Employee Handbook

3. Compensation

In this chapter:

3.1 University Compensation Systems

Introduction

The university’s job classification and compensation system is designed to provide fair, consistent, and objective procedures for determining the pay of each employee at the university. Our systems are designed to prioritize internal equity while recognizing external market factors. We believe by providing total compensation packages that are fair and transparent we can better attract, retain and motivate our faculty and staff.Our compensation philosophy is guided by several key principles: 

Annual across the board salary increases: Each year the President’s Executive Leadership Team recommends whether or not employee pay rates should be adjusted based on a number of factors, including recruitment and retention, market increases, the cost-of-living index, and the university’s financial resources. All regular, non-temporary employees are eligible for any approved across the board increase.

Administrative Staff Compensation System

Administrative staff salary scale

The pay grades and associated ranges with the administrative staff salary scale are meticulously and systematically established through thorough analysis and comparison with our external comparator set from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA). Comparator schools were selected through a rigorous process of identifying similar institutions, considering factors such as enrollment, location, finances, endowment, and staff size. 

Within each pay grade, there are five steps designed to ensure pay progression over approximately 40 years of employment. These steps are intentionally designed to support career progression throughout an employee's tenure with us, providing ample opportunities for advancement and fair compensation along their professional journey.

Current Pay Ranges - Staff and Administrative Positions

Position grade determination

Position pay grades are determined by The Office of People and Culture in consultation with department leadership. Each position is assigned to a pay grade based on the position’s responsibilities and qualifications listed in its official job description. Each position undergoes careful evaluation against internal and external comparators which inform a placement into a corresponding pay grade within the George Fox administrative staff salary scale. 

A reevaluation for an existing position may be justified under the following circumstances:

If you believe your circumstances meet the criteria above, please contact the Office of People and Culture for guidance.

Employee pay placements

Employee pay placements are determined by The Office of People and Culture in consultation with department leadership. Upon hire into a position, employees are placed within the corresponding step considering their experience and education and can progress through the steps during their time in service. It is critical hiring managers obtain and submit all relevant experience to ensure an equitable salary offer. Relevant experience will not be reevaluated after the employee has been hired. Hiring managers are required to await written authorization before moving forward in communicating a salary offer with a candidate. 

In the case of a current employee moving to a new role or department the pay placement will be determined as described above. The employee’s current compensation is not part of the determination.  

New training and education

Supervisors determine if certificates, licensures, or additional education are essential to an employee's work. Any new accomplishments can be submitted to the Office of People and Culture by an employee’s supervisor throughout the year and will be added to an employee’s total history.

Promotional step increases

On an annual basis, supervisors may advocate for a promotional step increase for an eligible employee who has reached a new step. An employee who becomes eligible for a promotional step increase based on their employee history must also be performing against the expectations of their position. Supervisors will determine if an employee has met both conditions for the promotional step increase and are expected to submit a recommendation to The Office of People & Culture in order to be reviewed in partnership with Executive Leadership.

 

Faculty Compensation System

Faculty salary ranges

Faculty ranges are meticulously and systematically established through thorough analysis and comparison with our external comparator set from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA). Comparator schools were selected through a rigorous process of identifying similar institutions, considering factors such as enrollment, location, finances, endowment, and staff size. Faculty ranges are discipline and rank specific and our systems are designed to prioritize internal equity while recognizing external market factors. 

Faculty pay placements

Faculty pay placements are determined by The Office of People and Culture in consultation with applicable academic leadership. Upon hire into a position, faculty are placed equitably among current faculty in the same rank and discipline. It is critical hiring managers obtain and submit all relevant experience to ensure an equitable salary offer. Relevant experience will not be reevaluated after the faculty has been hired. Hiring managers are required to await written authorization before moving forward in communicating a salary offer with a candidate. 

Promotional pay placements

Faculty members pursue the promotional process as outlined in the faculty handbook. If a promotion to a new academic rank is approved, the Office of People & Culture will conduct a review to determine an equitable promotional salary increase. This is to be implemented for the academic year following the approved promotion.

3.2 Special Stipend Compensation 

Approval Date: 

12/1/2020 

Effective Date: 

1/1/2021 

Review Date: 

1/1/2023

Objective

As members of the University’s community employees are expected to participate in a variety of George Fox University’s activities without additional compensation.  Typically reoccurring course or program responsibilities such as student assessments, program admissions, or discipline-specific program training are not subject to stipends. Guest speaking/lecturing, mentoring, coaching and advising activities (of colleagues and students), and other aspects of collegiality are examples of routine expectations of employees.  

There are occasions, however, when an employee is asked to perform duties on a temporary basis that are substantially outside the scope of the employee’s position.  In such instances, the employee may be eligible to receive an administrative stipend. 

