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Compensation Program Design

UMass Chan has designed a compensation program that is both internally equitable and externally competitive with the goal of attracting and retaining a high quality, diverse workforce. UMass Chan views pay as part of a total compensation package, which includes base salary, benefits and health & wellness programs. For employees represented by a union at UMass Chan, pay practices are established by the collective bargaining process.

A grade is assigned to each job by comparing our positions against similar positions in the market and placing our positions in the salary range that most closely resembles the market. This provides a consistent framework by placing positions that are similar in scope and level of difficulty in the same salary range. The salary range attached to the grade allows for individual differences in salaries based on an employee's performance, skills, abilities, education and experience. The compensation team continually evaluates salaries to ensure they remain competitive and equitable.

Determining External Competitiveness

The Compensation Department regularly analyzes the human resources strategies, policies and practices of other educational institutions and/or business and industry to ensure the UMass Chan compensation program is competitive. This external market information is obtained through participation in various published surveys conducted by independent third-party vendors or associations. The survey participants reflect the specific labor market in which UMass Chan competes for employees. Participant comparators may include other universities, medical schools, hospitals, research centers, or biotechnology companies covering Central Massachusetts, Metropolitan Boston, the New England Region or nationally.

Determining Internal Equity

Internal equity is the comparison of salaries paid for positions within UMass Chan. Qualifications considered are education, relevant work experience, time in position, and performance. Employees with similar qualifications should ordinarily have similar salaries.

UMass Chan policies and procedures have been written to endorse consistent salary administration across departments throughout the organization. The Salary Administration Policy references the guidelines to use for employee salary actions in transitions such as promotions, demotions, and internal transfers within the current department or internally to UMass.