1707 - Hiring Above Minimum (HAM)
Category
Compensation
Audience List
- Personnel Officers
- Personnel Transactions Supervisors
Synopsis
This policy
- Describes changes to the Hiring Above Minimum policy.
- Provides guidance on where to locate classifications currently eligible for a Hire Above Minimum salary.
- Provides instructions for departments who may need to request a Hire Above Minimum salary for a classification.
Introduction
Government Code section 19836 authorizes the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to allow an exception to provide a rate above the established minimum salary range of a classification in a limited number of situations.
Effective October 1, 2024, departments are only permitted to appoint employees above the established minimum salary if they are being appointed to one of the authorized classifications as listed in the Civil Service Pay Scales, Section 5.
Departments are required to do a salary determination following the rules in the California Code of Regulations. A rate greater than the salary determination is not permitted for any individual, unless it is for one of the listed classifications approved in the Civil Service Pay Scales, Section 5. To be eligible for a discretionary HAM rate, the appointment effective date must be prior to October 1, 2024.
Statement
The utilization of a “Hire Above Minimum” (HAM) salary on an individual basis, rather than a specific group or classification, could result in salary disparities amongst the civil service workforce and perpetuate the gender pay gap. To combat this, CalHR continues to identify best practices that will ensure fundamental equity for all workers.
To help achieve this, CalHR has eliminated the delegated authority to provide HAM rates on an individual basis. At the same time, CalHR has added additional classifications to the Civil Service Pay Scales, Section 5 listing as appropriate to assist departments experiencing recruitment difficulty for specific classifications.
Employees who are appointed to one of these classifications would receive the HAM rate specified for the department/location listed. Also, any current employee already in the classification will be eligible for the authorized rate if they are currently below the rate specified. Receiving a HAM rate will reset the employee’s anniversary date as specified in Section 5. Any employee who was appointed with a discretionary HAM salary rate prior to October 1, 2024, will retain their salary or be moved to the new plus rate, whichever is greater.
Requesting a HAM for a Classification
HAMs are considered a form of employee compensation that can be provided to classifications when justified. As such, departments who are experiencing recruitment difficulty for a classification may submit a request through the Employee Compensation Request Policy, provided it meets the criteria as outlined in the policy.
CalHR will be reviewing classifications approved for a HAM on an annual basis, as part the Employee Compensation Request process, and will update Section 5 regularly as new classifications are added or others are removed.
CalHR may remove classifications from Section 5, where applicable, in the event classifications are consolidated and/or abolished, receive a special salary adjustment in excess of the existing HAM rate, or for other reasons as determined by CalHR.
Application
HAMs provided in Section 5 utilize the plus salary field on the Personnel Action Request (PAR). See Section 5 for salary “plus” adjustment procedures each time you process a pay transaction for an employee who is receiving or will receive a HAM plus rate.
As a reminder, the base salary field is the salary to which the employee is entitled using normal salary rules, and the plus salary field is the amount the employee receives to equal the HAM. There are also special processing instructions within Section 5 on what salary to use upon movement from the current position. Salary increases for the classification may or may not adjust the HAM rate. For these reasons, departmental human resources staff who are responsible for salary determinations, appointments, merit salary adjustments, range changes, general salary increases, and special salary adjustments must refer to Section 5 to ensure HAM transactions are processed correctly.
For technical inquiries relating to Section 5 salary calculations for classifications authorized for a HAM, please reach out to the Personnel Services Branch at psb@calhr.ca.gov.
Authorities
Resources
Related Policies
- HR Manual Section 1715: Employee Compensation Request Policy
Web Pages
- Civil Service Pay Scales, section 5, Hire Above Minimum Authorization: Civil Service Pay Scales, section 5, Hire Above Minimum Authorization
Authorized By
Stephan Higginbotham
Chief
Financial Management Division
Contact Person
Financial Management Division
Employee Compensation Unit
Email: employeecomp@calhr.ca.gov
Superseded Policies
Not Applicable.History
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