Civil Service Pay Practices

The following sections describe the salary adjustments available to Civil Service employees. If you have questions about Civil Service salary adjustment policies, or questions about salary adjustments for other employee groups, contact your unit's HR Professional.

In-Range Adjustments

An in-range adjustment is an increase in pay rate within the existing pay range of an employee's classification.

Market Adjustments

Employees may receive an increase to their base pay rate due to discrepancies with the competitive labor market for that position. The increase is initiated and at the discretion of college/department management.

The Compensation unit of the Office of Human Resources keeps current information on competitive labor markets for jobs at the University. You can request a market analysis.

College or department management is responsible for ensuring internal pay equity. Therefore, they are responsible for any adjustments and for providing the supporting documentation. If the Compensation unit didn't provide the market information, the college or department will be liable for the validity of the data and any action taken.

Merit Adjustment

An employee is eligible for a merit increase at the discretion of college/department management. Management must submit a completed performance appraisal plan in conformance with Rule 9 of the Civil Service rules. The increase action should list how the performance was deemed meritorious and the methodology utilized to determine the increase amount.

Temporary Assignment Augmentation

An employee who is officially assigned by management to perform all the duties of a vacant higher classification, for five or more workdays, may be eligible for an augmentation per policy. Augmentations for longer than a year will be reviewed for possible reclassification. Employees will also be paid at the augmented rate for overtime (if Non-V in their current classification), vacation leave, and sick leave.

Retention Adjustment

A college/department may increase an employee's pay rate for the purpose of countering a bona fide employment offer from an outside organization. The increase action should document methodology used to determine increase amount and retention decision.

Internal Equity Adjustment

College/department management are responsible for establishing and maintaining equitable pay relationships. Factors to consider are seniority, documented quality of employee performance, and employee skill set. Internal equity adjustments are warranted when inequities exist amongst employees in comparable situations.

University Holidays

Employees appointed at a designated percentage of time appointment are eligible for paid holidays at that designated percentage. An employee who is not appointed at a designated percentage of time (i.e., hourly and exception hourly appointments) and is required to work on any day recognized as a holiday shall be paid at the rate of time and one-half for the hours worked.

An employee qualifies for holiday pay if he or she works or is on an approved leave on one of his or her regularly scheduled work days adjacent to a holiday and is on a leave of absence without pay for two weeks or less required by the employing department or the University on his/her other regularly scheduled work day adjacent to the holiday. For example, an employee on a two week military leave that ends the Friday before a Monday holiday is eligible for a paid holiday if the employee reports to work the next scheduled shift after the holiday.

If a holiday falls while an employee is on paid leave (for example, sick leave or military leave) the employee receives only holiday pay—and not other paid leave (such as sick leave)—on the holiday.

Personal Holidays

These guidelines discuss personal holiday policies.

New Hires, Transfers, and Terminations

Employee appointments should be effective the day after a holiday or terminated effective the day before a holiday (to limit holiday pay). When an employee transfers departments, receives a promotion or demotion, effective the first working day after a holiday, the two departments involved should work out an agreement as to which one will pay for the holiday. When an agreement cannot be reached, the new department will pay for the holiday.

Supervisory Adjustments of Work Schedules

Prior to a pay period that includes a holiday, each supervisor should review employee work schedules and appointments. The supervisor has the authority to adjust work schedules. For example, the supervisor could change an employee's work schedule from four 10-hour shifts in a week to five eight-hour shifts the week of a holiday. The supervisor will communicate schedule changes and talk with employees about their pay prior to the holiday week. Supervisors should not decrease an employee's appointment during a holiday work week.

Supervisors will follow the civil service rules and/or union contract requirements when making a schedule change.

Appointment Changes

Employee appointments should not be decreased or increased during a week with a holiday for the purposes of manipulating the employee's holiday benefit.

Holidays on Scheduled Days Off

When a holiday falls on an employee's day off, the employee will receive an additional day off or proportionate time off (based on the percentage time of appointment) as agreed upon between the employee and the supervisor.

Calculating Holiday Pay

The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment at time and a half because an employee works on a holiday. Holiday premium pay follows the provisions of the University's Civil Service Rules and/or union contracts.

