UNT Health Science Center Staff:
UNT System Human Resources has partnered with Segal Consulting on a comprehensive market salary study to assess the compensation for staff positions at all levels across UNT World compared to external markets. Please note that this now-completed study examined compensation comparisons for staff only, and not faculty.
The study revealed most staff positions – 95% – are at or above the identified market value, placing UNT World in a strongly competitive position regarding compensation.
Results of the study also presented the opportunity to consolidate the differing pay structures of our four institutions into a single unified pay plan. This will facilitate consistency in job analysis across institutions and streamline salary pay grades. Some positions will see pay-grade adjustments for entry, midpoint, and maximum salaries.
The new unified pay plan will go into effect on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021.
What does this mean for me?
- No staff member will receive a decrease in pay.
- Staff members with a salary below entry for their new pay grade will receive an adjustment to the new entry salary. This adjustment will be prorated if the staff member is below 100% full-time employment.
- Staff members receiving a salary adjustment will be notified directly prior to Sept. 1 and the adjustment will be reflected on paychecks received after Sept. 1st.
- Not every staff member will receive an increase in pay.
An online informational session to provide an overview of the study and details on the creation and implementation of the new pay structure will be held at 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. To register to attend, click here. Furthermore, a list of FAQs is included below.
In addition to the study, HSC is also implementing a respectful wage increase reflecting HSC values. As part of HSC’s ongoing commitment to our teams, the respectful wage increase will also go into effect on Sept. 1st. This wage increase raises the minimum hourly rate for full time positions to no lower than $12.50 per hour. Staff members receiving an hourly rate adjustment as part of the respectful wage increase will be notified directly prior to Sept. 1st and it will be reflected in paychecks after Sept. 1st.
For additional information or questions, please contact Human Resources at HSC.HR@untsystem.edu.
Thank you,
Sheraine Gilliam-Holmes
Vice Chancellor & Chief Human Capital Officer
UNT World Staff Market Analysis and Salary Structure
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the market study and salary structure changes apply to staff only, or faculty as well?
This study was specifically conducted for staff positions only.
How will I know if I will receive a salary increase?
Staff employees whose salaries are below entry of the new pay grade will receive a salary adjustment to the minimum of the pay range. Employees receiving a salary adjustment will be notified directly prior to Sept. 1. Department heads and other applicable leadership positions will receive notification of employee salary changes and placement of all staff positions in the new pay plan structure.
Is there a possibility that my pay will be reduced?
No, there will be no reductions in pay resulting from this study.
If I receive an increase, will I see the changes on my Sept. 1 paycheck, or would it be Oct. 1?
Any increases will be effective Sept. 1. Staff employees who receive an increase will see the change on their Oct. 1 paycheck if paid monthly or on the Sept. 15 paycheck if paid semi-monthly.
If I receive a salary increase, will it affect my eligibility to receive additional salary adjustments, such as merit?
The implementation of this study will have no impact on employee eligibility for other salary adjustments.
Do grant-funded positions have to implement the new pay plan structure?
Yes, all staff positions will be changed to the new pay plan structure regardless of the source of funds for the position.
What happens when an employee reaches the maximum salary of their pay grade?
Employees who reach the maximum of their pay grade will receive no additional adjustments to base salary unless the maximum salary is increased through a future revision to the pay plan structure, or the position is reclassified to a higher pay grade. Salary adjustments, such as merit or other performance based pay, will be provided as a lump-sum payment.
How often will the new pay plan be reviewed?
A comprehensive market review will be conducted every three years to ensure that UNT World pay plan values remain in sync with market salaries. Department heads, with appropriate leadership authorization and budget availability, may request that market reviews be conducted on an individual position or a group of titles if there is a concern that current pay plan values are significantly different than market.
Can an employee supervise another employee in the same pay grade, or supervise an employee graded higher?
While it is unusual for a supervisor and direct report to be in the same grade, or the direct report to be at a higher pay grade, it is possible for this to occur with highly specialized positions. For example, a supervisor with administrative or budgetary responsibilities may supervise an individual with specialized technical skills. If the market value for the specialized position is similar or higher than the market value for the supervisor position, there may be justification for an equivalent or higher pay grade for the specialized role.
