Wage and Salary Administration
Answer
POLICY:
Wage and Salary Administration guidelines provide for a format to ensure that general and individual salary administration is handled in a fair and consistent manner.
The Library Board is committed to provide fair and competitive wages, within fiscal constraints and fair and consistent application of individual salary assignments based upon skills, abilities, and satisfactory performance.
PROCEDURE:
General Salary Grid and Pay Band Administration:
- Every three years a salary survey will be conducted by the Library Director for all staff positions, based upon current and accurate job descriptions, in comparison to directly related positions. Northern Lights Library Services, Lac La Biche County and other support services or agencies may be utilized to assist in this review.
- Based upon the survey results an annual wage grid will be developed reflecting pay bands for each position; to include 5 – 11 steps in the band. The number of steps in each band is to be determined based upon competitiveness with survey results.
- The monetary difference between each step in the band will be 3.5% unless otherwise authorized by the Board.
- In development of each annual wage and salary grid, a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) percentage increase may be applied to the entire grid as deemed appropriate by the HR Committee and the Board. The COLA adjustment will be reflective of the COLA factor applied by similar organizations as ascertained through survey results.
- Any other increase to the grid or respective pay bands within the grid will be based upon identifiable factors reflected in the annual survey.
- In the event a new position is created within a budget year, a survey will be conducted for salary comparisons based upon the accurate job description of that position. The proposal for the pay band for that position will be brought for Board approval and any impact on the operating budget identified.
- Any implementation of pay premiums or stipends is subject to Board approval.
Individual Salary Administration
- At the time of hire a new incumbent’s salary will be established within their respective position pay band based upon their directly related experience and expertise for the position, satisfactory to the employer. At no time will the starting rate of pay exceed Step 3 of the pay band, except in the case of directly related previous experience with the Library, which will be fully recognized in determining an applicant’s placement on the grid.
- For some positions, the pay band reflects an opportunity for an increase one step on the grid upon successful completion of the required probationary period. (per POLICY HR:Emp12 Probationary Period). This successful completion must be reflected in a duly completed and authorized Probationary Performance Appraisal (per POLICY HR:P&P02).
- All employees are eligible to qualify for an annual increment increase on their respective salary grid based upon satisfactory performance reflected in a duly completed and authorized Annual Performance Appraisal (per POLICY HR:P&P02).
- Where performance does not reach satisfactory standards, but employment is to continue to provide an opportunity to meet probationary or annual performance requirements, an improvement period will be identified within which an improvement plan will be written and followed.
- Where an improvement plan is in place and an increment increase withheld; upon successful completion of that improvement plan an employee may qualify to receive an increment increase within their respective pay band. Thereafter their annual review date will occur on the date of the latest increment adjustment.
- In the event an employee is a successful candidate for a promotion to a higher pay grid, or in the event of a position reclassification, their rate of pay in the new grid will be equivalent to the next higher rate of pay they would have received in their current grid or the start rate of the new grid, whichever is higher.
- In the event an employee completes a specific certification/diploma/degree or designation directly related to their position and deemed eligible for consideration, the employer will consider moving the incumbent up their respective pay grid by one step upon proof of satisfactory completion of such training. Such circumstances will be brought to the attention of the Human Resources Committee for consideration and Board approval.
- In the event an employee does receive promotion to a higher step on the pay grid due to successful completion of education, he or she will also qualify for their annual performance adjustment within that employment year.