Compensation at the University of Virginia

At the University, including its Medical Center, our philosophy is to pay fairly and competitively in order to recruit, reward and retain high-performing employees for each job. In addition, employment at the University offers other benefits including, but not limited to, health insurance, tuition remission and assistance, annual leave, training, and retirement programs.

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

The University is the employer of choice in the region and a leading employer in the state. Local interest in working at the University is high. In the academic division during fiscal year 2006, the Office of Human Resources referred 2,959 qualified applications for the 121 Band 1 (entry level) positions that were posted. During a recent six month period, the Medical Center received over 2,000 applications for 95 entry level positions.

The University's current minimum hiring rate is $10.14 an hour as of December 2007.

The 2006 Chamber of Commerce Survey indicates that the University's minimum hiring rate leads the market for the Charlottesville metropolitan area. Additional independent surveys also support this market competitive position.

Market analyses of all public colleges and universities in Virginia indicate that the University's minimum hiring rate is set at the second highest in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Only George Mason University, located in northern Virginia, offers a higher minimum hiring rate.

The Fringe Benefit Rate for 2007-2008 is 37 percent for full-time salaried staff. An employee making the $10.14/hr entry rate receives benefits worth an additional $3.73/hr, for total compensation of $13.87/hr.

PAY IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The University provides many opportunities for employees to improve their pay levels through a variety of programs which include: annual increases based on performance, increases to reflect exceptional merit, market adjustments, fair internal alignment comparisons, growth in job content value or individual contribution to organizational successes and more.

For the past six years, the University has awarded altogether almost 4,135 in-band salary adjustments, totaling $14 million, in recognition of superior individual job performance.

In addition, individual departments have funded rewards and recognition bonuses (including both monetary bonuses and paid days off) for superior performers. Those have totaled more than $2.2 million and nearly 2,800 days off to eligible employees.

The Board of Visitors also has provided $200,000 from tuition increases to fund bonuses under the state Reward and Recognition Plan.

Finally, for the past three years and going forward, the Board of Visitors has allocated $250,000 each year in addition to funds from the state for strategic base salary adjustments for classified employees. These funds have benefited employees whose salaries, indexed strictly to the state budget, lag behind market rates.

Employees are utilizing career ladder opportunities provided by the University, filling openings at an increasing rate: in Fiscal Year 05-06, 33 percent of Band 1 openings, 47.5 percent of Band 2 openings, and 58 percent of Band 3 openings have been filled by internal candidates.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

U.Va. provided education benefits valued at $963,916 during the 2006 calendar year, representing 826 courses completed by employees. U.Va. provides informal and formal training to enable our employees to develop their skills and be advanced in job responsibilities and pay. Training opportunities include: GED classes, English as a Second Language, Customer Service, IT Systems, Supervision and Leadership, Writing for Business, Cultivating Career Happiness, Balancing Work and Home, and Assertiveness Training. University Human Resources recently introducted two new programs: Essential Workskills and the Supervisory Essentials Certification Program.

BENEFITS

The University provides employees with extensive benefit offerings including Health Insurance, Core Benefits and Flex Dollars, Retirement programs, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Flexible Reimbursement Accounts, Long Term Care Insurance, Tax Deferred Savings Program, a Matching Contribution Retirement Plan and more. Employees receive generous paid leave. During the course of a year in the academic division new employees earn 12 paid holidays, 12 days of annual leave, 4 days of family/personal leave, and 8 days of sick leave. Annual leave increases with tenure.