Examples of Holiday Pay Calculations

(Applies to Civil Service and nonacademic staff with collective bargaining agreements):

Working on a Holiday

An employee appointed at a designated percentage of time who is required to work on a holiday shall receive regular pay for the day plus additional pay or time off at the rate of 1.5 hours worked. Employees may choose between time off or pay for the additional hours. For example, a full-time employee who works eight hours on a holiday shall be paid at the normal rate for the eight hours plus 1.5 x 8 for a total of 20 hours.

100% Appointment, Works Extra Hours on a Holiday

An employee appointed at 100% who works six extra hours on a holiday shall be paid for six hours at straight time or regular rate of pay (earning code REG), plus 1.5 x 6 hours or three hours (earning code HLW) for a total of nine hours. 

Four 10-Hour Work Shifts at 40 Hours a Week 

Calculating holiday pay for an employee who normally works four 10 hour shifts when the holiday falls on a scheduled work day.

The employee whose holiday fell on a work day received 10 hours off, but a holiday is worth only eight hours. This employee must work two hours on another day during the week to be paid for the full work week or use two hours vacation pay. The easiest way to handle this problem is to return to a schedule of five eight-hour days for each work week containing a holiday. 

75% Appointment, Six-Hour Work Schedule

Calculating pay for an employee with a 75% appointment when the employee normally works six hours a day, Monday through Friday, and is required to work eight hours on a Monday holiday.

An employee with a 75% time appointment receives holiday pay worth 75% of a normal work day, or six hours. An employee who does not work on a holiday receives six hours of pay for the holiday. The employee who works on the holiday receives pay at time and a half for all hours worked, plus the employee's regular pay for the holiday. This employee is paid a total of 18 hours for the day (six hours at straight time plus eight hours at time and a half).

75% Appointment and Supplemental Appointment

Calculating pay for an employee with a 75% time appointment and a supplemental hourly appointment for time worked in excess of the percent time appointment where the employee worked for eight hours during the holiday and six hours per day for the rest of the week.

If an employee has a 75% time appointment, the work week is 30 hours and a holiday is six hours. Overtime is paid only if the employee works over 40 hours in the work week. If the employee worked for eight hours on the holiday and six hours per day for the rest of the week, the employee would receive eight hours pay at time and a half for work on the holiday, plus six hours of comp time or pay for the holiday, and 24 hours at straight time for the other four days in the work week.

If the employee worked for eight hours on one day of the week, but not the holiday, the employee would receive six hours of pay at straight time for the holiday, six hours of pay at straight time for each of the other four days, and two hours pay at straight time for the two hours worked on the eight hour day.

In both examples above, the employee did not work more than 40 hours in the week, so overtime pay at time and a half did not occur.

Working Extra Hours on a Holiday

Employees with 100% appointments who work their normal shift plus some additional hours on a holiday that falls at the end of a work week would be paid at a rate of 1.5 times base pay plus the eight hours of their regular shift for the original shift.

The additional hours beyond eight would be paid at time and a half for overtime but since the limit on holiday premium pay is eight hours the employee would not receive both holiday premium and overtime.

If the holiday was at the beginning of the work week and overtime hours were worked on the holiday, they would be paid at 2.5 times their base pay rate for the first eight hours worked, and then straight time for any hours beyond eight.

It should be noted however, that if the individual worked the rest of a normal week they would earn overtime payment at the end of the week.

Paying Out Holiday Comp Time

If an employee chooses to take comp time off at time and a half in lieu of holiday pay for work on holiday or in lieu of pay for overtime, and the employee later (after a new pay rate is in effect) decides that he or she does not want to take time off and would rather be paid, the employee should be paid at the rate in effect on the day the holiday or overtime was originally worked.

Work Shift Defined

This term means both a period of work that has a predetermined starting and ending time and the regularly scheduled configuration or pattern of work periods and days off. Regularly scheduled means the configuration repeats itself on a weekly, biweekly, or longer-term basis. Eligibility for shift differential is based on the individual employee's regularly scheduled hours of work.

Shift Differential Defined

A shift differential is a payment associated with specific hours that an employee is regularly scheduled to work. Shift differentials are not included in the base salary in establishing annual salaries for employees who are continuously eligible for shift differential. Shift differential is only paid for hours worked on an eligible shift, not for other paid time off.

