Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 45.97
Liaison Alison Pugh
Submission Date Jan. 16, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Edmonds College
PAE-11: Sustainable Compensation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 8.00 / 8.00 Mark Cassidy
Vice-President Human Resources
Human Resources
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Total number of employees working on campus (including contractors):
569

Number of employees (including contractors) that the institution ensures earn sustainable compensation:
569

A brief description of how the institution ensures that its lowest-paid workers (including contractors, if applicable) receive 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 most recent year total compensation for the institution’s lowest-paid workers (including contractors, if applicable) was evaluated to ensure that it was sustainable:
2,010

The website URL where information about the institution’s compensation policies and practices is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.

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.