Compensation and Salary Administration Guidelines For Administrative and Staff Positions

Compensation and Salary Administration Guidelines For Administrative and Staff Positions Florida International University is committed to providing a competitive compensation and salary administration program reflective of its mission and values. The compensation program is administered in accordance with Federal Wage and Hour Laws and other applicable governmental guidelines. In establishing target salaries, consideration is given to the market data and to the salaries of similar positions in the University. The purpose is to provide a total compensation program that will attract, retain and reward employees in accordance with their knowledge, education, experience and contributions to the University. The University compensates all employees on an equitable basis without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, disability, marital status, political opinions or affiliations, Vietnam or disabled veteran status, sexual orientation or age, except as provided by law. These salary guidelines outline the definitions used to administer the compensation program as the basis for pay decisions for Administrative and Staff employees at Florida International University. In-unit faculty salary determinations are guided by the UFF Collective Bargaining Agreement. Salary determination will take into account related job experience, educational background, comparable market data, and internal salary equity. All salary actions will be effective at the start of a pay period and should not be retroactive. A retroactive payment will be processed on an exceptional basis and departments are requested to contact Human Resources to discuss these exceptions. An employee s salary may not fall below the range minimum, unless the employee is serving in a trainee or provisional capacity as described in this document. The supervisor is responsible for communicating to the affected employee the results of an approved salary action including any adjustments to pay, title, job description, and/or the effective date of the change. Supervisors Responsibility Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their salary recommendations are consistent with compensation policies and practices, set in an equitable manner, and in accordance with Federal Wage and Hour laws and other applicable guidelines. The University s standard hours of operation are 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. For payroll purposes, the workweek is from, Friday to the following Thursday. Supervisors should ensure that accurate time records are maintained for the employees they supervise and that time is appropriately recorded in the Timesaver ADP Payroll System. For non-exempt employees, supervisors should also ensure that any accrued compensatory time is taken within 30 days of its accrual. Additionally, supervisors are responsible for adhering to the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) as it applies to these employees and for applying University compensation policies appropriately regarding hours worked and overtime. To access the FLSA guidelines, please click here. FLSA identifies two types of employees based on the following definitions: Non-exempt employees must be compensated for each hour worked. They must be paid at a rate of time and a half for hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek or given compensatory leave at time and a half in lieu of payment of overtime. Any compensatory time accrued must be used within 30 days of its accrual. Employees who have accrued compensatory time must use it prior to using accrued vacation time. Exempt employees are those employed in executive, administrative, or professional capacity and excluded from the requirements of the FLSA for overtime pay. Page 1

Salary Increases and Other Salary Actions Salary increases may be granted to current employees upon promotion to a higher position, reclassification of their current position, adjustments to the living wage, and other applicable increases. One time bonuses may be granted consistent with the University s policies, employee recognition awards, and other non-recurring awards approved by the legislature and/or the University. (Please refer to university policy.) Special pay increases may be granted without a change in the employee s current appointment status, position number, job code, and/or pay grade for the following reasons: Additional duties A substantial increase in the nature of regularly assigned duties resulting in a higher level of job complexity to an employee s position, without a change in title. Counter offer An employee may be granted a salary increase as an incentive not to accept a formal written employment offer from an outside organization at the discretion of the department administration and with approval from the Vice President of Human Resources. Retention An increase may be given to an employee if there is a reasonable, documented investment by the University in the employee, if the position is hard to fill, and if it is in the University s best interest to retain the employee. Salary compression An increase given to maintain the appropriate pay relationship between an employee and supervisor. There must be documented justification to substantiate such action. Sustained superior performance in accomplishment of specific goal or assignment OEA Salary Increase A salary increase granted to an employee who has demonstrated continuous outstanding performance and to recognize achievement of specific milestones. Performance based increases may be awarded upon the successful completion of an employee annual evaluation. Internal salary inequity An increase granted if documentation indicates that specific circumstances have resulted in an inequity and effect on the employee s salary in comparison with other employees salaries in the same job category. Across the Board An increase granted to a group of employees based on specific eligibility criteria. Other increases may be granted under special circumstances approved by the Vice President of Human Resources. All actions should be calculated and approved in accordance with the Salary Appointment Guidelines. (Please see page 4.) Exceptions to these guidelines may be considered for current employees by the application of an external test in relation to appropriate salary range. An external test is an analysis performed by the Recruitment Department (in collaboration with the Compensation Department) on internal employees being considered for a promotion and who have higher level skills and experience which may justify the need to offer a salary within the target salary of the position. This analysis is done in order to ensure that current employees who fit this category have the same opportunity as external candidates. Departmental and university-wide equity is also considered during this analysis. Page 2

