Section 415-112-4601 - Are contract salary payments earnable compensation?(1) Base contract. Payments authorized under a base contract may be earnable compensation. (a) Payments made to classroom teachers for the provision of educational services are earnable compensation.(b) Payments made to administrators and principals for the provision of administrative services are earnable compensation.(c) Even though salaries are derived from a salary schedule that incorporates experience and educational attainment, to the extent that the salaries are paid for services provided, they are earnable compensation. Both experience and educational attainment are deemed to increase the quality of the service performed. See RCW 28A.405.200.(d) Payments pursuant to the base contract that are not made in exchange for services performed are not earnable compensation.(2)Supplemental contract. Payments authorized under a supplemental time, responsibility or incentives (TRI) contract may be earnable compensation. RCW 28A.400.200 allows the use of supplemental TRI contracts to compensate an employee for additional time, additional responsibility, or the achievement of stated incentives. (a) Payments authorized by a supplemental contract for services requiring additional time are earnable compensation. Examples include payments for the provision of educational services during evening or summer school.(b) Payments authorized by a supplemental contract for services requiring additional responsibility within the regularly scheduled working day are earnable compensation. Examples include payments linked to over enrollment or additional duties.(c) Payments authorized by a supplemental contract for the achievement of stated incentives are earnable compensation. Examples include meeting performance goals specified by the employer.(3)Longevity or educational attainment. Payments for longevity or educational attainment must be analyzed to determine whether they are paid for services provided. Salaries for all teachers and most administrators are determined by looking at the individual's teaching experience and educational attainment.(a) A member who receives a salary increase based upon longevity or educational attainment receives a higher salary without working more hours. The higher salary indicates a higher level of service due to greater experience or more education. The payment is therefore a payment for additional service and is earnable compensation.(b) Simply attaching the label "longevity" to a payment does not guarantee that it will be earnable compensation. If a payment described as a longevity payment is actually based upon some other criteria, such as retirement or notification of intent to retire, the payment may not be reportable.Wash. Admin. Code § 415-112-4601
Statutory Authority: RCW 41.50.050(5) and 41.32.010(10). 05-12-108, §415-112-4601, filed 5/27/05, effective 6/27/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 41.50.050. 97-03-016, §415-112-4601, filed 1/6/97, effective 2/6/97.