W. Va. Code R. § 135-55-18

Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 135-55-18 - Classification and Compensation System Established

18.1. The Council, in consultation with the Commission, does hereby establish and implement the West Virginia Higher Education Compensation Management Program. The program is designed to provide institutional flexibility to manage classification and compensation for all staff jobs in West Virginia higher education. However, the program is the legislatively required system of classification and compensation for classified employees. The program represents current best practices in classification and compensation management for West Virginia higher education employees regardless of the category to which assigned. Market based classification and compensation management is recognized as the appropriate methodology for classifying higher education jobs.

18.2. The Compensation Management Program and supporting component documents to guide in the implementation and administration of the Program were approved by the Council and Commission for implementation effective September 1, 2017. The program documents shall be considered by all institutions under the jurisdiction of the Council and Commission as a model salary administration policy and guidelines. The approved compensation management program includes:

18.2.1. The "West Virginia Higher Education Compensation Philosophy" which outlines the goals, objectives, and strategies of the compensation management system;

18.2.2. The "West Virginia Higher Education Job Classification Guidelines" which assist human resources officers with determining the appropriate classification for jobs;

18.2.3. The "West Virginia Higher Education Employee Salary Schedule" consists of pay grades with pay range spreads and indicates the minimum, midpoint and maximum salary levels for each pay grade; and

18.2.4. The "West Virginia Higher Education Salary Administration Guidelines" which assist human resources officers and institutional administrators in making appropriate pay decisions in a variety of employment situations.

18.3. The West Virginia Higher Education Compensation Management Program is designed to attract, retain, and motivate a highly talented and committed workforce to support the unique missions and goals of public higher education institutions. Competitive pay is a key element in attracting, retaining, motivating and rewarding the type of employees needed to fulfill the missions of West Virginia's colleges and universities. The goal of Council, Commission and affiliated colleges and universities is to pay competitive salaries by using systems clearly communicated to employees and readily administered by managers.

18.4. In order to fulfill institutional visions, missions and goals, West Virginia higher education institutions must attract and retain highly talented staff. To meet institutional staffing needs and priorities, the compensation system established in support of this goal includes the following objectives:

18.4.1. To provide the flexibility to manage base pay through a simple clear program that is consistent with the Council, Commission, and institutions' individual strategic and organizational objectives and in accordance with organizational missions, visions, values and financial resources;

18.4.2. To establish and maintain a competitive pay structure based on comparisons to appropriate external labor markets while also considering relative internal worth;

18.4.3. Clearly articulate, through a relevant performance management program adopted by each institution, the relationship between institutional strategy and employee performance, recognition, and rewards;

18.4.4. To ensure that the compensation program and pay are administered strategically, consistently, effectively, efficiently, fairly and equitably both within the institution and statewide in compliance with the "FACT" of Higher Education Human Resources established by the West Virginia Legislature;

18.4.5. To provide a framework for career progression and recognition of high performance;

18.4.6. To reward employees on the basis of work performance;

18.4.7. To establish a compensation policy that is fair, accountable, consistent, transparent and designed to ensure sound stewardship of available compensation funding;

18.4.8. To ensure accountability for compliance with relevant federal and state statutes; and

18.4.9. To establish the principles and processes for regular review of market position and effectiveness of policies.

18.5. Colleges and universities have flexibility to manage compensation within the parameters of the compensation program and salary schedule.

18.6. Colleges and universities may initially manage compensation using across the board, market position goals, or any other method that serves to ensure fair, competitive compensation for employees. Over time, all institutions are encouraged to transition compensation management to a rewards model that compensates employees in line with their skill, effort and outcome contributions.

18.7. The Council shall ensure that regular market salary analyses are performed to determine how organization compensation for all classes of employees compares to compensation in relevant external markets.

18.8. The Council, in consultation with the Job Classification Committee (JCC), shall have in place a master classification specification for every classified job title.

18.9. The Council, in consultation with the JCC, shall develop a Position Description Form/Job Description Form (PDF/JDF) to be used by all organizations to gather data necessary for classification of positions.

18.10. Each organization must ensure that a job description shall exist for every classified job. The job description should be reviewed at least every three years for accuracy by the employee and supervisor. Submission of an updated job description does not constitute a request for a classification review. A formal request must be made pursuant to section twenty of this rule.

18.11. Neither the employee nor the supervisor shall place duties in the employee's PDF that the employee is not performing, but may be expected to perform in the future.

18.12. Salary adjustments shall be made in accordance with the Salary Administration Guidelines approved by the Council.

18.13. During the course of its reviews, should the JCC discover the systematic misapplication of the program by an organization, it shall notify the Chancellors, who will take the appropriate action warranted.

18.14. Absent fraud on the behalf of the employee, any overpayment to the employee because of an erroneous classification decision by an organization shall not be collected from the employee. However, any erroneous overpayment to such an employee, once corrected, shall not be deemed as evidence in claims by other employees that the classification and compensation program is not equitable or uniform.

18.15. Recommendations from the Compensation Planning and Review Committee (CPRC) will be considered in agenda items presented to the Council and the Commission and in the legislative reporting process.

18.16. Pursuant to State law, the Council may not delegate to the JCC or the CPRC the following:

18.16.1. Approval of a classification and compensation rule;

18.16.2. Approval of the job classification plan;

18.16.3. Approval of the market salary schedule; and

18.16.4. Approval of the salary schedule minimums.

W. Va. Code R. § 135-55-18