Salary setting guidelines
UFV-PA 2014/639
Approved by the HR Director 03/03/2014
Guidelines in PDF format
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1. Introduction
These guidelines set out the starting points for and application of Uppsala University's salary policy. Salary policy is part of Uppsala University's continuous work to strengthen the university's position as an attractive employer.
Motivated and committed employees are a prerequisite for high-quality activities. Uppsala University must therefore continuously develop its attractiveness in order to recruit, develop and retain employees with the right skills. The salary policy should contribute to this and at the same time form part of the activities governance so that the university achieves its goals.
The foundation of Uppsala University's salary policy is the state salary policy, which includes, among other things, individual salary setting as a means of control and where salary setting talks in an increasing number of authorities form a basic model. [1] The ambition is for Uppsala University's salary policy to meet the requirements of the State sector while at the same time allowing methods and approaches adapted to the activities so that salary policy promotes the activities in the best way.
2. Starting points
Salary formation at Uppsala University is based on the activities' needs, goals and results, financial conditions, skills supply needs and salary agreements. [2]
Uppsala University will offer market-based salaries without abandoning the principle that the state sector should not be the salary leader in the Swedish labour market.
The salary setting shall be individual, differentiated and objectively justified. Responsibility, the degree of difficulty of the work and the other requirements associated with the tasks and the skills and results of the employee in relation to the activity goals shall be the basis for the salary.
Partiality in salary setting related to discrimination grounds according to law may not occur. [3]
Salary setting should be used as a means of establishing a clear correlation between goals, performance and pay. Through dialogue, both managers and employees can contribute to the clarification of this relationship.
3. Salary policy objectives
- Uppsala University's salary policy is clear and well known to every employee.
- The salary setting process is clear and well known to every employee.
- Every employee knows what is expected and assessed in his or her work.
- The salary criteria are objective and established among both managers and employees.
- Individual salary setting leads to appropriate salary differentiation between employees with similar duties by rewarding good individual performance and results.
- There are dialogues adapted to the activities that give managers and employees the opportunity to communicate the relationship between responsibility, tasks, skill, performance and salary.
- Managers apply the university's salary agreements and take account of and responsibility for the salary setting within the university as a whole.
4. Salary policy responsibility
- The Vice-Chancellor has the overall responsibility for salary formation at Uppsala University.
- The vice-rectors are responsible for the respective salary structures of the disciplinary research domains.
- The University Director is responsible for the salary structure of the university administration.
- The Library Director is responsible for the salary structure of the University library.
- The Head of the Uppsala University Innovation (UUI), the Head of the National Centre for Knowledge on Men's Violence Against Women (NCK) and the Head of the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCA) are responsible for the respective salary structure.
- All managers have a responsibility to ensure that salary policy is translated into practice and known to employees.
5. Factors affecting salary
The following are the objective factors affecting salary underlying the individual and differential salary setting.
- Tasks/duties
- Work results
- Market
- Strategic considerations
- Other objective factors
1. Tasks/duties
The content and degree of difficulty of the work, as well as responsibilities, complexity and degree of autonomy, as well as the competence requirements set on the employee constitute the most important factors affecting salary.
2. Work results
The work results and the skills of the employees are assessed on the basis of performance in relation to the activity objectives. In salary reviews, responsible managers make assessments based on the university's salary criteria. For recruitment, the expected work result is evaluated.
3. Market
The competition situation in the labour market in respect of a particular occupational group and/or specialist competence may affect salary setting as well as the external pay situation for comparable jobs in the labour market.
The geographic market may also affect salary setting.
4. Strategic considerations
Strategic considerations can affect salary. For example, competencies that are crucial to the results of the activities can entail higher salary.
5. Other objective factors
Other objective factors are related to positions such as the fact that employees who have had salary supplements in connection with special assignments can receive a salary adjustment after the completion of the assignment. New salary received in connection with promotion or new skills is another position.[4]
6. Importance of dialogue
A prerequisite for a well-functioning individual salary setting is a regular dialogue on goals and work results between managers and employees. In order to conduct effective activities, the dialogue is therefore extremely important, as it forms part of the activities development and governance.
7. Salary setting opportunities
Agreement on a new salary is made in new recruitment and salary reviews, but may also take place at other times if the employer believes there to be grounds for doing so.
In all salary setting, the starting points and the factors affecting salary must be applied.
7.1 New recruitment
For new employment, salary is based on the work’s degree of difficulty, responsibilities and demands and the individual's experience that provides an idea of the expected work results. The market and the pay structure of the university are also taken into account.
7.2 Salary review
Salary review takes place in accordance with local collective bargaining agreements on salary negotiations. Central framework agreements in the government agreement area form the basis for the university's local agreements. The university's pay criteria are used to assess the individual’s performance and results.
7.3 At times other than salary reviews
The times at which a new salary can come into question between salary reviews are specified below.
7.3.1 Upon a change in work or duties
In the event of a change in work or duties, the salary shall be reviewed and the employee’s salary shall be set according to the new work content. The salary is adjusted only if the duties change to become significantly more qualified than before. Conditions considered to be significant changes may be increased responsibility for personnel, budget and/or activities.
Employees who start a job that has a lower salary than previous work may retain their higher salary. If the current salary level is considered to be well above employees in the same category, salary adjustment and future salary developments may be absent or limited.
7.3.2. Upon promotion
When a senior lecturer is promoted to professor, the salary should be increased. [5]
When an employed lecturer is promoted to senior lecturer, the salary should be increased.[6]
7.3.3 Upon new skills
When an employee’s competence has been reviewed and he or she received a new title as a PhD or has been accepted as an excellent teacher or associate professor, the salary should be increased.[7]
7.3.4 Returning to work after leave
An employee who is on leave shall normally be subject to a salary review, unless there are special grounds otherwise. In that case, the question of a salary review shall become relevant in the context of the return to work. Factors such as the length of leave and the time of return to work are taken into account when weighing up a new salary upon a salary review and/or a salary review upon return.
7.3.5 Special grounds
If an employee has a lack of competence or has a key competence that the university risks losing to other activities outside the university, the salary may be adjusted.
7.3.6 Payroll supplements
In some cases, salary supplements can be awarded for a certain period of time and for certain tasks, areas of responsibility and/or duties outside the regular work of an employee.[8]
[1] Salary as a means of incentive, Swedish Agency for Government Employees 2010, p. 2.
[2] The concept of salary formation covers all the activities, including preparation and follow-up, which contribute to salaries being set and revised and parties agreeing on the conditions regarding salaries.
[3] Under the Discrimination Act (2008:567), unfair treatment may not occur with regard to gender, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other faith, disability, sexual orientation or age. In addition, the Parental Leave Act prohibits unfair treatment.
[4] According to Guidelines for salary supplements and other conditions for special assignments and change of salary upon promotion and new skills, UFV 2013/1326.
[5] UFV 2013/1326
[6] UFV 2013/1326
[7] UFV 2013/1326
[8] UFV 2013/1326