Part-time employees are eligible for shift differential if the shift they work meets the shift differential definition.

Employees working in V classifications are eligible for shift differential payments.

Shift differential payments are included in the employee's regular rate of pay when calculating an overtime payment

Employee Requests for Shift Differential Work Hours

If an employee requests to flex or change the employee's typical hours of work, for the employee's convenience, into a shift that is covered by shift differential, the employee is not eligible for shift differential pay.

Shifts That Qualify for Shift Differential Pay

A shift differential is paid for work shifts of at least six hours that are regularly scheduled by the employee's supervisor and begin before 6:00 a.m. or end after 7:00 p.m. The applications for shift differential are listed below:

• To qualify for shift differential, the shift must have been previously scheduled to include time before 6:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. An employee working extra time before 6:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. on a shift that was not originally scheduled for these hours will not earn shift differential for the extra time worked. However, the extra time may qualify for overtime pay.
• The entire shift is eligible for shift differential if the shift is at least six hours and any part of the shift is scheduled during the period eligible for shift differential.
• Overtime worked on a shift that is eligible for shift differential is paid at 1.5 on both the base and the shift differential.
• Shift differential is not paid during vacation leave, sick leave, holidays, or other paid time off.

Employees may work eligible shifts on either a continuing basis (normal, year-round) or non-continuing basis (rotating shifts, temporary, or occasional assignments).

Calculating Shift Differential Pay

Employees who work on a continuing shift differential basis should always be paid overtime at 1.5 the base salary plus 1.5 the shift differential rate.

Employees who work on a non-continuing shift differential basis (e.g., rotating shifts, temporary, or occasional assignments) are paid according to the pay rate in effect on the day the overtime is worked.

If they are receiving shift differential on the day they worked overtime, overtime is paid at 1.5 the base salary plus 1.5 the shift differential rate. If the employees are not eligible for shift differential, any overtime worked on that day is computed using the base salary only.

Combining Shift Differential Pay and Holiday Pay

If an employee works on a holiday and is eligible for shift differential, the holiday premium pay would be calculated on both the base salary and the shift differential. This is the same procedure used for calculating overtime.

For example, consider an employee whose work shift is 7:45 a. m. until 4:30 p. m. except on Wednesdays, when it is from 11:00 a. m. until 7:30 p.m. The employee will receive shift differential only for the Wednesday shift because only this shift is eligible for shift differential.

Overtime and V-Class, Part-Time Employees

V-class part-time employees shall be paid or receive compensatory time off at the straight-time rate for all hours worked in excess of their appointment percentage, up to 40 hours. They will be paid at 1.5 (hourly rate of pay or in comp time off) for all work over 40 hours in a week.

Payment When Temporarily Filling in for a V-Class Position

Whenever an employee is temporarily filling in for a V-class position (through a dollar/hour augmentation), the department has the option of either paying the 1.5 for any overtime hours worked, or granting the employee the extra half day vacation allowance per month for the duration of the temporary augmentation.

Technical Consultants and Overtime Payments

Individuals employed as technical consultants (job code 0011) are not eligible for time and a half. This exempt classification is not covered by the Civil Service Rules.

On-Call Overtime

Hours spent in on-site (on the employer's premises), on-call status count as regular hours worked and also are counted towards overtime (if the total hours worked that work week exceed 40). However, a different base pay rate, not lower than the federal minimum wage, may be established for on-site, on-call hours.

Paid Time Off and Overtime

Overtime worked in a work week in which an employee has taken paid time off (vacation, sick leave, or paid holiday) is compensated at the appropriate premium rate. For example, a nonexempt employee that works three extra hours on each of two evenings a week during which a scheduled holiday falls should receive overtime pay for the six hours. The University practice is to count paid time for hours not worked toward the 40-hour work week requirement.

Comp Time

FLSA allows most University employees to choose comp time at one and a half times for each hour worked over 40 in a week rather than a cash payment. The FLSA limits accrual of comp time at 240 hours or 160 hours of actual overtime hours worked for all non-exempt employees. Police, emergency response, and seasonal employees have a maximum accrual of 480 hours of comp time or 320 hours of actual overtime hours worked.

