Scope
Employees
Policy Statement
Minimum Wage and Salary
New York State has established minimum rates of pay for both non-exempt and exempt job classifications for all employees including students. Non-exempt employees must receive at least the NYS established hourly minimum wage for all hours worked. Exempt employees must receive at least the NYS minimum weekly compensation rate, regardless of FTE. In addition, minimum hourly rates for all non-student employees, including temporary employees must comply with the SU Fair Wage initiative.
Category Pay Bands
Category pay bands are used to classify full time and part time staff positions with some exceptions. The pay bands are analyzed each year in comparison to internal data and market information and adjusted accordingly.
Pay Rates, Faculty
Faculty salaries and salary increases are determined by the department chair and dean.
Pay Rates, Staff
Managers/supervisors have considerable flexibility in determining the appropriate pay level within a job’s pay band. However, it is the University’s policy that no staff member will be paid below the minimum of the pay band without exception. There is, however, flexibility to pay above the maximum of the pay band. Any recommendations for pay above the maximum must be approved by the appropriate cabinet officer.
Pay Rates, Part-time Staff
Pay for part-time staff is managed under the same guidelines as for regular full-time employees, with adjustments for the reduced work schedule.
A staff member in a non-exempt job who works part-time will be paid the regular hourly wage for the position, multiplied by the number of hours actually worked. Staff members in non-exempt jobs will be eligible for overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (i.e., overtime is payable for hours worked in excess of 40 per week).
An exempt part-time job should be assigned to the appropriate job category as if it were a full-time job. The staff member’s skills and competencies should be assessed as if he/she was working full-time and an appropriate annualized pay level determined. Once the pay level is determined, it should be pro-rated to reflect the agreed-to hours.
Pay Rates, Bargaining Unit Faculty and Staff
Pay rates including increases are detailed in the collective bargaining agreements.
Pay Rate Increases
- Discretionary Increases – Discretionary increases in base pay are performance-based increases that may occur at any time during the year. Managers, supervisors and department heads have the authority to grant discretionary pay increases within budget constraints and with approval from the appropriate person within the division.
- Annual increases – Annual increases are determined in conjunction with the budget cycle. Responsibility Centers provide funding for all Center expenditures including salary and fringe benefit increases, whereas Support Units are provided an annual increment to fund salary and associated fringe benefit increase expense. Each year, the University provides a pro forma percent increment for salary and fringe benefit increases, which define the amount of the salary and fringe benefit pool for Support Unit increases and serves as a guideline for Responsibility Centers. Increases are granted based on merit.
Pay Rate Reductions
Supervisors, managers and department heads, in consultation with the Office of Human Resources, have the discretion to reduce a staff member’s pay in the case of:
- Voluntary transfers to a lower-classified position; or
- Reclassification of a staff member’s position to a lower pay category based on reorganization or budget exigencies where the prospect of accepting a lower rated/lower paying position is an alternative to termination or layoff.
In addition, supervisors, managers and department heads, in consultation with the Office of Human Resources, have the discretion to freeze a staff member’s pay for an appropriate period or mitigate the reduction in combination with some period of pay freeze.
Policy Administration
Links to Procedures and Related Information
Amended: October 2008