Wage (Hourly) Employment and Compensation

Purpose:

To provide direction for initiating requests to establish and fill wage (hourly) positions and for initiating classification and compensation actions for wage (hourly) positions at the college.

Definitions:

Certification: professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. This type of certification often requires a post-test and is awarded by a thirdparty professional organization.

Classification: the occupational category, role title, and corresponding pay band to which a position is assigned.

Competitive salary offer: a salary adjustment provided to a wage (hourly) employee as a result of an outside offer (including other state agencies).

Establishment: a classification determination made to place a new position in the organizational structure.

Hiring manager: the cost center manager or other manager authorized to hire in an organizational unit.

In-band adjustment: a salary adjustment applied to a wage (hourly) employee for the acquisition of additional duties and responsibilities; new skills applied on the job; retention; or internal alignment; and where the employee remains in their current role title and pay band.

Non-base pay options: includes employee recognition programs or service awards that provide lump-sum payments or non-monetary items to employees. These options are not included in the calculation of the base hourly rate, but are considered part of the employee’s total compensation.

Role: a broad group of occupationally-related positions that perform a range of work at levels that require progressively more skill and/or knowledge (for example, the Administrative and Office Specialist II).

Role change: the reassignment of a wage (hourly) position from one role title to a different role title in a higher, lower, or the same pay band due to a change in duties and responsibilities.

Temporary pay: a salary adjustment provided to a wage (hourly) employee for assuming new duties and responsibilities on a temporary basis.

Voluntary demotion: the movement of a wage (hourly) employee to a different role in a lower pay band at the employee’s own initiation.

Voluntary transfer: the movement of a wage (hourly) employee within the same role or to a different role title in the same pay band and which can be initiated by the employee or hiring manager.

Wage (hourly) employees: employees who receive pay for hours worked rather than a fixed salary; who are non-exempt for the purpose of overtime compensation; who are not covered by the Virginia Personnel Act; who are used to supplement the workforce during seasonal or temporary workloads; who may serve as interim replacements, or perform short-term projects, or other jobs that do not require full-time classified employees; and, who are limited to working an average of 29 hours per week and may not exceed 1,500 hours over the twelve month period of May 1 through April 30

Policy:

As an agency of the Commonwealth and a member college of the Virginia Community College System, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) shall assure compliance with all applicable federal and state personnel laws, regulations, and policies. Additionally, the college shall develop and implement administrative procedures consistent with all applicable personnel laws, regulations, and policies governing position classification and compensation actions.

1. To initiate classification and/or compensation actions for wage (hourly) employees

   1. The following classification and compensation actions are available for use for wage (hourly) employees:

      1. voluntary transfer
      2. voluntary demotion
      3. temporary pay
      4. role change
      5. in-band adjustment
      6. competitive salary offer
      7. non-base pay options

   2. Hiring managers will ensure that each request adheres to the following guidelines:

      1. Voluntary transfer: an employee-initiated or management-initiated movement to another position in the same or different role in the same pay band. Generally, employees moved to another position as a result of this pay practice will not receive a salary increase.

      2. Voluntary demotion: when an employee voluntarily accepts a position in a different role title in a lower pay band. Voluntary demotion salary is negotiable from the minimum of the pay band up to the employee’s current salary and will not exceed the pay band maximum.

      3. Temporary pay (different role in higher or same pay band): may be applied when an employee experiences a temporary change in job duties and responsibilities for a specified period of time (e.g., assignment to a special project, reassignment due to organizational changes, vacancy of a higherlevel position, etc.). Salary increases for temporary pay for a higher pay band are generally 0-15% above current salary and will not exceed the pay band maximum. A beginning and an ending date must be established for receipt of temporary pay.

      4. Role change (downward, upward, or lateral): when an employee remains in their current position but the role changes.

         • Downward role change: when a position is changed to a different role in a lower pay band. There is no change in salary as a result of the downward role change, unless the salary is above the maximum of the lower pay band, in which case the salary is reduced after six (6) months to the maximum of the pay band.

         • Upward role change: when a position is changed to a different role in a higher pay band. The salary must be increased at least to the minimum of the higher pay band, however, the salary cannot exceed the pay band maximum.

         • Lateral role change: when a position is changed to a different role in the same pay band, with the same supervisor/work unit. The salary cannot exceed the pay band maximum.

      5. In-band adjustment: used to increase the salary of an employee due to: (1) changes in job duties and responsibilities, (2) application of new knowledge/skills/abilities (KSA’s) from education, certification, licensure, etc., (3) retention, or (4) internal alignment, salary compression, and other internal inequities.

         • Changes in job duties and responsibilities: Changes in duties must represent 15% or more of the total work time percentage amount. The employee must perform the new duties and responsibilities with the same supervisor/work unit. Salary adjustments will be made effective the first pay period immediately after the pay action is approved by the President’s Extended Cabinet member.

         • Application of new KSA’s from education, certification, licensure, etc.: Employees who attain professional certifications, degrees, or licenses related to their job responsibilities may be eligible to receive an increase of 0-10% of their hourly rate. Refer to the In-Band Adjustment Schedule for Application of New KSA’s. Employees must secure advance approval of their planned educational goal from their supervisor in order to be compensated once the goal is attained. Credentials that are requirements for a job by State Code or are required for selection will be taken into consideration at the time starting pay is negotiated and cannot be used to support this type of pay adjustment.

         • Retention: In-band adjustments for retention are granted to all employees in a particular functional area to avoid turnover. This action can be initiated by college management or the Office of Human Resources due to salary market changes, labor market fluctuations, extreme turnover problems, etc.

         • Internal alignment: An increase may be granted to one or more employees to align the employee’s salary more closely with those of other employee’s within a work unit who have comparable levels of training and experience, similar duties and responsibilities, similar performance and expertise, competencies, and/or knowledge and skills.

      6. Competitive salary offer: used to increase the salary of an employee when the employee receives a documented offer of employment, with a higher salary, from another organization including other state agencies. The hiring manager may request a salary increase up to the amount of the outside offer, but cannot exceed the outside offer, or exceed the maximum of the pay band.

      7. Non-base pay options: provides a lump-sum payment not included in the employee’s base hourly rate as outlined in the Employee Recognition Program (Reynolds Policy 3-30, College Employee Recognition and Retention Incentive Programs). Lump sum payment of up to $5,000 per fiscal year may be awarded for substantial achievements or accomplishments outside the standard responsibilities of the position and which contribute to the strategic objectives of the college.

2. Exceptional recruitment and retention incentive options

   Wage (hourly) employees are eligible to receive recognition award or project-based bonus incentives as approved by the president.

3. Documentation and reporting requirements

   1. The Office of Human Resources will maintain complete documentation of all personnel actions in accordance with DHRM policy and procedure.

   2. Personnel action requests that require the approval of the VCCS Chancellor’s Office will be coordinated and submitted by the college’s Office of Human Resources. Requests not requiring advance VCCS approval will be subject to postaudit review by DHRM and/or the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) office.

Procedures

Procedure for Reynolds Policy 3-31, Wage (Hourly) Employment and Compensation

Other Information:

The college’s Office of Human Resources is responsible for the official interpretation of these procedures. Questions regarding the application of these procedures should be directed to the office of human resources.

Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) Policy 2.20, Types of Employment

Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) Policy 3.05, Compensation

In-Band Adjustment Schedule for Application of New KSA’s

JSRCC Form 35-0904, Position Request