Salary Structure
A large portion of GC's jobs have been benchmarked to reliable market data sources, and the market consensus from these sources has informed the development of the salary structure. The structure is designed to allow the institution to attract and retain employees. If institutional needs or specific jobs/job families require greater competitiveness, the pay position for select jobs and/or job families may be modified.
The salary structure is made up of several components:
- Grade is the label used for a single salary range. The structure has 13 grades with control points (minimums, midpoints, maximums). Cabinet members are paid outside of the structure.
- The minimum is the lowest point at which an employee whose job is within a specific grade will be paid.
- The midpoint is the average of the minimum and the maximum. It is literally the “middle” of the grade. Pay for employees who are fully competent in their role will cluster around this point once the structure and any related adjustments are fully implemented.
- The maximum is the highest point at which an employee whose job is within the grade will be paid.
2012 GEORGIA COLLEGE SALARY STRUCTURE ($000)
Note: Salaries listed in table are in thousands (i.e. $32.1= $32,100)
|
Grade
|
Minimum
|
Midpoint
|
Maximum
|
|
13
|
$84.7
|
$116.5
|
$148.2
|
|
12
|
$67.8
|
$93.2
|
$118.6
|
|
11
|
$60.9
|
$77.7
|
$94.4
|
|
10
|
$54.1
|
$67.6
|
$81.2
|
|
9
|
$47.0
|
$58.8
|
$70.5
|
|
8
|
$40.9
|
$51.1
|
$61.4
|
|
7
|
$36.2
|
$44.4
|
$52.5
|
|
6
|
$31.5
|
$38.6
|
$45.7
|
|
5
|
$27.4
|
$33.6
|
$39.7
|
|
4
|
$23.8
|
$29.2
|
$34.5
|
|
3
|
$20.7
|
$25.4
|
$30.0
|
|
2
|
$19.3
|
$23.1
|
$27.0
|
|
1
|
$17.5
|
$21.0
|
$24.5
|
Periodically, depending on trends in the market, the institution will complete a comprehensive market study to assess the structure's competitiveness and alignment with GC's strategic objectives. A revised salary structure will be developed and implemented whenever appropriate and authorized by the Cabinet.
Assigning Jobs to Grades
The grade to which jobs were assigned was determined as follows:
- Benchmark jobs (those for which market data was collected and analyzed) were initially assigned to grades based on the market consensus (i.e., market value) of the job relative to the grade midpoint. In select cases, job assignments shifted slightly based on either the placement of other highly similar jobs or the strategic value of the job to GC.
- Non-Benchmark jobs (those not included in the market competitive assessment) were assigned to grades based on the degree to which they are similar to benchmark jobs already assigned to grades within the structure. Factors for this comparison include impact of accountability, latitude of decision-making, level of managerial responsibility, education/experience requirements, and skill level.
For both types of jobs, career progression from one level to the next and the reporting relationships were taken into account when assigning a job to a grade.
Managing Pay Within the Structure
The compensation program's salary grades are wide enough to accommodate a variety of experience and performance levels. Each employee can expect to be paid within the range associated with his or her job's salary grade. Base salaries within the range will be determined by considering each individual's skills, knowledge, experience, and performance.
Creating a New Job
From time to time, it may become necessary to create a new job to allow the University to achieve its strategic goals. HR will complete reviews for new jobs on a monthly basis or more frequently if driven by the institution's strategic needs and subject to the Budget Proposal Process. When this becomes necessary, the manager, appropriate Vice President, and HR will follow the steps below:
Step 1: Develop a Job Description for the Job
The manager, working with the appropriate Vice President as needed, develops a job description for the job to account for the key duties of the job. Managers should fill out a Job Description Questionnaire form and submit the form to HR. A template form is included in the Appendix.
Step 2: Assess to Determine if Job Currently Exists at the University
HR completes a review of the job description questionnaire to determine whether or not it fits into a job which currently exists at GC. If it does, the job will retain the same title as the existing job, and pay is based on the grade for the job title. If not, proceed to Step 3.
Step 3: Review the Description and Determine its Grade Assignment
Either through a quantitative market analysis (for benchmark jobs) or a qualitative comparison against jobs already assigned to grades in the salary structure (non-benchmark jobs), HR will determine the grade in which the job will be placed.
Once this process has been completed and the job is filled (either internally or externally), the starting salary will be set using the process detailed below.
Setting the Initial Salary for the Individual
Setting a starting salary involves a review, by Human Resources, of a job's responsibilities and requirements as well as the skills and experience of the candidate, using the salary range associated with the job's grade as the guideline.
Step 1: Review the Skills and Experience of the Individual
Individual salaries will be set within the grade collaboratively by Human Resources and the employee's manager. This decision will be based on the candidate's skills, knowledge, and experience.
Step 2: Review Internal Equity
Before any salary is finalized, Human Resources will conduct a review of salaries of current employees in similar jobs to ensure internal equity.
Step 3: Final Approval of Salary Level
Final salary recommendation is submitted to the appropriate Vice President for review. Upon approval, Human Resources will submit this information for appropriate next steps.
Note that this process may vary depending on the level of the job at Georgia College.
Ongoing Maintenance of the Salary Structure
Human Resources will review both higher education and general industry market trends and surveys to determine the appropriate salary structure adjustment. These resources include a review of the increase percentages by various employee levels: executive, salaried exempt, and hourly. The Vice President for Administration and Operations as the Chief Business /Finance Officer will make the final decision on the structure increase, given the financial resources of the institution and Board of Regents funding.
FLSA Wage & Hour Guidelines
GC administers its compensation program so that it is in compliance with all state and federal guidelines. One key federal law that governs pay is the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA). It is very important that those who manage employees and approve timesheet submissions to payroll be well-versed in this law.
This legislation places all employees into one of two designations, based on type of job responsibilities, reporting relationships, and/or qualifications of the person.
1. An exempt employee is one who passes all exemption tests under FLSA and is not required to be paid overtime pay.
2. A non-exempt employee is one who does not meet criteria for exemption under FLSA and is eligible to receive overtime pay (1½ times regular hourly rate for any time worked over 40 hours per week).
Federal and state laws require that employees in non-exempt jobs be paid for all the time they work. According to the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA), GC can be penalized for failure to pay for unauthorized time worked.
It is the responsibility of the manager to communicate when overtime is and is not appropriate for an employee. In order to adhere to the budget, managers must inform employees in advance of restrictions in the number of overtime hours worked.
It is the responsibility of the employee to follow managerial guidance and to work overtime only when it is approved by his or her manager.
Further detail on FLSA can be found on the Department of Labor’s website: http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-flsa.htm
