Penn bookstore employees are preparing for the July 1 transition, when Barnes & Noble assumes management of the University's bookstore.

Barnes & Noble completed the process of interviewing current bookstore employees and has offered transfer opportunities to 40 employees. The 16 employees who will not transfer to Barnes & Noble have begun to receive services under the University's Position Discontinuation and Staff Transition Policy (PDST). The policy provides for both inplacement and outplacement services, pay continuation, and continuation of specific benefits to those eligible employees whose positions are eliminated as a result of administrative restructuring.

"We realize that this transition has been difficult for our employees, who are understandably concerned about their future employment," said Executive Vice President John Fry. "Much has been done and will continue to be done to support bookstore employees with the goal of helping the staff find employment opportunities, whether with Barnes & Noble, elsewhere in the University, or outside the University."

Prior to the Barnes & Noble interviews last month, bookstore employees were offered the opportunity to attend three résumé-development and interviewing-skills workshops conducted by the Division of Human Resources.

In addition, they were provided with information about Barnes & Noble, and other material pertinent to the interviewing process.

Staff members offered transfer opportunities with Barnes & Noble were given until the end of the day Friday, June 14, to decide if they intended to accept the position. They were provided with detailed information regarding benefits and employment provisions at a session with Barnes & Noble and Penn's human-resources staff. The following are highlights of the benefits and services being offered to staff transferring to Barnes & Noble:

* The staff member's current rate of pay plus a 3-percent increase;

* The staff member's pay will be increased on a one-time basis to offset certain required expenses, such as contributions toward medical insurance, additional life insurance, pension contributions and long-term disability;

* Annual vacation time equal to each staff member's current eligibility or the Barnes & Noble schedule, whichever is greater;

* Participation in the Barnes & Noble 401(k) plan; Barnes & Noble will vest each individual with his/her current years of service at Penn;

* Barnes & Noble will waive any pre-existing conditions for eligibility in its medical and dental plans;

* Current University bookstore staff who transfer to Barnes & Noble on July 1 will be eligible for tuition reimbursement for up to a maximum of four years for dependent children and staff who enroll in a degree program while they are employed at Barnes & Noble at Penn;

* Library access and borrowing privileges will be extended for one year at a time for up to two years;

* Penn's recreation services will be extended for current employees transferring to Barnes & Noble, at the employee's cost, as long as those individuals remain employed by Barnes & Noble at Penn;

* Permit parking will continue for current employees transferring to Barnes & Noble;

* Bookstore staff currently using Penn's Guaranteed Mortgage Program will continue in that program;

* Penn's credit-union services will be extended for all bookstore employees.

The University worked closely with Barnes & Noble to develop an attractive, market-competitive salary, benefits and employment package for those employees offered opportunities with Barnes & Noble, according to Fry.

"Barnes & Noble's willingness to recognize and accommodate some of the unique concerns of our employees demonstrates again that they are a first-class employer," Fry said. "This is one of the main reasons we chose them as our partner in this venture."

Both inplacement and outplacement services were immediately made available to those employees not offered opportunities with Barnes & Noble, according to Clint Davidson, vice president for human resources. As part of the inplacement function, several members of the human-resources staff have been working with employees; specifically, they hope to identify positions on campus where the employees' skills and exerience can be utilized. The employees have been referred for more than 30 opportunities, Davidson said. Several interviews have already taken place, and others are scheduled over the next few weeks.

Outplacement services are being offered by Career Concepts, a Conshohocken, Pa.-based career consulting and placement firm. The agency has already conducted two half-day sessions at its Center City offices. Penn provided transportation and flexible release time for appointments and interviews. The Career Concepts program for Penn employees includes career assessment, résumé development, individual consulting sessions, weekly strategy meetings, interviewing techniques, and access to computers, fax and other administrative support services.

"Our goal is to produce results that will place our people in the positions best suited for their individual needs," Davidson said. "We are hopeful that by July 1 most will have identified the right opportunity.

"Our efforts all along have been geared towards supporting our employees as much as possible through this transition," he added. "Our employees are a valued resource, and we want to do everything possible to help them succeed."

Return to Compass Features for June 18, 1996