PERSONNEL ACTIONS An employee may be assigned into an established administrative and staff benefits-earning position in accordance with the following: Demotion A demotion involves the downward mobility of an employee from one position to another position with reduced responsibilities and lower salary range maximum. Demotions may result in a reduction in pay. Pay shall be set in accordance with the level of responsibility and complexity of duties assigned. In no event may salary be kept at a level that exceeds the new range maximum. Overlap An overlap occurs when it is necessary to hire someone for training purposes or to replace an employee on an approved paid or unpaid medical leave while the employee is still in the position, an overlap appointment may be approved. Interim An interim assignment is made when an employee is given additional and different level of responsibilities for a limited period of time. An interim appointment should not be for more than one year, unless approved by the Provost and/or appropriate Vice President with concurrence by the Vice President of Human Resources. Lateral Transfer A lateral transfer is made when an employee is moved from one position to a different position having the same degree of responsibility or the same salary grade maximum. Regular A regular appointment is made when an employee is assigned to fill an establish position provided the employee meets the minimum qualifications for the job classification and other necessary selection criteria established for the position. Promotion A promotion is the upward mobility of an employee from one position to another position having a greater degree of responsibility and a higher salary range maximum. A promotion may be within the same division/department or from one division/department to another. Trainee An employee is assigned as trainee prior to receiving the appropriate certification for the job classification provided the employee is enrolled in a training program to obtain the required certification. While on trainee status, employees will be paid 10% below the minimum of the target salary range. Page 3

CANDIDATE S QUALIFICATIONS SALARY APPOINTMENT GUIDELINES July 2010 ELIGIBLE FOR APPOINTMENT REVIEW RECOMMENDATION AND APPROVAL PROCESS Division of Human Resources Area Budget Officer Vice President NEW HIRE Meets qualifications Lower end of *target salary range X X N/A Exceeds minimum qualifications or documented recruitment difficulty. Meets qualifications. Up to high end of *target salary, commensurate with training, experience, and level of responsibility. LATERAL TRANSFER Not to exceed 5%, if employee s salary is within the target salary range. If salary is below target salary range, increase may exceed 5% up to the minimum target salary. X X N/A X X N/A CURRENT EMPLOYEES - PROMOTION AND / OR RECLASSIFICATION Meets minimum qualifications 5% increase if salary is within target salary range. If salary is below target salary range, increase may exceed 5% up to the minimum target salary. X X N/A Exceeds minimum qualifications with documented recruitment difficulties Up to 10% increase (commensurate with training, experience and responsibility) if current salary is within the target salary range. If employee s salary is below the minimum of *target salary range, the salary may exceed 10% up to the minimum of the target salary. X X N/A X X X IF EMPLOYEE REPORTS DIRECTLY TO A VICE PRESIDENT/PROVOST OR FOR ANY SALARY $ 160,000 OR ABOVE, THE ACTION REQUIRES THE PRESIDENT S APPROVAL WITH PRE-APPROVAL FROM THE CFO. POSITIONS REPORTING DIRECTLY TO THE PRESIDENT REQUIRE THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES. *HUMAN RESOURCES WILL ESTABLISH A TARGET SALARY RANGE BASED ON COMPARABLE MARKET VALUE AND THE INTERNAL EQUITY OF THE CLASS. ANY EXCEPTIONS TO THESE GUIDELINES NEED PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES. Page 4

