The University of Maryland, Baltimore considers equity in all compensation actions to maintain parity and the integrity of like jobs across the campus. Should an inequity arise, adjustments may be made to resolve inequities with appropriate approvals as provided in the salary guidelines. Legal considerations, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, also may have an impact on pay decisions.

An inequity exists when there are pay differences in similar jobs that cannot be explained by:

• Differences in amount of time in the job
• Differences in responsibilities
• Differences based on subordinate-supervisor relationship
• Differences in skills, abilities, and education
• Differences in requirements for increasingly responsible experience in the job family
• Differences in performance evaluations; and/or other lawful criteria.

Competency: Pay actions also are based on the competencies outlined in the job description. The placement of salary within the pay range is determined by the level of proficiency the employee has attained in these competencies. Minimum qualifications for all positions are based on industry standards, market and University practice.

Requirements of education and experience can be found in job descriptions. If substitution of experience in lieu of education is available for a position, it will be designated in the job description. All job descriptions are reviewed in a systematic way to ensure compliance.

Market Comparison-Ratio: Our market is defined as a broad mix of industries in the regional marketplace and public doctoral institutions of similar size. The salary range midpoints represent the market salary for an experienced employee who is performing the full function of the job description. A comparison-ratio is computed by dividing an employee’s annual base salary with market salary survey median in which that employee is placed.

Equity Adjustment Assessment

An exempt regular or non-exempt regular staff employee may be eligible for an equity adjustment.  Current USM Chancellor Guidelines determine if equity adjustments are permissible within the given fiscal year.  Managers or HR can request equity reviews to ensure staff employee(s) are fairly paid within the job.  Analysis of internal equity and external market review are conducted by HR Compensation to determine if there is an inequity that needs to be addressed.  These reviews are based on the four factors defined in UMB Policy VII.9.11.  It is important that each staff employees is classified in the correct job to ensure an accurate equity review. The process to request an equity adjustment assessment are:

1. Complete Staff Action Request  DOCX
2. Attach required documentation:
• Resume
3. Send all documentation to HRS Compensation.
4. Compensation will review all documents and determine if the equity can be supported.
5. Compensation will notify department of final determination.