An Administrator's Guide to California Private School Law

Chapter 5 – Employee Evaluations

After the employee applies for unemployment, the EDD will provide the school with notice that a claim was filed. 473 In the notice, the EDD will document the reason the individual is no longer working. Within ten days of EDD’s mailing of the notice, the school may submit to EDD any facts that may affect the former employee’s eligibility for benefits. 474 This would include information stating that the former employee engaged in misconduct. To obtain more information, the EDD may also follow-up with separate telephone interviews with the school and the former employee. 475 If the EDD grants the request for unemployment insurance benefits and the school disagrees with the determination, the school may appeal. The EDD will review the appeal and if it decides the decision is correct according to state law and regulation, the EDD will send the school a notice that the appeal has been sent to the Office of Appeals. From there, the Office of Appeals will schedule a hearing and send the school and the individual information about the hearing. Employers with 10 or more employees must file all documents with EDD using their electronic E-File system, and also must remit contributions for unemployment insurance taxes via electronic funds transfer. 476 LCW Practice Advisor Religious schools may not be subject to the State’s unemployment insurance program. 477 Section 1 I NTRODUCTION Performance evaluations are a critical management and professional development tool for supervisors and schools. They impact all aspects of employment. Performance evaluations are important in three primary ways: First, they are an important tool for managing employee performance through communication. Performance evaluations are a method of communicating with employees, both to recognize good performance and to identify performance deficiencies. They are a powerful means of communicating the school’s values, standards, job expectations, and requirements. Employees have been shown to perform best when they receive regular and positive reinforcement for their good work and when they are alerted, as early as possible, about any performance deficiencies. It is important to remember that praising an employee’s good work can be highly motivating. Although formal evaluations are typically given once a year, the evaluation process should be ongoing and supervisors should monitor, evaluate and give employees feedback throughout the year. Classroom observations of faculty should be conducted on a periodic basis. This assists employees in understanding strengths to build on and areas to improve. Supervisors should discuss and document areas of performance deficiencies as they are observed and not wait until the annual evaluation. The documentation should not only be in the form of notes kept by the supervisor, but also a written document should be given to the employee identifying the C HAPTER 5 – E MPLOYEE E VALUATIONS

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