1707 - Hiring Above Minimum (HAM) (Historical View)
** Effective: 2/19/2025 10:00:33 AM - 2/19/2025 10:20:45 AM **Status: Active
Change Notes
2025 Update
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.
Statement
Departments are only permitted to appoint employees above the established minimum salary if they are being appointed to one of the authorized classifications 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.
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 shall be eligible for the authorized rate if they are currently below the specified rate. Receiving a HAM rate will reset the employee’s anniversary date as specified in Section 5. Requesting a HAM for a Classification
HAMs are considered one form of compensation that can be provided to classifications when justified. As such, departments who are experiencing recruitment difficulty for a classification or series, and believe additional compensation is necessary to address the issue, may submit a request through the Employee Compensation Request Policy, provided it meets the criteria as outlined in the policy.
CalHR will review the existing list of classifications with an authorized HAM rate on an annual basis as part the Employee Compensation Request process CalHR will update Section 5 regularly as new classifications are added or others are removed.
CalHR may add additional classifications to Section 5, where applicable, based on recruitment and retention issues demonstrated by departments or other reasons as determined by CalHR.
CalHR may remove classifications from Section 5, where applicable, in the event classifications are consolidated and/or abolished, receive a special salary adjustment above 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.
Per Section 5, employees who are newly eligible to receive a HAM plus rate will also receive a new anniversary date. If the HAM plus rate is less than a five percent increase, the anniversary date is accelerated in accordance with the California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 599.683 and the chart in the Civil Service Pay Scales, section 9.
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,
Phone: 916-322-5193
Email: employeecomp@calhr.ca.gov