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FY21 Compensation Resources

2020 Merit Process in Workday

The merit process in Workday will launch on August 5th. We have compiled on this page resources from the Merit 2020 Workday Services webpage and the Budget Calendar to help with the Merit Process.

Questions

  • Merit plan, one-time merit template, positions budgeting application or Workday merit module: email budget@tamu.edu.
  • Creating a staff position, reclassifying an existing staff position, change job and compensation changes, please contact the following:
    • Texas A&M University
      HROE, Classification and Compensation: (979) 845-4170 or hrcomp@tamu.edu
    • Texas A&M Health HR
      Kim Johnson: (979) 436-9182 or hschr@tamu.edu

Upcoming Merit Meeting

August 12 (Wednesday): Monthly Merit Process Update Meeting (For HROs, Payroll Managers, Budget Officers, and Merit Partners. These groups will receive a meeting invite from the Workday Services Merit Contact Person.)

Workday Impact Chart for Merit Process

  • August 3 (Monday): One-Time merit template due to Budget Office for TAMU
  • August 5 (Wednesday): Workday Merit Module is launched/PBA data is loaded directly to Workday merit module
  • August 12 (Wednesday): Last day for Workday Merit Module changes for users
  • August 17 (Monday): Merit is finalized in Workday and PBA is marked final for "Goldplate"
  • August 19 (Wednesday): Budget is presented to Board of Regents for approval
  • August 27 (Thursday): Costing allocations for effective date 9/1/20 are loaded from PBA to Workday
  • September 1 (Friday): New salaries are visible in Workday
Types of Action in Workday Before Merit is Open When Merit is in Progress (August 5–12) Warning Period: After Finalized/Before Effective Date (August 17–31) After Effective Date (September 1)
New Hire No Impact No Impact No Impact No Impact
Termination No Impact Termination Rule will remove the employee No Impact No Impact
Annual Work Period or Hours No impact No impact Merit Grid values take precedence on effective date No Impact
Promotion to New Position No impact No impact Merit Recommendations override for compensation changes No Impact
Reclassification in Same Position No impact No impact Merit Recommendations override for compensation changes No Impact
Move to Different Manager Supervisory Organization No impact No impact Merit Recommendations override for compensation changes No Impact
Compensation Change only No impact No impact Merit Recommendations override for compensation changes No Impact
One-Time Payment No Impact No Impact No Impact No Impact

Staffing and Compensation Changes During Merit in Progress

You can continue to make staffing and compensation changes to employees while merit is in progress without negative impacts to the employee's merit process.

Processes That Can Run in Parallel

  • Request Compensation Change
  • Change Job
  • Transfer
  • Add Additional Job
  • End Additional Job
  • New Hire
  • Terminations
  • Edit Position Restrictions

Processes That Cannot Run in Parallel

  • Move Workers
  • Edit Position (this is not a common process)

Note: You do not need to remove an Employee from the Merit process to accommodate a compensation change or a job change. The merit process can run in parallel with these changes.

Staffing and Compensation Changes After Merit Closes (Warning Period: 8/17 – 8/31)

During the warning period (8/17/2020 – 8/31/2020), it is strongly recommended that you do not submit a compensation or job change action on an employee who is receiving a merit salary increase effective 9/1/2020. If this is done, the action will be overridden by the merit salary increase on 9/1/2020.

Example

  • Merit Closes: August 17
  • Change processed for Employee: Compensation change with effective date of August 20
  • Merit Effective Date: September 1
  • Result: The compensation change is overridden by the Merit change on September 1

Guidance on Promotions

When Promotion is done during the Merit Process

  • Promotion is done by reclassifying the current position of the employee

Fields that can be changed on the grid

  • Promote (Yes/No)
    • Default set to "No" for all employees
  • Job Profile
  • Promotion %
  • Promotion Amount

Fields that cannot be changed on the grid

  • Promotion Reason
    • Default set to "Promotion Reclassification"
  • Position
  • Grade
  • Annual Work Period

For employees reclassified effective 9/1/2020 (Edit Position Restrictions is approved by Classification and Compensation and completed in Workday) who are also receiving a merit salary increase effective 9/1/2020, it is recommended to use the Change Job business process to change the Job Profile but not change the pay. You will enter both the merit and reclassified salary during the Merit Process in Workday.