Units have full discretion to:

• Reasonably restrict the amount of comp time that can be accumulated (with a maximum of 240 hours or 160 hours of actual time worked for all nonexempt employees) and the length of time a comp time-off balance can be carried.
• Establish a rule that employees use comp time before using vacation time.

Paying Out Comp Time

Cash payments for accrued comp time can be made at any time and must be paid at the regular rate earned by the employee at the time the employee receives payment. If an employee is transferring or moving from one unit to another unit, the unit where the employee accrued the comp time off must pay it out.

Callback Defined

An employee is called in or called back to work when he or she:

• Has completed a regular work day and left the workplace for at least 30 minutes; or
• Is called in on a non-workday; or
• Is called in early but will not work a continuous shift.

Callback Minimum Payments

An employee who is called in because of an emergency shall receive a minimum of two hours of pay at 1.5 or comp time (at the employee's option) provided the employee:

• Has completed a regular workday and left the workplace for at least 30 minutes, or
• Is called in on a non-workday, or
• Is called in early but will not work a continuous shift.

This does not apply to part-time employees (regardless of hourly or percentage of time status unless otherwise specified in the Civil Service Rules or Bargaining Unit contract); employees living on the premises; or those positions that require frequent on-call duty as described in the job specifications.

On Call

The University operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Employees who play key roles in ensuring service and/or operation can expect to be contacted about their work responsibilities outside of regularly scheduled hours of work. The nature of the employee's work responsibilities (e.g., role in ensuring continuous operation) are taken into consideration when the base salary is determined.

On call is the time an employee is required to wait or be available, outside the employee's regularly scheduled hours of work, to be called to respond to a work-related issue or to return to work. A supervisor or manager will schedule an employee to be on call. Academic (Faculty and P&A) and non-academic staff (Civil Service and Bargaining Unit employees) may be required to be on call.

State and federal employment laws and regulations govern on call pay. The payment required varies by the restrictions placed on the employee.

Types of On-Call Status

On Call—Restricted to Premises

Employee is scheduled or required to be on the University's premises available to return to work. Employee is not performing University work while waiting.

Hours spent in on site (on the premises of the employer) on-call status count as regular hours worked and must be counted towards overtime (if total hours worked that work week exceed 40). A different base pay rate may be established for on site, on-call hours (equal to or greater than the minimum wage).

On Call—Off Premises Restricted

Employee is away from the University's premises and scheduled or required to be available and easily reached outside the employee's regularly scheduled hours of work, to respond to work-related questions or concerns.

The employee is given a very short amount of time to respond to a call; employee is called frequently, or the time required to respond to the call is lengthy and the employee is not able to use the on-call time for the employee's own pursuits.

The Office of Human Resources will determine if an on-call program meets the definition of Off Premises—Restricted.

On Call—No Restrictions

Employee is scheduled or required to be available and easily reached outside the employee's regularly scheduled hours of work to respond to work-related questions or concerns. There are no restrictions (e.g., geographical) placed on the employee. The employee can engage in his or her own pursuits.

Typically employees in exempt Civil Service job classifications are not paid for time spent on call. Academic staff do not receive additional pay for time spent on call. The on call provisions of the collective-bargaining agreements are followed for employees whose job classifications are covered by a union contract.

Developing and Evaluating an On-Call Program

The Office of Human Resources discourages the use of on call programs.

Colleges and administrative units will work with the Office of Human Resources to determine if there is a compelling business reason to establish a plan to pay staff for time spent on call.

Docking Pay

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) permits public-sector employers to reduce the pay of an employee in an exempt job classification for less than one work day while maintaining the exemption status. Pay can be reduced under the University's vacation and sick leave plans if an employee's accrued leave has been exhausted, if the employee chooses to use leave without pay, or if permission to use leave has not been sought or has been denied.

The FLSA also permits a reduction of a partial day's pay, while maintaining the employee's exemption status, while the employee works a reduced schedule or uses intermittent leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, and/or for violation of a major safety rule.

Setting a Work Week and Work Hours

Campuses and collegiate or administrative units may establish an official work week of seven consecutive days. The work week may vary from unit to unit. The supervisor has the authority to establish the employee's work schedule, including starting and ending times, lunch, and break times.