Extraordinary Salary Ranges (ESR)
The UW–Madison salary range structure is designed to generally reflect labor market conditions, but certain positions may require the chancellor (or designee) to approve extraordinary salary ranges (ESR) to meet documented recruitment and retention needs. If a division finds evidence (e.g., market data) that an official salary range does not adequately enable the division to compete for talent in a specific position, the division will work with the Office of Human Resources (OHR) to determine if an ESR is needed to address the recruitment or retention need.
Functional Owner | Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources |
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Executive Sponsor | Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration |
Policy Contact | Director, Titling and Compensation |
Policy Summary
The UW–Madison salary range structure is designed to generally reflect labor market conditions, but certain positions may require the chancellor (or designee) to approve extraordinary salary ranges (ESR) to meet documented recruitment and retention needs. If a division finds evidence (e.g., market data) that an official salary range does not adequately enable the division to compete for talent in a specific position, the division will work with the Office of Human Resources (OHR) to determine if an ESR is needed to address the recruitment or retention need.
Who This Policy Applies To
Academic Staff, Limited appointees and University Staff in title series that have fixed salary range maximums.
Rationale
UW–Madison titles are linked to specified salary ranges. In some cases, these ranges may not be comparable to the market value of the position. An ESR can better align an individual position or a title series with the market.
Policy Detail
Definition
An ESR is an approved salary range that is greater than the assigned range for the title. An ESR is associated with one of the following:
- An employee in a position
- A title (e.g., clinical anesthetist)
- A portion of a title series (e.g., nurse practitioners, within the clinical nurse specialist series)
Criterion
An ESR is used to provide pay flexibility when market conditions require a revised range to address either recruitment or retention needs for a certain position. To justify the ESR, the request must include evidence of a retention or recruitment problem and market data showing that the maximum of the range is below market value (e.g., salary data on comparable positions in the external market).
Required Documentation for Review of an ESR
- Divisions requesting ESRs must submit the following documents to OHR:
- Relevant market data to demonstrate the need for an ESR. The division should provide published or developed survey data on salaries paid for comparable positions in the external market. Depending on the position, the market data may be local, regional, or national. If there is College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) or Association of American Universities Data Exchange (AAUDE) data, this information must be included.
- A current Job and Employee Management System (JEMS)/Position Vacancy Listing (PVL) or Classified Human Resources Information System (CHRIS) transaction.
- To increase an ESR, a division must submit a new request based on updated market data. The ESR can increase based on pay plan updates.
- When requesting approval for an ESR, a division should also consider current pay inequities and wage compression potential. If the ESR request is for an entire title series, OHR will work with all divisions using that title to ensure they support the ESR request.
- Divisions requesting ESRs must submit the following documents to OHR:
Consequences for Non-Compliance
Positions that are being recruited with an advertised salary maximum above the pay range or approved ESR maximum will be removed immediately and reposted with the appropriate salary range. If a new employee is hired at a rate above the salary range without an approved ESR, that employee’s salary will be reduced to the salary range maximum as soon as the error is identified. The university may have to recoup from the employee any payments made in excess of the range maximum.
Responsibilities
Office of Human Resources (OHR) |
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College/School/Division HR |
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Link to Current Policy
https://kb.wisc.edu/ohr/policies/page.php?id=53108
Link to Related Policy
Unclassified Title Guideline (UTG)
Policy History
Authority to approve ESRs was delegated to UW–Madison from UW System Administration effective July 15, 2011.