Town hall meetings set to update employees on compensation issues
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University will update employees on its Staff Compensation Project, including the review of the exemption status of certain jobs under the Fair Labor Standards Act, during two town hall meetings next week.
The meetings are set for 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, in Schneider Hall's Brown Auditorium. They will include identical presentations from the principal players involved in the project and a question-and-answer period. The events are expected to last about one hour, depending on the number of questions received from the audience.
For employees who are unable to attend, both town hall meetings will be videotaped and streamed live online as well as archived online for later viewing. To view the videos, visit the compensation project Web page at wmich.edu/hr/compensationproject, scroll down to the end of the page and click compensation project town hall meetings.
Town hall presenters
- A representative from Aon Hewitt, the national firm engaged by WMU to help develop the new Staff Compensation System.
- Representatives from Warner, Norcross & Judd, the law firm assisting the University with the review process for compliance with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
- A representative from WMU, Warren Hills, associate vice president for human resources.
Town hall topics
- Staff Compensation Project activities that have taken place since the new compensation system was implemented July 1, 2015.
- An overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act and WMU's Fair Labor Standards Act review process.
- Project steps remaining, such as developing updated job descriptions.
- Alignment of the Staff Compensation System with the labor market as of July 1, 2016, and moving forward.
Staff Compensation Project
WMU employs nearly 1,900 regular staff members. About two-thirds, or 68 percent, fall under the Staff Compensation System. In 2013, the University began developing a new, market-based pay structure for this nonbargaining group of professional, administrative, clerical and technical employees.
The following year, Staff Compensation System employees provided job content information to Human Resources, and Aon Hewitt incorporated this information into its market-related analysis of campus jobs and salaries.
The new pay structure and compensation system that resulted went into effect at the start of the 2015 fiscal year.
For more information about the Staff Compensation Project, visit wmich.edu/hr/compensationproject. Direct questions about the project or upcoming town hall meetings to Amy M. Brimmer, WMU compensation manager, at amy.brimmer@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3641.