Policies for Administrative Professional Staff Employees
Chapter 5 Compensation
5.1 Compensation
Please see the memorandum from the Chancellor regarding the suspension of this policy here.
Approved February 1982
Approved and Revised March 23, 1999
Approved and Revised May 12, 2011
Approved and Revised September 5, 2012
The University strives to remain competitive in regard to compensation rates for all employees.
Employees supported by external funding such as federal or state grants will be compensated in accordance with the funding levels set by said grants.
Compensation for employees covered under a collective bargaining agreement will be determined through the collective bargaining process and will be based on the classification of each employee.
The appropriate salary grade for non-represented staff positions will be determined by the Position Management Committee (PMC) working with a completed Position Description Questionnaire. The Committee is composed of representatives from each Vice Chancellor's area. A Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) will be used by the PMC to determine the appropriate salary grade for each position. Salary grades for non-represented staff positions shall be established in accordance with job requirements and will be based on compensable factors.
- Salary Ranges: Each salary grade will be composed of a salary range. Salary ranges for non-represented positions shall be appropriate to requirements of the position and shall be comparable to the ranges of other jobs in the University with similar levels of difficulty and responsibility. Salary ranges for non-represented staff positions will be reviewed on an annual basis. Adjustments in the ranges will be made based on salary survey information, market conditions and comparison to peer institutions. Pay rates above or below the salary range must be approved by Chancellor's Council.
- Annual Increment: The Office of Human Resources shall be responsible for developing and recommending a plan on an annual basis for the distribution of non-represented staff salary increases. The policy shall include rationale and formula for the distribution of the funds appropriated by the State for salary increases and allocated for distribution to non-represented staff. Employees on an active Performance Improvement Plan will not be eligible for an annual increment increase.
- Equity Adjustments: When appropriate, the Office of Human Resources will analyze salary equity data for individual positions upon the request of the respective Vice Chancellor. Adjustments in pay may occur on the basis of salary survey information, market conditions and comparison to peer institutions. Employees on an active Performance Improvement Plan will not be eligible for an equity increase.
- Longevity Adjustments: When appropriate, the Office of Human Resources will analyze longevity data for positions ranked by the Position Management Committee. Adjustments in pay will be based on years of service in current rank or salary grade of the PDQ position. Employees on an active Performance Improvement Plan will not be eligible for a longevity increase.
- Outstanding Performance: When appropriate, employees may be eligible for an increase based on Outstanding Performance. For consideration, all non-represented staff positions shall have a written job description outlining the duties of that position and a current performance evaluation. Outstanding performance transcends the normal job requirements and may be manifested in a variety of ways depending upon both the individual and the position.
Any position that is not ranked by the Position Management Committee for compensation purposes must be approved by Chancellor's Council.
Increases for outstanding performance are recommended by the respective dean or director and must be approved by the respective Vice Chancellor and Chancellor.
5.2 Compensatory Time
Approved May 12, 2011
Non-exempt employees may earn compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay. Exempt employees are not eligible to receive compensatory time. Compensatory time is calculated at one and one-half hours for every hour in pay status in excess of an employee's full work week of 37.5 or 40 hours depending on his/her job classification. Compensatory time should be taken in the pay period following that during which the time was earned; however, use of compensatory time requires supervisor approval. Dependent upon operational needs, the use of compensatory time may be deferred up to 60 days. The University discourages accumulation of excessive compensatory hours. The following guidelines shall apply to all departments:
- Departments are prohibited from requiring that an employee take compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay.
- Departments must have a written understanding from the employee when agreed-upon overtime hours will be recorded as compensatory time in lieu of overtime pay.
- Departments are responsible for recording any compensatory time earned/used and maintaining pay records or time sheets to support such recordings.
Unused compensatory time is nontransferable. When an employee is transferring from one department to another and has a balance of unused compensatory time, the employee is required to use all compensatory time before the effective date of transfer. When this is not possible, the transferring employee shall receive payment in full for the accrued compensatory time from the employee's former department. This requirement will also be enforced should the employee's position be reclassified from non-exempt to exempt status. Such payout shall occur with the final paycheck from the department in which the compensatory time was earned or the final check associated with the non-exempt position. Such payout will be based on the rate of pay for the position from which the employee is transferring, not the rate of the new position.
When an employee is terminating employment, the employee is required to take all compensatory time before termination unless approved by the respective Vice Chancellor.
5.3 Direct Deposit
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville offers direct deposit for employees, student workers and graduate assistantships. All employees are encouraged to take advantage of direct deposit by completing the Direct Deposit Authorization Form at /human-resources/payroll.For additional information on direct deposit, please visit /human-resources/faq.shtml#payroll.
5.4 Exemption Status
Approved May 12, 2011
Exempt Status - Employees whose positions meet specific tests established by the Fair Labor Standards Act and are not entitled to overtime compensation and/or compensatory time off.
Non-exempt Status - Employees whose positions do not meet specific tests established by the Fair Labor Standards Act and who are entitled to receive overtime compensation and/or compensatory time off.
5.5 Hours of Work
Approved January 1, 1985
Approved and Revised May 12, 2011
The administrative work week of the University shall start at 12:00 midnight, Sunday. In departments where around-the-clock operations are required, the scheduled work days within the administrative work week will be adjusted to provide for more than the regular five-day operation.
