Good Sense
Recent changes to SAHA's pay and compensation not only make good sense for the agency, but for our employees as well.
By Henry A. Alvarez III
SAHA President and CEO
When the SAHA Board of Commissioners recently approved the new pay and compensation package, it was the culmination of nearly two years of study, review and recommendations.
Today, we have a structure that makes sense. Everyone in the agency knows how much he or she will get paid, and what level of compensation they can achieve in their current position. That’s a far cry from the confusion of our previous pay plan.
With the help of the Werling Group, we were able to craft a plan that gives us structure, but also allows room for advancement and increased pay. Most importantly, our pay structure is transparent. Everyone can see how equitable the plan is for all our employees.
This has not been a painless change. Some of our employees are at the top of their pay range. Others have seen their job descriptions change dramatically to meet the demands of our new way of doing business.
Meanwhile, we’re still fine-tuning our benefits. We are sending proposals to the Board of Commissioners that affect tuition assistance and paid time off, and we’re also changing our relationships with some of our benefits providers.
As we move forward on these changes, keep in mind that we’re working to create a better employment experience at SAHA for you, and we’re improving the company’s fiscal health. We’re making changes that not only make sense for you, but also make sense for the business as well.
We’ll continue to strive to keep you informed about issues that affect you. As always, if you have a question, ask your supervisor. If they don’t know the answer, they can get it for you.
The New Pay Structure
In case you missed it, SAHA has a new pay structure.
The SAHA Board of Commissioners has approved SAHA's new compensation system, designed to provide a clear and easy-to-understand pay structure.
The new plan creates 30 pay grades and 118 job titles. Under the approved plan:
- Each pay grade features a five-step scale.
- Pay increases, which require a move to the next higher step within a pay grade, are based on performance – either meeting or exceeding standards – as indicated on annual evaluations. If an employee meets or exceeds standards and is not at the maximum of their pay grade, they will earn an increase to the next level of their pay grade.
How do employees reach their appropriate step on the scale?
- Some employees will see immediate pay increases because their previous pay fell below the first step (minimum) of their pay grade in the new system. Those employees should have seen the pay increase, retroactive to July 1, 2006, reflected in the September 29, 2006, paycheck. Additionally, the official review dates of these employees will move to July 1 of every year thereafter.
- Some employees, due to longevity, previous salary or other factors, are already at or above the fifth (maximum) step of their new pay grade and will not earn additional pay increases in their current job, beyond future Board-approved cost-of-living increases.
- All other employees, whose current pay is somewhere within the range of their new pay grade, will receive their adjustment to the appropriate step, based on longevity and acceptable performance, following their annual performance review. Employees who have been evaluated since July 1, 2006, and who earned an increase to the next highest step, should see the prorated adjustment reflected in their October 13, 2006, paychecks.
- SAHA is preparing training courses to help employees better understand the new pay system.
The 2006 SAHA Pay Grades and Salary Range is available on the SAHA-Net desktop or click here.
“Longevity” Explained
SAHA recognizes the contributions of employees who have been in the same job for a number of years, and realizes you have provided continuity that has helped the organization’s overall excellence. However, solely for the purpose of this first-year implementation of the salary structure, “longevity” is defined as the number of years in the current job. It does not mean the number of years someone has been an employee of SAHA.
For example: an employee may have 10 years of service at SAHA and during that time has worked in different jobs. The employee is currently a Customer Service Representative (CSR) and has worked as a CSR for five (5) years. Under the definition listed above, the employee has five (5) years of longevity.
A range of years in the current job has been assigned to each of the five steps within a pay grade range as outlined below:
- Step A = 0 – 3 years in the current job
- Step B = 4 – 7 years in the current job
- Step C = 8 – 11 years in the current job
- Step D = 12 – 15 years in the current job
- Step E = 16+ years in the current job
Longevity does not mean the number of years an employee must stay in a step before moving to the next step. Again, it is only to establish a position in the range for current employees.
Compensation Training
Dr. Steve Werling answers your questions about the new pay plan.
Dr. Steven Werling, who conducted the recent wage and compensation study and whose recommendations SAHA is basing its pay structure upon, will answer employee questions about the study, and pay and compensation issues during a series of meetings, Oct. 2 to 4, in the Central Office Boardroom.
Each session is limited to 60 employees, and all attending must sign up by calling Human Resources at 477-6327 or 477-6116. You can also reserve a class session through email at: elott@saha.org or cmontana@saha.org
Session Time Schedule
Benefits Open Enrollment
It's time to consider your benefits options.
Once again, it’s time to update your benefits choices. Open enrollment season begins Oct. 17, 2006, and Human Resources is sponsoring a series of seminars to help employees make choices and complete necessary paperwork.
The meetings are mandatory and employees must register to attend (Call HR @ 477- 6120 or 477- 6116 or by e-mail to Denise Golson or Crystal Montana). Classes are scheduled in the Central Office Boardroom and seating is limited to 35 people per session.
Tuesday – October 17, 2006
8:30am – 9:45am
10:00am – 11:15am
1:00pm – 2:15pm
2:30pm – 3:45pm
Wednesday – October 18, 2006
8:30am – 9:45am
10:00am – 11:15am
1:00pm – 2:15pm
2:30pm – 3:45pm
Thursday – October 19, 2006
8:30am – 9:45am
10:00am – 11:15am
1:00pm – 2:15pm
2:30pm – 3:45pm
Friday – October 20, 2006
8:30am – 9:45am
10:00am – 11:15am
1:00pm – 2:15pm
2:30pm – 3:45pm
For employees who could not attend the regular sessions, Human Resources is offering a make-up class on Tuesday, October 24, from 10 to 11:15 a.m., in the Boardroom. You must register by calling 477-6120 or 6116.
HAMA Update
October Activities.
HAMA holds its next luncheon on Thursday, October 26, at 11:45 a.m., in the Central Office boardroom. The event is Free for HAMA members, and guests can attend for a $5 fee. Please RSVP by October 24 to Patty Ruiz at 477-6003.
