Compensation System

(Applicable to core and temporary supplemental staff. Per diem employees excluded.)

General Principles

There will be three components of compensation: Base Pay, Supplemental Pay and Premium Pay. All components of pay will be managed within resource allocations.

Base Pay

Base Pay Ranges

The CC Director will establish pay ranges. The ranges will be established to:

maintain pay alignment with equivalent positions in the private sector or other Federal agencies;
facilitate appropriate internal pay alignment of CC occupations; and
meet CC budget needs and goals.

Occupations with similar characteristics and market rates will be grouped together into pay clusters and will be covered by the same pay ranges. More than one pay range may be necessary to reflect market rates for specific occupations or categories.

General Increases to Pay Ranges

General increases to the pay ranges will be made on an annual basis to maintain competitiveness with private sector rates, and/or to parallel the annual increase in the nationwide General Schedule.
Unless the CC Director prescribes an alternative percentage, current employees with satisfactory performance will receive:

the percentage of increase applied to the nationwide General Schedule, OR
the percentage of increase necessary to raise the employee’s rate to the new minimum rate of the pay band, whichever is greater.

Unsatisfactory employees will not receive a General Increase.

Individual Pay Rates - Entry

Pay Determinations
Individual pay determinations will be made within NIH delegations of authority for pay by the official with selecting authority. Generally, individual rates will be determined as follows:

Band I - Department Head
Band II - Deputy/Associate Director (or equivalent)
Band III - Director, CC

Rate Selection
The pay rate will be set within the band range based on an assessment of:

the qualifications and competencies of the employee;
the individual's current salary and benefit package;
the criticality of the program to which the employee will be assigned;
any supervisory/managerial responsibilities;
the market rate for the position; and
funds availability within allocated salary budgets.

Generally, the lower half of each band range will be associated with position competencies from the fundamental level through the moderate level, while the upper half will represent advanced levels.

In unusual cases, the Director, CC may approve a rate above the maximum for Bands II and III based on the extraordinary qualifications and competence of an individual and the criticality of their position to the CC mission.

Individual Pay Rates - Within Band Increases

Timetable for Increases

Individual increases within the band range may be awarded at any time during the year. At a minimum, assessments of individual employee pay rates will be done annually, coincident with the CC Annual Personnel Review.

Methodology

Pay increases will be based on an assessment of the employee's growth in competencies and availability of funds. The supervisor with pay setting authority will assess the value of the employee's increased competencies vis-à-vis the employee's existing placement in his/her band range.
An individual pay increase may not cause the pay to exceed the range of the assigned band without the approval of the Director, CC. As appropriate, employees may be considered for movement into the next band range or for a pay supplement.

Authority

Managers with pay setting authority for a band may approve individual pay increases within that band.

Individual Pay Rates - Downward Adjustment
Reduction of an employee's pay rate may be done to properly recognize the alignment of an employee's competencies with requirements of a position. Such actions may be done involuntarily, based on managerial assessment, or at the employee's request. If done involuntarily, the reduction is subject to the CC Adverse Actions process.

Supplemental Pay

General Provisions and Authority

Supplemental Pay will include non-base pay bonuses or allowances that:

reward individual and group accomplishments and outcomes;
compensate for temporary roles that are not appropriately addressed through base pay (e.g. acting supervisor or mentor); and
provide additional pay flexibilities.

Supplemental Pay is discretionary pay, set by the manager with pay setting authority for the individual's base pay band placement. The types of supplemental pay and the total amount paid are subject to upward/downward adjustment without appeal by the employee.
Supplements may be paid on a lump sum or biweekly basis. If paid on lump sum basis, payments may carry a requirement for a service agreement.

Supplemental Pay Factors

The following factors may be considered in the establishment of individual supplemental pay:

Recruitment/retention incentive

Payable when necessary to recruit or retain an employee who otherwise might not accept or continue employment with the CC.
Used when the base pay range is not sufficient or appropriate to meet the candidate/employee's pay requirement.
Payable as a lump sum or on a biweekly basis. If paid as a lump sum, a service agreement is required. If paid on a biweekly basis, continues only as long as necessary to insure the continued employment of the employee.

Referral bonuses

Paid to employees who refer applicants selected for hard-to-fill positions, e.g., critical care nursing.

Achievement or accomplishment awards

Payable as a lump sum.
Based on achievement of: 1) successful results/outcomes; 2) demonstrated initiative beyond expectations; and/or 3) other notable achievements completed either as an individual or as a member of a team.
Amount will reflect an assessment of the impact of the contributions made, and fund availability.

Allowance for temporary roles

Payable when duties performed are not appropriately addressed through base pay (e.g. acting supervisor or mentor).

Other appropriate factors

These require the concurrence of the Director, CC. This authority may not be used to compensate for expenses associated with travel and transportation, education and training or other expenses for which a separate financial system is established.

Premium Pay

The premium pay system will be established to reflect practice in competitor hospitals and to meet CC compensation and staffing needs. All Clinical Research Support employees will be eligible for premium pays with the exception of employees in Band III of Clusters 1 and 2 (Note: policy change approved by Dr. John Gallin on 1/9/2006). Premium pay provisions that are available under the Title 38 premium pay system are available for use in the CRS at the discretion of the CC Director.

Rate Adjustments
The Director, CC has the authority to adjust percentages of premium pay based upon surveys of nonfederal medical facilities in the labor market. Adjustments may be either CC-wide or for specific occupations/bands.

Alternative Premium Plans
(authority used at the discretion of the CC Director when programmatic need justifies use of this option). Examples of Potential Plans:

40 hours of pay for 24 hours of work completed in two twelve hour shifts from 3:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 a.m. Monday
40 hours of pay for 32 hours of work completed over: 1) two twelve hour shifts from 3:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 a.m. Monday, and 2) one eight hour shift during the week.
40 hours of pay for 36 hours of work completed over three twelve-hour shifts during a seven-day workweek