Faculty and staff ‘critical compensation’ programs to return
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As it continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, UW–Madison will resume critical compensation programs to recognize exceptional performance among staff and faculty and remain competitive.
“After a very difficult year and a half, we are pleased to resume making these investments in our faculty and staff,” says Rob Cramer, interim vice chancellor for finance and administration. “Our tremendous employees are the reason we are a top university, and it is important that we recognize and reward their contributions to UW–Madison’s success in a very competitive higher education market.”
The compensation programs will include a bonus program for staff and faculty and a discretionary compensation fund and faculty block grant.
Each college, school and division will develop and make available for faculty and staff the process and timeline for using the central funding. This will include making it clear to faculty and staff how increases are determined.
Colleges, schools and divisions are encouraged, when resources are available, to continue supplementing the central funding to increase the ability to address compensation issues. This supplement was important in past funding programs, resulting in more faculty and staff receiving increases from non-central funds.
Performance Bonus (one-time, lump sum) Program details:
- Virtually everybody in the campus community has done remarkable work to help our campus navigate the pandemic. The bonus exercise will provide funding for lump-sum, one-time bonuses to staff and faculty who have made exceptional contributions over the last 18 months.
- Colleges, schools and divisions will receive their fund allocations for the bonus program by Oct. 1.
- Units will have until the Dec. 18 pay period to process bonuses. This deadline aligns with the payroll cycle and ensures that all employees receiving bonuses will receive them in the 2021 tax year.
Staff Discretionary Comp. Fund (DCF) and faculty Block Grant details:
- This funding will be used to adjust base salaries to address merit and retention for faculty (Block Grant) and staff (DCF).
- Salary adjustments for the faculty Block Grant can be made starting in October of 2021 through March of 2022.
- Salary adjustments for the Discretionary Compensation Fund (DCF) for staff can be made starting in December of 2021 through March of 2022. The delayed timing allows for the November implementation of the Title and Total Compensation (TTC) Project (new compensation and titling structure) to occur prior to salary adjustments.
- Adjustments to base salaries effective Jan. 2, 2022 or later will be calculated after the 2 percent pay plan adjustment is applied.
To be eligible to receive the pay adjustments or bonuses, employees must have completed UW–Madison’s sexual harassment prevention training and cybersecurity awareness training. Staff must also have met performance expectations as identified in their last performance evaluation. Supervisors are required to complete performance evaluations for the employees they supervise. Additional criteria may apply at the college, school or divisional level.
Questions? Please contact your supervisor or HR representative.