1715 - Employee Compensation Request Policy (Historical View)

Status: Active

Change Notes

Policy Created.

Category

Compensation

Audience List

• Budget Officers
• Employee Relations Officers
• Labor Relations Officers
• Personnel Officers
• Personnel Transactions Supervisors

Synopsis

This policy:

• Describes parameters for requests that will be considered based on annual budget conditions.
• Explains the process for departments to submit requests for changes to employee compensation.
• Identifies the deadline to submit requests for employee compensation.
• Explains how this process interacts with the collective bargaining process.
• Provides guidance to departments on how to complete the request form.
• Explains what supporting data is required to be submitted with any employee compensation request

Introduction

Government Code 19826 gives CalHR the authority to “establish and adjust salary ranges for each class of position in the state civil service subject to any merit limits contained in Article VII of the California Constitution.” While CalHR has this authority, pursuant to the Ralph C. Dills Act, changes to the wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment must be negotiated with representatives of recognized employee organizations. By law, CalHR represents the Governor in such negotiations as the state employer.

This policy outlines a simplified process that replaces the employee compensation request process outlined in the Classification and Pay Guide Sections 230 and 280 as well as the historical “Harvest Memo” process for items that result in a change to the level of compensation for state employees.

Statement

This policy outlines the process for departments to submit employee compensation requests for bargaining units with contracts expiring in the next calendar year. This policy also applies to employee compensation requests for related excluded employees tied to those bargaining units. In order for employee compensation change requests to be considered, they must be supported by a critical program need, and they may require the requesting department(s) to certify availability of departmental funding for the request.

An employee compensation request may be necessary for a department to address one of the following:

• Recruitment and retention difficulties
• Special professional or educational certification
• Difficult to recruit work location or shift assignment
• Performance of atypical duties
• Recognition of special but temporary responsibilities
• Acquisition or possession of special licenses, skills, or training
• Incentive-based pay
• Compaction issues
• Other special considerations that impact a classification or subgroup within a classification series

Employee Compensation Requests for Upcoming Bargaining

For bargaining contracts expiring in the 2022 calendar year, departments should follow the Harvest Memo process issued by CalHR’s Labor Relations Division in November 2021.

For bargaining contracts expiring in calendar year 2023, departments are required to submit these requests to EmployeeComp@calhr.ca.gov no later than May 1, 2022.  The following bargaining unit contracts will expire on July 1, 2023:

• Units 1, 3, 4, 11, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21 - Service Employees International Union Local 1000 (SEIU)
• Unit 6 - California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA)
• Unit 7 - California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA)
• Unit 12 - International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
• Unit 16 - Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD)
• Unit 19 - American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

Other Employee Compensation Requests

In years where there are multiyear labor contracts, there may be a need to address compensation issues prior to the expiration of the contract. These requests must meet the specific criteria set forth below.

• Legislative mandate
• Executive Order
• Health or safety emergency
• Loss of funding/increase of funding
• Critical need to fulfill department’s primary mission/objective
• Potential failure of business operations
• Other urgent need as demonstrated by the department

Departments must submit these requests to EmployeeComp@calhr.ca.gov no later than May 1, 2022. 

Packages received after this date will be returned without review. Failure to submit a fully complete package will result in the request being returned without review.

Requests Not Subject to this Policy

Non-economic classification requests should continue to be directed to CalHR’s Personnel Management Division (PMD) via email at PMD@calhr.ca.gov or the department’s assigned PMD Consultant.

Non-economic bargaining requests should be directed to CalHR’s Labor Relations Division via email: LR.info@calhr.ca.gov as part of the annual Harvest Memo process.

Application

Departments must complete the information required on the CalHR 142 and submit their request to EmployeeComp@calhr.ca.gov. Departments must include all supporting documentation used to justify the request. 

CalHR will review all requests and work with departments throughout the process. Departments will be notified by their PMD analyst in cases where it is determined the request may not be feasible or additional data is required.

Authorities

• California Budget Act, Item 9800
• Government Code section 19826
• Government Code section 3517.5
• Government Code sections 3512 to 3524

Resources

Forms

• CalHR-142: CalHR-142 Employee Compensation Request
• CalHR-142 Instructions: CalHR-142 Instructions
• CalHR-142 Spreadsheet Template: CalHR-142 Spreadsheet Template

Web Pages

• Civil Service Pay Scales: Civil Service Pay Scales
• Pay Differentials: List of Pay Differentials

Authorized By

Melissa Russell
Chief, Personnel Management Division

Contact Person

Personnel Management Division Personnel Management Division
Personnel Management Consultant, , Personnel Management Division
Phone: 916-324-9381
Fax: 916-327-1886
Email: pmd@calhr.ca.gov

Superseded Policies