March 2023 Compression Increases FAQs

• The March pay increases are specific to university pay range minimums and job-specific compression and recruitment/retention analyses. Not every staff member is impacted to the same extent at the present time. The university will continue to focus on addressing employee compensation needs across the campus for the future. 
• Staff who feel they should have received a pay increase in relation to these criteria can send an inquiry through the HR Compensation Questions online form. 

• These payments are different than the merit increases and one-time compensation the campus has been able to provide in recent years. These compression raises address the specific challenges where compression is most acute and are being made within our available resources.
• The university continues to focus on addressing employee compensation. 
• The March increases do not solve all of the campus's compensation needs and are not designed to address every salary concern, but they represent one more step forward among many that our campus leadership has taken over the past 18 months.  

• Human Resources is developing campuswide pay ranges for university staff positions. As part of that process, employees identified as having a salary below the recommended starting hiring rate for jobs with persistent recruitment challenges were identified for a commensurate pay increase. 
• Additionally, HR reviewed the salaries of employees performing substantially similar work across campus and the months of time they have been in their current role at CU Boulder. Compression was identified if the salary for an employee with more time in the role or with significant related CU experience was less for the same job. In those cases, the salary was increased to resolve the pay difference. 

• Recommended increases will be effective March 1, 2023. New pay ranges and starting rate adjustments were not finalized for implementation prior to this date. These pay adjustments are not retroactive. 

• Human Resources is finalizing the development of campuswide pay ranges for university staff positions, along with tools and resources for understanding job families and compensation levels. This information should be available for employees in 2023.   

• The state of Colorado is reviewing classified staff salary levels in partnership with the state employee union, Colorado WINS. Information from the state of Colorado about classified staff salary increases and pay ranges is expected for July 1, 2023. Human Resources will communicate this information when available.    

• Campus leadership has taken a number of actions over the past 18 months to address compensation for various groups on campus, recognizing that inflation is impacting all of our people. 

  2021

• July 1: Campus minimum wage increase to $15 per hour, including related compression adjustments
• July 1: 3% across-the-board increase for classified staff
• Dec. 1: One-time retention payments for critical front-line staff 

  2022

• Jan 1: 3% across-the board increase for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff
• Jan. 1: 1% one-time payment for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff
• Jan. 1: Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act pay adjustments
• Spring: 3% increase to the standard campus rate for temporary faculty and graduate assistantships
• May 1: 2nd round of one-time retention payments for critical front-line staff
• July 1: 3% across-the-board increase for classified staff
• Oct. 1: $1,300 one-time payment (pro-rated for part-time appointments) for regular faculty, research faculty, university staff, and classified staff

  2023

• Jan. 1: 3% pool for merit-based increases for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff 
• Jan. 1: Faculty promotion and tenure compression adjustments 
• Spring: 3% increase to the standard campus rate for temporary faculty and graduate assistantships

  Ongoing Efforts

• Our offices of Finance and Business Strategy and Human Resources are working together to create a strategic compensation plan that will encompass a holistic approach. This includes:
  • Maintaining competitive compensation for our employees to ensure CU Boulder remains an employer of choice in the state and among higher ed institutions.
  • Ensuring pay equity across job types and divisions on our campus. 
  • Establishing compensation pay-setting practices and guidelines campuswide.
• The Faculty Salary Procedures Working Group continues its work to study existing faculty salary procedures and to discern best practices.

 These payments follow a number of actions campus leadership has taken to address compensation for various groups on campus over the past 18 months including: 

  2021

• July 1: Campus minimum wage increase to $15 per hour, including related compression adjustments
• July 1: 3% across-the-board increase for classified staff
• Dec. 1: One-time retention payments for critical front-line staff

  2022

• Jan. 1: 3% across-the board increase for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff
• Jan. 1: 1% one-time payment for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff
• Jan. 1: Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act pay adjustments
• Spring: 3% increase to the standard campus rate for temporary faculty and graduate assistantships 
• May 1: 2nd round of one-time retention payments for critical front-line staff
• July 1: 3% across-the-board increase for classified staff
• Oct. 1: $1,300 one-time payment (pro-rated for part-time appointments) for regular faculty, research faculty, university staff, and classified staff

  2023

• Jan. 1: 3% pool for merit-based increases for regular faculty, research faculty, and university staff 
• Jan. 1: Faculty promotion and tenure compression adjustments 
• Spring: 3% increase to the standard campus rate for temporary faculty and graduate assistantships

  Ongoing Efforts

• Our offices of Finance and Business Strategy and Human Resources are working together to create a strategic compensation plan that will encompass a holistic approach. This includes:
  • Maintaining competitive compensation for our employees to ensure CU Boulder remains an employer of choice in the state and among higher ed institutions.
  • Ensuring pay equity across job types and divisions on our campus. 
  • Establishing compensation pay-setting practices and guidelines campuswide.
• The Faculty Salary Procedures Working Group continues its work to study existing faculty salary procedures and to discern best practices