Page 64 - Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual

The following are examples of cases in which an exception might be approved as specified in the above
guidelines -

1. If a selected candidate’s qualifications exceed the minimum qualifications stated in the job
posting and they will not accept appointment at the minimum rate of the class, the candidate
may be appointed at a higher rate. These cases should be thoroughly analyzed and measured
against objective qualification standards and reviewed and compared with the salaries of current
employees in the class by the Human Resources Compensation Administration unit.

2. Difficulty in recruitment may justify a higher rate. If difficulty in recruitment at the minimum
rate in the salary range persists, the HR Director and Administrator shall be consulted and
approval given first before assigning a higher hiring rate within the pay grade as long as the
salary offer is within ten percent (10%) of the minimum established salary range. Appropriations
for funding positions above the minimum rate must be secured within the framework of the
budget of the department employing the individual. Any recommendation exceeding ten percent
(10%) will be forwarded to the Administrator.

Department Directors and Supervisors will be held accountable if they create internal inequity in their
department.

If market conditions or unusual circumstances dictate a starting salary that is above ten percent (10%) of
the job’s minimum salary range, Department Directors shall submit to the Human Resources Director, a
written request along with justification to that effect. The Administrator may approve or reject the request.
Such circumstances (e.g., tight labor market, education and/or experience levels which are significantly
above minimal job requirements) should be documented and verified by the Compensation Administration
unit.

Section 500.109 Employee Communication and Rights

Employees should receive written notification of any increase to their base pay. Supervisors should not
communicate any increase or promise to increase employee compensation unless they receive a written
notice from the Human Resources Director to do so. Employees who have issues or concerns with their
compensation (for other than EEO reasons) should follow the procedures in Section 500.316 herein.

Section 500.110 Annual Salary Schedule Determinations

The salary schedule should be reviewed on an annual basis in line with that of World at Work
st
(www.worldatwork.org) Compensation Organization, using the first (1 ) Quarter of the Fiscal Year’s CPI
Index (Bureau of Labor Statistics)(www.bls.gov/cpi/#tables), and/or comparable survey data. For example,
if World at Work Compensation Organization data indicates an average of three percent salary structure
adjustment, all Augusta, Georgia salary ranges should be adjusted by approximately three percent (3%).
Note - this is a salary schedule adjustment—not an individual salary adjustment. The HR Director shall
submit a recommendation by July 1 of each year, a CPI adjustment review and approve for next year’s
budget inclusion. Employees’ annual increases shall be independent of the salary schedule adjustment.

All Rights Reserved – As approved by the Commission on 05-07-2019 64 | P a g e