Implementation resumes for new P&S class/comp system

In June 29 emails, the university's 3,200 professional and scientific (P&S) employees will receive their job titles in the new classification and compensation system. University human resources (UHR) leaders announced this week a revised timeline for completing implementation of the market-driven structure. Included with each employee's title will be the related job family, job category (support contributor, individual contributor or management) and a job level indicating experience and work complexity and responsibility.

"We're grateful to university administrators for the green light to complete implementation," said Emma Mallarino Houghton, UHR classification and compensation director. "To resume the rollout, the classification/compensation team has been putting a lot of effort into preparing resources that introduce employees and managers to the new P&S classification structure and illustrate their placement in it."

Key dates

  • June 22: Managers receive their employees' job title assignments via email
  • June 29: Employees receive their job title assignments via email and review with their manager
  • July 24: Deadline to submit a job title review request (for employees or their managers who question their job title assignment)
  • August: UHR staff and HR service delivery staff complete reviews and notify managers and employees of outcome
  • Aug. 30: New P&S classification/compensation system goes live in Workday

The new timeline includes a deadline four weeks later -- Friday, July 24 -- for P&S employees who question the accuracy of their job title to request a review by UHR staff. Managers, who will receive notification of their employees' job title assignments around June 22, also may request a review for any of their employees. Mallarino Houghton said the early notice to managers is intended to give them time to understand the assignments and prepare for conversations with their staff members. Managers may share assignments with their employees before June 29, she added.

By mid-to-late August, UHR staff will complete all requested reviews and return their decisions to managers and employees.

The implementation end date is Aug. 30, when job titles are loaded into Workday and linked to the system's 15 new pay grades. Mallarino Houghton said separating job title assignments from pay grade assignments is intentional, to remove the inherent pay bias from the first phase. P&S salaries will not change when implementation is complete.

After Aug. 30, the new classification and compensation structure will be in effect. P&S promotions and reclassifications will remain frozen through October.

Introducing a new system

Newly posted to the P&S classification and compensation review website, a first set of resources will give P&S employees and managers an overview of the classification structure that's been built. Two aids -- a glossary and guide to levels -- went online this spring. Additional documents posted this week cover topics such as:

  • P&S classification framework
  • Job titling conventions
  • Career progression guidelines

A second set of aids will provide employees and their managers with resources for assessing the accuracy of their job title assignments and requesting a review of a new job title if they believe it's not accurate. These documents will be posted online by June 22.

"Because we're adding a lot of information to the project resources website, we thought it would be helpful to P&S employees to share it in two parts," Mallarino Houghton said. "Our new system is market-based, so it introduces significant changes from the 30-year-old system we'll retire soon."

Launched three years ago, the P&S classification and compensation review project gives the university a system that reflects best practices and is intended to recruit, retain and reward exceptional employees.