Procedure: Payment of salary increments
Purpose
To provide guidance on the procedure and criteria for the approval of incremental advancement.
Procedure
- The approval of incremental advancement is provided for under the ANU Enterprise Agreement, this procedure and the Accelerated Increment eform.
- Incremental progression through the salary structure within a classification is dependent upon:
- the staff member's acquisition of new skills, experience, knowledge; and
- satisfactory performance against an agreed Performance Development Plan.
- Supervisors provide reasonable assistance and opportunity to staff members to achieve incremental progression.
Incremental progression
- Incremental progression is subject to 12 months' continuous service for annual progression or 24 months' continuous service for biennial progression.
- Periods of Leave without pay (LWOP) are not counted as continuous service and as such defer the staff members "anniversary" date for incremental progression.
- Incremental progression does not occur where provided for under the Managing Unsatisfactory Performance or Misconduct provisions of the ANU Enterprise Agreement.
Accelerated Increments
- A supervisor recommends to the delegate that the staff member receives an accelerated increment(s) if:
- following a performance review against their Performance Development Plan, the staff member has received a rating of "Outstanding" to recognise exceptional development and performance beyond normal expectations; or
- as an alternative to awarding a market loading if:
- there is evidence of higher salaries being paid externally for the particular occupational group or position and it is therefore likely that the University would have difficulty in filling a position if it became vacant; or
- there is high turnover of staff and where higher external salaries have been documented as being a significant contributing factor.
- Accelerated increments move:
- the staff member to a higher increment level that they would otherwise move to under the normal provisions of this procedure; OR
- to the next (or subsequent increment) earlier than their next normal increment anniversary date.
Appointment of new staff at an increment above the base
- Normally, ANU appoints staff at the base increment for the relevant classification level. However, a supervisor may recommend to the delegate that the staff member be appointed above the base (as an alternative to offering a market loading), if:
- there are demonstrated difficulties in attracting and retaining appropriately qualified or experienced staff to particular positions and there is evidence of higher salaries being paid externally for the particular occupational group or position; or
- the appointed staff member has demonstrated they have already acquired the skills, experience and knowledge commensurate with those of other staff at higher increments within the classification level; or
- there is high turnover of staff and where higher external salaries have been documented as being a significant contributing factor.
Casual/Sessional Staff
- Casual/sessional staff are not entitled to incremental progression but an experience payment under the Salaries - casual/sessional academic staff or Salaries - casual general staff of the ANU Enterprise Agreement may be payable.
Approval
- Payment of increments are authorised by the delegate.
- Accelerated increments greater than one step requires the approval of the Director – Human Resources or the Vice Chancellor.
- Payment of increments beyond the conditions and limits specified in this procedure requires the approval, in writing, of the Director - Human Resources or the Vice Chancellor.
