VII-9.11(A)
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND POLICY AND PROCEDURES ON SALARY
ADMINISTRATION FOR REGULAR EXEMPT EMPLOYEES
Effective Date:
February 27, 2000
(Approved by the
President March 27, 2000)
Overview
The University of Maryland Policy and Procedures on Salary Administration are companion to the Board of
Regents “Policy on Pay Administration for Regular Employees” (VII-9.11),
implemented as a core policy of the USM Exempt Pay Program, effective
2/27/2000. These policies affect regular employees who perform professional
duties that are executive, administrative, and/or managerial in nature, and as
such are categorized as “Exempt” under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
Members of the faculty, and Officers of the institution, as defined by the Board
of Regents in Policy VII-P1.00 “Policy on Establishment and Assignment of Job
Groups”, are exempted from this policy.
Exempt Pay Philosophy
The University of Maryland Exempt Pay Program is market-based, and as such, is intended to improve the
university’s competitive position in recruiting and retaining high caliber
employees through flexible salary administration policies and procedures. The
salary structure for the College Park campus shall be a broad-banded structure
with five wide, overlapping pay bands. The salary structure may be adjusted
periodically to reflect market variances, as necessary.
USM Exempt Salary Structure
wide salary range
University of Maryland, College Park
(Effective: 7/1/2004 - 6/30/2006)
|
Exempt
Salary Band
|
Salary
|
|
Minimum
|
Maximum
|
|
I
|
$23,660
|
$60,500
|
|
II
|
$27,000
|
$78,100
|
|
III
|
$36,000
|
$106,700
|
|
IV
|
$50,000
|
$149,000
|
|
V
|
$65,000
|
$199,500
|
Initial Slotting into Structure Upon Implementation
Exempt positions shall be
placed into a pay bands based on individual reviews of each job’s essential
duties and responsibilities, its defined market value, and its relative
position within the institution’s organizational structure. Jobs that cannot
be matched to the market shall be “ranked” relative to comparable positions at
the university using a whole job comparison approach. There will be no salary
adjustments as a result of the Exempt Pay Program implementation.
Salary
Administration Procedures
1. Establishment
of Positions
A. In order to establish a new
Exempt position, a Position Information Form (PIF) and an Exempt Position
Action Request form shall be submitted to the Compensation & Classification
Office in the Personnel Services Department. The PIF shall provide information
regarding the purpose of the position, a synopsis of the duties and
responsibilities, and the minimum requirements/ qualifications of the
position. The Exempt Position Action Request form shall provide funding
information and the approval signatures of the appropriate authorities, to
include the responsible Vice President or the Vice President’s designee, or in
the case of units reporting directly to the President, the signature of the
President or President’s designee.
B. The Personnel Services
Department shall maintain a position information database comprised of market
salaries for all positions in the Exempt category on the College Park campus,
with internal comparability data. This database will be refreshed annually.
The position-specific information will be shared with the authorized requestor
during the period of consultation with a Personnel Services representative that
precedes the posting/advertising of the position. Surveys that will be
utilized for determining market salaries include the following, (subject to
change):
|
College
& University Personnel Association (CUPA)
|
“Administrative Compensation Survey” (national)
“Mid-Level Administrative and Professional
Salary Survey” (national)
|
|
Watson-Wyatt
Worldwide
|
“ECS Geographic Report on Professional and
Scientific Compensation” (national and regional)
“ECS Report on Human Resource Personnel
Compensation” (national and regional)
|
|
Maryland Chamber of Commerce, COMPDATA
|
Compensation for administrative and professional
positions in the State of Maryland (regional)
|
|
William
M. Mercer
|
“Executive Compensation & Perquisites
Survey” (national)
“Information Technology Compensation Survey”
(national and regional)
|
|
Human
Resource Association of the National Capital Area
|
General compensation for administrative and
professional positions, Washington/Baltimore region (regional)
|
|
Bureau
of Labor Statistics
|
General compensation for administrative,
managerial, and professional positions (national and regional)
|
C. The Director of Personnel
shall notify the college or departmental representative via electronic mail of
the appropriate assignment of the requested position, including the position
title, assigned Pay Band, and
a salary target range
relative to the market [see 2.A.1. below]. A copy of this notification will be
provided to the respective Vice President’s Office. In the case of units
reporting directly to the President, a copy of the notification shall be
provided to the President or President’s designee.
In
any case where the Vice President does not concur with the recommendation of
the Director of Personnel, the Vice President will review the issue with the
President who will render a final decision.
D. For
those positions with Associate and Assistant Vice President, Associate and
Assistant Provost, and Associate and Assistant Dean, and other key executive
positions designated by the President, the respective Vice President (or
designee) shall recommend the position title, appropriate pay band, and target
salary to the Director of Personnel. In any case where the Director of
Personnel does not concur with the Vice President’s recommendation, the Vice
President will make a final determination and notify the Director of Personnel
of the decision in writing.
