Classification and Compensation Study Project Update - September 02, 2017

Project Update

​We, The Singer Group, are writing to provide you with an update on the compensation and classification project and to remind you of some of the issues we will be addressing, along with an update to the timeline for this study.

We have just completed the staff interviews conducted as part of the Compensation and Classification study. As a result of these interviews the following concerns were brought to our attention and we wanted to share our responses with all staff.

Changes in Timeline

The timeline for the Compensation and Classification study has shifted several times over the course of the study as a result of the ongoing alignment. Changes to positions as a result of the alignment will have a direct impact on how positions are classified, placed in ranges, and assigned to salary grades. As a result the timeline for completion of this project is now early December. This does not change the effective date for potential study implementation, which was always designated as July 1, 2018. Implementation is contingent upon Commission approval.

Inequity in Current Structure

The reason the library is currently undergoing a classification study (in addition to a compensation study) is because there exist inequities in how positions are currently classified. Some inequities may exist as a result of the current re-alignment, and others preceding these most recent changes. There are positions in the system where both the position and the position it supervises are in the same grade. These issues will be reviewed and resolved as part of this classification study.

Compression

This could be both vertical (where supervisors are being paid less than, or close to, what the staff they supervise are being paid) or horizontal (where staff in a similar position with longer tenure are paid the same or less than new hires). Both have been identified as issues in the library and will be addressed as part of the compensation study.

Changes in positions

We understand that as the implementation of the re-alignment continues to progress, adjustments may be made to positions to better reflect/accommodate the needs of the library. As such, we will be keeping the hotline open for the duration of the project (until early December) and ask that as changes to positions occur you submit this information via the confidential hotline - [email protected] so that we may incorporate this information into our findings and then our recommendations.

Thank you for sharing your feedback and for participating in this important project. We will continue to keep you informed through the bi-weekly updates of project activities and all-staff letters.

Sincerely,

The Singer Group,
Paula Singer and Lorraine Kituri

(This update initially appeared as an email from Michele Gorman on 08/31/2017)