YORKST JOHNUNIVERSITY

Procedure for Starting Salaries

1.Introduction

The University recognises that there are advantages in having some flexibilityregarding the setting of starting salaries for new appointments. Some degree offlexibility enables Managers to offer a salary appropriate to the new employee’srelevant skills and experience. However, it is important that Managers recognise therisks associated with applying different starting salaries for jobs of a similar size, asdetermined by job evaluation, particularly in terms of equal pay. This guidance istherefore designed to help Managers make sound appointment decisions which arerobust, evidence based and fair to both the new employee and existing staff.

The University’s policy on starting salaries links to several other policies, namely:

  • Recruitment and Selection Procedures
  • Market Supplements Policy

1.1Policy

The policy of the University is that new appointments will normally be made within thelower quartile of the salary band (or the lower half for jobs in levels that have smallscales). Individuals will usually start at this position in the range because of the learning curve of the job – the individual may have the basic qualifications for the job and somerelevant experience but will lack the full experience to perform the job at the fully competent level. Therefore the starting position will depend on experience, qualifications, and demonstrable ability to perform the job. The starting salary may also be influenced by market factors, however this will never be the sole determiningfactor.Salaries cannot be offered above the grade advertised.

1.2Protocols

  • All posts are advertised on a single grade on the pay spine.
  • The Chair of the interview panel is responsible for determining the salary offered
  • All salary offers are subject to the individual producing evidence of their salary on leaving their current employment
  • Non-guaranteed payments, e.g. bonus payments, will not be taken into consideration when determining salary to be offered
  • Guaranteed payments, e.g. responsibility allowances, can be taken into consideration but should be offset against other University benefits e.g. LHF, Pensions, annual leave.

2.Equal Pay imperatives

In line with the principles of equal pay enshrined within the Equal Pay Act 1970 and supported by the Universities Equal Pay Policy, all salary offers should be made with equal pay considerations in mind. Recruitment practices that influence salary levels in an inequitable way are not acceptable; these include the spinal point an individual is placed on when offered. University managers must therefore exercise caution when making salary offers to ensure that a disproportionate impact is not being had on staff undertaking ‘like work’.

The procedure below is set out with equal pay principles in mind. Pay comparisons for audit purposes are made with reference to spinal points as well as grades. Therefore, whilst an applicant’s current salary is often influential in determining the salary to be offered, care must be taken to ensure this does not have an unequal pay impact on other staff.

3.Procedure for salary offer

The Chair’s decision on salary offer should take into account:

  • The knowledge and skills of the individual
  • The experience and level of performance of the individual
  • The current salary of the individual
  • The salaries of current team members who may hold the same or similar job

Chairs should note that the desire to match an individual’s current salary should not be the only factor taken into account, particularly as this is likely to perpetuate any pay differentials which may have no objective basis.

3.1 Salary offers

a. Where the individual’s current salary is below the pay grade for the post, offers mustbe made at the bottom point of the scale.

b. Where the individual’s current salary is within the grade band of the post, they can be offered a salary that matches the nearest point up on the grade to the individual’s salary on leaving their current employment, to a maximum of the top of the grade.This is the position if their knowledge and experience justifies the higher salary. A comparison with others doing similar work may be appropriate. Where there is any concern about the justification for this decision, advice should be sought from Human Resources.

c. If the individual’s current salary is higher than the maximum of the grade for the post then only the maximum can be offered.

3.2 Challenges to starting salary offers

If, following the salary offer made in line with 3.1 above, the individual is not happy to accept the post then this should be referred to the HR Department who will undertake an analysis of the salaries of current staff within the Faculty/Department/Subject area to see if there can be any movement on the offer. This will be undertaken to ensure fairness of pay with relevant others in the University taking into account skills and experience.

S/HR/Pay/Procedure for Starting Salaries (Apr 08)1