Employee Compensation Plan in Review

Every two years, the State of Wisconsin updates a compensation plan for state employees which coincides with the budget cycle. The compensation plan describes how employee pay is established, distributed, and maintained. Governor Evers and the Department of Administration sent the compensation plan to the State Legislature. This plan mirrors the budget priorities outlined and approved by the State Legislature.

Governor Evers introduced several provisions to improve employee pay, you can find details below:

Comp Plan Revisions:

General Wage Adjustments (GWA) of 2.0% effective January 5, 2020, and 2.0% effective January 3, 2021, for eligible employees with satisfactory performance, with lump sum payments for employees unable to receive a full GWA due to pay range maximum limitations. Employees with unsatisfactory performance will receive a Delayed GWA about 3 months later, if they achieve satisfactory performance.

There will be new pay progression rates for Dept of Corrections and Dept of Health Services Correctional Officers, Sergeants, Youth Counselors, and Psychiatric Care Technicians to increase the current progression rates by the GWAs. This includes extending the pay progression structure beyond the first two years effective December 6, 2020.

Update the DMV Customer Service Representative class title starting January 19, 2020.

Reduce the DMV Representative progression amount from $1.40 to $1.00 starting January 19, 2020.

c. Delete detailed procedural language for addressing unsatisfactory performance.

Cut Section:

Employees must be notified of the unsatisfactory performance in writing. The written notification will include details of each occurrence of unsatisfactory performance and must identify goals and expectations stated in terms that are measurable and which specify how expectations are to be accomplished including supervisory follow-up in intervals of not more than two (2) months. The two month period may take absences into consideration.

An employee who has received an unsatisfactory performance evaluation will receive a new performance evaluation within six (6) months. Upon satisfactory completion of the goals and expectations, the supervisor will provide the employee with written notice of satisfactory performance. The employee will receive the progression adjustment effective the first day of the first pay period following the employee’s receipt of the written satisfactory performance evaluation.

10. The former Section A, 2.09 is deleted which was a one-time placement of Corrections and Health Services security employees on a pay structure.

Cut Section:

2.09 Pay Range 05-31 and 05-32 Equity Placement

Effective January 20, 2019, employees whose positions are in classifications assigned to pay ranges 05-31 and 05-32 and who are in pay status on that date, will have their pay increased to the amount designated in the Pay Schedule 05 equity placement structure found in Section Z, based on the calendar year of their adjustment continuous service date. Employees whose current pay rate is equal to or greater than the designated amount, or whose adjusted continuous service date is in calendar year 2015 or more recent, will keep their current pay rate.

The individual increase limit provided in s. 230.12(5)(d), Wis. Stats., does not apply to base pay adjustments granted pursuant to this equity placement.

effective April 12, 2020, Nurse Clinician 2 employees are placed on a pay progression structure based on license granting date. This provision aligns these positions more closely with the healthcare labor market.

establishes a pay progression system effective April 26, for Nurse Clinician 2 employees based on years licensed as a nurse.

Creates new Pay Band for Nurse Clinician 2 and Nurse Clinician 2 Weekend.

Adds Revenue Agents and Revenue Field Agents to the pay progression structure and updates Revenue Auditor titles.

Gives DPM Administrator authority to establish or revise pay progression systems

The annual date when unused compensatory time must be cashed out, moves from October 31, to be paid in November to November 30 to be paid in December it also allows agencies to request that a different cash-out be used for that agency.

Gives agencies flexibility to create Weekend Certified Nursing Assistant programs based on the same model as the existing Weekend Nurse program under 4.31. The weekend pay premium will be $5.00/hour.

the certified nursing assistant add-on is increased from $0.80 to $1.20 ($1.20 to $1.80 for FLSA exempt employees) and is expanded to include positions at the Department of Corrections.

30. Section A, 4.39 is revised to specify an end date of June 20, 2020 for the Youth Counselor add-on.

Modification of  various DPI lump sum payments for school employees that lead various extracurricular activities. In addition, a note has been added that only FLSA exempt employees may receive the lump sum payments.

36. Section A, 5.07 is created to provide retention payments to Corrections and Health Services employees in protective occupation positions that attain the specified years of state service beginning July 1, 2019.

Creates a new agency pay setting policy run through DPM

Section K

the annual leave accrual rates for Fire/Crash employees will be updated to reflect the standard schedule of 112 hours per pay period.

77. Section K, 3.04 is revised to add Weekend Certified Nursing Assistants to the provisions, and to stipulate that unused annual leave may be cashed out after six months of service instead of at the end of the one-year probationary period.

78. Section K, 4.03 is revised to add coverage of Weekend Certified Nursing Assistants.

79. Section K, 5.02 is revised to add coverage of Weekend Certified Nursing Assistants.

88. New Section L, 2.04 is created to generate market funding for DCF Initial Assessment classifications, effective November 24, 2019.

89. New Section L, 2.05 is created to generate market funding for certain DATCP classifications, effective November 24, 2019.

92. New Section L, 2.08 is created to generate DOT-funded adjustments for DMV customer service and related supervisory positions, effective January 19, 2020.

93. New Section L, 2.09 is created to generate equity funding for a new Revenue Agent classification series, effective January 19, 2020.

96. New Section L, 2.12 is created to provide market adjustments to Correctional Officers, Sergeants, Youth Counselors, and Psychiatric Care Technicians. The first group eligible January 19, 2020 are those who are not in the training academy and also not receiving the current $5 pilot add-on for work hours. Employees will continue to receive these market adjustments as they move into eligible positions, with all employees receiving the market adjustments by June 21, 2020 upon expiration of the add-ons.

97. New Section L, 2.13 is created to provide market stratification pay increases effective November 24, 2019, to all eligible employees in non-broadbanded pay ranges in pay schedules 02 (administrative support), 03 (blue collar), 05 (security and public safety), and 06 (technicians). Excluded from this provision are employees in pay ranges 05-31 and 05-32. Eligible employees will receive a pay adjustment ranging from $0.20 to $0.60 per hour, based on years of state service.

99. Section Z pay schedules are revised in the following respects:

a. Unless otherwise specified here, current pay ranges are adjusted by the January 5, 2020 and January 3, 2021 2.0% GWAs.

b. Effective June 7, 2020, certain pay range minimums are increased in conjunction with a market stratification as part of the initiative to have all pay range minimums equal to at least $15.00 per hour following the January 3,

n. Effective January 3, 2021, the minimums of broadband pay ranges 81-05, 12-65, and 14-15 are increased to $15.00/hour to conclude the initiative of having all pay range minimums equal to $15.00 or more.