Merit
raises to take effect this month
ITD employees can look forward to larger paychecks next month,
thanks to a new merit pay program that will take effect Jan.
18.
Employees are our most valuable asset. Without them,
we simply cannot deliver quality products and services,
said Susan Simmons, Administrative Services. Our goal
with this program is to recognize their hard work and help
move our employees closer to market rate wages.
The raises will be funded with $2 million generated by permanent
personnel savings from the departments budget.
We did all we could within the amount we had available,
Simmons said. We wish it could be more.
But for now, the long-awaited bump in pay will be a welcome
boost for most ITD employees.
Features of the merit raise program include:
-
The raise program will extend to full-time
employees and benefited temporary employees with at least
two years of service. New employees become eligible for
the pay increase after completing probation.
-
The amount of merit increase will be determined
by the employees level of performance and position
within the assigned pay grade.
-
Raises will range from 1 to 4 percent, with
the average likely falling between 2 and 3 percent.
-
The minimum pay increase any qualifying
employee will receive is 25 cents/hour.
There are two components in determining the
amount of increase an employee receives: the employees
overall performance rating on the most recent evaluation, and
the actual wages the employee is being paid.
Our philosophy is, in order to compete in the labor market,
we need to compensate those who are on the lower side of the
pay range the most, Simmons said.
It is becoming more difficult for the department to retain and
recruit employees because the prevailing salaries in other government
entities and the private sector are significantly higher than
state wages. State employees lag behind the market average by
14.6 percent, according to a Division of Human Resources annual
survey.
ITD invests a significant amount in training, and if someone
leaves for a better-paying position, we lose our investment,
Simmons said. Just as important, we risk losing talented
people who take with them a level of dedication and institutional
knowledge that cant be replaced.
Employees can expect a confidential memo late next week from
Human Resource Services (HRS) with more information on individual
raises. Questions? Contact HRS at 334-8036.