| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.26 |
| Liaison | Megan Litke |
| Submission Date | Feb. 12, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
American University
PAE-11: Sustainable Compensation
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
8.00 / 8.00 |
Chris
O'Brien Director of Sustainability Office of Sustainability |
Total number of employees working on campus (including contractors):
Number of employees (including contractors) that the institution ensures earn sustainable compensation:
A brief description of how the institution ensures that its lowest-paid workers (including contractors, if applicable) receive sustainable compensation:
The following memo was issued on August 21, 2013, updating the university's wage policy.
TO: Deans, Directors and Department Heads
FROM: Beth Muha, Assistant VP of Human Resources
DATE: August 21, 2013
SUBJECT: Updates To Wage and Benefits Policies
We are pleased to announce that this fall, American University will update its wage and benefits policies for its lowest paid workers. As part of American University’s continued commitment to social responsibility, the university will increase its base wage, often referred to as a “living wage,” and increase the salary cut-off for an additional medical plan subsidy.
The increase in the base wage continues the university’s practice started in 2002 that calls for a minimum hourly wage that assures that even the lowest paid employees of our campus community can live decently within the economic structure of the greater Washington, DC geographic region.
Effective September 1, 2013, AU’s base wage will increase from $12.50 to $14.15 per hour, and increase again to $14.45 per hour, effective September 2014. The rates compare favorably with the living wage policies established by other local universities and municipalities. AU’s policy covers all full-time, non-union, staff employees of the university, as well as employees of multi-year service contracts and persons employed regularly on campus (except first-year Dining Services or entry-level Housekeeping Services employees). Future changes to base wages will depend on factors described in the Wage Policy.
The university also will increase the salary cut-off for the additional medical plan subsidy that it provides to its lowest paid employees. Currently, full-time AU employees earning $25,000 or less per year pay 5 percent of the total cost of individual coverage with either Kaiser or CareFirst, compared to 20 percent charged to higher paid employees. Effective January 1, 2014, the cut-off for additional subsidy will increase to $35,000 per year, thereby covering additional lower paid workers.
The changes to AU’s wage and benefits policies not only ensure that the university continues its long-standing commitment to social responsibility, but help to continue to attract and retain the best staff possible.
For more information on the updates to the wage and benefits policies, contact compensation@american.edu
The most recent year total compensation for the institution’s lowest-paid workers (including contractors, if applicable) was evaluated to ensure that it was sustainable:
The website URL where information about the institution’s compensation policies and practices is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.