April 1, 2010
New P&S compensation structure rolls out in April
by Paula Van Brocklin
After months of discussion and several delays, Iowa State's new professional and scientific compensation structure will be implemented July 1, pending approval from the state Board of Regents at its April meeting.
The new structure will have 12 pay grades (grades 30 to 41), two more than the current structure (grades 11 to 20). Each grade also will have broader salary ranges, allowing for greater pay flexibility within each grade.
Communication with P&S employees
Each P&S classification has been assigned a new pay grade in the new compensation structure. The new compensation structure and the classification listing (corresponding with the new pay grades) will be available on the human resource services web site April 1. P&S employees will be able to see their new pay grades, which are consistent with classification and market pricing studies, through AccessPlus beginning April 8. At that time, employees will be able to view their:
- Current pay grade and salary
- New pay grade
- Minimum and maximum salaries of the new pay grade
"Employees and supervisors should note that this is an entirely new structure with additional pay grades, and as such, there is no correlation between an employee's current pay grade and the pay grade number in the new structure," said Mike Otis, associate director, human resource services.
If an employee or supervisor thinks a position's new classification does not accurately reflect the position's current duties, a reclassification review (PDF) may be requested through human resource services.
At this time, employees are unable to view pay grades of positions other than their own through AccessPlus. This information eventually will be available in the classification and compensation section of the HRS web site.
Approximately 50 employees will notice an increase in their current salary to meet the minimum requirements of their new pay grades. The total cost to bring up the salaries to their new minimums is approximately $66,000, provided through central funding.
Additional information about the new P&S compensation structure, including key terms, information on why the structure was changed and more details about the process, will be available on the HRS web site.
Still work to be done
Once the new compensation structure is approved and implemented, more policy work remains. The compensation study policies committee, consisting of university administrators, has written a draft policy, "Compensation and Salary Structure Policy - P&S," which was available for public review in the policy library through March 31. This policy, if approved, would provide the framework for the new compensation structure and its future maintenance.
Throughout FY11, the policy committee will continue work on a new pay administration policy to address starting salaries and salary increases related to reclassification or promotion. In addition, the committee plans to develop a policy that focuses on career progression in the new compensation structure, and employees whose salaries are paid by external grants.
Proposed new P&S salary structure with 12 pay grades using expanded upper pay range limits
| Grade | Minimum | 1st Third | Midpoint | Maximum | Spread |
| 41 | $93,500 | $118,418 | $131,000 | N/A | |
| 40 | $81,800 | $103,600 | $114,500 | N/A | |
| 39 | $71,800 | $94,537 | $105,905 | $140,010 | 95% |
| 38 | $64,154 | $82,331 | $91,420 | $118,686 | 85% |
| 37 | $56,196 | $72,119 | $80,080 | $103,964 | 85% |
| 36 | $51,088 | $65,563 | $72,800 | $94,512 | 85% |
| 35 | $44,800 | $57,493 | $63,840 | $82,880 | 85% |
| 34 | $39,474 | $50,658 | $56,250 | $73,026 | 85% |
| 33 | $37,113 | $46,391 | $51,030 | $64,947 | 75% |
| 32 | $33,676 | $42,095 | $46,305 | $58,934 | 75% |
| 31 | $30,622 | $37,767 | $41,340 | $52,058 | 70% |
| 30 | $28,257 | $34,379 | $37,440 | $46,623 | 65% |