Procedures for Requesting Salary Increases 1. The Division of Human Resources (DHR) will establish target salary ranges for positions. Below are Salary Actions and the steps needed to effectuate each action. 2. Salary Actions: A. To Request an Increase due to Added Duties The HR Liaison completes and obtains authorized signatures on the Admin-Staff Change in Status Form. The form may be found by clicking on: http://hr.fiu.edu/uploads/file/forms/cmp/admin_staff_change.xls The HR liaison submits the completed form to the Compensation Department and submits an updated position description through PeopleAdmin with the additional duties. Compensation evaluates the additional duties to determine if they warrant the salary increase and conducts a salary analysis. If the salary increase is warranted, the salary action is processed in accordance with the Salary Appointment Guidelines and sent to Payroll for processing. B. To Request an Increase due to a Position Reclassification If the position is unfilled o The HR liaison submits a draft of the position description and discusses with the Compensation Department appropriate title, job category, class code, and target salary range. The Compensation Department staff conducts a salary analysis and informs the HR liaison. o The HR liaison and budget manager determines budget allocated for the position and submits position description through PeopleAdmin and sets the salary range based on salary analysis. o Compensation approves the position for posting. If the position (below a Coordinator level) has a current incumbent and there is no underutilization in the proposed class o The HR liaison submits an updated position description through PeopleAdmin and submits an Admin-Staff Change in Status Form. The form may be found by clicking on: http://hr.fiu.edu/uploads/file/forms/cmp/admin_staff_change.xls o Compensation evaluates and verifies the position title, job category, FLSA designation, experience and educational background of the employee, and conducts a salary analysis. The salary is set in accordance with the Salary Appointment Guidelines. o Compensation approves the action and forwards to the Payroll Department for processing. If the position has a current incumbent and there is underutilization in the proposed class at the Coordinator level or above o The position has to be posted so that all qualified applicants have an opportunity to apply before a reclassification can be processed. Recruitment Services will determine appropriate recruitment option. Once the recruitment process is completed, the Compensation Administration Department will be able to finalize the reclassification process. Page 5

C. To request Pay Increases and Bonuses The requesting department consults with Compensation to discuss any Special Pay requirements. Submits an Admin-Staff Status Change Form. The form may be found by clicking on: http://hr.fiu.edu/uploads/file/forms/cmp/admin_staff_change.xls HR liaison submits the completed form with all required authorized signatures to the Compensation Department at PC 226, or by fax at 305-348-6096. Additional requirements for each individual request are attached if sent interoffice mail or faxed with Admin-Staff Change in Status Form: o Educational Incentive Award Attach a copy of the degree, certificate or transcript. o Counter Offer Attach a copy of the official offer letter. o Project Based Bonus Attach documentation of meeting pre-established goals, project timeline and project s scope of responsibility. o Spot Award Attach justification for the award. o Variable Compensation Plan (VCP) Attached copy of the VCP pre-approved by the appropriate Vice President/Provost, Vice President of Human Resources along with documentation of meeting pre-established criteria and payout schedule. In addition, the documentation must include individual goals and specific quotas tied to target attainment. 3. Changes in the duties of a position. Any changes in the duties or attributes of a position should always be reflected in the official position description. The HR Liaison submits the updated position description through PeopleAdmin with the new duties. The Compensation department will evaluate the new duties to determine if the duties are within the scope of the job classification. If the duties are within the scope of the job classification, the position description is approved. If the duties are not within the scope of the job classification, the HR Liaison is notified and the position is reclassified to the appropriate job classification. At this point, it is determined if a salary increase is warranted. If warranted, the HR Liaison submits an Admin-Staff Status Change Form. The form may be found by clicking on: http://hr.fiu.edu/uploads/file/forms/cmp/admin_staff_change.xls Page 6