The basic office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with one hour off for lunch. However, exceptions to this general rule may be approved to meet the specialized needs of departments. Employees will have a basic work week of thirty-seven and one-half (37½) hours, except as stipulated by agreement, or in local prevailing practice.
The terms "exempt" and "non-exempt" refer to the provision for payment of overtime compensation to employees for certain hours of overtime work. Exempt employees are excluded from this provision. Non-exempt employees must be paid for those hours.
Maximum hours of work, overtime compensation and compensatory time off will be calculated in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as amended. Employees in non-exempt positions, not tied to a negotiated or prevailing rate, will be compensated for overtime at the rate of time and one-half for hours in a pay status in excess of thirty-seven and one-half (37½) hours per week. By agreement or understanding with their supervisors prior to the performance of the overtime work, these employees may receive compensatory time off at the rate of time and one-half for overtime hours worked in lieu of payment. Employees in exempt positions may receive compensation or compensatory time off only for emergency or excessive overtime when approved by the Chancellor or designee.
5.6 Pay Dates
Approved May 12, 2011
The University has scheduled pay dates for employees. Generally, hourly employees are paid bi-weekly on the Friday following the week worked. Salaried (exempt and non-exempt) employees are generally paid semi-monthly on the 16th and last business day of the month.
5.7 Safe Harbor
Approved December 14, 2016
If an employee believes that their wages have been subject to any improper deductions or that pay does not accurately reflect all hours worked, the employee should promptly report concerns to their immediate supervisor. If a supervisor is unavailable or if an employee believes it would be inappropriate to contact his/her supervisor (or if the employee has not received a prompt and fully acceptable reply from their supervisor within three business days), the employee should immediately contact the Payroll Department. If the employee has not received a satisfactory response within five business days after reporting their concern to the Payroll Department, the employee may contact the Director, Office of Human Resources.
Every report will be fully investigated and corrective action will be taken. The University will not allow any form of retaliation against individuals who report alleged violations of this policy or who cooperate in the University’s investigation of such reports.
5.8 Salary Deferral
Approved May 12, 2011
Employees who work less than a full 12-month employment contract may elect to participate in salary deferral. Salary deferral is a process that defers a portion of salary during a contract period and pays the deferred compensation during the break period. An employee may elect to receive compensation over a twelve (12) month period (paid over 24 semimonthly payrolls) instead of the contract employment period (9, 10, or 11 months). In compliance with IRS code the defer pay election must be made and received by Payroll before the employee starts working.
5.9 Wage Assignments, Garnishments, and Child Support
Approved May 12, 2011
The Payroll Department may receive court orders for garnishments, bankruptcy withholdings, and/or child support. A garnishment is an order that directs the University to withhold money from an employee's paycheck and to forward that money to the court or garnishing agency for payment of a debt owed. SIUE must comply with all court orders and withhold the appropriate deduction from an employee's pay. The amount typically required for withholding is 25% of gross earnings less deductions required by law.
If an order of withholding is issued by a court of law, the employee will receive a notice from the agency or court that wages will soon be garnished. When Payroll receives such an order, it will contact the employee and inform him/her of the upcoming deduction. The employee will see the deduction amount withheld on his/her pay stub. If an employee has a concern with a withholding, he/she should discuss the issue with the agency or the court. Payroll may not stop an order and must comply with the law by withholding the required amount.
Garnishments that may appear as payroll deductions may include but are not limited to:- Child support and support in arrears
- Spousal support and support in arrears
- Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
- Credit Garnishments
- Tax Levies
- Defaulted Student Loans
In some cases employees may agree to a voluntary payroll withholding to satisfy a debt owed to the Internal Revenue Service or for state or federal taxes. Employees will need to provide information and authorize Payroll to establish a voluntary payroll withholding when this is necessary. Only federal and state taxes and state agencies are accepted by the University for Voluntary Payroll Withholdings. SIUE is unable to honor any employee requests for voluntary wage assignments for other purposes.
The State Collection Act of 1986 requires State of Illinois agencies to submit names of debtors to the Comptroller's Offset System when a debt becomes past due. Once a name is received, the Illinois Comptroller Offset System adds that name to an Offset list and directs a state employer to withhold certain amounts in order to satisfy an outstanding debt to the affected State of Illinois agency. If an employee owes an unpaid or past due debt to any state agency, he/she may appear on the Comptroller's Offset System list. Wages may be garnished to recover funds owed to the state agency. In the event of such an occurrence, the employee will receive a notice from the agency that the debt was turned over to the Offset System. When Payroll is notified that an existing employee is on the Offset list, it will contact the employee and inform him/her of the upcoming deduction. The employee will see the deduction amount withheld on his/her pay stub.
Under Illinois law, SIUE is a state agency employer and is thereby required to comply with the Offset System by deducting a set amount from all payrolls and all affected employees, student workers, and graduate assistants in order to repay the State of Illinois. The amount withheld is remitted to the Illinois Bureau which applies the payment to the debt. If an employee believes this offset is in error, he/she should contact the Illinois Comptroller's Office. Please be advised that the University has no authority to remove an employee's name from the offset list, nor may the University contact the Comptroller on behalf of an employee to discuss the debt. There may be other repayment options available to an employee through the state agency to which the debt is owed. Such information can be provided by the Illinois Comptroller's office.
