EIU Department of Classification and Compensation

Eastern Illinois University Salary Plan

The actions listed below will govern a status employee's salary provided the employee is on the active payroll at the time of implementation of the action. These actions are not grievable.

1. Entrance Pay (New Hire)
• A new employee's entrance pay shall be no less than the range minimum of the pay grade to which the employee's classification is assigned. The pay rate shall not exceed the range maximum that has been established by the Department of Human Resources. The Department of Human Resources will consult with appropriate departmental administrators to determine a pay rate that is based upon the current labor market, collective bargaining agreements, availability of funds and internal equity.
2. Across-The-Board Increase
• At the time of an across-the-board increase, employees who have demonstrated acceptable levels of competence shall be advanced in base pay within their current pay grade an amount equal to the percentage or dollar amount of the across-the-board increase. Across-the-board increases for current employees can take two forms:
1. Adjustment of the entire salary structure (all ranges adjusted upward by an equal percentage).
2. Upward employee movement through the current structure by an equal percentage or dollar amount. Newly-hired employees (March 1 or later for effective date of July 1) are not eligible for this increase.
• The appropriate Vice President, as well as the President, has the latitude to determine the employees who will be eligible for the increase. Issues of consideration could include recent salary adjustments, recent non-regular salary increases, and/or recent disciplinary history/action.
3. Promotion
• The promotion of an employee shall result in a pay increase up to a maximum of 6% less $1 (Vice President’s discretion) of the employee’s current salary or to the minimum of the pay range if the employee’s current salary is not within the new range. Promotional adjustments will be granted in the same manner as described in the "Entrance Pay" section. If a promotion results in an employee's salary being subject to a bargaining unit agreement or a single or prevailing rate, then that single rate or bargaining unit agreement rules and procedures shall be adhered to, provided such contract language exists.
4. Temporary Upgrade
• To receive a temporary upgrade, an employee must be assuming all duties normally assigned to the position. The employee must be on the active register for the higher classification, if such a register exists. If the relevant register does not exist, the employee must meet the minimum required qualifications for the classification to which assignment is being made. Requests for temporary upgrades of employees much be submitted to and approved by the Department of Human Resources. When a temporary upgrade occurs, an employee shall be paid the minimum of the pay range or up to 6% less $1 (Vice President’s discretion). For classifications where a single rate is used, the employee shall receive the rate of the higher classification. If a temporary upgrade action is subject to a bargaining unit agreement, then that agreement rules and procedures shall be adhered to, provide such language exists. A temporary upgrade is generally used for non-exempt civil service employees.
5. Stipend Application
• A stipend may be requested by the immediate supervisor and awarded through approval by the appropriate vice president and the Director of Human Resources in consultation with the appropriate fiscal agent. A stipend is generally used for exempt civil service employees.
6. Demotion or Reduction in Pay
• An employee who fails to pass a probationary period for a higher classification or chooses to return to his/her former classification during the probationary period shall return to the previous grade and salary. Any across-the-board or other increase for which the employee would have been eligible will be granted. When an employee accepts a voluntary demotion, at the discretion of the Vice President, the employee's salary at the higher classification may be maintained provided the employee has sufficient training/experience to justify that rate in the lower level classification. The rate must be consistent with other pay plan criteria.
• When an employee is involuntarily demoted, State Universities Civil Service System rules shall apply to pay as appropriate
7. Market Adjustment
• A market adjustment is usually done by job classification and can involve reassignment of the classification to a new pay grade and/or a within-grade increase. Under certain circumstances, other market adjustments may be considered subject to President’s approval.
8. Equity Adjustment
• An equity adjustment can be granted based upon any entrance or promotion criteria and can be made at any time in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources. Non-negotiated trade’s foremen pay rates will be subject to journeyman prevailing wage rates for the county as established by the Illinois Department of Labor plus 15%.
• Foreman pay rates shall be consistently maintained in the above manner as a matter of university policy.
9. Merit Pay Adjustment
• Merit pay adjustments will be based upon a performance appraisal instrument and allocated in conjunction with the annual increase process. Funding for merit increases could be allocated from either the university-wide salary increase pool or by department. Newly-hired employees who are on probation on the effective date of an annual increase (usually July 1) are not eligible for this adjustment.
10. Lateral Changes
• When an employee is transferred between positions that are in the same classification or to a position in a classification that is associated with a different schedule and which has been determined by the Department of Human Resources to have comparable responsibility, job value and employment standards as the classification previously held by the employee, the employee's salary shall remain the same. If the transfer is to a different classification, the employee's salary will be established by the Department of Human Resources and the rate determined in the same manner as defined in the "Entrance Pay" section.
11. Part-Time Status Employees
• Part-time status employees shall have their salary determined on the same basis as full time employees, with the salary amount directly proportional to the percentage of time worked.
12. Pay Maximum
• When an employee reaches the maximum of the pay range, no further increases to base pay will be granted unless the pay range itself is adjusted upward. A lump sum adjustment could be made, which does not attach to the base.
13. Premium Pay
• Shift differential premium shall be 75 cents per hour for employees whose permanent or temporary work schedule begins between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4:59 a.m. This shall be paid for all hours worked on that shift. This also applies to paid sick, accrued and holiday leave time, provided the employee was regularly receiving the differential immediately prior to using these benefits. Shift differential will be included in the rate on which overtime pay is computed.
• If a premium pay action is subject to a bargaining unit agreement, then that agreement rules and procedures shall be adhered to, provided such contract language exists.
14. Call-back Pay
• If an hourly employee is called into work before or back to work after regular hours, a two-hour minimum shall be paid at the applicable rate of pay.
15. Reclassification/Reallocation
• As a result of a desk audit, the following may occur:
1. The current classification may be determined by the Department of Human Resources to be correct and therefore no salary adjustment shall be made.
2. A higher level classification may be recommended by the Department of Human Resources. The appropriate vice president can either, deny the assignment of the higher classification and direct the appropriate department head to reassign duties affecting the recommended upgrade, or approve the upgrade. The classification and salary adjustment would then be made as follows:
1. If the employee has passed the examination for the higher classification at the time the audit report was written, the date of reclassification and salary adjustment shall be the date the audit report was written or thirty days from receipt of the position description in the Department of Human Resources, whichever comes first. In the case of exempt status employees, the effective date shall be the first of the current month if the audit report date (or last day of 30-day limit) is 1-15, and the first of the next month if the audit report date (or last day of 30-day limit) is 16-31.
2. If the employee has not passed the exam for the higher classification prior to the date of the audit report, the classification shall become effective the work day following successful completion of the exam. The salary adjustment date shall be either the audit report date or thirty days from receipt of the position description in the Department of Human Resources, whichever comes first. In the case of exempt status employees, the effective date shall be the first of the current month if the audit report date (or last day of 30-day limit) is 1-15, and the first of the next month if the audit report date (or last day of 30-day limit) is 16-31.
3. If the employee has not passed the exam for the higher classification prior to the audit report date, and fails the exam on the first attempt, the reclassification and the pay adjustment shall become effective the day following successful completion of the exam.
3. The same or lower pay grade classification may be recommended by the Department of Human Resources. Upon approval of the appropriate vice president, the position will then be assigned the new classification and the employee afforded the options provided by the State Universities Civil Service System statutes and rules pertaining to reclassification/reallocation [Section 250.110 (f)].