4. Following are definitions related to compensation and salary administration as they apply to Administrative and Staff Employees: Acting/Interim Assignments - Assignment of additional and/or different level of responsibilities for a temporary period of time not to exceed one year. Administrative Pay - Additional pay granted to an employee when the University declares an emergency or natural disaster which prevents employees not deemed essential from performing their regular duties at their assigned work location and, if no previous work-at-home arrangement has been approved. Compensatory Time For non-exempt employees, hours earned in lieu of overtime pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a work week. The time is credited at the rate of one-and-one-half times for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a work week and needs to be used within 30 days of its accrual. Exempt employees are not eligible for compensatory time. Creation of New Position - A new position is created when the position has never previously existed in the department/office. Dual Employment - A secondary assignment given to an employee which constitutes dual employment provided such secondary assignment does not interfere with the regular work of the employee, does not result in any conflict of interest between the two assignments, and is determined to be in the best interest of the University. The University is considered the employer, whether the secondary duties are performed for the primary department, or for another department at the University. Consequently, all hours worked in a work week by an employee must be aggregated for non-exempt employees to determine if overtime is due. Approval must be requested and granted by Human Resources prior to the commencement of the secondary employment. Educational Incentive Award - A bonus paid to an employee at the completion of an approved certificate/licensure and/or degree program. Equity Adjustment A salary adjustment given to an employee to ensure that the employee s salary appropriately reflects his/her skills, competency, job knowledge, education, experience, and sustained contribution in relative to similar positions within the classification. A salary adjustment may also be granted to maintain an appropriate relationship in the supervisory hierarchy. Exempt Employee An employee is designated as exempt when the assigned duties and salary level qualifies them as being exempt based on the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Exempt employees do not receive overtime pay for work performed in excess of the 40 hour work week. Job Audit/Evaluation - A systematic procedure used by the Compensation Department to gather information about a position in order to determine the most appropriate position classification. Page 7

Job Description The official document which describes the essential and marginal duties, extent of supervision received and given, physical requirements, educational and experience requirements, and other pertinent factors for a given position. Jury Duty Leave-with-pay granted to any employee who has been summoned as a member of a jury panel. Lateral Transfer A transfer of an employee from one position to another position in the same class or a different class with the same salary range. Market-Based Adjustment A change in pay given to an employee to place the employee s salary appropriately in relation to market as determined by salary survey information and approved by the Compensation Department for the specific job. Non-Exempt Employee - An employee is designated as non-exempt when the duties assigned and the salary level is subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This employee will be paid at one-and-one-half times the hourly rate or will be granted compensatory time at a rate of time and a half for each hour worked in excess 40 hours during the work week. Operational Excellence Award (OEA) - A merit award given to an employee who has demonstrated continuous outstanding performance, has made significant contribution to the department s mission or strategic planning, and/or has provided consistent support to the department s objectives. Organizational Chart A graphic representation used to delineate the lines of authority, supervisory, and reporting relationships within an organizational unit. Overtime Pay Payment given to a non-exempt employee paid at the rate of one-and-one-half times an employee s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in a work week as defined by FLSA. Hours worked refers to the amount of time actually worked in a work week. Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime pay. Project-Based Pay Bonus A one-time bonus that is given to an employee upon completion of a special project or assignment of significance. The amount of the project-based payment may not exceed $5,000 or 10 percent of the employee s salary, whichever is greater. Decision about the amount awarded should be dependent upon the nature and complexity of the project. Recommendation for the amount is to be requested by the respective department with approval by Human Resources. Reclassification - is a re-allocation of a position in one classification to a different classification based on a change in the job duties. This action may or may not result in an increase in salary. Retroactive Pay Payment made for work already performed. A retroactive payment will be processed on an exceptional basis and departments should consult Human Resources to discuss how this process will occur. Shift Differential Pay Amount that is added to the pay hourly rate when the majority of the hours worked fall after 6:00 p.m. Page 8

