Market Adjustment Implementation
The Staff Classification and Compensation Project is designed to bring staff compensation to at least the minimum of their assigned market pay range for similar work performed.
- Time in position will be factored into all additional market adjustments (other than potential future COLA increases), including for staff with compensation already above the minimum of their assigned market pay range.
- Not all in-scope staff will receive a market adjustment. For instance, if a staff member’s base pay, with time-in-position considered, is already within the assigned market pay range, they would not receive a market adjustment. In addition, employees with an unsatisfactory or below performance rating will not receive a market adjustment.*
- No employee’s pay will decrease as a result of the project, even if the employee’s current base pay is above the market pay range for similar work performed.
*Staff with an unsatisfactory or below performance rating from the Spring 2024 evaluation period will not receive an additional market adjustment in phase one but would become eligible for potential market adjustments in phase two if performance is improved and documented to at least a satisfactory level during the calendar-year review cycle.
Implementation Details
Any market adjustments related to the project are intended to be implemented in two phases.
- In the first phase, in-scope staff are intended to receive any additional market adjustments (beyond the market adjustment provided in the form of a 3% COLA previously received effective July 1, 2024) to base pay starting with their Oct. 15, 2024, payslip, with the market adjustment amount calculated back to July 1, 2024.
- In the second phase, any market adjustments are intended to be effective July 1, 2025.
When implementing compensation changes, market adjustments are prioritized by job subfamilies (e.g. Accounting, Academic Advising) of staff that are furthest away from the market pay range, resulting in two priority groupings:
- Priority Group A : It is intended that those furthest away from the market pay range will receive 75% of the total market pay adjustment to base salary on their Oct. 15, 2024 payslip, and 25% of the total market pay adjustment effective July 1, 2025.
- Priority Group B : It is intended that those closer to the market pay range will receive 50% of the total market pay adjustment to base salary on their Oct. 15, 2024 payslip, and 50% of the total market pay adjustment effective July 1, 2025.
![](https://hr.uark.edu/current-hidden-staff-cc-project/resources/priority-groups-ab.png)
Example Scenarios
(Illustrative Purposes Only, Fictional Data)
Jermaine
Job Title: Museum Assistant Director
Job Profile: Museum Manager IV
Time in Current Position: 10 years
Market-aligned Pay Grade Minimum: $60,000
Jermaine's Pay: $50,000
Planned Market Adjustment Effective July 1, 2025: $16,000
- $10,000 increase to market pay range minimum (includes market adjustment provided in the form of 3% COLA: $1,500)
- Time-in-position Adjustment: $6,000 (based on market pay range minimum)*
Planned Annual Pay Effective July 1, 2025: $66,000
Group: B (50% Effective July 1, 2024/50% effective July 1, 2025)
- Market Adjustment Provided in the Form of 3% COLA: $1,500
- Additional Market Adjustment (Phase 1): $6,500
- Additional Market Adjustment (Phase 2): $8,000**
*In this fictional example, Jermaine has been in his current position for 10 years and is eligible for a time-in-position adjustment up to 10% of the market pay range minimum for his position ($6,000). The maximum time-in-position benefit employees may receive is capped at 10% of the market pay range minimum OR 10% of the employee's annual base pay if the employee's salary is already above the market pay minimum. Potential time-in-position increases will vary from individual to individual.
**Additional market adjustments for Phase 2 may vary and could include any potential COLA that may be approved effective July 1, 2025 (similar to the impact of the market adjustment provided in the form of a COLA that became effective July 1, 2024).
![](https://hr.uark.edu/current-hidden-staff-cc-project/resources/group-market-adjustment_jermaine-market-adjustment.png)
In this fictional example, Jermaine’s starting pay is $50,000, and he is eligible for a market adjustment to the market-aligned pay range for his position. He receives a market adjustment provided in the form of a 3% COLA to bring his pay to $51,500.
Because his job subfamily is in Priority Group B, he will receive 50% of his additional market adjustment effective July 1, 2024 and 50% effective July 1, 2025. His pay effective July 1, 2025 is $66,000 including a $6,000 time-in-position increase for 10 years in his current position.
Tamara
Job Title: Construction Project Specialist
Job Profile: Construction Project Manager II
Time in Current Position: 5 years*
Market-aligned Pay Grade Minimum: $40,000
Tamara's Pay: $41,750
Planned Market Adjustment Effective July 1, 2025: $3,250
- Market Adjustment Provided in the Form of 3% COLA: $1,250
- Time-in-position adjustment: $2,000 (based on Tamara's pay)*
Planned Annual Pay Effective July 1, 2025: $45,000
Planned Distribution of Market Adjustment
Group: A (75% effective July 1, 2024/25% effective July 1, 2025)
- Market Adjustment Provided in the Form of 3% COLA: $1,250
- Additional Market Adjustment (Phase 1): $1,189
- Additional Market Adjustment (Phase 2): $811**
*In this fictional example, Tamara has been in her current position for five years and she is eligible for a time-in-position adjustment based on a percentage of her pay. Potential time-in-position increases will vary from individual to individual.
**Additional market adjustments for Phase 2 may vary and could include any potential
COLA that may be approved effective July 1, 2025 (similar to the impact of the market
adjustment provided in the form of a COLA that became effective July 1, 2024).
![](https://hr.uark.edu/current-hidden-staff-cc-project/resources/group-market-adjustment_tamara-market-adjustment.png)
In this fictional example, Tamara’s pay is $41,750, and her position is already within the market-aligned pay range for the work she performs. With five years in her current position, she is eligible for a time-in-position adjustment. She receives a market adjustment provided in the form of a 3% COLA to bring her pay to $43,000.
Because her job subfamily is in Priority Group A, she will receive 75% of any additional market adjustment effective July 1, 2024 and 25% effective July 1, 2025. Her pay effective July 1, 2025 is $45,000 including a $2,000 time-in-position increase for five years in her current position.
Benny
Job Title: Landscape Specialist
Job Profile: Groundskeeper II
Market-aligned Pay Grade Maximum: $45,000
Time in Current Position: 20 years
Benny's Pay: $44,660
Market Adjustment Effective July 1, 2024: $1,340
- Market Adjustment Provided in the Form of a 3% COLA: $1,340*
Annual Pay Effective July 1, 2024: $46,000
Distribution of Market Adjustment
Group: B (Note: Benny will not receive additional market adjustments in Phases 1 and 2)
- Market Adjustment Provided in the Form of 3% COLA: $1,340
- Additional Market Adjustment (Phase 1): $0
- Additional Market Adjustment (Phase 2): $0**
*Benny received a market adjustment provided in the form of a COLA effective July 1, 2024. This put his pay above the maximum market pay range for his position. So, while he would potentially be eligible for a time-in-position increase with 20 years in his current position, no time-in-position increase is applied due to the fact his base pay is already above the maximum of the market pay range for the work he performs.
**Additional market adjustments for Phase 2 may vary and could include any potential
COLA that may be approved effective July 1, 2025 (similar to the impact of the market
adjustment provided in the form of a COLA that became effective July 1, 2024).
![](https://hr.uark.edu/current-hidden-staff-cc-project/resources/group-market-adjustment_benny-market-adjustment.png)