Promotions without Pay Rate Change

For promotions where the pay rate does not change (hourly to hourly and salary to salary):

If the employee is getting Merit Award % with Promotion %

  • Complete the promotion on the Merit grid by selecting the new job profile
  • Promotion % increase will be the new salary after Merit Award % is applied

If the employee is getting only Promotion %

  • System Member can choose to complete the promotion on the Merit grid by selecting the new job profile
  • Employee can be removed from the merit process and promotion can be done outside the merit process to prevent any Merit Award % entry errors (optional)
  • If employee is removed, then Merit Statement will not be available for the employee

Promotions with Pay Rate Change

Sample Merit Process Dates

Launch Date: 8/5/2020
Finalization Date: 8/17/2020
Effective Date: 9/1/2020
Options When Pros Cons
Option 1: Complete Change Job with a change to Job Profile with a pay rate that will equal existing total compensation.*

(Use merit grid for compensation changes)

 Before Launch Date
  • No need to remove employee from the grid
  • Can enter both Merit and Promotion during Merit Process
  • Make sure that total pay is same after changing pay frequency
  • Job Profile updates are not clearly classified during job change
Option 2: Give Merit % on the grid and complete promotion outside the Merit process after 9/1 (Merit Effective Date) After Merit Effective Date Promotion is clearly captured during the job change
  • Merit is entered on the hourly rate
  • Employee's salary is still displayed as hourly rate on the grid

* Complete Change Job with a change to Job Profile with a pay rate that will equal existing total compensation

Example

  • Current Job Profile: Administrative Associate V
  • Current Pay Frequency: Hourly
  • Current Hourly Rate: $20 per hour

Values for Change Job with a change to Job Profile:

  • Proposed Job Profile: Administrative Coordinator II
  • Proposed Pay Frequency: Monthly
  • Proposed Salary: $(20 * 2080 / 12) = $3466.67 per month

Be aware: Pay Frequency change cannot be changed on the merit grid.

Merit Reports

A list of helpful reports for the merit process may be found in the table below.

Report Name Usage
Compensation Changes Used at different stages of Merit to audit compensation changes within a date range. (Merit Partners, HR Partners and HR Contacts)
In Progress Merit Review Process – Full Audit Used when Merit is in progress to review award amounts entered. (Merit Partners)
In Progress Merit Review Process – Most Recent Used when Merit is in progress to review recent award amounts entered. (Managers and Merit Partners)
In Progress Business Processes Impacting Merit Used to review employees with a pending job or compensation change. Employees with pending job or compensation changes will not be able to get Merit until those in progress business processes are canceled or finalized. (Merit Partners, HR Partners and HR Contacts)
Pay Calculation Results for a Period* Used to view payroll results in progress or completed with employee, supervisory organization, compensation, costing allocations and extended cost by TAMUS Cost Center. (HR Contact)

* Verifying Pay Calculation Results and Special Guidance for Merit Salary Increases and One-Time Merit Payments: This new resource provides step by step guidance on how to run the Pay Calculation Results for a Period in regards to Merit Salary Increases (Regular Salary/Regular Hours) and One-Time Merit Payments. Use this report to verify Merit Salary Increases (Regular Salary/Regular Hours) and One-Time Merit Payments and identify any potential errors that need to be fixed.

Sample Salary Memos

HROE advises all departments/units to provide non-faculty employees with an individualized salary memo for the new fiscal year once pay rates are finalized and confirmed. With the exception of indicating multiple types of increases (when applicable) and adding in comments of appreciation, HROE advises departments/units against making other changes to the language in these templates. Departments/units that have already developed their own salary memos, may continue to use their salary memo in lieu of the sample salary memos provided below.