UUA Office of Church Staff Finances
Guided by the values of our faith,
we equip congregations for excellence as employers
and their staff for financial competence and well-being. |
Compensation and Staffing News |
October 2022
with Corrected Document Links |
UUA Office of Church Staff Finances, October 2022
Front row: Sean Griffin, Ashley Anguiano, Anna Gehres
Back row: Richard Nugent, Gloria Guldager, Jackie Toone, Mary Krigbaum, William Lester, Jan Gartner |
Editor's Note
First, my apologies for the resend. I tried to share the salary program documents from a UUA-internal folder the first time.
In early October, the Church Staff Finances team gathered in Boston for a multi-day retreat, facilitated by the fun and skillful CB Beal of Justice and Peace Consulting. As we all work from home, and only one of us lives in the Boston area, it was very special to be together in real-space at our national headquarters! (COVID-19 protocol was conscientiously followed for this gathering. We tested daily and the only time masks were removed within our meeting space was for our brief photo session.)
Of the nine of us, only Richard and I were part of the team pre-pandemic, and some of us were meeting each other in person for the very first time. While of course we did "talk shop," the focus of the retreat was on relationship-building. Relationship is essential to strong teamwork – as well as to our faith. The gift of this time dedicated to getting to know each other more deeply will help us collaborate more effectively so that we can serve you better.
Faithfully, |
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Jan Gartner, Compensation and Staffing Practices Manager |
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Announcing Our New Retirement Plan Recordkeeper
From Gloria Guldager, Retirement Plan Director
We’re pleased to announce that the Unitarian Universalist Organizations Retirement Plan (UU Retirement Plan) will be moving from TIAA to Empower effective February 27, 2023.
Empower is the second-largest retirement plan recordkeeper in the nation (Pension & Investments 2020 Defined Contribution Survey Ranking, April 2021), helping more than 17 million people (as of June 30, 2022) achieve the future they imagine. Retirement is all they do, with a mission of empowering people to save enough money today to enjoy a more secure retirement.
You Can Look Forward To…
- A robust website that includes a variety of planning tools and resources for plan participants and the ability to remit employment and contribution data, and payment, electronically for our plan administrators.
- The inclusion of each location’s Employer Participation Agreement elections to ensure remittance accuracy and compliance.
- Ability to include employee dates of service and hours worked with all participating employers to track eligibility for employer contributions.
- More detailed reporting capability to track your organization’s contribution history.
- The automatic transfer of participant assets, contribution elections, beneficiary elections and loan obligations.
- A significant reduction in participant fees.
More Information Coming Soon
There is no action required of you at this time. Our Retirement Plan Recordkeeper Transitions FAQ ( https://hrforuus.uua.org/help/en-us/30 or click button below) has more details about the transition and why we chose Empower.
Congregational and UU organization leaders involved in administering the plan will be receiving information about the new remitting process.
We are excited about Empower and confident that you will be pleased, as well! Please direct any questions to RetirementPlan@uua.org.
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Rethinking UUA Salary Recommendations
We're getting close! By around this time next month, we'll be releasing the documents and resources for the new Salary Program.
Consistent Ranges and the Ruler Method
In our current salary recommendations, some ranges are wider than others. This means that two jobs with the same midpoint, say $50,000, could have different minimums and maximums. For instance, one range might be $45,000 to $55,000 (10% below/above midpoint) while another could be $42,500 to $57,500 (15% below/above midpoint).
The discrepancy in range widths stems from the national survey data, with wider ranges indicating a larger spread in the wages for a particular job. The unfortunate result is that two employees hired at the minimum of their respective ranges for jobs considered equivalent from a pay perspective would likely have different initial pay rates – and it is often very hard for the person starting at the lower rate to catch up.
So, as one way of furthering equity, we'll now provide consistent ranges across job levels and sizes. We're also introducing what we call the Ruler Method: |
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Imagine the range for any position level being superimposed on a ruler. All ranges will be expressed as follows:
- Expected minimum: 0 inches (90% of expected midpoint)
- Expected midpoint: 5 inches
- Expected maximum: 10 inches (110% of expected midpoint)
- Special situations: 12 inches (114% of expected midpoint, allowing for extra salary growth at the top end of the range)
We will provide guidance about where to place an employee on the ruler based on their training and experience. This method is consistent with our focus on process and can be used to establish pay for new hires as well as to review and reset pay annually for continuing staff. |
Help Us Refine Draft Documents!
You may already be aware that our '23-'24 salary tables will incorporate a new approach to both jobs and congregational sizes. We invite you to provide feedback on the related draft documents. Please use the short survey provided (rather than emailing your comments); this is the best way for us to keep everyone's feedback in one place.
From Job Levels to Job Titles
We are now listing salaries by job level (e.g., Director Level, Manager Level), rather than by individual job title. This advances equity by ensuring that jobs positioned similarly within the organizational structure are paid based on the same salary range. It also minimizes cultural biases inherent in the national wage data for particular positions. In addition, with more and more unique jobs being created in congregations, this practicality.
From Six Congregational Sizes to Four Size Profiles
Congregational size is about more than simply the number of people who have “signed the book.” So we’re taking a more nuanced approach to size by creating size profiles that begin with membership, but also take into account operating expenses and typical staffing. We are also reducing from six size categories to four size profiles which contain some overlap. This means that in certain membership ranges, a congregation might appear to fit into either of two adjacent size profiles; budget and staffing information will help place the congregation appropriately.
Note that our largest size profile stops at 800 members. Larger congregations are invited to contact us for guidance. (We have already reached out individually to the eight congregations with more than 800 members.)
Process is Primary!
With all of the focus above on the salary tables, it would be easy to get the impression that numbers are the most important thing. We urge you to keep in mind that we're putting a greater emphasis on process going forward. How are pay decisions made and communicated? Ultimately, our values of equity, transparency, and economic justice are best reflected through your congregation's pay policies and practices. Stay tuned for expanded process guidance when we post '23-'24 information next month. |
Open Enrollment to Begin November 15
From Richard Nugent, Director, Office of Church Staff Finances
The UUA Health and Dental Insurance Plans generally hold an Open Enrollment registration period throughout the month of November. This is an opportunity for the staff of our congregations and participating employers to enroll in our health and dental plans, change their enrollment preferences, or terminate their participation.
For an assortment of reasons, the UUA Open Enrollment period is slightly delayed this year. It will begin November 15 and conclude no earlier than December 15. All changes made during Open Enrollment are effective January 1, 2023. Health Insurance rates will be announced by November 1 and broadly communicated to all existing Plan participants and participating congregations/employers. Dental insurance rates will remain unchanged for 2023. Details will also be provided on how to enroll or change enrollment status. |
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