Annualized Salary: Adjusted income or pay for an incumbent on annual basis.

Base Pay: Fixed compensation paid to an individual;' it is typically expressed as an hourly rate or an annual amount. The calculation of base pay is: (hourly rate*2080).

Benchmark Job: Job classifications that are common in the labor market, have a clear and consistent definition for purposes of comparison, and for which reliable salary survey data is available.

Classification: A group of jobs that are similar in duties, responsibilities, and qualifications

Compa Ratio: Ratio of an actual pay rate to the midpoint or some other control point for the pay range. Compa-ratios are used to measure and monitor an individual's actual rate of pay relative to the midpoint or control point of their range.

Compensatory (Comp) Time: Time off accrued by a non-exempt employee at the rate of one-and-one-half times for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek. Compensatory time off may be used in lieu of overtime pay upon mutual agreement between employee and supervisor.

Compression: Pay differentials too small to be considered equitable. The term may apply to differences between: pay of supervisor and subordinates; pay of experienced and newly hired employees in the same job; or midpoints in successive grades.

Demotion: A downward movement of an employee from a job in one classification to a position in another classification, having less responsibility and with a lower pay grade.

Essential Function: Fundamental, crucial job duties performed in a position.

Equity Analysis: A formal process for reviewing the wages of incumbents in a single job title based on a standard set of criteria, such as years of experience, performance rating or education level to ensure they are paid equitably in relation to one another.

Exempt Employee: Employee who qualifies as being exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act because of their assigned duties and salary. Exempt employees do not receive overtime pay for work performed in excess of the 40-hour work week. See Exempt vs. Non-Exempt resource guide.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Federal law governing minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor and recordkeeping requirements.

FTE (Full Time Equivalents): A way to measure the scheduled hours of the incumbent. Ratio of total number of paid hours during a period (part time, full time, contracted) by the number of working hours in that period, usually 40 hours

Hourly Rate: Rate of pay expressed in dollars and cents earned per hour.

Internal Equity: Criterion used to determine fairness in pay among employees.

Internal Equity Pay Adjustment: Pay action that is taken to correct a salary inequity among employees in the same job with comparable qualifications and performance levels.

Job Description: A formal description of an employees job duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills and abilities, and minimum qualifications.

Job Title: Label for a job which distinguishes it from other jobs.

Lateral Transfer: Change of an employee from one position to another position in the same class or a different class with the same salary range.

Limited Term: An employee hired into a job that is limited in nature. Employees may be dismissed from employment, or have their hours reduced when the funding for the position is reduced, eliminated, or if the business need for the position no longer exists.

Lump Sum: A one-time payment provided to an employee, not applied to the employee’s base salary.

Market Midpoint: The middle value of pay for a job in a specified market.

Market Value: "Going Rate” for a benchmark or slotted position and is used to help assign jobs to a pay grade.

Market-Based Adjustment: Change in pay to recognize appropriate market value of a job as determined by salary survey information and approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

Merit: Adjustment to an individual's base pay rate based on performance or some other individual measure.

Midpoint: The salary that represents the middle of a pay grade.

Minimum Qualifications: The essential, bare minimum requirements for a job.

Non-Exempt Employee: Employee who is subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act because of their assigned duties and salary. Non-exempt employees will be paid at one-and-one-half times the hourly rate or will be granted compensatory time for work performed in excess of 40 hours during the work week. See Exempt vs. Non-Exempt resource guide.

Occupational Group: A series of jobs or occupations related in broad terms by the nature of the functions performed.

On-Call Pay: Pay received by employees for being ready to report to work if necessary. Employees receiving on call pay usually are required to be readily available by phone, within a reasonable distance from the workplace, and able to report promptly to work.

Out-Of-Title Pay: Additional payment to an employee that is temporarily performing the duties of a higher range position or has an increased workload due to a vacancy, special project or assignment.

Overtime: Work performed in excess of basic workday or workweek.

Paid Leave: Compensation earned during absence periods (vacation leave, holidays, jury duty, sick leave, military leave, etc.) based on prior accrual.

Part Time: Employees who work less than 40 hours a work week.

Pay Adjustment: Salary changes outside of the normal salary considerations (promotions, reclassification's, merits, etc.) to remedy salary issues such as external pressure in high demand areas, internal salary compression, and/or retention considerations. Equity adjustments are not granted to reward performance.

Pay Grade: A method of categorizing different types of jobs into groups that have the same relative pay and internal worth.

Pay Range: A range of pay rates, ranging from minimum to maximum, established for a pay grade.

Probationary Period: A period which a newly hired employee is on trial prior to becoming a regular employee.

Promotion: The assignment of an employee from one position to another position which is in a pay grade higher than what they are currently assigned to.

Range Penetration/Positioning: How far an employee is into their assigned pay grade.

Range Spread: The difference between the minimum and the maximum of a pay grade.

Reclassification: Reassignment of a job based on a substantial change in duties, responsibilities or minimum qualifications.

Retroactive Pay: Wages due for past services frequently required when wage increases are made effective as of an earlier date.

Salary Structure: Structure of pay grades and pay ranges.

Salary Survey: A salary survey is a process of gathering, summarizing, and analyzing data on the wages/salaries paid by employers for selected jobs within select regions. Typically conducted by 3rd party vendors.

Shift Differential: Additional compensation paid to employees for working at other than regular hour work shifts.

Temporary: Employees hired in a position that is temporary in nature. Temporary employees do not receive benefits. 

Transfer: Movement that occurs when an employee moves from one department to another department.