Work-Life

2010 UK@Work Survey Results

Watch the Town Hall Meeting on the Survey Results

Presented by UK Work-Life Director Robynn Pease on October 14, 2011

A University Initiative

In October 2010, the University of Kentucky conducted the second UK@Work survey of all regular full-time employees. Nearly 8,000 staff and faculty completed the survey, which features questions related to the University's work environment, support for work-life, benefits and leadership. Much of the focus of this report is on comparisons of the 2010 survey with the original UK@Work survey conducted in 2005-06. The UK@Work survey is unique in providing virtually all employees a forum to provide feedback to our institution on a periodic basis.

Since the survey was conducted, the UK Office of Work-Life has worked systematically to present individual colleges and major business units with aggregrate survey results for their respective areas. This process has culminated with the release of University-wide data included in this report, along with next steps including initiatives designed to address major areas of opportunity.

Navigating Survey Results

The navigation menu at right highlights the organization of this report by major subject areas of the UK@Work survey.

Background

To understand work-life effectiveness within the organization, our survey considers various aspects of the culture, including the work environment, employee ability to manage work and life responsibilities, work-life policies and practices, and employee commitment and retention. In 2002, President Lee Todd appointed a UK Work-Life Task Force resulting from recommendations put forth by the President’s Commission on Women to examine work-life effectiveness at UK. The Work-Life Task Force, comprised of representative constituents across the campus community developed recommendations, one of which included:

  • Identify and implement an assessment tool…to be used to establish a baseline and provide an on-going evaluation of work-life activities.

The first UK@Work Work-Life Survey was administered in 2005-06, providing a foundation for subsequent assessments of the University of Kentucky as an employer of choice with a work-life supportive culture.  Results measure progress in certain key areas: work environment and culture, quality of work–life and work life effectiveness, and employee engagement. The results revealed strengths that bolster UK’s reputation as an employer of choice.  The original survey also highlighted areas of opportunities for developing university-wide, long-term strategies to enhance UK’s work-life supportive culture. Feedback provided on the recent 2010 survey will help us continue to strengthen and refine the ongoing effort to continually improve our work environment for all staff and faculty.

The Significance of the UK@Work-Life Survey

In pursuit of its Top 20 vision, the University of Kentucky must continually strive to understand the workplace factors that attract and retain the most talented individuals at UK and contribute to their satisfaction, motivation and effectiveness. This understanding will provide for the implementation of innovative workplace strategies designed to building a supportive and flexible work environment where faculty and staff are recognized as whole persons, so that they feel included, respected and valued. Addressing work-life issues to help faculty and staff accomplish success within and outside the University is a fundamental approach of achieving organizational excellence, bolstering UK’s reputation as an employer of choice.

Moreover, regular assessments of the work-life culture provide a foundation for an integrated university-wide work-life strategy. The work-life culture is important because research reveals links to employee productivity, discretionary effort, job satisfaction, engagement and commitment, and customer/patient satisfaction. Addressing faculty and staff work-life issues as an employer of choice is an essential strategy for realizing UK's Top 20 Business Plan and Strategic Plan goals.

Acknowledgments

The following groups and individuals were instrumental in the administration and analysis of the second campus-wide survey:

  • The Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness, especially Dr. Roger Sugarman, Planning and Assessment Director; Dr. Helena Truszczynska, Statistician; and Amy Messer, Principal Administrative Research Assistant.

  • Human Resources, particularly Mary Ferlan, HR Operations Director; John Buzzard, HR Communications Director; Robynn Pease, Director, Work-Life; Melanie Justice, Work-Life Administrative Support; Terri Kanatzar, Elder Care Manager; Terri Weber, Elder Care Specialist; Ann Bassoni, Work+Life Connections Coordinator.

  • The Institute of Workplace Innovation, especially Dr. Jennifer Swanberg, Executive Director; Dr. Meredith Lepley, Research Associate; and Nick Coomer, Research Assistant.

  • Work-Life Advisory Council members, including the outgoing Chair, Dr. Lori Gonzalez, former Dean of the College of Health Sciences, for providing input on the 2010 Work-Life Survey, outreach and action steps. Special thanks to the new chair, Dr. Dan O’Hair,  Dean for the College of Communications and Information, for spearheading new Work-Life initiatives. 

  • Campus Units and Organizations, such as Facilities Management, University Senate and Staff Senate for assisting with outreach. Special thanks to Charlotte Blakeman for organizing the distribution of surveys to employees of Facilities Management.

  • UK Leadership, including Connie Ray, former Vice President of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness, Kimberly Wilson, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, and Executive Vice President Frank Butler for their continued commitment to work-life effectiveness. We are grateful to past President Lee Todd who supported the vision for Work-Life at the University of Kentucky  by establishing  Office of Work-Life in 2004, implementing the 2005-06 Work-Life Survey and subsequent work-life initiatives.

Survey Methodology>>