Wis. Stat 36.115(3), directs the Chancellor of UW–Madison to develop a personnel system effective for all employees assigned to UW–Madison.
In accordance with Regent Policy Document 20-21, the UW System Board of Regents delegates to the Chancellor of UW-Madison, or their designee(s), the authority to implement and maintain a personnel system for all System employees assigned to UW-Madison. UW-Madison will formulate operating policies to administer the personnel system including the authority to approve all personnel actions below that of Chancellor including approval of vice chancellor salaries for new hires that fall within the range approved by Board policy (RPD 20-28) and as limited by Board policy (RPD 20-27).
Policy Details Section A – Compensation Structure
There are six broad compensation categories: A, B, C, D, E, and F. These categories cover the compensation needs and practices of the categories described in UW–Madison Employment Categories policy.
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Compensation Category A
- Compensation Category A is a salary grade structure composed of 21 salary ranges, each with a minimum and maximum dollar value. Academic Staff, University Staff, and Limited appointee groups are assigned to Category A unless specifically identified as being out of scope for the salary structure. This category’s levels typically reflect both professional growth and assumption of increased levels of responsibility and organizational impact.
- The dollar values of the salary grades are based on market data and salary surveys with comparable positions of those at UW-Madison to that in the external competitive market. The University’s salary ranges are primarily positioned around the 50th percentile of the appropriate comparison markets; the University reserves the right to use other percentiles (e.g., 75th percentile) as necessary.
- The midpoint of each salary grade reflects an estimate of the market rates paid for comparable positions assigned to the same salary grade. Each salary grade for Category A has a spread of 85.7 percent. That is, each salary grade minimum is set at 70 percent of the grade midpoint and the grade maximum is set at 130 percent of the midpoint; in short, grade minimums and maximums are +/-30% of midpoint. Additionally, the dollar values of the salary grades are reviewed and potentially revised by the biennial pay plan recommended by the Chancellor/Board of Regents and approved by the State of Wisconsin Joint Committee on Employment Relations.
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Compensation Category B
Category B job titles are out of scope for the salary structure and have only prescribed salary minimums due to the nature of the work assigned to these titles, which cover a gamut of disciplines. In the academic job market, they command widely varying levels of compensation. Attempting to cover such a diversity of industries and salaries within standard salary grade minimums and maximums would create grades whose widths would be too large to be useful and relevant. As a result, only salary minimums are set for instructional and research Academic Staff titles. This situation directly parallels salary setting for Faculty (i.e., salary minimum but no maximum salaries).
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Compensation Category C
In general, this compensation category is for specially defined or statutorily mandated positions. Although a salary range structure may apply, salaries range assignments are determined on a case-by-case basis and are typically based on the rate that the person has as a Faculty member. Academic administrators, academic program directors, emeritus/emerita, military science Faculty, and other Academic Staff/Limited title groups are in this compensation category.
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Compensation Category D
Compensation Category D refers to salary structures for Faculty. These titles are out of scope for the salary structure and have only prescribed salary minimums due to the nature of the work assigned to these titles, which cover a gamut of disciplines. In the academic job market, they command widely varying levels of compensation. Attempting to cover such a diversity of industries and salaries within standard salary grade minimums and maximums would create grades whose widths would be too large to be useful and relevant. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) establishes minimum salary levels for ranked Faculty.
This category also includes employees-in-training, student staff, and other special use title groups (these groups are also addressed in Employment Categories).
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Compensation Category E
Compensation Category E refers to the salary structure for senior/vice presidents and provosts/vice chancellors.
- The Board of Regents determines the salary range for new senior/vice presidents and provosts/vice chancellors (deputy) as established in Regent Policy Document 20-28. The Board of Regents has delegated authority to the chancellor to set salaries at the time of hire within approved salary ranges.
- Vice Chancellor titles are assigned to UW System salary ranges as noted in Compensation Category E. The salary for an acting appointee must be within the salary range for the position.
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Compensation Category F
Compensation Category F is the salary structure for Crafts Workers in the University Staff employee category. For additional information, please refer to the UW–Madison Crafts Worker Policy.
Section B – Pay-Setting Provisions
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Delegation of Personnel Transaction Authority
UW–Madison has the authority to approve personnel transactions for positions. The Chancellor must approve all personnel transactions in which the salary exceeds 75 percent of the UW System president’s salary. Requests for salaries above this amount will be submitted to the UW-Madison Office of Human Resources for review and possible submittal to the Chancellor for review and approval.
