Edmonds College
PAE-11: Sustainable Compensation

Most wages on campus are set by Washington state requirements or state-wide bargaining agreements. From the Department of Personnel's website: the state conducts a "Total Compensation Survey" every two years "to provide information on how state compensation compares to the pay and benefits provided by other public and private sector employers in Washington State for similar work. When it comes to salaries, the survey tells us that about 18% of state job classes are paid above the market, but most state jobs are paid below the market for like work. State benefits, on the other hand, are comparable to other public sector employers and are generally equal to or slightly better than the majority of private sector companies. For those classifications below market, the collective bargaining process, the Legislature and the Governor determine what impact, if any, the salary survey findings will have on state employee compensation. The salary survey is just one tool to be considered. Other factors, such as budget, benefits, recruitment and retention needs, and alignment between job classes must also be considered." In addition, Washington State's minimum wage is one of the highest in the country. As minimum wage increases are adopted, all minimum wage employees are increased to meet the minimum. According to our Human Resources department, we employ only about 14 full-time employees who make less than $25,000/year. Our Vice-President for Human Resources has been conducting salary surveys recently to ensure internal equity.

The number used is for all full-time employees at the college. Although salary surveys have been conducted, there is still a small group of employees who struggle for a number of reasons. The college recently started (2012) an "Employees in Need Emergency Fund" where staff/faculty can donate voluntarily to a fund and staff/faculty in need can access funds.