In
the event that the aforementioned position has a direct reporting relationship
to the Vice President rendering the decision, the recommended action will be
reviewed and approved by the President.
E. For positions established at
Pay Band 1, the minimum qualifications may include a substitution clause for
the baccalaureate degree requirement stating: “a baccalaureate degree or an
equivalent combination of education, training, and experience”. Experience
may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.
Positions established at
Pay Band 2 and above will require a minimum of a baccalaureate degree.
Exceptions, where appropriate, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and
must have the approval of the respective Vice President in conjunction with the
Director of Personnel.
2. Determination
of Salary for Exempt Positions
A. New
Hires
A
“new hire” is considered to be one that is the result of a search and selection
process, regardless of whether the individual comes from within or outside the University of Maryland. For purposes of fiscal
stewardship,
salaries must be established based on the following: (1) prevailing market
wages for the specific position according to established institutional market
salary surveys [see 1.B., above]; (2) salaries for comparable positions at the
institution; and (3) the level of education and experience and skills of the
individual recommended for the position.
1. “Target Ranges” will be established for
starting salaries. The Personnel Services Department shall benchmark each
Exempt position against the market, and a market mean (average) salary
will be identified for the position. The target starting salary range
maximum for new hires shall be the market mean (average) for the position
and the minimum shall be 20% less than the market mean. For
example, a position with a market mean salary of $65,000 shall have a target
hiring salary range of $52,000 to $65,000.
2. The
authorized requestor shall consult with the Personnel Services Department
regarding target ranges and appropriate starting salaries, prior to posting/
advertising the position.
For hires of
candidates currently within university service (“internal”), involving similar
or comparable positions with a similar or lower target range, see 2.D., below.
3. Requests for salaries that deviate from
these guidelines must be submitted to the respective Vice President or
President, as appropriate, for approval. The Vice President shall review the
request with the Director of Personnel prior to approving the salary. In any
case where the Vice President does not concur with the recommendation of the
Director of Personnel, the Vice President will review the issue with the
President who will render a final decision.
B. Change
in Duties/Reclassifications
1. When there is a
significant change in duties causing an increase in the level of skill, effort
and responsibility required to fully perform a job, a “within band salary
adjustment” may be warranted. If the focus of the position has changed
significantly, it may be re-titled. If the job requires a significantly
stronger skill set and the duties and responsibilities have increased to a
higher, more complex level, it may be assigned to a higher pay band.
2.
In the case of a “within band
salary adjustment”, or a “reclassification”, the market mean (average) will be
used as an appropriate target to set the incumbent’s salary. The authorized
requestor shall have the authority to establish a salary at not more than
112% (a 12% increment) of the incumbent’s current base pay (an incumbent’s
current base pay does not include any increment for acting status).
3. Requests for a
change to a position, reclassification or for a salary increase that exceeds
these guidelines must be submitted through the appropriate Vice President or
President. The Vice President or President will consult with the Director of
Personnel prior to approving the salary.
C. Acting
Appointments
1. In order to
meet urgent needs, it may be necessary to appoint a person to an Exempt
position in an acting capacity. Designating an employee to an acting capacity
status is justified only when time or circumstances do not permit the immediate
selection of a permanent appointment under the established selection and
appointment procedures for Exempt staff. The appointment in an acting capacity
to an Exempt position should not exceed a period of six months, under normal
circumstances. Exceptions may be granted only by the responsible Vice
President or President, in conjunction with the Director of Personnel.
2. The following
conditions shall apply to acting capacity appointments:
a.
An employee in an acting
capacity shall meet the minimum academic and professional qualifications for
the position to which he or she will be appointed on an acting basis.
b.
Acting capacity appointments
can be made only to a regular Exempt position.
c.
An acting capacity appointee
will normally receive a salary adjustment for the appointment. Appointment of
a current employee to an acting capacity status position of the same or higher
pay band shall carry an increment of up to 12% of his or her current base
salary.
d.
Requests for acting capacity
shall be initiated with the completion of an Acting Capacity Request Form,
routed through the appropriate unit/college and Vice President, to the
Personnel Services Department for consideration.
D. Lateral
Transfers and Demotions
An
Exempt employee may compete for any Exempt vacancy. If selected for a position
that is in the same pay band, with a similar target range as the position
currently held, then it will be considered a lateral transfer and will result
in no change to the employee’s base salary. If the new position has a lower
target range in the same pay band or is in a lower pay band, the appointment
shall be considered a voluntary demotion and there will be no increase in
salary.
E. Salaries
Exceeding the Maximum of the Pay Band
A Vice President or
the President, in consultation with the Director of Personnel, may authorize a
salary that exceeds the maximum of the band in order to meet institutional
needs.
Replacement
For
This policy, VII-9.11(A)
UMCP Policy and Procedures on Salary Administration
for Regular Exempt Employees (2/27/2000), replaces Policy VII-4.00(B) “UMCP Policy for Establishing Salary Ranges of Associate Staff Positions and the Salaries of the Occupants”
(5/9/1994) in its entirety.