UCAR > Communications > Staff Notes Monthly > July 2001 Search


July 2001

Delphi Questions: Bottled water, supervisor evaluations

Question #473 (received 25 April):

After years of hearing "Think globally, act locally," I ponder the label on the NCAR-labeled water sold in the cafeterias.

Ingredients: Purified Water purified by Reverse Osmosis or Deionization. Distributed under the auspices of Purified Products International, Phoenix, AZ.

At first glance, it appears to me that the water is shipped up from Arizona. If this is the case, it seems ironic, since the water originated in Colorado and was then shipped back to Colorado. I wonder how much diesel fuel is consumed to ship water from Arizona to Colorado? With Eldorado Springs just minutes from Boulder, it seems to me that it would be more environmentally sound to buy our NCAR-labeled water from them.

Response (1 June):

Several years ago, NCAR Food Services felt that there would be interest if we provided a good quality bottled water and even more if we could get our own label on the bottle. We checked far and wide as well as locally and determined the best value was the company we are still using. Not only are these bottles recyclable, they are also reusable and have the sport top as well as a waterproof label. In addition, the water is purified.

We could not get this combination from any other vendor and the price was also the lowest. There are other vendors out there; we did a comparison earlier this year and determined that even the local ones do not meet our specs in one way or another. We also prefer to go with a purified product versus a naturally filtered one.

We appreciate the questions you have raised and assure you we will continue to look for the best products at the lowest cost with preferences given to local suppliers whenever possible. Thank you.

—Velma Ryan, manager
Meeting Rooms and Conferences,
Food Services and Special Functions

Question #476 (received 11 May):

Since it is time for annual performance reviews, I have several questions concerning the supervisor review forms. Many employees do not know they exist. My questions are:

(1) I do not recall receiving a form this past year. Is there a set schedule for these forms to be sent to subordinate staff and is it mandatory to do so (whether they are filled out and submitted or not)?

(2) Obviously, the completed form is sent to the next person up the ladder. What is the review process? Does it stay with the supervisor's boss and not go any higher? Does Human Resources [HR] review them?

(3) Is a negative response viewed as "disgruntled employee" venting or is there an attempt to look into the comments without having the employee resort to a formal grievance process? It seems logical that the supervisor's boss intervenes at this time and takes steps to alleviate an escalating situation.

Response (6 June):

The supervisor review process and the review forms are optional; UCAR policy does not require their use. Some groups within UCAR use the form; others do not. HR does not review the forms unless requested to do so. It is expected that the information is kept confidential unless the employee agrees otherwise.

Any time employees have comments (positive or negative) about their supervisor, they may certainly talk to their supervisor's boss (and are encouraged to do so). Yes, it would be logical and appropriate for the supervisor's boss to take steps to address any legitimate complaints. UCAR's problem resolution process suggests that employees first talk to their supervisor or to the next level of supervision, then to the division or program director. The written grievance process would only be used if the supervisor violated UCAR policy.

—Bob Roesch, director
Human Resources

Questions and suggestions from the staff to management may be submitted in confidence to the coordinator, Janet Evans (ext. 1114, ML room 517). They should be submitted in written form, preferably via interoffice mail in a sealed envelope marked confidential; they must be signed. Detailed procedures for submitting questions are given in the UCAR Policies and Procedures Manual, section 4-1-2. Questions and answers of general interest to staff are submitted to Staff Notes Monthly by Janet. They may be edited for publication. For more information, including links to questions and answers published in Staff Notes Monthly and a log of all questions submitted since 1995, see the Delphi Service Web page.

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UCAR > Communications > Staff Notes Monthly > July 2001 Search

Edited by Bob Henson, bhenson@ucar.edu
Prepared for the Web by Jacque Marshall
Last revised: Tue Jun 26 15:04:26 MDT 2001