Supplemental Pay for EHRA Employees

Version 2 (Current Version)
All Versions:
PolicyPOL06.20.01
TitleSupplemental Pay for EHRA Employees
CategoryPersonnel
Sub-categoryCompensation
AuthorityBoard of Trustees
History

Original BOT approval May 5, 2006; Revised, BOT approved and effective July 18, 2013. Non-substantive updates August 9, 2022.

Contact

Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration, 252-328-2679, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, 252-328-9882

Related Policies

UNC Policy Manual 300.1.1, Senior Academic and Administrative Officers

UNC Policy Manual 300.2.13, Supplemental Pay Policy for Employees Exempt from the State Personnel Act (EPA)

ECU Regulation, Faculty Workload

Additional References

ECU Faculty Manual, Part XI, General Faculty Employment Guidelines and Benefits (pdf)

Employment Policy for Employees Exempt from the State Human Resources Act

NC Office of State Human Resources Policy on Dual Employment

Dual Employment Form CP-30 (docx)

ECU Supplemental Payment and Stipend Codes

EPA Supplemental Pay and Stipend Form


1. Purpose

This Policy outlines practices for additional compensation paid to East Carolina University EHRA employees: 1) faculty, 2) non-faculty (EHRA-NF instructional and research), and 3) Senior Academic and Administrative Officers (SAAO) Tier I and Tier II. This Policy is not intended to modify any of the existing policies or procedures governing the administration of University salaries nor to address compensation practices for Clinical Support Services (CSS) or employees subject to the State Human Resources Act (SHRA). [Note: see the ECU Policy for Employees Exempt from the State Human Resources Act for more information on the non-faculty classification of EHRA employees]

2. Definitions

2.1. Base Salary - Base salary is the annual permanent salary of the employee approved by the Chancellor, Board of Trustees, or Board of Governors as it appears in the employment contract or subsequent salary increase/decrease letters. The base salary does not include any supplemental payments, although such payments may be addressed in a contract letter as part of the compensation package for the contract period.

2.1.1. For the purpose of defining the Base Salary, faculty in the Brody School of Medicine subject to the ECU Physicians' Clinical Faculty Compensation plan, an EHRA employee's Base Salary will be the sum of the academic base and the supplement, as defined by the Clinical Faculty Compensation Plan.

2.2. Supplemental Payments - Supplemental Payments are compensation in excess of an EHRA employee's Base Salary for temporary increases in responsibility and/or for extra duties beyond the scope of the primary appointment. Prior approval of the supervisor, department chair or school director, dean and vice chancellor(s) are required. See Section 5, below, for a non-exclusive list of Supplemental Payment types. [Note: see the ECU Supplemental Pay Codes matrix for additional descriptors and budget coding]

2.3. Contract Period - For 9-month faculty the contract period is typically August 16 through May 15. For 12-month faculty the contract period is typically July 1 through June 30. The specific dates for individual employees are based on the actual employment contracts.

2.4. Outside the Contract Period - The specific dates of the time outside the employee's contract period is based on the actual employment contract. There is no Outside the Contract Period for 12-month employees.

2.5. External Funds - Grant or other non-state appropriated funding sources.

2.6. Dual Employment - Dual employment occurs when a university employee agrees to perform services for another state agency on a part-time or contractual basis. Approval must be obtained from the supervisor, department chair or school director, dean and provost/vice chancellor before the service is provided in order to ascertain whether the obligation will interfere with job duties and commitments of the primary position. Dual employment must be in accordance with the State of North Carolina Policy on Dual Employment.

3. General Provisions

3.1. No Supplemental Payments, above the Base Salary, may be paid for university duties that are generally related to the position to which the individual is appointed during the Contract Period. See Section 2.2 for a definition of Supplemental Payments and the Supplemental Pay Codes matrix for additional descriptors and budget coding.

3.2. Assignment of additional responsibilities for which supplemental payments may be considered must comply with university established Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity policies and procedures, up to and including a formal search process when required.

3.3. This Policy complies with applicable federal and state restrictions on level of effort for external sponsored projects, grants, or contracts. Federal restrictions permit up to 3/9ths effort for a 9-month employee outside the Contract Period and no more than 100% of total compensated effort during the Contract Period (133% Rule). In the case of these projects, the rate of pay for any Supplemental Payment must be the same as the base rate of pay for the employee's primary contracted assignment.

3.3.1. Supplemental Payments, excluding approved summer research and instruction, and administrative supplements cannot be charged to a sponsored project.

3.4. All Supplemental Payments require the appropriate pre-approvals by the supervisor, department chair or school director, dean and provost/vice chancellor. If the employee is in a different department/unit/division from the unit requesting service, approval of the supervisor, department chair or school director, dean and provost/vice chancellor of the home department/unit/division is required, each time any vice chancellor approval is required under this policy.

3.5. Per the applicable hiring guidelines, less than full-time appointments during an academic or fiscal year can be increased up to full-time (1.0 FTE) with the appropriate additional compensation becoming part of their Base Salary upon approval by the supervisor, department chair or school director, dean and vice chancellor of the home department/unit/division.

