Employee Workforce Groups FAQs

A: UAB is a complex organization with diverse responsibilities among its 26,000 employees, so it is necessary that some policies, processes, programs and benefits apply differently to various entities and academic/administrative and clinical business lines. This complexity creates challenges for Human Resources communications that can be confusing or unclear to some employees and units.

A: Examples where communications may be different among workgroups include timing and scope of merit increases, eligibility for certain compensation programs such as the Sharing in Success gainsharing program, performance evaluation timelines and systems, and engagement survey timing and eligibility.

A: The workgroup system was developed based on faculty and staff feedback to enhance clarity and ease of Human Resources communication. Additional feedback received since the workgroup process launched indicated that Human Resources communications could be further clarified with the addition of an all-faculty workgroup (i.e., Workgroup F).

A: Your workgroup assignment (i.e., A, C or F) is different from your weather group assignment (i.e., red, yellow or green). Weather groups are only used to provide guidance when parts of the institution close due to weather-related events. Workgroup assignments cover more areas. Information regarding weather groups can be found at uab.edu/emergency/weather, and workgroup information will be available at uab.edu/hr/wfgroup no later than July 1.

A: The systems are intended to be separate. However, because members of the yellow weather group may or may not work during a closing depending on the circumstances, units with yellow weather group members must create criteria to decide who works and who doesn’t during a closing. While the workgroup and weather group systems are separate, an individual unit administrator/manager may choose to unofficially reference workgroup assignments as their secondary criteria to guide decisions for their yellow weather group during closings.

A: There was an attempt to have a single group assignment address both, but the criteria for workgroup and weather group assignments did not align in a way that could work. As a result, separate systems became necessary

A: To provide clarification about which policies apply to UAB employees relative to their academic/administrative/clinical affiliation, UAB has assigned faculty and staff to one of three workgroups: Workgroup A (Academic), Workgroup C (Clinical) and Workgroup F (Faculty).

A: Each UAB faculty and staff member is assigned to one of three workgroups:

A: Employees will be able to check their workgroup designation on the Human Resources website at uab.edu/hr/wfgroup no later than July 1.

A: If you believe you have been assigned to the incorrect workgroup, please discuss with your immediate supervisor. If you need additional assistance, email CHRO@uab.edu or talk with your Human Resources contact.