be submitted to HR.  Only those in the go forward, (not launched yet) will not submit documentation. 
  • Queston: The update about pace evaluations does not address the plan for the remainder of 2023. Are you able to address this so that I can respond to employee questions? 
    • Answer:  Evaluations that are due from July 8 through September 30 will receive the 5% budgeted merit increase on their review date.
  • Question: Can you tell me the rate of the merit increase for the remainder of the 2023 year? Is it 5% or 3% -- I was confused the way it was written.
    • Answer:  For the reminder of FY 23, so through Sept. 30 it will be 5%.
  • Question 1: If an employee has outstanding competencies or occ health requirements for their PACE on May26th. What happens at this point?
  • Question 2:  This may be more of an employee relations question-with some of the built-in accountability removed from the process for employees to complete competencies and other annual requirements, should employees that fall behind be put through the corrective action process at that point?
    • Answer(s) to Questions 1 and 2:  These decisions are outstanding.  Every effort needs to be made to have everything completed by May 26.