Staff Salary/Wage Freeze
Questions & Answers
Salary & Wage Freeze Q&A's
- Under what circumstances may a salary increase be authorized for professional staff or other non-civil service employees in positions funded by State or tuition funding between February 19, 2009, and February 18, 2010?
- Only increases associated with being hired into a different position may be approved for professional staff and student employees.
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May a salary adjustment be made beginning May 1, 2009 and before February 19, 2010 if an increase is funded from sources other than state funds or tuition?
- Yes, a salary adjustment may be made for retention purposes if a position is deemed as a critical position by the school, college or major organization. Salary changes may not be effective earlier than May 1, 2009. Retention increases for critical positions can be made using the ingrade, position review, TPI, PSTA extension, or E/C processes. Any proposed salary increase request must also be accompanied by a completed Critical Position Retention Increase Request form.
- For positions that are determined to not be critical under HB 2328, the salary freeze remains in place through February 18, 2010, no matter how the position is funded.
- Can professional staff reviews or job code and title changes previously submitted but not yet approved be processed without an accompanying salary increase?
- Such requests may be able to be processed by the Compensation Office, but should be discussed with your Compensation Consultant in advance.
- Can new professional staff position reviews and/or changes in job class title/grade be requested for non-critical positions as long as there is no salary increase involved?
- Yes, as long as there is no salary increase involved, professional staff positions may be reviewed for assignment to a different job class code/title.
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Can an in-grade or full position review submitted after February 18, 2010 include a salary increase effective date earlier than February 18, 2010?
- No. Salary increase effective dates will not be approved retroactive to the February 18, 2010 salary freeze end date.
- May data entry errors be corrected if they result in a higher salary (e.g., transposed salary digits during entry into OPUS)?
- Most likely, yes. However, any such corrections should be reviewed with the Compensation Office prior to taking action.
- Are excess compensation (E/C) payments impacted?
- Where a professional staff member was committed to perform duties for excess compensation on or before February 18, 2009, excess compensation payments will be permitted. No new commitments of excess compensation during the twelve-month period from February 19, 2009 – February 18, 2010 are permitted under ESSB 5460 (see below for information on exceptions to ESSB 5460 as amended by HB 2328). Departments should not enter any new excess compensation payments into OPUS.
- HB 2328 provides that “…institutions of higher education may grant a wage or salary increase to critical academic personnel as needed for retention purposes, for retention of critical personnel positions that are not funded from state funds or tuition, or for additional academic responsibilities during summer quarter.” If the excess compensation request is either for a position deemed as critical and not funded by State or tuition funding, or is for additional academic responsibilities during summer quarter, excess compensation may be approved by the major organization, subject to major organization policy. Excess compensation requests for positions that are not for additional academic responsibilities require completion of the Critical Position Retention Increase Request form.
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Can temporary employees or student helpers receive a pay increase between February 19, 2009, and February 18, 2010?
- No.
- Can a professional staff temporary salary increase that is currently in effect be extended?
- Yes, as long as the increase took effect prior to February 19, 2009, there is no break in service, and no change to the amount of compensation is involved.*
- *Salary increases that are for retention of positions deemed critical by their major organization may receive salary increases, as permitted by HB 2328.
- Can a department increase the FTE percentage of a position provided there is no increase in the full-time monthly salary rate?
- Yes.
- Are classified employees impacted by the salary restrictions in ESSB 5460?
- The law does not impose restrictions on salary actions affecting contract classified or classified non-union employees.