Spot Awards Award given as an immediate recognition to reward employee(s) for exceptional performance beyond the prescribed expectation of the employee s job. Spot awards are given after the event has been completed, usually without pre-determined goals or set performance levels and paid as a one-time bonus. Temporary Increment - A temporary increase that is given to an employee during the period that it may be necessary for employees to assume additional responsibilities for a temporary period of time. Temporary assignments should not exceed one year unless approved by the divisional Vice President and the Vice President of Human Resources. Update The action taken to effect a change in the duties and details of a position which maintains the current title, but may have changes in hours of work, department, location, and/or duties. Variable Compensation Pay This plan is a pre-determined bonus plan based on a performance and reward schedule. This plan includes a schedule with specific targets to be achieved, goals, preestablished criteria and payout schedule starting with a guaranteed salary for meeting the minimum standards of the position and the non-base options for reaching pre-set milestones. Position Classification Overview Florida International University requires that an accurate and up-to-date position description be maintained for all administrative and staff positions. The position description will provide employees a summary of their assigned essential and marginal duties, job title, hours of work, FLSA status and other requirements specific to the job. It serves as the basis for setting standards for an employee s performance and maintains reporting relationships for Administrative and Staff positions. Each job has minimum education, training and experience requirements. Any additional departmental requirement needed to successfully perform the job should be included in the position description. PeopleAdmin Position Description Database PeopleAdmin is the online system used to document and maintain position actions. Access and use of this system is required for establishing, reclassifying and updating positions. In order to access the PeopleAdmin position database, please click on the link below: PeopleAdmin Page 9

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING/REVIEWING POSITION DESCRIPTIONS The position description describes its basic objectives, duties and responsibilities. When writing position descriptions, each task should be described in the present tense, beginning with an action verb and followed by the objective for each task. Example: Prepares reports reflecting progress and adverse trends. Schedules appointments and maintains calendars for staff. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, essential functions are the job duties that an employee or applicant must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodations. An essential function is a duty that is required for the department s operation, that cannot be reassigned, and that cannot be redesigned. The marginal or non-essential job functions are those that could be redesigned or reassigned to other employees, if necessary. Whether or not a particular duty is considered marginal will depend on: the importance of the duty to the department s operation, the frequency in which the duties are performed, and on whether the duty can be redesigned or performed in another way. The following guidelines are provided to assist in describing the functions of a position: 1. When identifying an "essential function" or "marginal function", focus on the outcome rather than the manner in which you believe the function should be performed. Bad: Uses a metal 25 pound ladder to retrieve boxes of books weighing at least 25 pounds from library shelves measuring 15 feet high. Better: Retrieves boxes of books weighing at least 25 pounds from library shelves measuring 15 feet high. 2. Avoid using verbs, which indicate how a function is to be performed rather than the desired outcome. Bad: Enter information manually or visually read information on the computer. Better: Accesses, inputs, and retrieves information from the computer. 3. Function statements should explain: What outcomes are expected? To whom or to what? What is the purpose of the function? What references, resources, tools, or equipment are required to accomplish the functions? 4. List functions in order of importance, grouping related functions together. 5. After all functions are described identify those which are essential and those that are marginal. Page 10

Reports to Guidelines Definition of Reports To : The person identified as the supervisor in the position description and/or someone who holds administrative responsibility for this employee, such as travel approval, leave approval and performance reviews. Use of this data: Travel & Expense module will use this data for Travel Authorization Reimbursement approvals. Human Resources will use this data for organizational charting. Organizational Charts Organizational Charts will be developed from the Reports To field defined above. Organizational charts are an important graphical tool that depicts the reporting structure, as well as relationship between units and between individual positions. It is important to submit any changes in reporting relationships and/or departmental restructures using these procedures. Procedures to correct Reports to information For Administrative/Staff Reports To change only Submit a Change in Supervisor Action through the PeopleAdmin System when there is only a reporting change and no changes in job duties have occurred. Record the correct supervisor s name and position number in the spreadsheet and return to the Division of Human Resources for approval. Reports To change with change in duties Submit an updated position description through the PeopleAdmin System. Record the correct supervisor s name and position number in the spreadsheet and return to the Division of Human Resources. Departmental restructures Make an appointment with the Compensation Department to develop the new departmental structure. For Faculty Submit Change in Status Form reflecting change to the Reports To information to Academic Affairs for approval. Page 11

RELATED RESOURCES To access Human Resources University Policies, please click the following link: Human Resources Policies To access Related Forms, please click: Admin/Staff Change Form Admin/Staff New Hire Form New Position Request Form Request for Approval of Additional Compensation Page 12