This policy establishes the basis for identifying and recording special stipends for specific assignments and/or time periods.

Faculty-Salary

The salary of full-time faculty members is full compensation for job duties and activities performed for the University. Faculty responsibilities include teaching, scholarship and service activities as outlined in the faculty and employee handbooks. 

Exempt Administrator-Salary

The salary of exempt administrative employees is full compensation for job duties and activities performed for the University. Responsibilities are outlined in job descriptions.  

Non-Exempt Staff-Hourly 

Hourly rates for non-exempt staff are full compensation for job duties and activities performed for the University.  Responsibilities are outlined in job descriptions.  Non-exempt staff are compensated for all hours worked for the university and at overtime rates when overtime applies.

Student Employee-Hourly

Hourly rates for student employees is compensation for job duties and activities performed for the University.  Students may qualify for a student leadership stipend where the activity is closely connected to their curricular and co-curricular experiences developing their skills for their time beyond George Fox. 

Eligibility 

Exempt employees are eligible for lump sum administrative stipends.  Non-Exempt employees must be compensated at their hourly rate for additional hours worked.  The department providing an hourly administrative stipend is responsible for any overtime pay that occurs.  

Approval and Authorization Process

All administrative stipend arrangements must have prior approval before work or services can be performed by the employee. Justification that includes the following should be included in the stipend request through George Fox Timekeeping.

The stipend request must be approved and signed by the dean/director/chair, executive dean and provost/vice president.  Any request up to 10% of the employee’s current annual salary rate is to be submitted to Human Resources for review.  Any request over 10% of an employee’s annual base pay will require Human Resources review and CFO’s approval.

If work is done during an employee's regular work hours then the employee must use annual leave or leave without pay for the time the duties are performed. Work receiving a stipend must be completed outside of the work schedule of a full-time assignment. 

If an employee terminates or vacates the position on which the additional administrative duties were assigned, the administrative stipend will end on the effective date of the position termination.

Other conditions:

Duration 

The duration of an administrative stipend may range from one (1) month to twelve (12) months within a fiscal year cycle.

Stipend Amount and Payment 

The total stipend compensation received may not exceed 25% of an employee’s current annual base rate of pay without approval from the department head, VP, HR and CFO.  Stipends will be paid with regular payroll each month.

Issued by: 

Executive Leadership Team

Reviewed and Approved By: 

Provost, Executive Deans, HR and CFO

 

3.3 Payroll

Employees are paid monthly on the last working day of the month. If a pay day falls on a weekend or holiday, employees are paid on the preceding workday.

3.3.1 Direct Deposit

Employees are normally paid by direct deposit of pay into checking and/or savings accounts. A signed direct deposit authorization and a voided check are required to set up or change an employee’s direct deposit. On pay day, a direct deposit statement that shows the employee’s gross pay, any deductions and/or reductions and the net pay amount(s) deposited is available on line for each employee.

3.3.2 Reporting Hours Worked and Time Off

Support Staff: Support staff are provided time sheets for the upcoming month. Each employee should record actual hours worked and/or actual time off on the time sheet each day. Each support staff member and his or her supervisor are required to sign the time sheet verifying its accuracy. Employees are not allowed to fill out any part of a time sheet for another employee. Time sheets should be submitted to the Human Resources Office the first week of the month following the end of the pay period.

If there are blank work days on a timesheet or days indicated as zero hours worked, it will be assumed the employee did not work those days and will be charged to vacation if available; otherwise, the employee’s pay will be reduced the next pay day. If such an occurrence is later determined to be an error, the employee’s supervisor must notify the Human Resources Office of the error in writing. Any pay deficit is corrected on the next regular pay day. If the employee and supervisor intend for those hours to be unpaid (usually due to extra hours already worked or to be worked in the future), it must be clearly noted on the timesheet by the supervisor.

Because time sheets are not received until early the following month, any overtime pay, reduced pay, or other pay adjustments are calculated and applied to the following month’s pay. In the case of a payroll error that results in an underpayment to an employee, a pay adjustment may be issued before the next pay day.

Administrators: Since administrators are exempt from overtime pay, they are not required to record or keep track of their hours worked. However, a monthly Time-Off Report is required from each administrator and is to be used to record any vacation, sick leave, or other time off taken in the month. Even if no time off was used, the administrator is required to complete a time off report. Time off reports are due the first of each month.  Supervisors will receive an auto generated approval request via email and must approve time off by the 3rd working day of the month.

Temporary Employees: Temporary employees are nonexempt and must record the time started and stopped each day worked. The pay period for a temporary employee begins on the 16th day of the month and ends the 15th day of the following month, with pay day the last day of the month. Temporary employees’ properly signed time sheets must be received in the Human Resources Office by the 18th of the month to allow time for processing.

