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Staff Salary Changes, Other Than As Part of the Annual Performance Review Procedure

Issue Date: 06/03/2019
Related Policy: Staff Salary Plan
Revision History: 01/01/1995; 01/01/2002; 01/01/2008

Goal

To provide a mechanism for handling changes to compensation outside of normal performance review.

Detailed Procedures

A performance increase via the Annual Performance Review Process is the usual mechanism for rewarding performance and adjusting salaries. Situations that cannot be adequately addressed through a performance increase may need to be addressed by means of (1) an equity increase; (2) a promotional increase; (3) performance increase at time of transfer; or (4) an interim assignment.

Equity Increase

  1. A supervisor may recommend an equity increase for an employee. Specific reasons must apply to warrant the equity increase, including but not limited to circumstances such as an inadvertent pay discrepancy with an employee who has long service in the present position but who remains lower than other incumbents in the salary range due to changes in the hiring rate. Whether an equity adjustment will be approved will depend on the specific circumstances.
  2. The request must be initiated by the supervisor, submitted to their supervisor and/or Department Head for budget approval, and then submitted to the Compensation Office for review and concurrence. If and when the adjustment has been approved, the supervisor may communicate the increase to the employee. The Compensation Office will initiate the necessary paperwork to authorize a payroll change. The adjustment will be effective on the first of the month. No retroactive payments will be made, so supervisors must submit their requests in a timely manner.
  3. An employee who would like an equity review must first contact their supervisor. If their supervisor believes there is an equity issue, they should initiate the request in the above manner. If the supervisor does not believe there is an equity issue, the employee may contact AskHR@case.edu or 216-368-6964 and request a salary review. The employee must identify specific reasons to warrant the equity review. The compensation team will then confer with the supervisor and review equity.

In order to request a salary review, employees must be have been employed in their current job for a minimum of twelve (12) months, be rated Meets Expectations/ Average or better on their most recent Annual Performance Review; and be in good standing (i.e. not have been placed in Positive Corrective Action (PCA) within the last year).

Promotional Increase

  1. In-position promotion: Occasionally employees may be promoted because the position they hold is upgraded. Therefore, the supervisor may request an in-position promotion without posting the position. The supervisor must submit a job description with a written explanation of the change in duties. The change must show increased responsibility to warrant a salary grade change. The supervisor must obtain approval from the Dean or Department Head and submit the request to the Compensation Office for review and approval. The effective date will be the first of the month following the approval date.
  2. For posted positions (i.e. transfers): An employee who is selected as an internal candidate for a new position may be moving into a position that is a higher salary grade than the employee's current position. Employees are generally limited to the promotional salary increase guidelines in effect at the time. However, employees being promoted must have a salary at least equal to the salary grade range minimum, regardless of the percentage. 
  3. Supervisors may request an exception to the promotional salary increase guidelines (for in-position promotions or posted promotions). Such requests will go to the Compensation Committee to review.
  4. The Hiring Supervisor, in consultation with the Employment Specialist or Compensation Analyst, must verify the employee's salary is within the range and/or must prepare a request for a promotional increase.

Lateral transfers 

  1. A transfer of an employee to a new position in the same salary grade level is known as a lateral transfer. A lateral transfer generally does not warrant a salary increase.
  2. The Hiring Supervisor must contact the releasing supervisor about an up-to-date Annual Performance Review, if one has not been provided to the hiring supervisor. This process is handled using the Annual Performance Review and Salary Review Addendum.

Interim assignments and additional pay*

  1. The department must submit an Additional Pay Request Form to the HR Compensation Office for approval prior to the scheduled work assignment. The request should include the employee's name, current supervisor and department, the proposed project and duties, project manager, and proposed payment amount. Employees are generally limited to interim pay not to exceed the maximum salary increase amount in effect at the time interim pay is provided.
  2. The Compensation Office will review the project and appropriate pay methods within the federal wage and hour law and will work with the department to establish an approved payment plan.
  3. The documentation will be placed in the employee's personnel file in the Human Resources Department.
  4. It is the employee’s responsibility to discuss the additional work with the current supervisor and ensure that it does not interfere with their regular, primary job.
  5. The employee may begin work once the approvals and consent are confirmed in the Compensation Office.
  6. The department will submit a payment request in HCM per the approved payment plan.
  7. From the HCM payment requests, the Compensation Office will review the employee's personnel file to verify and approve the payment.

* Note: nonexempt employees are eligible for overtime.