Will my job ever be considered a benchmark job? In other words, do the benchmark jobs change over time?
Possibly, however it will need to be determined if your job meets the criteria to be considered as a benchmark job. A benchmark job is a position that has a standard and generally consistent set of responsibilities from one organization to another, and for which data is available in valid and reliable salary surveys. For example, an accountant position can be easily compared between various higher education and general industry businesses. Non-benchmark jobs are positions that may be highly specialized, unique to a particular institution or perhaps are a hybrid of multiple roles. For nonbenchmark jobs, Human Resources compares these to other positions within UNT World that have a similar level of responsibilities and scope to determine an appropriate pay grade.
My position is highly specialized and isn’t easily comparable to jobs in the area. How can I be assured my job is graded properly?
For non-benchmark jobs (those that are unique, highly specialized or a hybrid of several jobs), Human Resources compares these to other positions within UNT World that have a similar level of responsibilities and scope to determine an appropriate pay grade.
How were “peer institutions” determined?
Each campus leadership team provided input on selection and development of peer institution lists. These peer institutions are generally public educational institutions of a similar size in student enrollment and similar classification (ex: doctoral degree granting institution, medical/health science institution and/or research institution).
Which geographical area and industries were used as a comparison for determining the “market?”
Higher education institutions and general industry institutions were utilized for determining market values. Additionally, a geographic differential was added to the market data to account for geographic salary differences for the DFW region.
Does the new pay plan structure apply to newly hired employees or is there a specific start date threshold before changes are applied?
All staff positions will be adjusted to the new pay plan effective Sept. 1. Any employee whose current salary is below the entry salary for their grade in the new pay plan will receive an increase to the entry salary, regardless of when they began working for UNT World.
Does job performance or disciplinary action have anything to do with these adjustments?
No, these adjustments are based entirely on placing positions within an appropriate pay grade based on market data and/or internal comparison to other similar positions. Employee attributes, including qualifications, performance and any current disciplinary actions are not considered when setting pay grades, and do not affect an individual’s ability to receive a salary adjustment based on the results of the study.
If an employee was scheduled to receive an increase through reclassification or other means AND identified for increase resulting from the study, which increase will they receive?
In this situation, if both adjustments were to be effective on Sept. 1, the reclassification review (or other salary adjustment) would be completed, and the position would be placed in the appropriate title and new pay grade based on the responsibilities of the position. If the requested salary is below the entry of the new plan pay grade, then the employee would receive an adjustment to the entry of the new pay grade. Following Sept. 1, departments should utilize the new pay plan structure when submitting reclassification or other salary adjustment requests.
What can I do if I don’t agree with where the market study placed my position?
If you have concerns about the market study results, you are encouraged to have a conversation with your supervisor. If your supervisor concurs, they can escalate the concern to Human Resources at HSC.HR@untsystem.edu, to review the grade placement of the position. It is important to remember that the midpoint of the pay grade should be reflective of market – the entry salary of the pay grade will be lower than the market value of the position.
What compensation processes are changing?
Overall compensation processes will not significantly change with the implementation of the new pay plan structure. When a new or existing position is reviewed, Human Resources will first grade the job utilizing the current methodology of evaluating compensable factors (job functional knowledge, business expertise, leadership, problem solving, nature of impact and interpersonal skills). Once graded, market data (if available) or comparison to other similar internal positions will be considered to validate and possibly adjust the pay grade so the midpoint of the pay grade is reflective of market value. Compensation guidelines are being created to assist supervisors with determining appropriate salary amounts for new employees and other salary changes such as promotions.
What can I do if my pay is still lower than others in my same or similar position?
It is important to understand that this study was a review of UNT World’s pay plan structure and pay grades as compared to the external market. There was not a review of individual employees’ salary placement within a pay grade. If an employee has a concern regarding salary equity within their position, they should first consult with their supervisor. If a review is deemed necessary, departments can submit an internal equity review request for individual positions to review if employees are paid equitably when compared to similarly situated peers.