3.3.3 Overtime Pay

Nonexempt employees are paid one-and-one-half times their normal rates of pay for any time worked over 40 hours in one work week. The work week for George Fox begins each Saturday at 12:00:01 a.m. and ends the following Friday at 11:59:00 p.m. Holiday, vacation, or sick time taken during a week is not included as hours worked for the purpose of computing overtime.

Nonexempt employees are not allowed to work extra hours without advance supervisory approval. If extra time is worked on one or more days during a work week, the supervisor may have the employee take the same number of hours off later in that same work week to avoid overtime hours. The university recognizes that on certain occasions some departments may require overtime. On these occasions, employees are required to work assigned overtime.

3.3.4 Pay for Holidays Worked

If an administrator or support staff is required to work on a scheduled holiday, he/she will be granted a day off in lieu of the holiday as soon as possible and preferably within the same month on a day mutually agreeable to the employee and the supervisor. Any time off taken by a support-staff employee after working a holiday will be first considered time off in lieu of the holiday worked up to the number of hours worked. The support staff employee is paid for the hours worked on a holiday. If it is not possible for a support staff employee to take a day off in lieu of the worked holiday, he or she receives, in addition to the regular pay for the time worked, holiday pay for up to eight hours (which, combined, provides twice the regular rate of pay). Holiday pay is not considered in computing overtime hours worked that week, but hours the employee worked on the holiday are considered. Administrators will not receive extra pay for working on a holiday.

3.3.5 Pay While Traveling on George Fox Business

Support staff are paid for business travel time, whether it falls within or outside of regular work hours. On overnight trips, time spent in leisurely activities outside regular work hours is not considered work time. This includes time spent eating, relaxing, sightseeing, and sleeping. Support staff are paid for training or meeting time if the supervisor requires it, including when it is outside the normal workday and whether or not travel is involved.

3.3.6 Pay Advances

Pay advances are not allowed.

3.3.7 Pay for Services Provided Outside of Regular Job

Payment to employees for services provided outside of their regular job duties will be made through payroll; generally on the next regular pay day after the request for payment is received in Human Resources. Payments will be handled in this manner even if the work might otherwise meet the criteria for an independent contractor.

3.3.8 Emergency Call-Out Pay Policy

Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to outline the compensation and conditions for employees who are required to perform work outside of their normal work hours in emergency situations.

Eligibility: Non-exempt employees who are required to respond to emergency situations are eligible for emergency call-out pay.

Definition of an Emergency: An emergency is defined as an unexpected event or situation that requires immediate attention and action to prevent significant harm or damage and is outside of normally scheduled hours.

Compensation: Employees who are called out for emergency situations will be compensated for the time worked at two times their regular hourly rate. All other hours during the work week will be processed as usual and per payroll policies.

Record Keeping: Employees are required to keep a record of all hours worked during an emergency call-out, including the date, time, and duration and log time accurately using the “Emergency Call-Out” pay type on their timesheet.

Management Approval: All emergency call-outs must be approved by a manager or supervisor prior to the start of the work.

Note: Exempt employees are not eligible for emergency call out pay.

3.4 Payroll Deductions

3.4.1 Income Taxes

State and federal income taxes are deducted from employees’ earnings each month based on the information on the W-4 form. An employee may change deductions at any time by submitting a revised W-4 to the Human Resources Office. The new deduction generally begins the first possible pay day after the form is received.

3.4.2 FICA Taxes

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) provides for a federal system of old age, survivors, disability, and hospital insurance financed by the Social Security tax and the Medicare tax. It is funded by matching contributions by George Fox and each employee.

3.4.3 Workers’ Compensation

A workers’ compensation assessment is levied by the state on each employee’s pay. This assessment is based on hours worked each month, with the cost split between the university and each employee.

3.4.4 Voluntary Deductions/Reductions

Deductions (after tax) are taken for voluntary donations such as to the university or Tilikum Retreat Center. Other deductions may include repayment of student loans and premiums for supplemental insurance (life, disability, cancer, long term care, etc.). Reductions (pretax) are taken for the employee’s portion of medical premiums, dental premiums, flexible-spending accounts, and retirement plan contributions.

Voluntary deductions and reductions from an employee’s pay are established only when the employee has completed and signed the appropriate form. Unless otherwise indicated, the deduction generally begins the first pay day after the form is received in the Human Resources Office.

3.4.5 Garnishments

The university is required to comply with court-ordered garnishments, which specify a dollar amount or percentage of an employee’s pay to be withheld. The employee is notified when a garnishment order is received. Generally, the garnishment is applied beginning with the pay day following its receipt. The university attempts to protect the employee’s confidentiality regarding garnishments. 

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