Compensation for Out-of-Scope Employees
Introduction
This policy governs compensation for incumbents in all positions at the University of Regina that are excluded from union membership by the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board – referred to as the out-of-scope positions.
The University’s statement of values acknowledges the members of its scholarly community as its defining resource. The stated goal with respect to People in the strategic plan is to “Make the University a preferred place to study and work”. One key strategy is to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff. This policy is one way to ensure the University can attract and retain the outstanding out-of-scope employees it needs.
The intent of this policy is to ensure that University out-of-scope salaries are competitive in the Western Canadian Broader Public Sector, which includes the post-secondary sector and, where applicable, the Canadian university sector and local market. The intent, further, is to compensate out-of-scope employees within salary ranges aligned with the applicable sector and not significantly above or below that.
Policy
Each year the Board of Governors will determine financial guidelines for the adjustment of out-of-scope compensation. Compensation for out-of-scope positions will be reviewed and adjusted in accordance with the results of performance reviews and the compensatory guidelines approved by the Board of Governors.
The salary of each out-of-scope employee will be determined at the time of appointment and adjusted annually in accordance with this policy.
The following principles will guide out-of-scope salary compensation:
- Equitable administration: The administration of the policy will be consistent, taking into account similar information for all positions covered by the policy.
- Performance based: All persons covered by the policy will participate in regular (at least annual) appraisals of their individual performance with their supervisors.
- Market realities: Compensation for a position at the University should be related to compensation for similar positions of the applicable sector.
- Differential outcomes: Individual out-of-scope salaries will in part be determined by an employee’s experience, level of development, and performance, and in part by market comparisons so that salaries for employees at the same rank are unlikely to be identical. Depending on these factors, compensation will generally vary within the salary range.
- Flexibility: Changing needs of the University and the out-of-scope group must be taken into account and may from time to time necessitate adjustments in salary compensation.
- Affordability: The costs entailed by the policy must fit within the University’s means.
All out-of-scope salaries should be based on where the University position falls within an agreed upon market along with experience, stage of growth and development. The University administration must ensure the salary is reasonable, appropriate and defensible based on these elements.
Salary compensation will be determined by a combination of:
- Economic Environment
- Annual Performance
- Market
All components of total compensation will be communicated to each out-of-scope employee to ensure an understanding of the salary and benefits programs and the opportunities available based on performance and development.
Academic Appointments
Each senior administrator who also holds an academic appointment:
- will have a proxy academic salary established on appointment that reflects the qualification and accomplishments of the employee
- is eligible for administrative leave
- is eligible for research and professional development leave (for positions at the rank of Dean or equivalent or above)
- will be provided research support (for positions at the rank of Dean or equivalent or above)
APEA Support
APEA allocations will be provided to all out-of-scope positions.
Roles and Responsibilities
Board of Governors
- will, each year, determine the financial adjustment of out-of-scope compensation
- may establish additional benefits for one or more groups of out-of-scope employees
University Administration
- must ensure out-of-scope salaries are reasonable, appropriate and defensible
Human Resources
- will administer the management of the compensation and benefit systems
- will conduct research and analysis of market conditions and Federal and Provincial economic assumptions
- will conduct “best practices” analysis
- will develop strategies for implementing recommendations
- will communicate all components of total compensation to each out-of-scope employee
- will communicate annual salary adjustments to each out-of-scope employee
- will communicate eligibility for the granting of an administrative leave to out-of-scope senior administrators at the time of appointment or reappointment
Consequences for Noncompliance
If the University does not offer competitive salaries for out-of-scope positions, it will not be able to attract and retain outstanding employees and consequently will not be a preferred place to work or study.
Processes
Academic Salary
The academic salary is intended to be a fair and reasonable proxy for the salary the senior administrator would have received as an academic staff member if an administrative appointment had not been accepted. The academic salary is the salary that will be paid should the senior administrator return to the academic ranks. The academic salary is reviewed, adjusted and communicated annually.
In the case of an internal appointment as Associate Dean or equivalent, the salary will be the same as the appointee's academic salary at the time of appointment to the position.
The academic salary will be amended yearly in line with the provisions of the University of Regina/URFA Academic collective agreement by adding:
- A scale adjustment (if applicable);
- An increment (if the employee is eligible);
- One-third of a merit.
Where further increases are warranted and additional funds are available, an additional merit may also be awarded.
Should the academic salary of a senior administrator be at the salary merit ceiling for their rank, a special merit adjustment will be made to reflect merit increments awarded beyond the ceiling.
If the senior administrator is promoted to a higher academic rank while holding the administrative position, all accumulated special merit adjustments will be rolled into the adjusted academic salary.
Administrative Stipend
In addition to their academic salaries, Associate Deans or equivalents will receive an administrative stipend.
Annual Performance Review
Out-of-Scope Employees
For each out-of-scope employee, an annual performance evaluation will be undertaken by the supervisor (the person to whom the position reports) in accordance with a pay for performance management system. Criteria for the awarding of promotion, tenure, merit and increments for those in Academic Administrative positions can be found in Appendix A.
Faculty Representative on the Board of Governors
An academic staff member who is out-of-scope by virtue of election or appointment to the Board of Governors will be reviewed and remunerated in accordance with the University of Regina/URFA collective agreement.
Acting Appointments
On occasion, an employee may be appointed to an out-of-scope position in an acting capacity. For such appointments of less than six weeks there will be no additional compensation. For appointments of more than six weeks, a salary will be negotiated, and APEA and research funding (where applicable) will be pro-rated.
