3440 - Compensation of Classified Employees

CONTENTS:

A. General Policy
B. Authority for Establishing Compensation Policy for UI Classified Employees
C. Administration of UI Compensation Plan
D. Salary Increases
E. Compensation for Night Work
F. Additional Compensation for Classified Staff for Secondary Work Assignments
G. Questions About Salary Equity
H. Voluntary Salary Reductions

A. GENERAL POLICY.

A-1. The University of Idaho seeks to provide a high level of responsive service in meeting the needs of students, faculty and staff and the general public. To accomplish this mission, it is the policy of the University of Idaho to provide a total compensation system that attracts and retains employees. Recognizing and rewarding employees for performance in the achievement of service delivery goals and objectives through a market-based salary model is the foundation of this system. This policy addresses only the salary component of the university’s total compensation system as it relates to staff employees; it does not address other components, such as health insurance and retirement plans.

A-2. Compensation practices should be consistent throughout the university, yet flexible to adapt to specific needs. To this end, employees are compensated according to a base pay salary structure based on market salary data and weighted factors for 1) education beyond the minimum required for the position, 2) prior experience substantively similar to the position, 3) time in service, and 4) time in responsibility. Together with market salary data, these weighted factors produce a target salary. Actual salary may differ from target salary due to performance or budget constraints.

A-3. The University of Idaho seeks to pay competitive job market average salaries and intends that classified employees with performance evaluations of “meets/exceeds requirements” should expect to advance according to the base pay salary structure.

B. AUTHORITY FOR ESTABLISHING COMPENSATION POLICY FOR UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO STAFF EMPLOYEES. Salary and wage increases for University of Idaho classified employees are made in conformity with state legislation. An annual plan is established by the president in accordance with guidelines issued by the Board of Regents. RGP V.B.1. Initial appointments, promotions, classifications and pay, and other matters related to classified employees, are the responsibility of the president or designee. Oversight of the University of Idaho staff personnel system is within the administrative area of the Division of Finance and Administration which reports to the Vice President for Finance and Administration.

C. ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO COMPENSATION PLAN. The senior Human Resources (HR) executive is responsible for maintaining the compensation plan for UI classified employees in conformity with Board of Regents’ policy. For information on the base pay salary structure, see the HR website.

D. SALARY INCREASES. While employees should expect to advance in salary based upon satisfactory performance and increases in the target salary, advancement is within the discretion of the university. Such advancements are considered as part of the overall UI budget-setting process and are effective at the beginning of the fiscal year. An employee may advance within the salary range only if they meet the satisfactory requirements on a documented performance evaluation on file in HR. Normally, an employee receives only one salary increase per year for satisfactory performance.

Changes in employee compensation are considered annually by the legislature. Salary adjustments reflecting some or all of the following factors may be approved and implemented in accordance with guidelines for UI classified salary adjustments issued annually by the president:

D-1. Changes in the cost of living.

D-2. Fluctuations in the market cost of different types of labor, which are reflected in adjustments to position market rates and employee target salaries.

D-3. Equity.

D-4. Merit increases based on individual employee performance as documented by written performance evaluation on file in HR. Classified employees who are in their hiring probationary status may be recommended for merit increases at the discretion of the unit administrator with the approval of the dean or director.

E. COMPENSATION FOR NIGHT WORK. A full-time classified employee whose work schedule requires at least 50 % of the scheduled working hours during a given pay period to be performed between the hours of 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. is paid an additional shift differential of 5 % of the employee's hourly rate.

F. ADDITIONAL PAY FOR STAFF FOR SECONDARY WORK ASSIGNMENTS

F-1.Classified staff additional appointments. Classified staff must be paid overtime for any work that results in the employee working over 40 hours per week, including a secondary work assignment that is not within the current job description and is outside the scope of the primary appointment and classification. The secondary work assignment must be performed on a temporary basis beyond the regularly scheduled work week, and be limited in scope (for example, if a senior programmer teaches a special course on a one-time basis; or if an administrative support staff provides assistance one weekend with a special research project in another unit or college). Per federal law, classified employees must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for each hour that is worked over 40 hours per week. The secondary hiring authority may not offer compensatory time in lieu of cash payment of overtime. The secondary hiring authority is responsible for tracking the hours the employee has worked and coordinating with the primary hiring authority for processing the employee’s pay via a timesheet.

F-2. Exempt staff. The president or designee can authorize payments in addition to regular salary and these must be reported to the regents in a semi-annual report. See RGP II.C.4., RGP II.F.2., RGP II.G.2. Deans and other administrative officers are responsible for ensuring that required approvals have been granted for employees receiving additional compensation for service that is not part of the employee's position description. See the HR website for additional compensation procedures.

F-3. Staff temporarily working at a higher market rate. Supervisors may request a temporary salary increase in pay for classified staff, or additional compensation for exempt staff temporarily performing duties at a higher level than their current permanent position. See the HR website for pay at a higher market rate procedures.

G. QUESTIONS ABOUT SALARY EQUITY. An employee who believes that their compensation is not equitable should first consult with their supervisor, and then with the unit administrator or the senior HR Executive or both. In certain situations, the employee also has recourse to the Office of Civil Rights and Investigations or grievance procedure for staff employees. See 3210 A and 3860 A.

H. VOLUNTARY SALARY REDUCTIONS. Individual requests to reduce one’s salary or to reject an increased salary adjustment are discouraged. Should employees make such a request, they must provide a clearly stated reason and the reduction must be approved by the president.

Version History

Amended July 2024 Revised to align with market-based compensation system. Previous language was based on the previous pay grade system. The primary compensation principles remain intact.

Amended July 2021. Editorial changes.

Amended July 2009. Editorial changes to C and H.

Amended July 2008. The policy was revised to remove reference to classified exempt no longer used at the university.

Amended January 2005. Section G was rewritten to create sections G & H, and H became section I.

Amended July 2003. Revised A-3, A-4, B, C, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-7, C-8, and H. Editorial changes to F.

Amended July 2002. Revised C, C-1, C-2, C-3, and C-5. Editorial changes to C-7, D-2, F and H.

Amended July 1994.

Adopted 1979.