Salary Increases

General and Additional Merit Increases

General merit salary increases will be distributed to all employees based on the increase amount determined each year by College leadership.

The general merit pool will be determined by considering market trends, College financial resources, and overall College strategy and goal achievement. While it is the intent of the College to provide annual salary increases, the College cannot guarantee that such increases will occur every year, nor can it guarantee an amount. Employees with satisfactory or better performance are eligible to receive general merit increases, if the College authorizes increases for that year.

To recognize top performers, additional merit awards may be recommended by supervisors subject to the availability of additional merit funding. Again, while there is no guarantee that additional merit funds will be made available in any given year, whenever possible the College will endeavor to utilize such funding to recognize and reward strong performance in this way.

No employee will be paid over the Pay Band maximum. If an increase would cause the salary to exceed the maximum, a lump sum payment will be made in lieu of an increase to base salary. Over time, as the structure moves with the market, and individual salaries are within the band range, salary increases can resume.

Equity and Market Adjustments

The Human Resources Department reviews market data and internal salaries regularly. From time to time, it may be necessary and appropriate to adjust salaries to recognize significant market changes or to establish/maintain internal equity.

  • “Market Adjustment” refers to an adjustment that is made to recognize changes in the competitive market salary for a job. Market adjustments are unlikely to occur often because the Pay Band structure is based on market analysis and is updated regularly to ensure continued competitiveness. Occasionally, however, unusual market circumstances may warrant an adjustment.
  • “Equity Adjustment” refers to an adjustment that is made to ensure that an individual employee’s salary appropriately reflects his/her skills, knowledge, experience, and performance. Equity adjustments may be made at the same time as the merit increase, but should be clearly communicated as such to the employee to avoid confusion.