FAQ - Salary Setting
A promotion involves movement from one position to a different position with a higher salary range midpoint through a competitive recruitment process. An upward reclassification involves a change in the functions of a position, which results in the assignment of an employee’s current position to a new payroll title with a higher salary range midpoint. A reclassified employee typically retains the majority (50% or more) of the prior functions and assumes additional functions as well.
An employee's new salary after a reclassification or promotion depends on a number of factors, including external market comparisons, internal equity, departmental budget considerations, the employee's performance, and the knowledge and skills the employee brings to the position.
A lateral transfer is movement to another position with the same salary range midpoint. A lateral transfer may occur within a department, or between departments on the Berkeley campus, or between campuses.
No, lateral transfer salary increases are not automatic. A lateral transfer salary increase may be given upon movement to a position that was openly recruited. A manager should consider the skills the employee brings to the new position, relevant external market comparisons, internal equity, and departmental budget considerations. The department offering the lateral transfer may make one salary offer. The transferring employee's current department can counter-offer if it chooses, but one time only, to avoid bidding wars. As in the case of other salary offers, managers will want to consider the criteria discussed above. A manager may have the funds to offer a salary up to the range midpoint, or even to request approval of an over midpoint salary from the relevant Vice Chancellor. But in doing so, the manager will also want to avoid creation of inequities with others in the unit.
The Compensation Unit is available to provide guidance to managers and supervisors who are making decisions about salaries, for external market salary comparisons and internal equity considerations based upon availability of information. If you have questions about your own salary range, please talk to your manager or supervisor. (For more information, see Salary Ranges.)
The department head (or designee) may approve reclassification/promotional and lateral transfer salary increase requests up to and including the midpoint of the range for a position without steps and up to step 3 for a position with steps. To ensure that salary decisions receive all due consideration, each Vice Chancellor will continue to have the authority to approve salaries above the midpoint of the range for Professional and Support Staff (PSS) positions and Management and Senior Professional (MSP) positions. However, each Vice Chancellor has the authority to further delegate that authority within his or her control unit.
Under University policy, an employee's total base salary increase in a single fiscal year may not exceed 25% of the employee's June 30 salary, unless an exception is granted by the Chancellor.
The Compensation Unit is available to provide guidance to managers and supervisors who are making decisions about salaries, for external market salary comparisons and internal equity considerations based upon availability of information. If you have questions about your own salary range, please talk to your manager or supervisor. (For more information, see Salary ranges.)
More than 25%, i.e., 25.1% or higher.
No, moving from a salary grade 18 to a grade 17 position is considered a downward reclassification or a demotion, not a lateral transfer, since the midpoint of the grade 17 salary range is lower than the midpoint of the grade 18 salary range.
Actions taken for employees represented by bargaining units must still be in accordance with the contract language covering the situation.
Each of the four Student Assistant series levels has a defined pay range. Departments should consider the title and salary level provided to limited or career staff performing similar work, the knowledge, skills and abilities the student employee brings to the position, and the departmental budget.