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Authority to Establish Salaries on Appointment
The UW–Madison Chancellor has the authority to set salaries within the established salary range for each position title. This authority has been delegated to deans and directors of UW–Madison divisions. Unless OHR has established a unique salary range for a specific job, no salary rate may be set outside the assigned title’s established salary range.
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Pay upon Appointment: Faculty, Limited and Academic Staff and University Staff
- Positions with Grade Minimums and Maximums
- Pay upon appointment for an employee in Category A will be set between the minimum and the maximum of the established salary grade for the job title assigned in consultation with the Salary Administration Guidelines. Starting salaries above 75 percent of the System president’s salary require the Chancellor’s approval even if the salary grade maximum allows for the rate.
- For any salary or title change, the resulting salary rate must be equal to or greater than the salary range minimum for the new title and shall not exceed the salary range maximum except in unique circumstances preapproved by OHR.
- When an employee accepts or is placed in a title assigned to a lower salary grade, the new salary shall not exceed the new salary range unless pre-approved by OHR.
- In those cases, in which OHR preapproves the salary rate to be above the established salary maximum for the title, the employee is not eligible for further base salary increases until the grade maximum surpasses the employee’s base salary. However, the employee is eligible for bonus (lump sum) payments if otherwise eligible.
- When a new salary grade/range minimum is established, the salaries of all employees under the new minimum will be increased to the new minimum.
- Positions with Grade Minimums Only
- Pay upon appointment for an employee in a salary grade with minimums only will be set between the minimum and up to 75 percent of the System president’s salary unless the Chancellor gives prior approval to exceed that level.
- For any salary or title change, the resulting salary rate must be equal to or greater than the salary range minimum for the new title.
- Despite not having a salary range maximum, salary ranges should be established for these positions on an individual basis in order to ensure placement within the range in consultation with the Salary Administration Guidelines.
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University Staff Pay Setting upon Reemployment After Layoff
- Reemployment After Layoff: Pay upon appointment provisions for University Staff employees reemployed by the UW–Madison after being laid off from UW–Madison will be done in accordance with the Layoff of University Staff Policy and appropriate paragraph below:
- Reassignment or other Movement as an Alternative to Layoff. Employees that are reassigned as an alternative to layoff and placed in a similar (same or lower level) title to the layoff group for which the staff member qualifies will remain at their current salary. If the employee’s salary exceeds the salary grade maximum for the title, the employee will remain at their latest salary for three years. The employee will not be eligible for further salary increases until the salary grade maximum surpasses the employee’s rate of pay. After three years, the employee’s salary will revert to the salary grade maximum.
- Voluntary Layoff. An employee who volunteers for layoff and then returns to employment at UW–Madison will have their salary set in accordance with the Salary Administration Guidelines upon their return to employment.
- Reemployment after Layoff. Employees that have been terminated due to layoff and are placed into a position in the same or similar title in the same division as the layoff occurs as a result of the provisions in the Layoff of University Staff Policy, shall retain their latest salary plus any intervening adjustments.
- Employees who are reemployed after layoff but are not appointed as a result of provisions within Layoff of University Staff shall have their salary set in accordance with the Salary Administration Guidelines.
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Executive Salary Group
- The Board of Regents determines the salary range for new senior/vice presidents and provosts/vice chancellors (deputy) as established in Regent Policy 20-28. The Board of Regents has delegated authority to the Chancellor to set salaries at the time of hire within approved salary ranges.
- Vice Chancellor titles are assigned to UW System salary ranges as noted in Compensation Category E. The salary for an acting appointee must be within the salary range for the position.
Consequences for Non-Compliance
OHR will remove delegation from schools, colleges, and divisions who fail to comply with this policy.
Responsibilities
Table 1. Responsibilities
Office of Human Resources (OHR) |
- Provides policy oversight to ensure compliance with campus policy
- Conducts periodic reviews of the policy with campus human resources departments
- Implements needed changes to the policy
- Authorizes delegation of transactions to schools/colleges/divisions
- Conducts market surveys to inform pay structures
- Coordinates any necessary changes to HRS with the UW Service Center
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Deans and Directors |
- Ensures the college/school/division is consistently applying and complying with this policy
- Communicates divisional strategy to all employees
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College/School/Division HR |
- Defines consistent compensation parameters within the guidelines of this policy to address specific needs
- Ensures administrators, supervisors, and hiring managers are aware of, and comply with, the UW–Madison and division pay upon appointment policy
- Serves as the records custodian for all hiring transactions in the employing unit
- Provides market or equity information to OHR to inform OHR on the structure of pay ranges
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Supervisor |
- Consults with division human resources staff before hiring to ensure compliance with division compensation parameters
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