University of Washington Human Resources

An in-grade salary increase may be requested if the current compensation grade is appropriate, but there has been a:

• Change in level of duties and responsibilities
• Meritorious performance with increased level of functioning
• Market-related pressures (external equity)
• Employment offer or active recruitment from outside the University
• Misalignment of salary relationships (internal equity)

Process Steps and Form Completion

Supervisors consult with the department/major organization’s administrator and determine the desired salary adjustment and the reason(s) for it.

Campus supervisors: Follow the Request Compensation Change – Staff – Campus user guide to process your request in Workday. Contact the Integrated Service Center (ISC) if you have questions.

Medical centers supervisors: Complete the Professional Staff Compensation Change Request (MS Word) and forward it for organizational approval. The final organizational approver will send the approved request to Compensation. Compensation completes the review and emails notification of the results to the individuals designated on the form.

Review Completion Timeline

Most in-grade salary adjustment requests are processed within three business days of receipt if:

• The salary change is ten percent or less.
• The resulting salary is less than the compensation grade maximum.
• For grades 5-10, the salary level requested does not exceed 130% of the market-range midpoint for the job profile.

Requests that do not meet these criteria may take longer, but most in-grade adjustment reviews are completed within 10 to 15 business days of receipt.

A job profile change may be requested when the salary and grade remain appropriate. This process allows for the job profile to better align the nature of the work and/or when Compensation determines that the job profile should change to match the appropriate professional staff exemption.

Process Steps and Form Completion

1. Supervisor – consult with the department/major organization’s administrator and determine the desired job profile and the reason(s) for the job profile change.
2. Supervisor – complete the Professional Staff Compensation Change Request (MS Word) and forward it for organizational approval.
3. Final organizational approver – send the approved request to Compensation.
4. Compensation completes the review and emails notification of the results to the individuals designated on the form.

Review Completion Timeline

Most job profile change requests are completed within 30 business days of receipt.

A position review may be requested when a position’s responsibility level has significantly changed in one or more of the following:

• Staff supervision
• Financial and/or budgetary matters
• Policy development

Or where there has been a significant increase in:

• Level of judgment required
• Level of knowledge or skill required
• Complexity of duties and responsibilities

This process also applies to monthly-paid classified or academic employee where the unit’s administration believes the position meets one or more of the criteria for the professional staff exemption.

Process and Form Completion

Note – this section does not apply to Research Scientist/Engineer reviews.

1. 1. Complete the Professional Staff Position Description (PSPD) (MS Word).
      1. For Research Coordinator, Research Consultant and Research Manager also complete the Professional Staff Research Activities Form (MS Word).

      For guidance completing the PSPD form, see the Professional Staff Position Description form guidelines (MS Word).

   2. If the position is occupied by a classified employee, also complete the Professional Staff Position Review Employee Signature (MS Word). The employee signature form is not required for other reviews.
   3. Supervisor – complete the Professional Staff Compensation Change Request (MS Word) and forward it and the completed Professional Staff Position Description (PSPD) (MS Word) and the related forms for organizational approval.
   4. Final organizational approver – send the completed questionnaire, review request, and, if applicable, the employee signature and/or Professional Staff Research Activities Form (MS Word) to Compensation.
   5. Compensation completes the review and emails notification of the results to the individuals designated on the form.

Review Completion Timeline

Compensation’s goal for completing position reviews is within 60 days of receipt. Position review requests that do not provide complete information may take longer.

To review a professional staff position that requires academic training in a scientific or engineering discipline, where the level of responsibility has changed significantly in:

• Level of judgment required
• Level of knowledge or skill required
• Complexity and/or scope of duties and responsibilities

Or to review a classified, other represented staff, or academic position where the unit’s administration believes the position meets the research exemption criteria and should be properly assigned to one of the Research Scientist/Engineer Senior, Principal, or Sr Principal job profiles displayed below.

Professional Staff Research Scientist/Engineer Job Profiles and Generic Job Descriptions

The Research Scientist/Engineer Senior, Principal, and Sr Principal generic job descriptions reflect the attributes typically found in positions within a specific grade/job profile. You can use the generic job descriptions to help identify a compensation grade and job profile for a particular level of work.

Career Path Guidelines

The Career Path Guidelines (PDF) identify the core competencies for various job functions. You can use this tool to quickly identify an appropriate job level for a particular position based on required competencies, and you can determine competencies required to progress to a specific level. A position is generally assigned to a compensation grade that represents the majority of the position’s competencies but does not have to perform all competencies at a specific grade level to be assigned to that grade.

Process Steps

This section only applies to Professional Staff Research Scientist/Engineer reviews. It does not apply to reviews for Research Scientist/Engineers represented by UAW, Research Coordinator, Research Consultant, or Research Manager.

1. Complete the Professional Staff Research Scientist-Engineer Questionnaire (MS Word) and obtain required organizational approvals. If the position is occupied by classified employee, complete the Professional Staff Position Review Employee Signature (MS Word).
2. Supervisor – complete the Professional Staff Compensation Change Request (MS Word) and obtain required organizational approvals.
3. Final organizational approver – send the completed questionnaire, review request, and employee signature form (if applicable) to Compensation.
4. Compensation completes the review and emails notification of the results to the individuals designated on the form.

Review Completion Timeline

Compensation’s goal for completing position reviews is within 60 days of receipt. Position review requests that do not provide complete information may take longer.