3.6. Process for Approvals. Prior approval may be granted upon receipt and analysis of the following:

3.6.1. A written request from the appropriate unit administrator, including a rationale for recommending the employee, an explanation of the activities contemplated, a clear justification as to why the activity warrants Supplemental Payments, the relationships of the activities to the primary appointment, basis for the determination of the compensation rates, duration of assignment, and, if applicable, statements relative to any conflict with the primary appointment.

3.6.2. The request must be made to the supervisor, department chair or school director, dean and provost/vice chancellor for their approval by affixing dated signatures on the request.

3.6.3. In the review, the total time commitments of the individual (workload, approved supplemental activities and external activities for pay) will be considered.

3.6.4. The approved request must be submitted to the appropriate division personnel office for final review and processing.

3.6.5. Documentation related to Supplemental Payments must be maintained in the employee's personnel file.

3.7. No assignment that results in a supplemental payment may exceed one year, unless specifically approved by the appropriate provost/vice chancellor(s).

3.8. No SAAO may be paid, in addition to his or her salary, for any services rendered to any institution-related foundation, endowment, or other entity that: 1) was established by officers of the university, 2) is controlled by the university, or 3) is tax-exempt based on being a support organization for the university.

3.9. All Supplemental Payments will be processed as compensation through ECU Payroll, and subject to all applicable taxes and withholdings.

3.10. Individual fund sources may have specific restrictions on compensation or may have more restrictive practices than this policy. When there is conflict between this policy and the sponsor or activity requirements, the most restrictive practice will normally be applied.

4. The Chancellor may approve supplemental pay in any exceptional situation that makes it unduly burdensome or otherwise contrary to the best interest of the university to fulfill one or more requirements of this policy by signing a memorandum that states the reason(s) for the exception. The memorandum is to be retained in the employee's personnel file and a copy provided to the respective division personnel office.

5. Types of Supplemental Payments
The following is a non-exclusive list of types of Supplemental Payments:

5.1. Conducting Seminars, Workshops, Continuing Education Programs, and Training Approval may be granted for Supplemental Payments during the Contract Period for conducting non-credit short courses or presenting special lectures, seminars, workshops, creative activity, teaching in non-credit programs sponsored by the Office of Continuing Studies, or conferences for continuing professional education.

5.2. Administrative Assignments EHRA employees occasionally assume administrative duties for which Supplemental Payments are appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to: (1) assignments of one year or less as coordinators of undergraduate, graduate or special programs; (2) interim appointments to a higher level of administrative responsibility, such as interim department chair, dean, or director.

5.3. One-Time Special Payments EHRA employees sometimes perform work unrelated to their primary appointment, such a special project related to the person's expertise for which they may receive a payment

5.4. Overload Instruction Faculty should generally not be paid for teaching credit courses in addition to their normal course load. Instead, other arrangements should be made, such as a corresponding course reduction in the following semester. Under extraordinary circumstances, overloads may be approved consistent with the process outlined in this policy, for faculty to teach additional for credit courses. This is only allowable if this does not cause a conflict of commitment with other assigned duties, and the faculty member has an appropriate workload.

5.5. Summer Research and Instruction Due to government restrictions on the level of effort, a 9-month faculty member who participates in government-sponsored research outside the Contract Period can teach summer sessions as long as the combination of teaching and research effort and compensation does not exceed 3/9ths of the Base Salary. The summer teaching rate of pay is determined by the academic unit. The summer research rate of pay is based on the previous year's academic contract Base Salary and the 3/9ths requirements.

5.6. Instruction by EHRA-NF and SAAO Employees (Tier II) EHRA-NF and SAAO Employees (Tier II) may be allowed, subject to advance approval as described herein, to receive a supplemental payment for additional instructional responsibilities provided the additional responsibilities do not conflict with the duties of their primary appointment. Generally the instructional responsibilities must be carried out at times other than during the normal working hours associated with the primary appointment. However, in extraordinary circumstances, the instruction may occur during normal working hours with the approval of the supervisor, department chair or school director, dean and provost/vice chancellor(s). Paid leave may not be used to account for the time associated with the additional instructional assignment, but leave without pay is an option. If leave without pay is not used to account for the time away from the primary appointment, an alternate work schedule must be approved. All such arrangements must be reviewed annually and approved by the supervisor, department chair or school director, dean and provost/vice chancellor(s).

5.7. External Funds

5.7.1. For 9-month faculty, Supplemental Payments can be earned outside the Contract Period for university-sponsored research that is externally funded by a government agency as approved by the department chair or school director, dean and vice chancellor and Office of Grants and Contracts. The maximum payment is 3/9ths of the Base Salary or 100% of time.

5.7.2. Government sponsors do not permit compensation beyond the base rate of pay during the Contract Period. As a general rule, faculty (9-month and 12-month) involved in sponsored research during the Contract Period should have their other assigned responsibilities reduced. All compensation rates and periods of appointment must be approved by the Office of Grants and Contracts. Individual sponsors may have more restrictive requirements than applicable university policies. The most restrictive policy will be applied for sponsored project compensation.

6. Effective Date
This Policy is effective July 18, 2013 and shall supersede any previous supplemental pay policies at East Carolina University.