For those who hold academic appointments, service in an acting capacity may be considered as credit towards an administrative leave if the acting appointment becomes permanent or if it immediately follows or precedes a permanent appointment in an out-of-scope position. Otherwise, service in the position will count towards sabbatical eligibility.
Administrative Leave
The purpose of administrative leave is to provide an opportunity for senior administrators who also hold an academic appointment to refocus on their research and scholarly work or to undertake assigned work of benefit to the University. Prior to commencing leave, a plan describing the activities during the leave must be submitted.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a full year of administrative leave, an employee must have completed at least five years of continuous service as a senior administrator. Shorter leaves may be granted when service is for a shorter period. Administrative leave will be available only at the completion of appointment.
Administrative leave requires an approved work plan and a commitment to return to professorial duties for a minimum of one year following completion of the leave. An administrative leave will be immediately terminated if an employee accepts other employment during the term of the leave. If an employee is offered a second term in a senior administrator position, the employee will not earn additional administrative leave. The administrative leave will be deferred until the end of the second term.
Eligibility for the granting of an administrative leave should be communicated, in writing, at the time of appointment or reappointment. The duration of an administrative leave will not normally exceed one year.
Service as a senior administrator, including time spent on administrative leave, will not contribute towards sabbatical eligibility. However, service in a senior administrative position will be deemed not to break continuity of service for sabbatical entitlement (see the relevant article of the University of Regina/URFA collective agreement). A sabbatical will not normally be taken immediately before or following an administrative leave.
Status and Funding
Employees on administrative leave will be deemed to be out-of-scope and will carry their academic title only.
While on administrative leave, all those holding a position at the level of Dean or equivalent or above, will be paid 100% of academic salary. All others will receive the percentage of academic salary they would receive if on sabbatical (see the relevant article of the University of Regina/URFA collective agreement).
Unless otherwise determined at the time of appointment (or reappointment), funding for administrative leave for an Associate Dean or equivalent will be provided by the employee’s home unit; in all other cases funding will be provided centrally.
Leave for Research and Professional Development
During their term, senior administrators at the level of Dean or equivalent or above who hold academic positions are encouraged to take research and professional leave. The purpose of such leave is to undertake research projects or to participate in professional training programs. Up to a maximum of three months leave in each five-year term may be taken. Unused leave may be carried forward from the first term to the second. Normally, no more than six months leave may be taken in any five-year period. Such leaves may, following submission of a plan, be approved by the supervisor and will normally be for periods of no longer than two consecutive months. The full out-of-scope salary will be retained during the leave.
Leave for research and professional development is available in addition to administrative leave.
Research Support
Research support will be provided to all senior administrators at the rank of Dean or equivalent or above who also hold academic appointments.
In order to encourage and allow senior administrators who hold an academic appointment to maintain and enhance their scholarly work, the University will ensure that each such employee receives an annual allocation to be used exclusively for scholarly purposes, including research-related travel, hiring research assistants, paying page charges and other charges that would normally be permitted by a recognized research-granting agency.
Eligibility
To be eligible for annual research funding, an employee must hold an academic rank as a Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor and must hold a senior administrative position at the level of Dean or equivalent, Associate Vice-President or Vice-President. In unusual circumstances, with the agreement of the President, an employee who fails to satisfy one of these two eligibility conditions may be granted such funding.
Status and Funding
Research funding will be provided in respect of each eligible position. The President’s Office will arrange funding in respect of eligible employees who report directly to the President or who occupy a staff position. In all other cases, the funding will be provided from the budgets of the academic and administrative units over which the eligible administrators exercise budget control.
Research funding will carry forward from one year to the next, except that no amounts will be carried forward that would cause an account balance to exceed three years’ funding, except as provided below.
- An eligible employee who assumes or leaves office during a fiscal year shall receive a pro-rated share of the research funding for that year.
- The research account of an eligible employee who leaves office shall remain available to provide research support provided that the employee remains in the employ of the University.
- Under special circumstances, the University may authorize additional research funding. It is incumbent on the eligible employee to make application to the appropriate Vice-President for, and justify, a larger research account. When such a request is granted, the maximum amount to be carried forward from one fiscal year to the next shall be the total of the amounts allocated to the employee’s research account during the previous three years.
Benefits
Each out-of-scope employee covered by this policy is entitled to the perquisites and benefits contained in specific policy statements relating to the relevant out-of-scope group.
The Board of Governors may, from time to time, establish additional benefits for one or more groups of out-of-scope employees. In particular, the positions of Vice-President may carry specific additional benefits which are set forth in the terms of appointment, or as subsequently modified by the Board of Governors.
Vacation
The vacation year is May 1 to April 30. Annual vacation entitlement shall be as follows:
- Out-of-scope positions, pay band 10 to 16:
- Six weeks (thirty days)
- Out-of-scope positions, pay band 1 to 9:
- Less than five years of service – 1 2/3 days per month (twenty days)
- Five years of service or more but less than sixteen years of service – 2 1/12 days per month (twenty-five days)
- Sixteen years of service or more – 2 1/2 days per month (thirty days)
- Nine scheduled days off on the basis of 0.75 days for each month of service. These days cannot be carried forward to the next year and no payment will be made in lieu of unused time.
- All other academic related positions as per the University of Regina/URFA collective agreement.
All vacation will be considered to have been used annually unless a carry-over has been approved. Any unused vacation carried forward from one year to the next must be used in the second year. Vacation carried forward cannot exceed the annual entitlement.
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